JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF

MANAGEMENT
LUCKNOW

Service Blueprinting
Prof. V. K. Chib

Presented By

Samarth Kapoor
CFTR08-042
Santosh Srivastava
CFTR08-043
Satyajeet Singh
CFTR08-044
Saurabh Singh
CFTR08-045
Acknowledgement

It gives us great pleasure to

thank Prof.
V. K. Chib Faculty, Retail
management, Jaipuria
Institute of Management, for
sparing us time and guiding
us throughout our project.

We also extend our sincere

gratitude towards Prof. V. K.
Chib who despite of his busy
schedule always had time to
increase our practical
knowledge for the work we
were doing.

We are thankful to all the

faculty members who have
enhanced our knowledge
towards the topic despite of
their curriculum..
Finally we would like to
express our deep sense of
gratitude to our parents and
colleagues for their constant
support and encouragement
during the period without
which we would not have
been able to complete the
project.

Introduction

SERVICE BLUEPRINTING

It is a special type of flow-charting for

service operations. The term blueprint
has been derived from architectural
drawings, which use blue lines on
charts to show the shape, size and
other dimensional specifications of
various parts of a building.

The service blueprints are different from

other forms of flow charts as these
demarcated the operations in the
visibility of the customer and the back-
office operations ( invisible to the
customers ). A line of visibility is
created between these sets of
operations.
 This helps in identifying those points of
encounter with the customer which
result creating the impression about the
service quality. In the blueprints, small
circles/ovals with F written inside
are used to identify potential points
of Failures so that effective measures
( poka-yokes ) may be planned to avoid
such failures. Similarly, small triangles
with W written inside are used to
identify those points ( in the visibility of
customers ) , where the customer has
to wait. For certain operations, which
are critical to the good service quality, a
standard time duration or a time range
is mentioned in the service blueprints.

F Failure

W Delay

Blueprinting Evolution and

Components
Evolution of Service
Blueprinting

Service blueprinting was initially

introduced as a process control
technique for services that offered
several advantages: it was more
precise than verbal definitions; it could
help solve problems preemptively; and
it was able to identify failure points in
a service operation.24 Just as firms
have evolved to become more
customer-focused, so has service
blueprinting. One early adaptation was
the clarification of service blueprinting
as a process for plotting the customer
process against organizational
structure. Service blueprinting was
further developed to distinguish
between onstage and backstage
activities. These key components still
form the basis of the technique and its
most important feature, that of
illuminating the customer’s role in the
service process.26 In addition, it
provides an overview so that
employees and internal units can
relate what they do to the entire,
integrated service system. Blueprints
also help to
reinforce a customer-orientation
among employees as well as clarify
interfaces across departmental lines.
Service blueprinting shares similarities
with other process modeling
approaches in that it
1) is a visual notation for depicting
business processes via symbols that
represent actors and activities,
2) can be used to represent high-level
overviews of conceptual processes or
details of particular support or sub
processes.
3) will accommodate links to parallel
and sub-process documents and
diagrams via other more internally-
focused process modeling tools and
languages such as BPMN (Business
Process Modeling Notation) and UML
(Unified Modeling Language).
However, service blueprinting is not as
complex or as formal as some
business process modeling tools such
as UML.27 Service blueprints
arerelatively simple and their
graphical representations are easy for
all stakeholders involved – customers,
managers, front-line employees – to
learn, use, and even modify to meet a
particular innovation’s requirements.
Service blueprinting upholds the focus
of a service innovation on the human-
to-human and human-to-technology
interfaces at the firm boundaries,
rather than at the software engine
level, allowing service designers to
drill down into the firm without losing
the connection to customer actions
and
process.

For over a decade, we have worked

with companies to teach and develop
the service blueprinting technique,
evolving its contributions and
applications to the levels we describe
here. We have assisted companies in
realizing significant results through
service blueprinting including
developing brand new services,
improving existing services, and
facilitating cross-functional
communication in support of
customer-focused solutions.

Components of Service
Blueprints

There are five components of a typical

service blueprint.

• Customer Actions,
• Onstage/Visible Contact
Employee Actions,
• Backstage/Invisible Contact
Employee Actions,
• Support Processes, and
• Physical Evidence.

