# Service Blueprints

> A Service Blueprint is a diagram that visualizes the relationships between different components of a service (people, processes, and objects) across the different stages of customer interaction.

*Tags: ux, artifact, strategy, mid-level, lead*

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> [!info] Quick Definition
> A Service Blueprint is a diagram that visualizes the relationships between different components of a service (people, processes, and objects) across the different stages of customer interaction. It's like a [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]] with superpowers, as it not only shows what the customer sees, but also everything that happens "behind the curtain" to make that experience possible.


## What are Service Blueprints?

Imagine that a [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]] is the view a diner has at a restaurant: they see the menu, talk to the waiter, receive their food. A Service Blueprint is the complete blueprint of the restaurant: it shows the diner, the waiter, but also the cooks in the kitchen, the ordering system, the suppliers who bring the ingredients, and the cleaning processes.

A Service Blueprint goes beyond the digital interface and maps the entire service. It is structured in horizontal lanes:

1.  **Physical Evidence:** The objects and places the customer interacts with (e.g., a physical store, a website, a confirmation email).
2.  **Customer Actions:** The steps the customer takes. This lane is basically the [[Customer Journey Maps|Customer Journey Map]].

--- **Line of Interaction** ---

3.  **Onstage/Frontstage Actions:** The actions employees perform that are visible to the customer (e.g., a waiter taking an order, a support agent on chat).

--- **Line of Visibility** ---

4.  **Backstage Actions:** The actions employees perform that are invisible to the customer (e.g., a cook preparing the food, a developer updating the database).

--- **Line of Internal Interaction** ---

5.  **Support Processes:** The internal systems and processes that support employees (e.g., inventory management software, payment system, company policies).

## Why are they important?

- **They reveal internal complexity:** They show how internal processes affect the customer experience. A customer pain point is often the symptom of a backstage problem.
- **They identify optimization opportunities:** They are an incredible tool for finding inefficiencies, redundancies, and bottlenecks in internal processes.
- **They break down silos:** They force different departments (product, marketing, operations, legal) to collaborate and see how their work interconnects to create the customer experience.
- **They are fundamental for omnichannel services:** They are the best way to map complex experiences that occur both online and offline.

## How are they made?

1.  **Define the Scenario:** Just like with a CJM, start with a specific scenario you want to map (e.g., "The process of returning a product purchased online").
2.  **Map the Customer Journey:** First fill in the customer actions lane. You can use an existing [Customer Journey Map](/en/artifacts/customer-journey-maps/) as a starting point.
3.  **Identify the Interactions:** For each customer action, map the onstage and backstage actions that occur in parallel. Follow the lines: if a customer clicks "Buy" (customer action), a warehouse employee receives a notification (backstage action).
4.  **Add the Support Processes:** What internal systems and processes are needed for all of the above to happen? (e.g., payment system, logistics software).
5.  **Add Evidence and Metrics:** Include the physical evidence and, if possible, arrows showing dependencies and metrics like time per step.
6.  **Analyze and find opportunities:** Look for friction points, not just for the customer, but also for employees. A frustrated employee often leads to a frustrated customer. Identify areas to improve efficiency and experience.

## Mentor Tips

- **It's a team sport:** Never, ever make a Service Blueprint alone. Its main value comes from bringing together people from different departments in a room (or a call) to map the process together. Each person will contribute a piece of the puzzle that others can't see.
- **Don't seek perfection, seek understanding:** The first draft will be a mess, and that's fine. The goal of the activity is the process of shared discussion and discovery, not just the final artifact.
- **Use real photos and artifacts:** During the workshop, ask people to bring screenshots, emails, forms, etc. This makes the process much more tangible.
- **Start with a small scope:** Mapping an entire company's service is a titanic task. Start with a single scenario that is particularly problematic or important.

## Resources and Tools

- **Creation Tools:**
    - **[Miro](https://miro.com/):** The best tool for collaborative Service Blueprint creation, with excellent templates.
    - **[Lucidchart](https://www.lucidchart.com/):** Also a solid option for more formal diagrams.
- **Articles and Guides:**
    - **[Service Blueprints: Definition](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/service-blueprints-definition/)** - Nielsen Norman Group (The best introduction to the topic).
    - **[How to Make a Service Blueprint](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/how-to-make-a-service-blueprint)** - Interaction Design Foundation
    - **[Anatomy of a Service Blueprint](https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/blog/anatomy-of-a-service-blueprint/)** - Capital One


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Source: https://www.fernandoux.com/en/wiki/artifacts/service-blueprints/