New Review of Academic Librarianship

ISSN: 1361-4533 (Print) 1740-7834 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/racl20

Listening to Students: Customer Journey Mapping

at Birmingham City University Library and
Learning Resources

Judith Andrews & Eleanor Eade

To cite this article: Judith Andrews & Eleanor Eade (2013) Listening to Students: Customer
Journey Mapping at Birmingham City University Library and Learning Resources, New Review
of Academic Librarianship, 19:2, 161-177, DOI: 10.1080/13614533.2013.800761

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New Review of Academic Librarianship, 19:161–177, 2013
Published with license by Taylor & Francis
ISSN: 1361-4533 print / 1740-7834 online
DOI: 10.1080/13614533.2013.800761

Listening to Students: Customer Journey

Mapping at Birmingham City University
Library and Learning Resources

JUDITH ANDREWS and ELEANOR EADE

Library and Learning Resources, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK

Birmingham City University’s Library and Learning Resources’

strategic aim is to improve student satisfaction. A key element is the
achievement of the Customer Excellence Standard. An important
component of the standard is the mapping of services to improve
quality. Library and Learning Resources has developed a methodol-
ogy to map these “customer journeys” with students. The article con-
siders themes in the published literature and provides an overview
of a pilot project and its outcomes. The project’s aims are evalu-
ated including an assessment of the effectiveness of the mapping
methodology in engaging students, the staff resource implications,
and the identification of service improvements.

KEYWORDS customer journey mapping, satisfaction, student en-

gagement, university

INTRODUCTION

Over recent years, enhancing student satisfaction has become a key strategic
imperative for Higher Education institutions. In the UK this has been
driven by increases in tuition fees and the introduction of the National
Student Survey in 2005. The UK Government White paper which set out the
proposal for increased student fees, which were introduced in September
2012, stated that the reforms were intended to address a series of challenges
and that “institutions must deliver a better student experience; improving
teaching, assessment, feedback and preparation for the world of work” (UK
Government Department of Business, Innovation and Skills 2011, 4). Since

© Judith Andrews and Eleanor Eade

Address correspondence to Judith Andrews, Kenrick Library, Birmingham City University,
Franchise Street, Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2 SU, UK. E-mail: Judith.Andrews@bcu.ac.uk

161
162 J. Andrews and E. Eade

the initial introduction of fees, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)
has conducted surveys of various aspects of the academic experience of
students. In its 2012 survey it found that:

The increase in dissatisfaction with value for money on the part of home
students in 2007 coincided with the first year of the introduction of the
£3000 tuition fee, and appears to have moderated somewhat, though, is
still above the 2006 level. That is not entirely surprising, since value for
money is in part an economic judgement, and as the price increases so
the threshold for satisfaction is likely to increase as well. (Bekhradnia
2012, 10)

With a clear warning from the Government and an understanding of the

impact of higher fees, UK Universities and University Librarians are focusing
on increasing student satisfaction. As a result of the increasing importance of
student satisfaction many UK academic libraries have recognized the poten-
tial benefit of the UK Customer Service Excellence standard (UK Government
Cabinet Office 2010) and have sought and gained accreditation. A key ele-
ment in the standard is Customer Journey Mapping. This is a tool which can
be used to identify the problems that students experience when using aca-
demic libraries. This article describes a project to pilot the use of a customer
journey mapping methodology with students at Birmingham City University
in the UK.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A key concept behind the pilot project undertaken by Library and Learning
Resources at Birmingham City University was that of working with students
to understand their experiences of using a range of library services. It was
hoped that mapping their customer journeys would identify barriers to library
use which could be addressed with a view to enhancing student satisfaction.
Consideration of the literature has identified a number of themes that are
linked to this work.
Research in progress at the University of Huddersfield in the UK is inves-
tigating the links between levels of library usage and academic achievement.
The practical implications of this work are stated as “it is intended to discover
the reasons behind non/low usage so as to develop then trial effective in-
terventions for improving grades of all students” (Goodall and Pattern 2011,
1). The research is of interest to all academic libraries as it is likely to indi-
cate that the quality and complexity of the services offered are one possible
reason for non-use of libraries.
Another important related area is that of students’ information seek-
ing behavior. Catalano (2013) provides a synthesis of the empirical research
published since 1997 to identify patterns of information seeking behavior of
graduate students. Catalano’s results confirm that students at different levels
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 163

