PBL problem 3, Design
Problem Statement: How can we analyze operations?
Learning goals
How to make a service blueprint? (Apply to company of your choice)
Source: Lovelock, Service marketing people technology strategy, seventh edition, P. 222-225
To develop a service blueprint you need to identify all the key activities involved in creating and
delivering the service in question and then specify the linkages between these activities.
A key characteristic of service blueprinting is this it distinguishes between what customers
experience “front stage” and the activities of employees and support processes “back-stage” where
customers can’t see them. Between the two lies what is called the line of visibility.
Service blueprints clarify the interactions between customers and employees, and how there are
supported by back-stage activities and systems. By clarifying interrelationships among employee
roles, operational processes, information technology and customer interactions, blueprints can
facilitate the integration of marketing, operations, and human resource management within a firm.
Although there’s no single, required way to prepare a service blueprint, we recommend that a
consistent approach be used within any one organization.
Blueprinting also gives managers the opportunity to identify potential fail point in the process. When
managers are aware of these fail points, they are better able to take preventive measures, prepare
contingency plans or both.
They also can pinpoint stages in the process at which customers commonly have to wait. Armed with
this knowledge, marketing and operational specialists can then develop standards for execution of
each activity including times for completion of a task, maximum customer wait times in between
tasks, and scripts and role definitions to guide interactions between staff members and customers.
For the service blueprint I chose the company McDonalds. In this particular blueprint I used the
restaurant and not the drive through. For bigger picture see appendix A – Service blueprint PBL problem 3
Problem Statement: How can we analyze operations?
Learning goals
How to make a service blueprint? (Apply to company of your choice)
Source: Lovelock, Service marketing people technology strategy, seventh edition, P. 222-225
To develop a service blueprint you need to identify all the key activities involved in creating and
delivering the service in question and then specify the linkages between these activities.
A key characteristic of service blueprinting is this it distinguishes between what customers
experience “front stage” and the activities of employees and support processes “back-stage” where
customers can’t see them. Between the two lies what is called the line of visibility.
Service blueprints clarify the interactions between customers and employees, and how there are
supported by back-stage activities and systems. By clarifying interrelationships among employee
roles, operational processes, information technology and customer interactions, blueprints can
facilitate the integration of marketing, operations, and human resource management within a firm.
Although there’s no single, required way to prepare a service blueprint, we recommend that a
consistent approach be used within any one organization.
Blueprinting also gives managers the opportunity to identify potential fail point in the process. When
managers are aware of these fail points, they are better able to take preventive measures, prepare
contingency plans or both.
They also can pinpoint stages in the process at which customers commonly have to wait. Armed with
this knowledge, marketing and operational specialists can then develop standards for execution of
each activity including times for completion of a task, maximum customer wait times in between
tasks, and scripts and role definitions to guide interactions between staff members and customers.
For the service blueprint I chose the company McDonalds. In this particular blueprint I used the
restaurant and not the drive through. For bigger picture see appendix A – Service blueprint PBL problem 3
