Creating Service Blueprint

Creating Service Blueprint

 

Assignment #2: blueprinting

Individual assignment

Length: 2000-2500 words

Details of ASSIGNMENT #2 (SERVICE BLUEPRINTING):

You should create a service blueprint for a service firm of your choice (e.g. dentist, restaurant, funeral home, any retail store, zoo, student legal services, humane society, and hospital emergency service). In addition to the blueprint, you should write an essay-type paper analysing the service processes of the firm using course concepts.

Directions

The aim of the project is to develop a thorough, detailed service blueprint for a service firm. The project can focus on an imaginary service firm or a real service firm.

Graphical Portion of Service Blueprint. This assignment allows a student to demonstrate (1) an understanding of the blueprint concepts from class and (b) an ability to apply them in looking at a specific service provider. The blueprint must include the components described in Chapter 5 and content discussed by the UC lecturer/unit convener. Blueprints must have all lines clearly labelled, and arrows must be included in your blueprint to show the order of activities and how they are connected to each other. At least three customer actions, three front-stage contact employee actions, three back-stage contact employee actions, and three distinct support processes should be depicted. At least three potential bottlenecks or fail points in the service delivery process must be identified.

 

Pictorial Portion of the Service Blueprint. For the physical evidence layer of the service blueprint, students are expected to visit the business chosen and to visually capture the various components of physical evidence that customers experience. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to take pictures with a digital camera (Students should secure permission to take pictures of the service process from management of this service provider prior to constructing the blueprint). A minimum of 5 images is needed to include in the blueprint (the images should be small and pasted in the physical layer of the blueprint). Larger number of images would also be encouraged. The additional images can be placed within the written section of the assignment. Students who focused on an imaginary firm rather than a real firm, can use images from the internet to depict components of the physical evidence. Images within the written section of the assignment can be:

NOTE: Better marks- have a service print of how it is now- than another of how it could be improved. Images are not necessary

  • servicescape elements
  • other physical evidence (tangible components)
  • customer actions
  • employee actions (both on-stage and back-stage)

 

Essay. In addition to the actual blueprint (which should be placed in the appendix section of the written assignment), students are to write a paper (2000-2500 words- essay) that addresses the following issues and include appropriate associated headings:

 

(1)   Introduction: Describe the firm you chose, what service(s) of this organization you will be blueprinting, and why you selected those particular service(s);

(2)   Body:

  • Describe what you believe to be the three key customer actions depicted in the blueprint, and discuss why they are so critical to a successful service experience;
  • Describe what you believe to be the three key employee actions depicted in the blueprint and discuss why they are so critical to a successful service experience;
  • Describe three key elements of physical evidence revealed in the blueprint (photos/images of these elements should be included in the visual portion of the blueprint) and discuss how they influence the customer’s experience;
  • Identify, number, and describe three fail points (points in the process where problems may occur) and/or bottlenecks (points in the process where backups or slow delivery may occur); Fishbone diagram should be placed within the text and each of the aspects outlined in the diagram should be elaborated in detail by relying on the literature in the area of services marketing (see page 427 for information on cause and effect analysis) You need to analyse each fail point and explain in detail what the underlying causes of the fail points might be.

(3)  Recommendations:

Suggest possible solutions/alternatives to address these (potential) problem areas; Using examples and support from the relevant literature in the areas of marketing, operations management and human resource management, you need justify why think your suggestions can resolve the problems.

 

Also, please ensure the following:

– Assignment cover page should contain: date, subject code (6366), student’s name and student ID number.

– You are required to use a minimum of 15 references from various sources, out of which 8 references should be peer reviewed journal articles.

– Length of this assignment is to be approximately 2000-2500 words and is partially flexible (max limit 3000 words).

– The material should be professionally presented and typed

– References are to be cited using APA or Harvard system consistently.

– The complete report should be formatted using 1.5 spaced, 11 or 12 pt. font.

– NB: title page, contents, appendices, tables, graphs, charts, bibliography, etc. are not viewed as part of the text but as extra pages.

– Service blueprint should be placed in the appendix section of the written easy.

– Students are expected to use concepts related to services marketing throughout their discussion to demonstrate an understanding of these concepts, as this is the primary purpose of this assignment. The grading criteria used for evaluating your paper include your ability to relate material from readings and lectures to your paper, your ability to diagnose probable causes of problems and match them with appropriate solutions, depth and substance of your observations, persuasiveness of your discussion, and quality of writing. Concise, clear writing in your letter, brief summary paper, and presentation is expected. As such, you will not receive extra credit for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., but will receive a poor evaluation of the assignment if these areas are found to be lacking. 

Professionalism and having work completed on schedule is a key to early success in one’s business career. Therefore, students are suggested to start now to develop good work habits for meeting deadlines.

 

 

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