We’re facing a challenge in how organizations and product teams are run. Too often teams are focused on individual products and how a user is interacting with just that product, instead of considering customer needs and organizational capabilities that go well beyond a digital product mix. Customer experience is a multi-departmental effort, but organizations are too siloed to effectively serve customers. Customer problem solving extends beyond the organization, with other influences and influencers who shape decision-making, impacting purchase decisions, engagement, and retention. The experience is broken. And the organization’s ability to improve the service delivery model is limited due to a lack of systems thinking and system strategy. The system strategy framework answers these challenges. By mapping the customer journey, mapping organizational service models and capabilities, and understanding how the two align, organizations are able to uncover opportunities to improve customer experience and service delivery. Whether to solve short term challenges or establish forward thinking strategies, the system strategy framework is essential for day-to-day product teams and business leaders.

1. Why journey
mapping is essential
for digital products
#systemstrategy at
#fitctoronto
@smack416 at
@yousayyeah
and a whole lot more
systems thinking

2. Designers.
Developers.
Product owners.
Business leaders.

3. 1. Problem
2. Foundation
3. Solution
4. Outcomes

4. 1. Problem
We think in terms of
products instead of systems.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

5. Design for people.

6. So many UX research and
validation methods are
focused on individual or
existing products.

7. Improve engagement.
Optimize funnels.
Measure adoption.
Test usability.

8. Survey.
Interview.
Workshop.
Prototype.

9. Outcomes, not features.

10. We’ve learned to be lean
and run sprints.

11. How do we choose which product
to focus on?
Is this an outcome that will improve
adoption or engagement?
How do we improve the
experience of this product?

12. Despite our best efforts of
designing for people, we’re
failing them.

13. People use multiple devices
and channels to accomplish
any number of goals.

14. People also make decisions
and are influenced by factors
unrelated to your business.

15. Organizations are complex
systems unto themselves.

16. Focusing on one product
or solution at a time is not
enough.

17. We need to take a
wider view in order to
increase the impact and
value of our work.

18. Powers of Ten (1977)
From product view.
To system view.

19. 2. Foundation
You need to understand
the systems you’re
designing for.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

20. Consider who you’re
designing for.

21. You’re designing for people.

22. You’re designing for a
business or organization.

23. You need to balance the
needs of people with
organizational goals and
capabilities.

24. Individually, both the
people and organizations
you design for operate in
complex systems.

25. The relationship between the
two groups becomes even
more complicated, and
symbiotic.

26. Organizations consist of a
variety of people with
varying responsibilities,
capabilities, and motivations.

27. The people the organizations
serve have their own needs
and motivations, independent
of the organization.

28. Both organizations & people
want to generate value for
themselves.

29. The winning mindset:
Organizations exist to
serve people.

30. So you have two complex
systems, each deriving more
value from one another the
closer they align.

31. The better you understand
these systems, the closer
you can align them.

32. 3. Solution
Map the system and
you’ll have a treasure
map to success.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

33. The topographic foundation
of your treasure map:
The customer journey map.

34. The customer journey is the
path a person takes to solve
a problem or reach a goal.

35. For your organization, you
likely want that path to
include purchasing and using
your product or service.

36. But customers won’t
necessarily interact with
your organization.

37. Organizations who map only
the touchpoints they control
are not doing their job.

38. So how do we map a
customer journey effectively.

39. Your customer’s journey will
vary based on how they
choose between your
organization or any alternative
ways of meeting their needs.

40. Your job is to identify that
selection process and those
key decision-making stages.

41. How do you do this?
Research.

42. Interviews.
Observation.
Any other tactics to help you
determine your customer’s
decision-making process.

43. Talk to your customers.
Talk to your sales and
support staff.
Talk to people who have
purchased related products.

44. Ask people how they
identify and solve the
problem your organization
is looking to solve.

45. Example stages of a
customer journey.
Parent Care Customer Journey
for Adult Children
Problem Identification
Define Need—1-2 weeks Search and Share—2-4 weeks
Stages
User Tasks
Problem Analysis Internal Discussion of Options External Res
Planning funeral
Attending specialist’s appointments
Spending time at the hospital
Consulting with government
funded services
Search for resources
(offline, internet)
Speak to experts or family/friends
who have gone through the
experience
Consult with loved one
Setting up supports to assist
with activities of daily living
Work with publicly available supports
(e.g. CCAC coverage)
Hire home care or family take on
care/daily responsibilities.
Explore long-term options:
i. retirement home living
ii. make home senior friendly
iii. hire home care provider
Conduct Goog
Seek out word
Seek out referra
service provide
psychological, fi
Work with publ
(e.g. CCAC cove

