How to design business operations with a service blueprint
- Alberto Carniel
- Jan 8, 2020
- 11 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Identifying a business’s fail points and bottlenecks is always a headache.
Executives and business owners pay high professional fees to gurus and consultants in an attempt to unravel the knot.
They come up with the most harebrained ideas—and the good thing is that sometimes, they get it right.
Let’s bottom line this.
You don’t need an expensive guru to guess your business’s problems.
You need a strategy to diagnose them.
Follow this step-by-step guide and learn how to design and review your company’s processes like a boss.
Table of contents
HOW TO CRAFT SERVICE BLUEPRINTS TO DESIGN EFFICIENT BUSINESS PROCESSES
First things first.
Do you have a service blueprint?
I can bet the majority of businesses out there don’t.
That’s why they’re not able to sort their stuff out.
Whether you’re starting a brand-new business or auditing its performance, you need to know the exact flow of your processes.
You must know what happens in your organization from the first moment a prospect gets in contact with you, all the way to the end of their journey (yes, including the post-purchase phase).
The duty of a business is to skillfully help customers move from one step to the next.
If I ask you to describe your processes, I’m sure you can be the best Cicero ever.
But have you ever put them in writing?
Have you ever drawn your process flows?
A strategy can’t be built on words and thoughts alone.
You need concrete schemes, maps, and plans.
What a service blueprint is
A service blueprint (sometimes also called a marketing blueprint) maps out a business’s processes, highlighting the contact points with customers and enabling managers to interpret the flow from a customer perspective.
According to Valarie Zeithaml, Mary Jo Bitner, and Dwayne D. Gremler, service blueprints help businesses develop new services, support a zero-flaws culture, and create backup strategies.
Service blueprinting was first mentioned by bank executive G. Lynn Shostack in Harvard Business Review (1984).
Today, it’s widely used to manage service operations, diagnose efficiency issues, and support service design and positioning.
Example of service blueprint
Redesigned version of Rehash’s service blueprint, originally created by Indian UX designer Srishti Rao.
The example above is my reworked version of Rehash’s blueprint designed by the Indian UX designer Srishti Rao.
Rehash was a project aimed at collecting and reusing household waste as fertilizer to reduce costs in agriculture.
Rehash collected waste from families in exchange for organic food discount coupons. It transformed the waste into manure and sold it to farmers for a fair price.
Then, families used their coupons to purchase organic food from farmers at a convenient price.
Marketing blueprint example
Service blueprint example for an overnight hotel stay.
A business flowchart describes:
How processes flow;
Time for each process and service provision;
Costs for each step;
Company efficiency during service provision;
Potential bottlenecks.
How to develop a service blueprint
A business process chart is built from a customer point of view and consists of inputs, processes, and outputs.
There isn’t a universally “good” or “bad” way to construct it—because it depends on your objective.
Let’s start from the dimensions used in the Rehash blueprint:
Timeline: a service blueprint represents all steps in the buyer journey, so adding time is helpful. A horizontal layout usually fits better. You can also add the time required for each step.
Physical evidence: tangible elements related to each step that influence customer perception (flyers, emails, delivery vans, uniforms, notifications, website pages, etc.).
Customer actions: steps the customer takes during service delivery.
Line of interaction: separates customer actions from service-provider actions to clarify responsibilities and who triggers the next step.
Front-stage interactions: visible interactions between customers and employees (visible contact employees). These include in-person encounters and online interactions like comments, emails, texts, and DMs.
Line of visibility: separates front-stage from back-stage activities. Anything below this line isn’t visible to customers.
Back-stage interactions: actions undertaken by a service provider that are not visible to customers (invisible contact employees).
Despite classic literature (and Wikipedia), I prefer using the words direct and indirect contact to help online businesses define front- and back-stage activities.
In a digital business, back-stage interactions can be a website page, blog post, or social post.
An employee is still communicating to customers, but the customer can’t directly interact with that employee.
Example: I consider a Facebook post a back-stage interaction, but a comment thread is front-stage interaction.
The employee identifies themselves with a name/profile image and a direct conversation becomes possible.
Why does this matter?
Every front- and back-stage activity is associated with one or more employees, so the organization must know what skill set and training it takes to cover the position.
According to Heskett, Sasser Jr., and Wheeler, successful businesses encourage positive employee attitudes to generate stronger customer loyalty.
Line of internal interaction: divides activities that require contact with customers from those carried out within the company.
Support processes: activities required for service delivery that don’t require customer contact.
These are usually the main dimensions, but you can add more as needed.
Some models include an inventory of resources for each step, or a line of implementation separating management activities from support activities (planning/control vs preparation).
Steps to build a service flow chart
Here’s a step-by-step approach:
Identify key activities required for service delivery;
Define the customer experience (set the line of visibility and map front-stage and back-stage activities);
Add timeframes (average time or maximum tolerable time for each step);
Identify the responsible personnel;
Note fail points, excessive waits, and bottlenecks.
Business complexity varies, and mapping everything with pen and paper can get messy.
So, what digital tools can you use?
Custellence
Custellence is a collaborative tool focused on customer journey mapping, with a clean interface and strong visuals.
