Rewiring operations with service design and AI
Summary
A Fortune 50 organization faced systemic inefficiencies stemming from siloed data, disjointed processes, and inconsistent communication. Teams struggled with manual workarounds, fragmented systems, and slow response times. Our team was tasked with identifying where generative AI could drive real business value—not just excitement. Over three sprints across multiple domains, we used immersive research, service mapping, and co-creation workshops to reveal hidden pain points and architect practical AI-powered solutions. We developed ten ready-to-build concepts, each with a business case, technical blueprint, and cost-savings estimate. Two of the top concepts were prioritized into MVP plans for seamless handoff to internal teams. The result: faster response times, increased labor efficiency, and millions in projected savings.
Key Insights
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AI's impact is limited unless integrated coherently in existing workflows and systems.
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Fragmentation and handoff failures, not AI itself, cause operational breakdowns.
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Shadowing frontline workers is crucial to uncover real points of friction where AI can assist.
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Focusing on human friction rather than technology placement changes the solution space.
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Repetitive verification work is a key target where AI can reduce cognitive load.
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Mapping end-to-end journeys with emotions and data flow helps shift conversations from blame to action.
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Defining AI archetypes as verbs fosters shared language across disciplines.
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Early alignment on ownership, governance, and success metrics prevents pilot failure.
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Balancing bold transformation with credible, build-ready pilots maintains momentum.
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Service design’s role is to humanize the organization around AI, not just humanize AI itself.
Notable Quotes
"AI wasn’t the obstacle. Fragmentation was."
"I spent 40% of my day verifying what the system already knows."
"When the system feels chaotic, visibility is your superpower."
"Seeing frustrations next to system data shifted conversations from blame to true standing."
"Service design’s role isn’t to humanize AI, it’s to humanize the organization around it."
"The real shift wasn’t speed, it was also trust."
"Transformation isn’t just about prototypes; it’s about designing governance."
"Don’t overlap sprints. Context slips and decisions unravel."
"Co-creation only works when it has boundaries."
"The linguistic shift from we have AI to we’re redesigning how we work signals maturity."
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