46. Your customer’s stages will
be different.

47. If you have various types of
customers, each of them
may even follow different
stages.

48. What the user is trying to
accomplish.
What tasks they’ll perform to
get there.
Their state of mind at the time.

49. Parent Care Customer Journey
for Adult Children
Problem Identification
Define Need—1-2 weeks
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
Social channels
Advertising
PR
Search locations
Share locations
Shortlists
Comparitive view of locations
Share location shortlists
Tour booking &
confirmation
Advisors
Partnerships
Advisors
Partnerships
Advertising
SEO
FAQ
Resource Content
SEO
Awareness
Search and Share—2-4 weeks Final Review—2-3 weeks Commit—1 -2 weeks Moving into home Living at home
Stages
Relevance
User Tasks
Players
Media
Tactics
User Thoughts
User Feelings
Problem Analysis Internal Discussion of Options External Research Comparison of Options Purchase Decision Post-purchaseTours & Interviews
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
I’m afraid for my parent’s safety.
Will my parents be able to meet
needs of their daily living?
It’s taking too much time to organize
interim solutions while planning for
the future.
How serious is it?
How safe is it to live at home?
How long will the problem last?
What supports exist in my
community?
How much money do we have to
put towards the problem?
How long can the family take on
care/daily responsibility?
Will my parent(s)/other family
members be able to come to a
decision together?
Do we want to move the parent
out of their home?
Should we sell the home or
renovate it?
I don’t know where to begin.
I don’t have enough time to dedicate
hours of research and making calls
can be difficult at work.
I’m letting things drop at work and
with my other responsibilities.
Both home-care and retirement
living are expensive.
If I sell the house, I have to deal with
all of the downgrading and moving
Will my parent be able to live here until RIP?
What are my parents needs versus their wants?
Are the people that live here happy?
How do I continue to care give once
my parent moves in?
Are there social activities available? Is the food
tasty? Is it clean? Is there access to
transportation? Do the staff care about the
residents?
What’s included in the rental price and what is
extra?
I have to plan to pay more for care on top of
the costs of monthly rent.
Is my parent going to be with people that are s
icker than them?
Planning funeral
Attending specialist’s appointments
Spending time at the hospital
Consulting with government
funded services
Search for resources
(offline, internet)
Speak to experts or family/friends
who have gone through the
experience
Consult with loved one
Setting up supports to assist
with activities of daily living
Work with publicly available supports
(e.g. CCAC coverage)
Hire home care or family take on
care/daily responsibilities.
Explore long-term options:
i. retirement home living
ii. make home senior friendly
iii. hire home care provider
Conduct Google search
Seek out word of mouth referrals
Seek out referral to resources by
service providers (legal, medical,
psychological, financial, workplace)
Work with publicly available supports
(e.g. CCAC coverage)
Service providers (care staff at
hospital or rehabilitation clinics)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Low Medium Medium High
Service providers (Seniors
transportation providers, grocery
delivery, pharmacy, Our Business)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Trusted advisors (HR, workplace
support programs, lawyers,
financial advisors)
Service providers (real estate agents,
government assistsance—ie, CCAC
worker, Our Business)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Adult children
Service providers (retirement home
sales staff, home-care providers,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Workplace supports/HR department
Social Workers
Family
Service providers
(retirment home sales staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Family
Service providers
(retirment commmunity staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Select homes to short-list (~4)
Compare options
(rental price, care type, location)
Share information with
stakeholders
Complete needs analysis of homes
based on parent needs/wants
Panic
Crisis mode
Reacting to immediate needs
Stress around how time consuming
caring for their parent is
Grief
Helplessness
Fear for their parent
Ambiguity around the unknown
Guilt that you have to change
the course of their parent’s life
Guilt and sadness
Worry about making the right
decision
Confusion/helplessness around
where to go for resources,
Fear that their loved one is socially
isolated because they’re losing
independence
Overwhelmed
Guilty
Shock
Who is running the tour, where is it,
what time is it, how far is it from
the next tour?
What if the people at the home
seem a lot older than my parent?
What kinds of social programs are
around?
Book tours M-F during working
hours or aft
Coordinate times with other
stakeholders
Schedule life around tours
Go on actual tour
High
Ambiguity around what to expect
from retirement homes
Fear that their parent will “break
down” at any point
Shock at wait-list information
(if applicable, usually only in urban
areas)
Stress managing the tour
information
Family
Service providers
(retirment commmunity staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Service providers (downgrading
company, moving company,
real-estate agents, auction houses)
This process is taking over my life
and I want the decision to be made
What is my parent’s monthly
allowance?
How much can we get from the
sale of the house?
Do I have to supplement costs?
Will the costs rise as they need
more care?
Looking at finances/sale of the
house
Discuss with stakeholders
Review whether the home meets
parent’s needs and wants
Discuss with parents
Pack up the old home
Downsize belongings
Sell old belongings
Prepare parents for move, make
sure new apartment is set-up
(painted, carpets changed)
Shift from being a caregiver to
being an advocate
Visiting parents to check in and
spend time together
Medium Moderate Low
Guilt regarding the feelings of
burden this is causing them
Stress because they are dropping
other work/family responsibilities
Tension communicating with
parent(s) around shifting their
lifestyle
Overwhelmed because juggling
real-estate conversations around
sale of the house and figuring out
monthly allowance for living
+ care costs
Relief around making a decision
Worry about making the best
No looking back now
What belongings do me/my family
members keep and what do we sell?
Do we need to set up any other
services for the retirement home?
E.g. transportation, CCAC care
coming to the home
Sadness to be giving up the old
family home/belongings
Tension organizing everything
with parents
Overwhelmed because juggling
multiple service providers
Family (immediate)
New friends made at the
retirement home
Service providers (retirement
community operational staff,
care providers)
How can I make my parent know
that I care about them?
How can I become involved with
my parent at the retirement home?
Do my parents need any additional
support that I have to pay for?
Life is returning to normal
Important date notificationsCustomer followup
Relief but also guilt about not
visiting parents enough
Overwhelmed at the variables to be considered
Frustrated by the lack of consolidated/
comparable information
Confused as to the various care options
Guilt/fear towards choosing the wrong place
Anxious once they realize the costs associated
Frustrated because information online requires
calling resources
Upset imagining their parent living at a home
Choose Retirement Living Choose Other
High
Select from:
Home care
Renovations
Social supports
Family support
Resource for when living at
home is no longer an option
Support caregiver through
useful dialog or information
Support caregiver through
retirement calculator
Medium
Service providers (banks and
institutions, Our Business)
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Resource providers
Social Workers
Family
If more information or options
are required.
When you have your journey
mapped out you’ll have
something like this.

