Lean Business Transformation for the Service Sector
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Design Thinking or Service Design Tools

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The Design Thinking or Service Design Tools focus around the four key elements of the Double Diamond methodology of Discover, Define, Design and Deliver.  We do not have the time or space to discuss all of these here, but they are accessible on our Learning Management System which is central to any work in implementing best practice in Business Transformation and, in particular, Service Design.

Discover

At this stage you are exploring the enormity of the key issues from a multitude of perspectives.  You must avoid making any assumptions and adopt an objective assessment of meaning from the perspective of the service and those who consume it.

It would not be surprising to see the core tools of the applied behaviourial sciences coming into play here including:
  • Direct and non-directive interviews
  • Focus Groups to assess perspectives
  • Questionnaires designed to elicit responses from a variety of perspectives – these would be questionnaires based on qualitative and quantitative analysis
  • Observation – self reporting diaries, participant observation
  • Customer Journey Maps – using spaghetti diagrams, etc to review barriers to service delivery

A combination of these approaches is critical to developing a rounded view of the problem.  Only by font loading in this stage and the following stage, DEFINE, will you ensure you are devoting resources, energy and time to fixing the right problems – rather than being diverted to addressing the symptoms of the core problems.

Define

Here, there can be a useful combination of specific tools and tools that were used in the DISCOVERY phase.   Before we define and fully scope the project we have to assess that we have taken into account valued input and analysis from all stakeholders including:
  • Customer Supplier Analysis
  • Process mapping to define key problems areas – Pareto analysis
  • Constituent or Stakeholder analysis – not all players in core and peripheral processes have a say in the final product, but their support may be critical to making it work.  In the public sector or with large service organisations in financial services, this would include regulatory bodies
  • Opportunity Workshops and developing typical ‘personas’ of end users may occupy a great deal of energy and are fundamental in designing for specific demographic groups or a variety of service users.

Develop

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This stage can focus on tools which help with:

  • Prototyping specific solutions and testing their value
  • Co-creating with key groups to fine tune solutions
  • Using problem solving tools to ensure that precision and consistency is maintained – these tools would include brainstorming, force field analysis, Pareto analysis, FMEA, Root Cause analysis as well as using more traditional Lean tools for testing hypotheses such as regression analysis, charting, Chi squared
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​We provide a multitude of tools on our Learning Management Systems.

Deliver

At this stage we should be 95% on the straight and narrow.  We should not be getting any nasty surprises because rigorous and consistent action in the first three stages should ensure that we are on target.

Here we would be making use:
  • RASCI Charts to hone and define responsibilities and ownership for implementation
  • Basic Project Management Implementation plans
  • Testing of solutions utilising user groups and prototyping
  • Walking the path – or project walk-through's to ensure that processes do deliver what they are expected to deliver
  • Setting up process of Continuous Improvement
  • Defining KPI’s and measures to monitor progress

Although many of the tools in Design Thinking may appear to be focused on data collection and analysis from the soft sciences, we focus on using both soft and hard measures to assess that any process delivers the objectives and the outcomes desired.

When undertaking our tailored programmes or attending events, you can access these problem-solving tools when you gain entry to our tailored (CLMS) Content Learning Management System.

To arrange a meeting email philip@philipatkinson.com

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