This assignment tests your ability to assemble a service blueprint for a fictional company. Making a blueprint, you need to lay out what you think are the details of the support process. Then you need to show the location of potential fail points and excessive wait times. Be sure to include all elements of the blueprint. Your can use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to draw or scan your blueprint in electronic form.

As you lay out the blueprint, think about how you will measure the performance of this process. What metrics (forms of measurement) can you use? What will a specific number like customer's served or complaints resoved tell you? Make a list of these metrics (two to five) and list them in a blank space of your chart or on a separate peice of paper if there isn't room on the chart.

The fictional company for this term is: Diets to You. The business scenario for this company.

"DIETS TO YOU" DELIVERS TO HOMES*

The paperboy delivers the paper. The mailman delivers the mail. And Diets to You delivers diet foods-

about 900 calories each. So the day begins for 100 dieters who pay on average $75 a week for fresh,

low-calorie, low-fat meals delivered to their homes or offices five days a week.

Carolyn Adamson began this business in 1991. She and her partner recently ironed out the bugs and began

talking to potential franchisers. "I'm surprised I don't have any competition," says Ms. Adamson. The idea

seemed so obvious to her, and customers agree.

Three years ago, Ms. Adamson and her partner were working as technical writers in an engineering firm, and

hating it. "We were both on diets but never had enough time to cook low-cal, low-fat meals at home," she

recalled. If only someone delivered fresh food to the door!

Advertising such a service in the local newspaper, the two attracted eight customers and quit their jobs to

work on the business full time out of a caterer's kitchen they had subleased. Ms. Adamson has not

advertised since; for fear of attracting too many customers too soon, but finally she's ready. Ms. Adamson

has hired a publicist and expects business to double this year.

"I'm eating their breakfast right now," says Charles Baldwin, a cheery-sounding customer of Diets to You.

Putting down his blueberry muffin, the referee explained that he signed on two years ago, lost twenty

pounds, and never gained them back.

The menus only repeat every six weeks and include such fare as lasagna, quiche, soups, Mexican food and

pizza. "It's basically not diet food," Ms. Adamson said. "We just use diet ingredients and cut the portions."

The meals come in 900, 1200 and 1600 calorie servings, with no more than 20 percent of the calories

coming from fat. The bigger the portion, the more you pay. At the Garcia household, Angela Garcia orders

1200 calorie meals for herself and 1600 for her husband, three times a week. Since both spouses work, she

said, "It really fits our lifestyle."

Today's breakfast: muffins, vanilla yogurt and a pear. Lunch: home-style turkey soup, bagels and fruit.

Dinner: baked Greek shrimp and noodles in tomato-garlic sauce, broccoli, salad, and for dessert, lemon

cookies.