50. “The importance of customer
journey maps exceeds their
prevalence.”
@chrisrisdon Capital One (2011)

51. But the system isn’t just
about customers.

52. Organizational models and
capabilities are equally
important.

53. Opportunity must be
weighed against risk.

54. Business goals.
Potential impact of
organizational effort.
Resources, both required and
available.

55. So how does this translate to
something actionable?

56. By understanding the customer
journey and the organizational
model and capabilities, we can
begin to align the organization
to the customer journey.

57. Take the customer journey.

58. And the organizational
capabilities.
Take the customer journey.

59. Align the two.

60. And you can prioritize based
on impact and capability.

61. 4. Outcomes
System strategy uncovers
previously unknowable
opportunities & efficiencies.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

62. Make decisions confidently.
Uncover new opportunities.
Focus efforts where they
have the most impact.

63. Increased engagement.
Better customer service.
More productive teams.

64. Ultimately, a framework
to achieve these outcomes
on an ongoing basis.

65. 1. Problem
2. Foundation
3. Solution
4. Outcomes

66. @smack416 #systemstrategy
1. Problem
We spend too much time
thinking in terms of products
instead of systems.

67. @smack416 #systemstrategy
2. Foundation
We need to understand
the people and organizational
systems we design for.

68. 3. Solution
Mapping this symbiotic
system will define a
roadmap to success.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

69. 4. Outcomes
This system strategy process
continually uncovers
opportunities & efficiencies.
@smack416 #systemstrategy