(Plans and limits change over time—check their pricing page for the current details.)
Miro
Miro is a collaborative whiteboarding platform.
It’s not customer-journey-specific, but its scope is broader and it’s adaptable.
It’s commonly used for:
Product development;
Lean and agile;
UX research and design;
Innovation and ideation;
Strategy and projects;
Mind mapping.
Symbols commonly used in flowcharts
While you craft your service blueprint, remember: other stakeholders have to understand it.
If you’re a designer, go wild.
If you want to make sure everyone understands your flowchart, stick to common symbols.
Action/process symbol
A rectangle represents one step of the process, and you write the related info inside the box.
Directional arrow
An arrow indicates the flow direction from one step/decision to another.
Decision symbol
A rhombus (diamond) is a decision based on a question written inside the shape.
It may have more than one arrow departing from it.
Delay symbol
This shape expresses a delay or wait and usually highlights a bottleneck.
Connector symbol
A circle links to another circle in a different page/flowchart, meaning the flow continues elsewhere.
Summoning junction symbol
A circle with an internal X represents a junction point where multiple branches converge.
Input/output symbol
A parallelogram determines material or information entering or leaving the system (orders in, newsletters out, etc.).
Document symbol
Represents a document.
Overlapping shapes indicate multiple documents.
Start/end symbol
An oval (or a rectangle with rounded corners) marks the start or end.
Manual input symbol
A trapezoid represents a step where users are prompted to submit information manually.
Off-page connector
Used in complex flowcharts to show the process continues off-page (often with a page number inside).
Database symbol
A cylinder indicates data stored in a system (searchable/filterable).
Data storage symbol
A cylinder indicating a stage where data are stored.
Display symbol
Indicates where information will be displayed in the process.
Loop limit symbol
A trapezoid showing the end point of an automated loop.
Preparation symbol
A trapezoid introducing a setup step before the next action.
Subroutine symbol
A set of embedded actions performing a distinct task better described elsewhere.
Internal storage symbol
Common in software flowcharts; indicates data stored temporarily in internal memory.
There are additional symbols, and meaning can vary by software.
For example, the upside-down trapezoid can mean different things depending on the source:
Lucidchart uses it as a manual operation symbol.
SmartDraw uses it as a manual loop symbol (repeats until stopped manually).
Why a service blueprint is important and how it can benefit organizations
The two main benefits of a service blueprint are identifying:
Contact points between service provider and customers;
Fail points: issues or bottlenecks that can emerge during service delivery.
There are two keys to reading a blueprint.
First: the customer perspective.
Customers evaluate service quality by considering all contact and fail points.
Second: the company perspective.
Organizations start from fail points, number of clients served over time, and costs to serve them.
Companies incur fail points when:
Customers perceive a risk (they don’t feel in control, or need more information/feedback);
Customer requests aren’t satisfied;
Customers wait more than expected (bottlenecks).
Blueprints help companies create or redesign operational flows.
Done right, they can:
Improve productivity;
Improve customer satisfaction;
Decrease fail points;
Decrease time to deliver the service (and therefore decrease costs);
Decrease bureaucracy;
Introduce new services (without a blueprint, it’s harder to place them logically);
Adapt processes to new laws/regulations;
Renew service delivery when it’s perceived as obsolete.
The most common bottlenecks and how to fix them
A bottleneck happens when demand overwhelms production capacity.
There are mainly two types:
Short-term bottlenecks: temporary issues (tech malfunction, backlog because someone is out sick, etc.).
Long-term bottlenecks: recurring delays (the same step is behind every week/month).
Short-term bottlenecks are common.
Even if you prepare well, there’s always a non-zero chance something breaks.
The key is to identify them quickly and fix them fast.
Ideally, you have a responsible manager in each department/business unit monitoring performance and handling unexpected issues.
Because they’re temporary, short-term bottlenecks are usually easy to spot: they interrupt a routine.
But what if the routine has been inefficient for a long time?
You get used to it, and the corrupted routine becomes the normal routine.
It’s like getting used to a bad smell after a while: it’s called sensory adaptation.
Oxford zoologist Luis Villazon wrote:
“Our nervous system has evolved to become progressively less sensitive to a stimulus, the longer it persists. This enables us to concentrate on the newest sensations that are more likely to be an opportunity or a threat.”
Similarly, we adapt to routines—even broken ones—which is why long-term bottlenecks are the most dangerous: they become “how we do things.”
Here’s a step-by-step guide to find (long-term) bottlenecks and fix them:
Perform a bottleneck analysis by crafting a service blueprint (as explained above);
Identify what causes the bottleneck: people (performers) or technology (systems)?
Improve the efficiency of the bottlenecked step:
Eliminate redundant steps (simpler is usually better);
Upgrade the software/tools;
List automations and replace manual tasks where possible;
Benchmark competitors and copy what actually works;
Interview employees to understand the real friction.
Reduce input to the bottlenecked step (carefully):
Lowering production is rarely a good long-term solution (profits drop);
Adding staff can help, but increases costs and coordination (profits can drop here too).
Personally, I focus on flows and prioritization first.
