Blueprinting

?
..is a technique for displaying the
nature and sequence of the different
steps in delivering service to
customers

Match the Following

Category of Service

Example

People Processing

Buying Health
Insurance

Possession Processing

Staying in a Hotel

Information Processing

DVD Repaired

Flowchart Vs Blueprint
Blueprinting is a more complex form of
flowcharting.
A flowchart describes an existing
process, usually in a fairly simple form.
A blueprint specifies in more detail how
a service process should be
constructed.

BLUEPRINTING
A visual representation of a service process showing:
Principle functions / stages in the process
Timing and sequencing of processes
Participants involved (staff and customers)
Line of visibility (back office / front office)

Developing a Blueprint
Identify all key activities involved in
creating and delivering the service.
Specify the linkages between these
activities.
Look at the Big Picture and then
Drill Down

Big Picture ---- Drill Down

Big Picture

Board Aircraft

Wait for
Drill Down
Announcement
Give Boarding Pass
for Verification
Walk Down Jet way
Enter Aircraft
Flight Attendant
Verifies Pass
Find Seat
Stow Carry-On Bag
Sit Down

BLUEPRINTING
Coffee Shop

Advantages
Differentiates Front Stage and Back
Stage.
Shows How Customers and
Employees Interact.
How is this interaction supported by back
end activities.
Brings together HRM, operations and
marketing.

Advantages Cont
Highlights Potential Fail Points.
Steps to prevent failure.
Back up plan.

Pinpoints Stages Where Customers

Have To Wait.
Set standards for task completion.
Stipulate maximum waiting time.

Key Components of
Blueprinting
1. Service Standards For Each Front-Stage
Activity.
2. Physical Evidence For Front-Stage
Activities.
3. Main Customer Actions.
4. Line of Interaction.

Key Components of
Blueprinting
5. Front Stage Actions by Contact Personnel
6. Line of Visibility
7. Backstage Actions.
8. Support Services Involving Service Personnel.
9. Support Services Involving Information
Technology.

ACT 1
Customer makes a reservation by
telephone.
Hours or even days before the visit to
the restaurant.

Impressions created by personnels

voice, speed of response, and style
of the conversation.
When customers arrive at the
restaurant, a valet parks their car.

By The End of Act 1

Exposed to supplementary services.
Have come in touch with contact
personnel as well as other customers.
Remember:
Below the line of visibility, the blueprint
identifies main actions that are needed
to make sure that each front-stage step
is performed in a manner that meets or
exceeds customer expectations.

ACT II: Delivery of Core

Service
Big Picture-----Order
Drill Down:
Customer places the order with the server.
Server passes the details to the kitchen/billing

Potential Fail Point----- Mistake in

transfer of information.
Customers evaluate quality of food
and speed of service.
Attitude of the server.

ACT III: Post Process

An accurate bill that is easy to
understand is presented quickly.
Payment is handled politely and
quickly.
The guests are thanked for their
patronage and invited to come again.
Customers visiting the restrooms find
them clean and properly supplied

ACT III: Post Process

The right coats are retrieved from the
coatroom.
The customers car is brought to the
door without much of a wait, in the
same condition as when it was left.
The attendant thanks them again
and wishes them a good evening.

Poka-Yokes
Japanese term for failure-proofing

Bank (How about a teller noting the eye

color of the customer)

Customer Poka-Yokes
Printing dress code requests on
invitations.
Please have your account and pin
number ready before calling our
service reps.
Beepers at automated teller
machines (ATMs).

SOP Vs Unofficial Standards

One day, I was in the EU [emergency
unit], chatting with a house officer
[physician] who was treating a patient
with asthma.
He was giving her medication through an
intravenous drip. I looked at the formula
for
the medication and asked him

SOP Vs Unofficial Standards

Why are you using this particular
cocktail?
Oh, he replied, thats hospital
policy.
Since I was certain that there was no
such policy, I decided to investigate.

This had happened a few months

earlier
Resident [physician] A says to Intern
B, who is observing her treat a
patient:
This is what I use for asthma.

This had happened a few months

earlier
On the next months rotation, Intern
B says to new Resident C:
This is what Dr. A uses for
asthma.

This had happened a few months

earlier
The following month, Resident C says
to Intern D,:
This is what we use for asthma.

This had happened a few months

earlier
And then Intern D tells Resident E
Its hospital policy to use this
medication.