“Customer actions” include all of the

steps that customers take as part of
the service delivery process. Customer
actions are depicted chronologically
across the top of the blueprint. What
makes blueprinting different from
other flowcharting approaches is that
the actions of the customer are central
to the creation of the blueprint, and as
such they are typically laid out first so
that all other activities can be seen as
supporting the value proposition
offered to or co-created with the
customer. The next critical
component is the “onstage/visible
contact employee actions,” separated
from the customer by the line of
interaction. Those actions of frontline
contact employees that occur as part
of a face-to-face encounter are
depicted as onstage contact employee
actions. Every time the line of
interaction is crossed via a link from
the customer to a contact employee
(or company self-service technology,
etc.), a moment of truth has occurred.
The next significant component of the
blueprint is the “backstage/invisible
contact employee actions,” separated
from the onstage actions by the very
important line of visibility. Everything
that
appears above the line of visibility is
seen by the customer, while
everything below it is invisible. Below
the line of visibility, all of the other
contact employee actions are
described, both those that involve non
visible interaction with customers
(e.g., telephone calls) as well as any
other activities that contact
employees do in order to prepare to
serve customers or that are part of
their role responsibilities. The
fourth critical component of the
blueprint is “support processes”
separated from contact employees by
the internal line of interaction. These
are all of the activities carried out by
individuals and units within the
company who are not contact
employees but that need to happen in
order for the service to be delivered.
Vertical lines from the support area
connecting with other areas of the
blueprint show the inter-functional
connections and support that are
essential to delivering the service to
the final customer. Finally, for each
customer action, and every moment of
truth, the physical evidence that
customers come in contact with is
described at the very top of the
blueprint. These are all the tangibles
that customers are exposed to that
can influence their quality perceptions.

Building a Blueprint

When building a blueprint, the first

step is to clearly articulate the service
process or sub-process to be
blueprinted. Because companies often
modify service processes to fit the
needs and wants of different target
customers (e.g., check in process for
an airline frequent flyer or first class
passenger versus other passengers), it
is important to specify which segment
of customers is the focus of the
blueprint. Once this has been decided,
the actions of customers should be
delineated first because this
component serves as the foundation
for all other elements of the blueprint.
At times, this can be more challenging
than anticipated. Questions such as
“When does the service start and stop
from the customer’s point of view?”
tend to generate considerable
discussion. After that has been
established, the contact
employee actions, both onstage and
backstage, can be delineated, followed
by support processes. At this point,
links can be added that connect the
customer to contact employee
activities and to needed support
functions. Physical evidence is
typically the last component added to
the blueprint. Blueprints are ideally
developed by cross-functional teams,
possibly even involving customers.

Introduction of task which was given to us

We have to make a service blue printing of a

courier company that the delivery of fees
reminder letter from Jaipuria Institute of
Management to house of a particular student
who is living at Gorakhpur .We are assuming
that letter has been completed by the concern
person and reached to the receptionist counter
and the further activities as follows:-

1).The person in charge calls up the courier

company.

Failures
1. The reception phone is not working
2. The office phone of the company is out of order
3. There is no body at the companies reception to
receive the call
4. The office of the company is closed
5. The employees are on strike
Delay
1. The person at the reception is out for lunch
2. The phone is busy
3. Due to network congestion the call is not
connected
4. The call is put on hold(some other employee has
received the call)

2).The courier person leaves to collect the parcel.

Failure
1. He does not having any vehicle.
2. There is some riot in some area between jaipuria
and the companies office.
3. His vehicle is out of order.
4. By the time he comes the office time is over at
the college.
Delay
1. He is confused about the address.
2. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
3. He stops in between for some refreshment.
4. Shortage of petrol and stop the vehicle in
between.
5. Vehicle has got punctured.

3).One of the company employee come to the

Jaipuria.

Failure
1. Employee has not come with his identity.
2. The person in charge at the reception is on
leave that day.
3. The office timings are over.
 4. He is at that time not present at the reception.
5. There is some problem with the letters .

Delay
1. Guard has been asking for identity.
2. Delaying to find the reception.
3. The person in charge is not available in the
reception.
4. The person incharge is busy in some other work.
5. Delaying by the receptionist person because he is
not well at that time.

4). The person in charge has given all reminder

letter to the company employee.

Failure
1. Employee has forgot the required receipt
papers.
2. Employee forget the adequate bag for
carrying the letters.
Delay
1. The in charge cross check the letters
before giving to the employee.

