Service Design Tools

System Map

A system map visually represents all actors involved in a service and their connections. It clarifies how materials, energy, information, money, and documents flow between them, revealing the service's overall structure.

Duration
2.5 hours
Group Size
6-10
Category
Service Design Tools
Difficulty
Easy
Participants will:

  • Understand service dynamics and detect gaps.

  • Visualize actors and components in service delivery.

  • Identify opportunities for improvement.

  • Clarify how service components connect.

  • Highlight values exchanged between actors.

  • Map flows of materials, energy, information, and money.

  • Enable a systemic perspective on service challenges.

  • Support strategic decision-making.

Participants will create a system map, visualize the system's structure, and establish a foundation for intervention. It's not always perfect on the first try; iteration is key.

  • Connect components in loops, ensuring both input and output.

  • Be specific about what flows between actors.

  • Include both formal and informal exchanges.

  • Consider different time scales (daily, seasonal, etc.).

  • Look for bottlenecks and redundancies.

  • Validate the map with people who work in the system.

  • Keep the level of detail appropriate for the purpose.

  • Use the map to identify intervention points.

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