2008/04/01 by Mary Jo Bitner, Amy L. Ostrom, Felicia N. Morgan · 1,177 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Engineering · Social Sciences · #Ambidexterity #Blueprint #Business #Computer science #Engineering #Engineering management #Information Systems Theories and Implementation #Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development #Knowledge management #Marketing #Operations management #Process management #Service (business) #Service and Product Innovation #Service delivery framework #Service design #Service innovation
paper · doi:10.2307/41166446
published in California Management Review 50(3), 66-94 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2008/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
With the global focus on service-led growth has come increased need for practical techniques for service innovation. Services are fluid, dynamic, experiential, and frequently -produced in real time by customers, employees, and technology, often with few static physical properties. However, most product innovation approaches focus on the design of relatively static products with physical properties. Thus, many of the invention and prototype design techniques used for physical goods and technologies do not work well for human and interactive services. This article describes one technique—service blueprinting—that has proven useful for service innovation. Service blueprinting is securely grounded in the customer's experience and it allows the clear visualization of dynamic service processes. The technique is described in detail including real case examples that illustrate the value and breadth of its applications.