5).Employee made receipt and payment made by

the concern person.

Failure
1. The person who has to give payment to the
company employee is on leave.
2. Amount of payment is not accepted by the
concern person.
3. Company employee is demanding for cash
payment but he has given cheque.

Delay
1. The person who has to give payment to
the company employee is not available.
2. Employee will cut the receipt after the
payment.
3. Unable to find pen to full filling the all
formalities.
4. Pen is not working during making the
receipt.
5. Delaying to making all receipt by the only
one employee.

5).He come back to his office.

Failure
1. Unfortunately rain is falling and all letters get
wet.
2. All letters are get stolen.
3. Due to an accident letters get deterioted.
Delay
1. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
2. He stops in between for some refreshment.
3. Shortage of petrol and stop the vehicle in
between.
4. Vehicle has got punctured.

6).Formalities has been done by the concern

employee.

Failure
1. Next day is holiday.
2. Stamp is not available in the office.
3. Record book has been finished.
4. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred today only.

Delay
1. Next day is holiday.
2. The person who has to separate the letter is on
leave.
3. Time spend separating the letters area wise.
4. Shortage of stamp during the stamping.
5. Stamp ink has been finished.
6. Shortage of sufficient record book.
7. Time spend on preparing the list of the parcel and
letter receiver.
8. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred right now that is why company is
giving the priorities to that letters.

7).Letters has been packed city wise by the

concern employee.

Failure
1. The concern person is on leave.
2. There is strike by the employee.
3. By mistake the letter has been put in some other
city parcel.
4. Office has been converted in ruin due to fire.
5. There is theft in office and letters has been
stolen.
6. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred today only.
Delay
1. Problem in packaging.
2. Delay in separating the letters city wise.
3. Delaying in counting the letters.
4. There is not sufficient employee to separate the
letter.
5. Delaying in cross checking the letter while
counting
6. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred right now that is why company is
giving the priorities to that letters.
.
8).Transferred all the parcels to the head office.

Failure
1. There is curfew in the city or area.
2. There is strike by the employee.
3. Route is blocked due to some government work.
4. Driver is on the leave.
5. Vehicle is not available at that time.
6. Vehicle is in the service centre due to some
problem in Vehicle.

Delay
1. Shortage of fuel in vehicle in between.
2. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
3. Driver stops in between for some refreshment.
4. Vehicle has got punctured.
5. Some other problem with vehicle.

9).Set aside lot of Gorakhpur from other lot.

Failure

1. The concern person is on leave.

2. There is strike by the employee.
3. By mistake the letter has been put in some other
city parcel.
4. Office has been converted in ruin due to fire.
5. There is theft in office and letters has been stolen
6. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred today only..

Delay
1. Problem in separating the letters due to miss
printing.
 2. Delay in separating the letters of Gorakhpur.
3. Delaying in counting the letters.
4. There is not sufficient employee to separate the
letter.
5. Delaying in cross checking the letter while
counting.
6. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred right now that is why company is
giving the priorities to that letters.

10).Weight the parcel of Gorakhpur.

Failure
1. Machine is out of order.
2. The person is on leave to weight the parcels.
3. Machine is get out of order in between weighing
the parcels.
4. There is strike on that day.
5. Electricity is not available to run the weighing
machine.
6. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred today only.
Delay

1. Machine is not working properly.

2. The person is not available to weight the parcels.
3. Machine is taking more time to weight due some
problem.
4. There lots of work at that day.
5. There is lots of letters to weighing.
6. Electricity is not coming properly to run the
weighing machine.
7. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred right now that is why company is
giving the priorities to that letters.

11).Put the seal.

Failure
1. The person is on leave to seal the parcels.
2. Next day is holiday.
3. Stamp is not available in the office.
4. Ink is not available in office and at near the
office.
5. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred today only.

Delay
1. Next day is holiday.
 2. The person who has to seal the parcel is not
available.
3. Time spend sealing the letters.
4. Shortage of seal during the sealing.
5. Sealing item has been finished.
6. Time spend on recording the sealed parcels.
7. There is some important parcels which is need to
transferred right now that is why company is
giving the priorities to that letters.

12).Transfer the Parcel to the railway station.

Failure
1. There is curfew in the city or area.
2. There is strike by the employee.
3. Route is blocked due to some government work.
4. Driver is on the leave.
5. Vehicle is not available at that time.
6. Vehicle is in the service centre due to some
problem in Vehicle.