of study use different types of resources and that most consult the inter-
net when beginning their research. She also identified that “students will
generally accept materials of lower quality or reliability if it will save their
time” (Catalano 2013, 265). These findings support those identified by Weiler
(2005) in her article about information seeking behavior in “Generation Y”
students. Catalano references a number of studies that indicate that students
“avoid librarians” (Catalano 2013, 263) and that significant numbers of stu-
dents do not ask for help at reference desks. This has significant implications
for the delivery of library services. If students are unwilling to seek help, the
services provided need to be easy to use. If they are not, students will not
persist in their use and will not find the information that they require. Whit-
mire’s (2001) longitudinal study of undergraduates’ academic experiences
confirms that students’ use of the library changes over the three years of a
degree course. In addition her findings also indicated that “using the library
as a place to study during the freshman year was strongly associated with
using the library as a place to study during the sophomore and junior years”
(Whitmire 2001, 383). This suggests that a positive introduction to the library
in the first year could contribute to an ongoing use of the service throughout
the whole course. As with Catalano’s work Whitmire also identified a reluc-
tance to ask library staff for help, “asking the librarian for help, was the only
library experience that declined and never increased during the three years
of study” (Whitmire 2001, 384).
In their articles, Whitmire (2001) and Goodall and Pattern (2011) make
reference to the possibility that problems in academic library use could be
linked to the phenomenon of “library anxiety” first described by Constance
Mellon (1986). Her research identified that students experienced anxiety
when undertaking academic research for the first time. They were intimidated
by the size and complexity of the library; they did not know how to start
their research, they felt that they were the only ones experiencing these
difficulties and they were afraid to ask for help because they did not wish to
appear inadequate. Significant discussion of library anxiety has been carried
out over the last 25 years (Cleveland 2004; Carlson Nicol 2009; Carlile 2007).
Jiao and Onwuegbuzie (1999) carried out research to establish that library
anxiety was different to general feelings of anxiety and that it affected both
undergraduates and graduates. In Chapter Seven of their book, Onwuegbuzie
et al. (2004) discussed ways that library anxiety could be alleviated by making
the physical environment easier to use and using information literacy to help
students find the information resources they needed. Budget and staffing
constraints have driven libraries towards increased use of self service to
deliver key functions and student demands have led to significant extensions
in library opening hours. While this has meant that library services can
be delivered effectively with fewer staff over longer periods it does mean
that students can use the library without any direct intervention from staff.
Therefore, any shortfalls in library layout or in directional signage have
the potential to increase library anxiety. Mapping customer journeys with
164 J. Andrews and E. Eade