70. And now for some
practical examples.

71. Map the customer journey
from the customer’s point of
view, not yours.

72. Parent Care Customer Journey
for Adult Children
Problem Identification
Define Need—1-2 weeks
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
Social channels
Advertising
PR
Search locations
Share locations
Shortlists
Comparitive view of locations
Share location shortlists
Tour booking &
confirmation
Advisors
Partnerships
Advisors
Partnerships
Advertising
SEO
FAQ
Resource Content
SEO
Awareness
Search and Share—2-4 weeks Final Review—2-3 weeks Commit—1 -2 weeks Moving into home Living at home
Stages
Relevance
User Tasks
Players
Media
Tactics
User Thoughts
User Feelings
Problem Analysis Internal Discussion of Options External Research Comparison of Options Purchase Decision Post-purchaseTours & Interviews
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
Ask our experts
Blog
Resources
I’m afraid for my parent’s safety.
Will my parents be able to meet
needs of their daily living?
It’s taking too much time to organize
interim solutions while planning for
the future.
How serious is it?
How safe is it to live at home?
How long will the problem last?
What supports exist in my
community?
How much money do we have to
put towards the problem?
How long can the family take on
care/daily responsibility?
Will my parent(s)/other family
members be able to come to a
decision together?
Do we want to move the parent
out of their home?
Should we sell the home or
renovate it?
I don’t know where to begin.
I don’t have enough time to dedicate
hours of research and making calls
can be difficult at work.
I’m letting things drop at work and
with my other responsibilities.
Both home-care and retirement
living are expensive.
If I sell the house, I have to deal with
all of the downgrading and moving
Will my parent be able to live here until RIP?
What are my parents needs versus their wants?
Are the people that live here happy?
How do I continue to care give once
my parent moves in?
Are there social activities available? Is the food
tasty? Is it clean? Is there access to
transportation? Do the staff care about the
residents?
What’s included in the rental price and what is
extra?
I have to plan to pay more for care on top of
the costs of monthly rent.
Is my parent going to be with people that are s
icker than them?
Planning funeral
Attending specialist’s appointments
Spending time at the hospital
Consulting with government
funded services
Search for resources
(offline, internet)
Speak to experts or family/friends
who have gone through the
experience
Consult with loved one
Setting up supports to assist
with activities of daily living
Work with publicly available supports
(e.g. CCAC coverage)
Hire home care or family take on
care/daily responsibilities.
Explore long-term options:
i. retirement home living
ii. make home senior friendly
iii. hire home care provider
Conduct Google search
Seek out word of mouth referrals
Seek out referral to resources by
service providers (legal, medical,
psychological, financial, workplace)
Work with publicly available supports
(e.g. CCAC coverage)
Service providers (care staff at
hospital or rehabilitation clinics)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Low Medium Medium High
Service providers (Seniors
transportation providers, grocery
delivery, pharmacy, Our Business)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Trusted advisors (HR, workplace
support programs, lawyers,
financial advisors)
Service providers (real estate agents,
government assistsance—ie, CCAC
worker, Our Business)
Immediate family members and
close friends
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Adult children
Service providers (retirement home
sales staff, home-care providers,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Workplace supports/HR department
Social Workers
Family
Service providers
(retirment home sales staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Family
Service providers
(retirment commmunity staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Select homes to short-list (~4)
Compare options
(rental price, care type, location)
Share information with
stakeholders
Complete needs analysis of homes
based on parent needs/wants
Panic
Crisis mode
Reacting to immediate needs
Stress around how time consuming
caring for their parent is
Grief
Helplessness
Fear for their parent
Ambiguity around the unknown
Guilt that you have to change
the course of their parent’s life
Guilt and sadness
Worry about making the right
decision
Confusion/helplessness around
where to go for resources,
Fear that their loved one is socially
isolated because they’re losing
independence
Overwhelmed
Guilty
Shock
Who is running the tour, where is it,
what time is it, how far is it from
the next tour?
What if the people at the home
seem a lot older than my parent?
What kinds of social programs are
around?
Book tours M-F during working
hours or aft
Coordinate times with other
stakeholders
Schedule life around tours
Go on actual tour
High
Ambiguity around what to expect
from retirement homes
Fear that their parent will “break
down” at any point
Shock at wait-list information
(if applicable, usually only in urban
areas)
Stress managing the tour
information
Family
Service providers
(retirment commmunity staff,
Our Business)
Resource providers
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Service providers (downgrading
company, moving company,
real-estate agents, auction houses)
This process is taking over my life
and I want the decision to be made
What is my parent’s monthly
allowance?
How much can we get from the
sale of the house?
Do I have to supplement costs?
Will the costs rise as they need
more care?
Looking at finances/sale of the
house
Discuss with stakeholders
Review whether the home meets
parent’s needs and wants
Discuss with parents
Pack up the old home
Downsize belongings
Sell old belongings
Prepare parents for move, make
sure new apartment is set-up
(painted, carpets changed)
Shift from being a caregiver to
being an advocate
Visiting parents to check in and
spend time together
Medium Moderate Low
Guilt regarding the feelings of
burden this is causing them
Stress because they are dropping
other work/family responsibilities
Tension communicating with
parent(s) around shifting their
lifestyle
Overwhelmed because juggling
real-estate conversations around
sale of the house and figuring out
monthly allowance for living
+ care costs
Relief around making a decision
Worry about making the best
No looking back now
What belongings do me/my family
members keep and what do we sell?
Do we need to set up any other
services for the retirement home?
E.g. transportation, CCAC care
coming to the home
Sadness to be giving up the old
family home/belongings
Tension organizing everything
with parents
Overwhelmed because juggling
multiple service providers
Family (immediate)
New friends made at the
retirement home
Service providers (retirement
community operational staff,
care providers)
How can I make my parent know
that I care about them?
How can I become involved with
my parent at the retirement home?
Do my parents need any additional
support that I have to pay for?
Life is returning to normal
Important date notificationsCustomer followup
Relief but also guilt about not
visiting parents enough
Overwhelmed at the variables to be considered
Frustrated by the lack of consolidated/
comparable information
Confused as to the various care options
Guilt/fear towards choosing the wrong place
Anxious once they realize the costs associated
Frustrated because information online requires
calling resources
Upset imagining their parent living at a home
Choose Retirement Living Choose Other
High
Select from:
Home care
Renovations
Social supports
Family support
Resource for when living at
home is no longer an option
Support caregiver through
useful dialog or information
Support caregiver through
retirement calculator
Medium
Service providers (banks and
institutions, Our Business)
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
financial advisors)
Resource providers
Social Workers
Family
If more information or options
are required.
Here’s a journey map for a
company that helps people
find retirement homes.

