The Strategic Use of Service Design Methods for Leaders in Service Organizations: Case CC Me
Järf-Wartiovaara, Camilla (2017)
Järf-Wartiovaara, Camilla
Yrkeshögskolan Novia
2017
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017112918792
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017112918792
Tiivistelmä
The purpose with this thesis was to use the service design approach to develop strategies for leaders in service organizations. With the help of a case study, the potential value of service design as a strategic resource for innovation, competition and management of customer relationships was examined. The goal was to employ the methods of service design and demonstrate how these methods can benefit the management of the case company CC Me.
The structure of the thesis consists of five parts. The introduction chapter covers the research context, service design process and objectives with the study. The way our business culture has changed during the last decades from being product centered to becoming focused on immaterial services is described. This refocus has caused changes also in many other areas in society, and among those, business management. In this context, it is an interesting question to ask how service design tools might benefit leaders in service organizations, to develop customer oriented business strategies, redesign an existing service or create an entirely new one.
The following background chapter describes factors and theories that affect business management in the service economy today, such as the changing role of the customer, the meaning of the value proposition and the increasing importance of branding. To explore the needs, experiences and expectations of the case company’s target group, various service design methods were used to identify and remove obstacles at the touch points in the customer journey. These methods for analysis and mapping tools are described in the third chapter of the thesis. The goal was to make the service provided by advertising agency CC Me more user friendly and relevant to the customers and examine the benefits of service design methodology as a strategic tool for the management of the company.
In the final parts of the thesis, the value of service design thinking for business leaders is demonstrated. The methods and activities needed to make strategic decisions in service organizations are gathered in the Service Design Leadership Compass. The compass was created as a tool for the management to develop the service process in the organization, seen from the user perspective. The service design compass covers all methods needed by the management to map customer needs, analyze and develop user experiences, and ultimately improve the service on a holistic level.
The aim of this project was to use service design methods to create a toolkit for leading customer relationships and developing a company’s service process on a practical level. Service design thinking made it possible to identify difficulties and possibilities in the customer journey for the case company CC Me and ultimately develop the company’s business strategy.
To create services that are perceived as valuable by the users, close collaboration between strategic business leadership and design thinking is needed. This thesis contributes to the highlighting of the fact that the complexity of designing services today demands an understanding of the user perspective at top corporate levels.
The structure of the thesis consists of five parts. The introduction chapter covers the research context, service design process and objectives with the study. The way our business culture has changed during the last decades from being product centered to becoming focused on immaterial services is described. This refocus has caused changes also in many other areas in society, and among those, business management. In this context, it is an interesting question to ask how service design tools might benefit leaders in service organizations, to develop customer oriented business strategies, redesign an existing service or create an entirely new one.
The following background chapter describes factors and theories that affect business management in the service economy today, such as the changing role of the customer, the meaning of the value proposition and the increasing importance of branding. To explore the needs, experiences and expectations of the case company’s target group, various service design methods were used to identify and remove obstacles at the touch points in the customer journey. These methods for analysis and mapping tools are described in the third chapter of the thesis. The goal was to make the service provided by advertising agency CC Me more user friendly and relevant to the customers and examine the benefits of service design methodology as a strategic tool for the management of the company.
In the final parts of the thesis, the value of service design thinking for business leaders is demonstrated. The methods and activities needed to make strategic decisions in service organizations are gathered in the Service Design Leadership Compass. The compass was created as a tool for the management to develop the service process in the organization, seen from the user perspective. The service design compass covers all methods needed by the management to map customer needs, analyze and develop user experiences, and ultimately improve the service on a holistic level.
The aim of this project was to use service design methods to create a toolkit for leading customer relationships and developing a company’s service process on a practical level. Service design thinking made it possible to identify difficulties and possibilities in the customer journey for the case company CC Me and ultimately develop the company’s business strategy.
To create services that are perceived as valuable by the users, close collaboration between strategic business leadership and design thinking is needed. This thesis contributes to the highlighting of the fact that the complexity of designing services today demands an understanding of the user perspective at top corporate levels.