students has the potential to reduce library anxiety by identifying barriers

that they experience, for example poor signage, so that their use of the
library becomes easier and less frustrating or threatening.
Student expectations and student satisfaction have long focused the
minds of academic librarians. Harwood and Bydder (1998, 161) described a
research project at the University of Waikato focused on service quality which
they defined as the analysis of, and reduction in, the gap between customer
expectations and provision. Calvert (2001, 733) defined service quality in
libraries as “disconfirmation theory that examines the difference between a
customer’s expectations and the customer’s perceived sense of actual perfor-
mance.” Calvert built on work originally carried out in New Zealand to com-
pare customer expectations of academic libraries in China and New Zealand.
He concluded that this research, when combined with previous research in
the United States and Singapore, indicated that academic library customers
in a number of countries display similar expectations of library service. He
identified three of the most important elements of these expectations as “staff
attitudes, the library environment and services that help the customer to find
and use the library’s materials efficiently” (2001, 751). Nadiri and Mayboudi
(2010) described the use of the Zone of Tolerance model to measure student
satisfaction in university libraries in Northern Cyprus. They used Parasura-
man’s (2004) description of the concept of the zone of tolerance of service
as the “difference between desired service (what the customer hopes to re-
ceive) and adequate service (what the customer will accept as sufficient)”
(Nadiri and Mayboudi 2010, 7–8). As a result of their study they concluded
that the measurement of a zone of tolerance had been “empirically demon-
strated to be a new method for determining service variations in higher
education” (2010, 15). Broady-Preston and Lobo (2011) reported on their
use of an exploratory case study to “explore the relevance of external stan-
dards in demonstrating the value and impact of academic library services to
their stakeholders” (122). The two standards considered were the UK Char-
ter Mark and Customer Service Excellence standards. They concluded that,
while gaining accreditation for such standards could only be an element in
addressing issues of value and impact, they did have benefits. These lay in
“reinforcing existing relationships and partnerships with customers, commu-
nicating the value of the service to external and internal stakeholders and
serving as a tool for improving service quality and the customer experience”
(132).
In his article Too much customer service Schroer (2003) poses the ques-
tion “when is enough, enough?” He discusses the difference between ex-
pectations which are “the right of customers to expect some level of service
based on an express or implied promise” and “wishful thinking” which is
what “customers might want in a perfect world” (54). He suggests that if
service boundaries are not clearly defined problems will develop as the
wish list can never be delivered and inequalities of service will develop
as individual members of staff deliver different levels of service. In an aca-
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 165

demic library environment the expectations of some students that library staff
should do everything for them runs counter to the philosophy that students
are at University to develop the skills they need in their professional lives.
Where expectations have become unachievable, Schroer advocates service
reviews to agree key services, re-establish service boundaries and retraining
users. Customer journey mapping carried out with and/or by students has
the potential to highlight mismatches in expectations so that they can be
addressed.
Miller and Murillo (2012) present a fascinating picture of the impact of
the opposite situation, that is, very low student expectations. Their study
focused on the relationships that influenced student information seeking be-
havior. Their findings were based on the analysis of a series of ethnographic
interviews undertaken at three Universities in Illinois. The undergraduate
students interviewed rarely asked for help and, if they did ask, the questions
were very simple. There appeared to be a common belief that librarians
could only provide help with directional queries and locating books rather
than in-depth assistance locating resources for research. They quote a senior
psychology major:

I don’t think I would see them and say, ‘well this is my research, how
can I do this or that? I don’t see them that way. I see them more like,
‘Where’s the bathroom?’ (2012, 55)

In summary, the literature shows that the opportunity to work with students
to map their experiences of using library services has the potential to build
a better understanding of the breadth of these services and to address mis-
understandings about service provision. A recurrent theme in the literature
is that students are increasingly reluctant to seek help from library staff. Cus-
tomer journey mapping has the potential to contribute to the development
of streamlined, easy to use services that allow students to make the most
effective use of the library service. In addition when the mapping is done
in close collaboration with students there are opportunities to build rapport
and encourage students to seek help from library staff.

BACKGROUND

In 2010 Library and Learning Resources at Birmingham City University made

the commitment to work towards achieving the Customer Service Excellence
standard. The main drivers for this decision were:

• To enhance the student experience by assessing our services from the

customers’ point of view; and
• To collect information that would allow us to prioritize service develop-
ment at a time of financial constraint
166 J. Andrews and E. Eade

Work was undertaken to map the requirements of the standard against

existing library policies and procedures. It soon became clear that a signif-
icant amount of work would have to be focused on the application of cus-
tomer journey mapping. The Customer Service Excellence standard website
(UK Government Cabinet Office 2010) defines Customer Journey Mapping as:

a method of identifying the key processes that the customer encounters

when they interact with the organisation. Mapping the customer journey
helps organisations to understand the needs and preferences of cus-
tomers. The information gathered can then support changes to service
design to ensure the experience matches customer requirements.

