Using the customer journey to road test and refine the business model

Purpose - The article describes how to strategically analyze and stage manage the customer journey - the sequence of events that customers go through to learn about, purchase and interact with company offerings.Design methodology approach - The article explains how to develop a customer journey that implements a coherent strategic plan. One that follows a scripted sequence of events companies produce to deliver value to the customer, profitability to the company and differentiation from the competition.Findings - The customer journey, when approached as a strategic design process, can provide all the elements of a business with a unifying organizational map.Research limitations implications - The examples reported on in this article are drawn from the authors' consulting experience.Practical implications - Too often companies map a customer journey without any real participation from customers themselves. It's best to start by identifying jobs customers need to get done so that companies clarify what aspects of the journey are most important to the customer.Originality value - Top executives should make their company's goal to align its business strategy and the experiences that create most value for customers.