Applying SFIA skills to service design
Each SFIA skill is detailed with a specific application to service design, illustrating how these can be applied in the analysis, design, development, implementation, and management of services.
For service design leaders, this is a guide to understanding the critical skills required to execute effective service design.
- Clarifies roles and responsibilities: Helps in defining the roles within their teams and aligning skills with specific service design tasks.
- Support skill development: Provides a framework for identifying skill gaps and developing targeted training programs to enhance team capabilities.
- Facilitates strategic planning: Assists in strategic planning by linking skills to service design outcomes, ensuring that team capabilities are aligned with organisational goals.
For organisations developing service design capabilities: For organisations aiming to build or enhance their service design capabilities, the document offers:
- Guidance on skill requirements: Acts as a blueprint for the skills needed to develop robust service design practices.
- Framework for capability building:
- Provides a structured approach to developing service design capabilities, from identifying necessary skills to applying them effectively.
- Understanding whether learning is about new skills or about re-focusing existing skills
- The focus on a cultural/mind-set shift in how service design is perceived / performed versus a focus only on the artefacts of service design
- Having different approaches to service design to effectively address the different use cases for service design
- Benchmarking and Assessment: Serves as a tool for benchmarking current capabilities and assessing progress in service design maturity.
Skill code |
Skill name |
Illustrative application to service design |
FEAS |
Feasibility assessment |
Evaluate feasibility: Assess options for financial viability, technical feasibility, and strategic context, using iterative prototyping and testing. |
URCH |
User research |
Plan research: Design activities to gather insights into user needs and behaviours. User engagement: Conduct interviews, surveys, and usability testing with diverse users. Data analysis: Identify themes and insights to inform the design process. |
BUSA |
Business situation analysis |
Understand needs: Analyse business processes to identify issues and opportunities for service improvement. Propose Improvements: Develop and propose solutions that align with business goals and enhance service delivery. |
REQM |
Requirements definition and management |
Gather and analyse requirements: Collect and document requirements for new or improved services. Align with objectives: Ensure requirements are aligned with business objectives and user needs, facilitating effective service design. |
FIAN |
Financial analysis |
Evaluate financial performance: Conduct cost-benefit analyses to inform decisions on service design investments. Support investment decisions: Provide financial insights that guide the development and sustainability of services. |
BSMO |
Business modelling |
Develop business models: Create models that represent business processes, helping to understand and improve service design. Analyse scenarios: Use models to analyse different business scenarios and their impact on services. |
UNAN |
User experience analysis |
Gather and analyse user data to identify pain points and opportunities for service enhancement. Provide insights to improve the overall user experience of services. |
HCEV |
User experience design |
Design user interfaces: Create user-centric designs that meet user needs and preferences. Develop prototypes: Build prototypes to visually represent the design and functionality of the service. User feedback: Engage users to test the prototypes, gathering feedback to refine and improve the design. |
USEV |
User experience evaluation |
Evaluate usability: Conduct usability testing to assess the effectiveness of the service design. Gather feedback: Collect user feedback to continuously improve the service based on user experiences |
BPRE |
Business process improvement |
Identify inefficiencies: Analyse current business processes to pinpoint areas of inefficiency. |
ARCH |
Solution architecture |
Define architecture components: Develop multi-dimensional solution architectures to deliver business outcomes. |
DESN |
Systems design |
Define system components: Design systems that meet requirements and are scalable and maintainable. |
CPMG |
Capacity management |
Forecast needs: Predict future capacity and performance requirements. |
AVMT |
Availability management |
Monitor service availability: Ensure IT services meet agreed service levels. |
OFCL |
Organisational facilitation |
Co-creation facilitation: Plan and manage co-creation workshops with stakeholders to collaboratively design services. Design thinking promotion: Engage stakeholders in design thinking exercises to foster innovation and creative problem-solving. Ensure communication: Provide effective communication and training throughout the design process to ensure all participants are aligned. |
MCRH |
Market research |
Identify opportunities: Conduct research to understand market needs and trends. |
CEXP |
Customer experience |
Map customer journeys: Design and refine customer journeys to enhance satisfaction. |
ACIN |
Accessibility and inclusion |
Inclusive design: Ensure services are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. |
POMG |
Portfolio management |
Align projects: Ensure service design projects align with organisational strategy and goals. |
BPTS |
Acceptance testing |
Define criteria: Establish clear acceptance criteria for service features. |
ADEV |
Animation development |
Visual storytelling: Use animation to convey service concepts and user journeys. |
INOV |
Innovation |
Foster creativity: Encourage innovative ideas and approaches in service design. |
BENM |
Benefits management |
Identify benefits: Clearly define the benefits of service design initiatives. |
INCA |
Content design and authoring |
Design content: Create content that meets user needs and enhances the service experience. |
ICPM |
Content publishing |
Manage publication: Oversee the scheduling and distribution of content across platforms. |
PROD |
Product management |
Define strategy: Develop product strategies that align with service goals. |
DEMG |
Delivery management |
Plan and coordinate: Manage resources and timelines to ensure successful service delivery. |
DAAN |
Data analytics |
Collect data: Gather data on user interactions and service performance. |
RLMT |
Stakeholder relationship management |
Identify stakeholders: Determine who the key stakeholders are for the service design project. |
ISCO |
Information systems coordination |
Align systems: Ensure information systems support the business processes and service goals. |
OCDV |
Organisational capability development |
Identify gaps: Assess the current capabilities of the organisation and identify gaps. |
BURM |
Risk management |
Identify risks: Recognise potential risks that could impact the service design project. |
GOVN |
Governance |
Establish frameworks: Create policies and practices to guide the service design process. |
AUDT |
Audit |
Plan audits: Develop plans to assess the effectiveness of controls in service design. |
CSMG |
Customer service support |
Resolve issues: Address customer-reported problems and incorporate solutions into the design process. |
CELO |
Customer engagement and loyalty |
Understand needs: Collect detailed information on customer needs and preferences to inform design decisions. |
BRMG |
Brand management |
Develop strategies: Create a brand strategy that aligns with the service design and enhances the overall brand perception. |