Bringing service design principles into project management can improve outcomes and lead to happy stakeholders. It offers project managers a toolkit that supports effective delivery. By focusing on user needs, experience, and value delivery, service design gives project managers the opportunity to create effective solutions with users.
Service Design Academy helps to give project managers the framework, tools and skills to face the complex challenges of managing scope, resources and stakeholders’ expectations.
Here’s just some of the ways service design capability can help:
Solving problems
Projects are all about solving problems and service design methodology can turbo-boost problem-solving skills. Learning about user research, journey mapping, prototyping, and testing can help project managers better understand complex challenges, explore innovative solutions, and make more informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
Getting closer to users
Service design is all about understanding and empathising with the people who use your services. Bringing these needs into every stage of a project can be confident that the final product or service meets what people need and expect.
Holistic view
The entire service experience is looked at, considering all touchpoints and interactions between users and the service. Project managers benefit from this approach by identifying potential gaps or opportunities for improvement across the entire project lifecycle, leading to more integrated solutions.
Collaboration
Service design always encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork. Project managers can enjoy taking this collaborative approach to facilitate better communication and co-operation among team members from different teams, leading to more cohesive project execution and outcomes.
Iterative and agile
Service design asks for an iterative and agile mindset; continuous learning, adaptation, and improvement. Project managers can apply this mindset to project management practices, helping to respond to changing requirements and stakeholders’ feedback ultimately enhancing project agility and resilience.
Buy-in
Stakeholders are involved in co-design activities meaning that project managers can use participatory approaches to build stronger relationships with stakeholders, and give them a sense of ownership and commitment.
Value
Service design creates value for everyone, aligning project goals with user needs and business. Project managers can give the assurance that projects will deliver value and impact, ultimately contributing to growth and sustainability.
Service Design Academy L-R Kim Anderson, Connor Finlayson, Maralyn Boyle & Caryn Gibson
If you’d like to find out more about how Service Design Academy can build service design capability to help your business get to where it needs to be please get in touch info@sda.ac.uk or go to our website https://www.sda.ac.uk/newsroom/