73. Comparison of Options
Family
Service providers
(retirment home sales staff,
Select homes to short-list (~4)
Compare options
(rental price, care type, location)
Share information with
stakeholders
Complete needs analysis of homes
based on parent needs/wants
Choose Retirement Living Choose Other
Select from:
Home care
Renovations
Social supports
Family support
Service providers (banks and
institutions, Our Business)
Trusted advisors (lawyers,
There are a number of
options in addition to
retirement homes.

74. Retirement home providers
+ Home care providers
+ Home renovation providers

75. “The railroads are in trouble
today because they were
railroad oriented instead of
transportation oriented.”
Theodore Levitt (1960)

76. “They were product oriented
instead of customer oriented.”
Theodore Levitt (1960)

77. Let’s consider
another example.

78. Factory machines.
Machine operators.
Factory managers.

79. Dumb filters don’t have
a way of saying something’s
wrong.

80. The smart filter introduced
capabilities that benefitted
both the customer and the
organization.

81. DAILY ROUTINE
NOT OK
FILTRATION
SYSTEM
OK
UPDATE PLANT
STATUS REPORT
(PRODIGY-D/M)
CHECK MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULE
(PRODIGY-D/M)
CONDUCT PRODIGY-D
PRESCRIBED MAINTENANCE
(filtration system/plant)
EXIT FACILITY
UPDATE PLANT STATUS REPORT
(PRODIGY-D/M)
PLANT STATUS REPORT
HAND-OFF
(PRODIGY-D/M)
SIGN OUT
(PRODIGY-D/M)
FILTRATIO
RESPONSIBIL
DAILY ROUTINE
ENTER FACILITY SIGN IN
(PRODIGY-D)
RECEIVE INITIAL PLANT
STATUS REPORT HAND-OFF
(PRODIGY-D)
START INSPECTION
(PRODIGY-D/M,
LED indicators,
walk-around)
START
SAMPLE
(retrieve kit, draw,
submit sample)
FLUID ISSUE
MECHANICAL
ISSUE (leak)
FILTER ISSUE VERIFY
FIX
(sight,
PRODIGY-M)
CORRECTIVE
ACTION
(check connections,
by-pass filter,
shut down system,
disassemble, diagnose,
repair, reassemble
restart system)
VERIFY
FIX
(sight,
PRODIGY-M)
NOT O
PROCES
(PRODIGY
REPLACE
FILTER
(by-pass filter,
shut down system,
disassemble,
install, reassemble
restart system)
PROCES
(PRODIGY
CONDITION BASED
DISPOSE OF CONSUMABLES
(proper disposal, logging disposal - PRODIGY-D/M)
ACQUIRE
CORRECT FILTER
FOR REPLACEMENT
(PRODIGY-M)
CONTACT IT TEAM
(PRODIGY-M)
PRODIGY
COMMUNICATION
(disconnected)
CORRECTIVE
ACTION
(restore power, replace
Prodigy module, replace
gateway)
REVIEW
WITH PROCESS
ENGINEER
(phone, text, in person,
PRODIGY-D/M)
VERIFY
FIX
( PRODIGY-M)
NOT O
PROCES
(PRODIGY
So where does the customer
journey map come in?

82. Mapping the responsibilities
of people within a system
helps shape product
requirements.

83. Find immediate, actionable
insights, don’t just look at
long term strategies.

84. Uncover new business
opportunities.
Shape the product.
Find immediate insights.

85. Say Yeah!
sayyeah.com
@yousayyeah
sayyeahto
Lee Dale
lee@sayyeah.com
@smack416
#systemstrategy