Anthony W. Ulwick

UNCOVER CUSTOMER DESIRED OUTCOMES With the core functional job defined, the next step in the ODI process is to create a “job map” for that job. A job map

is a visual depiction of the core functional job, deconstructed into its discrete process or job steps, which explains in detail exactly what the customer is trying to get done. A job map does not show what the customer is doing (a solution view); rather, it describes what the customer is trying to get done (a needs view).

A job map is focused on the underlying goals of the actions being taken. For example, you wouldn’t say an anesthesiologist is “looking at the display” (a solution that describes what action the anesthesiologist is taking). Instead, you would say the anesthesiologist is “monitoring the patient’s vital signs”, which is the underlying goal of looking at the display.

In addition, a job map is not a customer journey or customer experience map: it does not describe the journey the customer goes through to buy, receive, set-up, use, upgrade, clean and maintain a product. These activities are consumption chain jobs that are captured and treated separately. If you are focusing on the customer journey, you are not focused on the core functional job.

A good job map will describe what the customer is trying to get done independent of all the competing solutions that customers are using. In other words, it will be accurate for all customer situations, regardless of the products they are using to get the job done. A completed job map represents the “ideal process flow” for that job: all the steps in the ideal order for efficient execution.

We create the job map for a number of reasons:

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  The completed job map lays out the long term strategy for the organization—which is to devise a solution that gets the entire job done on a single platform or with a single offering (which may include hardware, software and services).
  
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  It is often the case that innovative ideas can come from analyzing the job map, as it points out holes and inefficiencies in existing offerings.
  
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  From a tactical standpoint, the job map serves as a framework and a guide for capturing the customer’s desired outcomes. For this reason, it is best to create the job map before attempting to capture desired outcome statements.