The addition of these lines helps to separate the functions of planning and controlling from support activities including preparation. (1) the Line of Visibility (as in the original) (2) the Line of Interaction which separates customer actions from service provider actions (3) the Line of Internal Interaction which separates the front office and the back office and (4) the Line of Implementation which separates management zone from the support zone. Zeithaml and Bitner recommend adding four lines to the map. Since its original development, a number of scholars have sought to increase its usefulness by adding various modifications that provide additional information and more demarcations.

The service blueprint has become one of the most useful tools in the services marketer's repertoire.

Potential bottlenecks and/or fail points.

Line of Order Penetration which separates customer-induced activities from customer-independent activities.

Yet other scholars and practitioners have recommended adding different lines including If satisfaction is a factor to consider, mapping out the emotional state of the user or stakeholder may help provide context to the overall customer and/or employee journey.

Emotions: Customer or Stakeholder feelings.

If timing of the service is a factor to consider, include the estimated time for each customer phase. A single arrow will indicate a one-way relationship/dependency while a double-sided arrow will indicate a two-way relationship/co-dependency.

Arrows: Relationships between stakeholders.

That is management are responsible for planning and controlling while support activities include preparation.

Line of Implementation which separates management zone from the support zone.

Line of Internal Interaction which separates the back office and the support process.

Line of Interaction which separates customer actions from service provider actions.

Optional inclusions – depending on intended application:

Line of Visibility: Line that separates front-stage and back-stage actions.

Inventory (if required): the amount of inventory build up required for each step.

Physical Evidence: Tangible elements associated with each step that has the potential to influence customer perceptions of the service encounter e.g.

Support Processes: Activities carried out by employees who are not contact employees, but whose actions are required for the service to be delivered.

taking a hotel or restaurant reservation by telephone. Non-visible steps taken by contact employees behind the line of visibility.

Back-stage (Invisible Contact Employee) Actions: (The 'line of visibility' separates the front-stage and back-stage actions).

Front-stage (Visible Contact Employee) Actions: Steps taken by contact employees as part of the face-to-face service encounter.

Customer Actions: The steps that customers take as part of the service delivery process.

Inputs (raw materials) → Process (transformation) → Outputs (finished goods) Service blueprints include actions and the amount of discretion for varying each stepĪ service blueprint is always constructed from the customer's perspective. The service blueprint has become one of the most widely used tools to manage service operations, service design and service.Ī simple way to think about blueprints is as a process chart which consists of inputs, process and outputs. The service blueprint is an applied process chart which shows the service delivery process from the customer's perspective. Lynn Shostack, a bank executive, in the Harvard Business Review in 1984. The service blueprint is a technique originally used for service design, but has also found applications in diagnosing problems with operational efficiency.

A service blueprint for the organization of a conference

Application blueprint synonym