Introduction to the Service Cycle - Tetradian on Tools For Change

The Service Cycle

What is the Service Cycle? What are the full set of steps in delivery of any product or service? And what happens if we try to skip over any of those steps, or leave them out?

Regardless of scope or scale, content or context, and whatever way we might implement it, every transaction for service or product follows the same overall pattern. (Or _needs_ to follow that pattern, rather - because if we don't, bad things tend to happen, particularly over the longer term.) This 'Service-Cycle' has distinct phases - often with different players entering and leaving at different phases, yet still holding together as a single pattern. With some provisos, the patterns is also the same whether the actors and people, machines or both.

The sequence opens with an emphasis on shared-purpose and the big-picture - such as connection via reputation or brand. It moves onward to build a conversation, a scope for possible transactions. Once that is established, we can build towards and agreed plan, a contract. And on that basis, we move towards the transaction itself. There's then a sequence of activities to close off and complete each of the preceding phases, in reverse-order: action, then the contract, the conversation, and the connection to overall shared-story. Only when _all_ of those phases finish is the Service Cycle complete, and ready to start again.

This video provides a quick overview of the Service Cycle, using mini-figures to bring in the human element to what is always ultimately a _human_ concern.

For more information, see:
-- post 'Services and Enterprise Canvas review – 6: Exchanges',
-- post 'Services and Enterprise Canvas review – 2: Supplier and customer',
-- post 'Services and Enterprise Canvas review – Summary',
-- post 'Business Model Canvas beyond startups – Part 2: Front-end',
-- slidedeck 'Bridging enterprise-architecture and systems-thinking',

---

We'll add a new video to this playlist several times per month. Click on the Subscribe button to get notified about the latest release!

To support us in producing these videos, and to see the latest videos before everyone else, please join our Patreon at

tetradian,enterprise architecture,method,how-to,change,services,service design,