Delay
1. Shortage of fuel in vehicle in between.
2. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
3. Driver stops in between for some refreshment.
4. Vehicle has got punctured.
5. Some other problem with vehicle.

13).Done the formalities regarding Chalan and

builty with the station in charge .

Failure
1. The concern station in charge is on leave.
2. There is strike by railway employee.
3. The station in charge has some other has
important work that is why he has cancel the
deal with courier employee.
4. The weighing machine is out of order .
5. Computer is not working to making the chalan
and builty.

Delay
1. The concern station in charge is not available.
2. There is break time.
3. The station in charge has some other has
important work that is why he has taken time to
the deal with courier employee.
4. The weighing machine is not working properly.
 5. Computer is not working properly to making the
chalan and builty

14). Train arrived.

Failure
1. The particular train has not arrived due to strike.
2. The particular train has not arrived due to foggy
weather.
3. The particular train has not arrived due to engine
problem.
4. The particular train has not arrived due to
breaking the track.
5. The particular train has not arrived due to an
accident of the train.
6. There is no bogie available in the train to load the
parcel.

Delay
1. The particular train has not arrived on time due to
delaying in the timings of others train.
2. The particular train has not arrived on time due to
foggy weather.
3. The particular train has not arrived on time due to
engine problem.
4. The particular train has not arrived on time due to
breaking the track.
5. The particular train has not arrived on time due to
an accident of the train.
6. There is no bogie available in the train to load the
parcel that is why time taken to join extra bogie
in train.
7. Time taking to changing the engine.
8. Time taking to changing the track

15).Load the parcel in the parcel bogie.

Failure
1. There is no bogie available in the train to load the
parcel due some urgent parcels.
2. The person is on leave who has to load the parcel
in the bogie.
3. There is strike by railway employee.
4. The station in charge has some other has
important work that is why he has cancel the
deal with courier employee.

Delay
 1. Time taken to make proper space in bogie to load
the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to load the
parcels.
3. The person is not available to load the parcels
4. There is a break time for the employee.
5. The employee is not feeling well that is there is
delay in loading the parcels.

16).Seal up the parcel bogie.

Failure
1. The person is on leave to seal the parcels.
2. Seal is not available in the office.
3. He is unable to seal up due to new employee..
4. Sealing item has been finished and unable to find
any other seal near by

Delay
1. The person who has to seal the parcel is not
available.
2. Time spend sealing the letters.
3. Shortage of seal during the sealing.
4. Sealing item has been finished.
5. Time spend on recording the sealed parcels.

17).Send all the required papers related to the

parcel by fax.

Failure
1. Paper has been stolen.
2. Paper has been get wet due to rain.
3. Paper has been burn due to fire in office.
4. Fax machine is out of order.
5. Major electric problem in that area.
6. Concern person regarding fax is on leave.

Delay
1. Fax paper is not available.
2. Shortage of ink in the writer.
3. No electricity during the time faxing the paper.
4. Temporary technically problem in fax machine.
5. Concern person regarding fax is not available.

18).Train reached the Gorakhpur station.

Failure
1. Some terrorist activity in the train causing
damage the goods being parcelled.
2. Train might derail.
 3. Train has got an accident.

Delay
1. Train gets late.
2. There is grid failure.
3. There is engine failure.
4. Continuous pulling the chain on different places.
5. There is track blockage by the social, anti-riot
parties.
6. Changing of engine many times in between.

19).Full filled the formalities with the station in

charge by the courier employee in Gorakhpur.

Failure
1. The formality papers has been lost.
2. Station in charge on leave.
3. There is strike by railway employees.
4. There is strike by courier company employees.
5. Parcel has been got damaged.
6. The person of the courier company does not
reach the station or He does not bring the paper.
7. The builty has not reached the station in charge.

Delay
1. The person of the courier company is late.
2. The station in charge does not reach in time.
3. There is some papers are missing during the
passing of builty.
4. Station master is on available due to break.
5. Company employee reached the station late due
to traffic.

20).Unload the all parcel from the bogie by the

station employee.

Failure
1. The person is on leave who has to unload the
parcels in the bogie.
2. There is strike by railway employee.
3. The employees has some other important work
they are not free to unload the parcels at that day.