In my professional experience, many delays come from managers and entrepreneurs not differentiating between important and urgent tasks.
When management gets that right, workflows start behaving again.
If your digital marketing department is experiencing operational inefficiencies, book a web marketing consultancy with me—I can help.
Another tool I often suggest is Teamwork. I’ve tested Monday.com, Trello, and many others, and Teamwork is the one I keep coming back to.
Its reporting features are excellent for analyzing workload and performance, so you can stay a step ahead in preventing performers’ bottlenecks.
HOW TO IMPROVE BUSINESS OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
A service blueprint helps you diagnose efficiency problems.
It doesn’t fix them by itself.
Here are strategic ways to use a marketing blueprint.
Standardizing business processes
According to Kotler and Keller, managers can use a service blueprint to standardize performance throughout the organization.
Variable procedures create risk and unexpected fail points.
This isn’t only about complex operations.
It includes small back-office tasks like storing and naming files in a standard way.
In The Lean Service Machine, Cynthia Karen Swank explained how difficult it is for substitutes to find stored files in organizations where employees choose their own storing systems.
She described an insurance company where some employees ordered files by policyholder, others by policy number, and others by date received.
A viable solution is adopting a production-lining approach where:
Tasks are simplified (built from scratch or broken into smaller sub-tasks);
Automation is preferred where possible to reduce human error;
Employees have clear, specific assignments with limited ambiguity.
Where technology can’t substitute people, organizations should write policies and best practices—standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Standardized service delivery helps companies produce quality consistently, makes auditing easier, improves productivity, and decreases costs.
(And yes: fast-food outlets are masters of blueprint-supported volume operations.)
The tradeoff: you must balance operational efficiency with tailored delivery and customer experience.
Dealing with critical failures
Fail points are always around the corner, so employees must be trained to execute Plan B when things go south.
Example: you’re a social media manager and a user starts complaining publicly on your company page.
What do you do?
Often, the best move is shifting the conversation to a private channel (like email/DM), reassuring the user the issue will be handled, and routing them to the right department/person.
Reducing the number of contact points
Fließ and Kleinaltenkamp explain that fewer contact points often lead to greater efficiency.
Every contact point introduces risk.
People get tired. People make mistakes.
People answer poorly.
A possible solution is empowering customers through self-service and self-guided processes that rely more on technology than people.
The drawback: less flexibility and differentiation.
Increasing customer participation
You can use a service blueprint to introduce do-it-yourself services by increasing customer participation (effort and involvement).
The goal is lowering service delivery costs.
Example: implementing a co-creative process (a subcategory of co-marketing) where customers participate in creating the product/service (joint production).
Or, in banking: encouraging online banking versus over-the-counter service, because the latter is more expensive for the bank.
Separating complexity
Management should cluster tasks by complexity and set separate procedures and performance standards.
Using banking again: separate retail customers (easy transactions) from commercial customers (large operations).
Queues drop, and customer perception improves.
Grouping linked processes
Complex services often require multiple exchanges of paperwork/data between contact employees, back office, and support departments.
Sometimes, customers physically move from one office to another (public institutions love this sport).
Placing linked processes close to each other improves efficiency and broadens employees’ perspective, helping them understand the full customer journey and the downstream impact of their actions.
Removing loop-backs
Manufacturers (and service teams) shouldn’t return work to previous steps for re-processing.
Loop-backs increase confusion, complexity, and prioritization issues—and force management to intervene to clarify roles and pipelines.
Dominating fail-points
Critical failures can be caused by the service provider or by the customer.
If the provider fails, the blueprint helps diagnose what went wrong and what needs to change. Sometimes an employee simply misses a script or procedure.
If the customer fails, it’s often due to lack of information or lack of resources. Customers might omit required actions (e.g., missing documents for a medical visit).
Organizations should provide checklists and guidance throughout the journey.
If resources are lacking, they must apply short-term fixes while acquiring the assets needed for a long-term solution.
CONCLUSIONS
Now you have all the knowledge to audit your business.
I want to know: what’s the first reason you’ll craft a service blueprint?
To discover bottlenecks?
Improve customer satisfaction?
Increase productivity?
Reduce fail points?
Let me know in the comments below!
References
Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006.
Shostack, G. L. “Designing Services That Deliver.” Harvard Business Review, January 1984.
Heskett, J. L., Sasser Jr., W. E., & Wheeler, J. The Ownership Quotient: Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work for Unbeatable Competitive Advantage. Harvard Business Press, 2008.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. Marketing Management (Global/standard editions). Pearson.
Swank, C. K. “The Lean Service Machine.” Harvard Business Review, October 2003.
Fließ, S., & Kleinaltenkamp, M. “Blueprinting the service company: Managing service processes efficiently.” Journal of Business Research, 57(4), 392–404, 2004.
Webster, M. A. “Evolving concepts of sensory adaptation.” F1000 Biology Reports, 4:21, 2012.
Villazon, L. “Why do we get used to smells?” BBC Science Focus (Q&A).
Lucidchart. “Flowchart Symbols and Notation.”
SmartDraw. “Flowchart Symbols.”
Custellence. “Pricing.”
Miro. “Pricing” and “Free Plan” documentation.
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