Making service tangible: the fastest path to higher performance

Key Insights

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  Shifting from output-based to outcome-based performance measurement requires shared responsibility and flexible task management across an organization.

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  Many designers do not realize they offer services and are actually service providers themselves.

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  Large organizations benefit from federated analytics and interconnected journey management to make performance data actionable at different levels.

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  Smaller organizations must focus on feasible, meaningful performance indicators rather than imitating larger corporations.

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  In complex social impact services, control over outcomes is indirect; building coalitions and designing system interventions is key.

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  Design systems for services can create consistency and equity by ensuring similar customer journeys across multiple touchpoints.

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  Cross-functional collaboration and culture that emphasize generative agency and sustained responsibility improve service outcomes.

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  Visualizing changes in service processes can effectively demonstrate impact to stakeholder teams.

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  Performance measures should include qualitative dialogs and psychological safety to build trust and organizational memory.

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  Challenging traditional project-based thinking in favor of continuous change management enables more adaptive service design.

Notable Quotes