Delay
1. Time taken to unload the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to unload the
parcels.
3. The person is not available to unload the parcels
4. There is a break time for the employee.
 5. The employee is not feeling well that is why
there is delay in loading the parcels.
6. Too much congestion on the platform at the time
of arrival.
7. There may be break down in trolley
8. Labour may get hurt while carrying the goods.
9. Somebody get hurt by the trolley while carrying
the goods at the station..

21).Collect all the parcels from the station in

charge by the courier employee.

Failure
1. The station in charge on leave.
2. There is strike by railway employee.
3. The station in charge has some other important
work, he is not free to hand over the parcel to
the courier employee.
4. Due to some misprinting on parcels that is why
courier employee is unable to collect the parcel.

Delay
1. Time taken to unload the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to unload the
parcels.
3. The person is not available to unload the parcels
4. There is a break time for the employee.
5. The employee is not feeling well that is why
there is un delay in loading the parcels

22).Load the parcel to the company van.

Delay
1. Time consumed in loading the parcels in van.

23).The lot reached to main head office of

Gorakhpur.
2. is blocked due to some government work.
3. Vehicle is not available at that time.
4. The van met an accident.
5. The parcel may stolen.

Delay
1. Shortage of fuel in vehicle in between.
2. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
3. Driver stops in between for some refreshment.
4. Vehicle has got punctured.
5 Some other problem with vehicle
6. There may be road block and the driver chosen
a different route
24). Unload the lot in the head office.

Failure

1. The person is on leave who has to unload the

parcels.
2. There is strike by company employee.
3. The employees has some other important work
they are not free to unload the parcels at that day.

Delay
1. Time taken to unload the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to unload the
parcels.
3. The person is not available to unload the parcels
4. There is a break time for the employee.
5. The employee is not feeling well that is why
there is delay in loading the parcels.
6. Too much work in the office at the time of
unloading.
7. Labour may get hurt while carrying the goods.

25). Separate the letters according to the areas.

Failure
1. The person is on leave who has to separate the
parcels.
2. The employees have some other important work
they are not free to separate the parcels at that
day.

Delay
1. Time taken to separate the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to separate
the parcels.
3. The person is not available to separate the
parcels.
4. There is a break time for the employees when
the van arrives.
5. The employee is not feeling well that is why
there is delay in separating the parcels.
6. Too much work in the office at the time of
separating.

26).Reload the parcels in the van.

Failure
 1. The employees have some other important work
they are not free to reload the he parcels at that
day.

Delay
1. Time taken to reload the parcel.
2. There is no sufficient employee to reload the
parcels at that time.
3. The person is not available to separate the
parcels.
4. There is a break time for the employees.
5. The employee is not feeling well that is why
there is delay in separating the parcels.
6. Too much work in the office at the time of
separating.

27). Drop all the parcels at the company offices

respectively.

Failure
1. There is curfew in the city or area.
2. Route is blocked due to some government
work.
3. Van has been out of order.

Delay
1. There is some important personalities are
visiting in the city due to which the route has
been diverted.
2. Shortage of fuel in vehicle in between.
3. Delaying due to traffic congestion.
4. Driver stops in between for some
refreshment.
5. Vehicle has got punctured.
6. Some other problem with vehicle.

28).Full filled all the formalities and prepared

the list of parcel owners.

Failure

1. List of owners has not been faxed from the

main head office.
2. Concerned person is on leave.
Delay

1. There is a break time when the van arises.

2. Concerned person is not available.
3. Time consumed in unloading.
4. Misplacement of the owners list.
29).Parcels has been collected by the employee of
respective areas and deliver to the owners.

Failure

1. There is misprint of address on the letter.

2. The house door is locked and there is nobody to
receive the letter.
3. The owner has been changed his place.

Delay

1. Delaying due to traffic congestion.

2. Employee stops in between for some
refreshment.
3. Vehicle has got punctured.
4. Some other problem with vehicle.
5. The door bell is not working.
6. The person is in wash room.
7. Somebody else comes out to receive the letter.
8. The employee checks the relationship of the
person at the door with the person for whom the
letter was ought to be given.

30) Receiving the letter.

Failure

1. The person for whom the letter was is not available.

Delay

1. There is no pen for receiving the letter.

2. The pen is not working.
3. Time consumed to find the name of the owner in
the list.

The reminder letter has been received by the

concern person
Service completed