The concept of journey mapping is applied across many different industry

and business sectors, for example, it was used by the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Organizing Committees to develop an enhanced spectator
experience. While in the UK it is closely aligned to the UK Government
Customer Service Excellence standard there are similar approaches in other
countries. From the US, Steven Bell (2012) advocates treating students as
customers and using “service blueprinting” to identify problems in library
service delivery. He makes reference to a report written for the Center for
American Progress (Ostrom et al. 2011, 2) which advocates the application
of service blueprinting to underpin a change in US higher education policy.

In the context of higher education, this means that the student is the
center; the student’s experience is the foundation for analysis, and the
student is a co-creator of his or her educational experience and ultimately
the value received

As customer journey mapping was an important element in the standard, it

was decided that there would be a requirement for a robust journey mapping
methodology to ensure a consistency of approach across all functional areas.
As part of a review of Lending Services colleagues had worked with the Li-
brary Management System supplier Talis Information Limited to develop ex-
pertise in business process mapping. The business process methodology was
investigated to establish whether it could be adapted to provide the required
customer journey mapping methodology. This was tested by providing two
sample maps with customers added to the old and revised restoration of
borrowing rights procedures. These procedures, associated with library ma-
terials loan management, were chosen because the old procedure had been
particularly complex for users to navigate. The addition of “customer boxes”
to the maps indicated clearly the complex interactions with customers in the
old procedure and how they had been simplified significantly by the new
procedure. Following this trial, it was agreed that the amended methodology
would be an effective means of mapping customer journeys.
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 167

CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING PROCESS

The methodology involves plotting a process or service by using business

process mapping symbols within swim lanes to produce a visual representa-
tion of a transaction from the point at which the customer accesses a service
to the goal the customer is aiming to reach. Detailing sequential steps identi-
fies where and with whom a student interacts at each step through a process.
Specific scenarios are developed, for example, locating a specific journal is-
sue in unstaffed hours. Maps are then produced that reflect this journey from
the student’s point of view. The map is then used to develop “what an ideal
journey would look like.” Discussion focusses on identifying changes and
developments that would improve the experience of those using the service.
Training was developed and senior library staff were trained in how to
develop customer journey maps. One important element in the development
of this training was the creation of a model to illustrate the potential benefits
of mapping customer journeys. The central element of the diagram focused
on understanding the student’s experience of the service as crucial to service
improvement (Figure 1). The early staff training sessions used the model and

Increase
Understanding

Fresh
Work Practices
Perspective

Student
Experience

Continuous
Future Planning
Improvement

FIGURE 1 Benefits of customer journey mapping.

168 J. Andrews and E. Eade

it was then shared with other Library professionals via a regional training
event.
These training sessions involved an explanation of how the methodol-
ogy had been developed and a description of the Benefits model described
above (Figure 1). The model was devised from key elements of the business
process mapping experience gained after working with Talis Information
Limited. An additional element was an increased emphasis on the “fresh
perspective” bubble as we anticipated that this would be achieved by staff
approaching and assessing the services from the student perspective.
The sessions included practical exercises based on pre-designed scenar-
ios which asked staff to imagine that they were students experiencing the
services for the first time. The aim of this approach was that it was intended
to identify and address issues that could create barriers for students and
increase any library anxiety that they might be feeling when they first used
the service. Staff were also asked to try to disregard their own knowledge of
the library service. From the exercises staff produced customer journey maps
highlighting problems and suggestions for improvement. Staff who under-
took the training provided positive feedback indicating that it had enabled
them to view services from a different perspective.
Once it was clear that these training sessions were effective they were
rolled out to all staff so that they were aware of what was being done and
could contribute to the work. To stress the importance of this work Individual
Performance Review objectives were agreed with senior staff to ensure that
all areas of the service would be mapped over time. A significant number
of maps have been developed and work is underway to review them and
implement the actions that need to be taken to address the issues raised.
One issue that did emerge from the staff sessions was that, while it is
possible to provide detailed scenarios for staff to follow, they cannot “un-
learn” their detailed knowledge of the library and its services. It was therefore
decided that the journey mapping methodology that had been developed for
staff would be used to involve students directly in the mapping of services so
that any preferences and usage problems could be captured and addressed.
This decision also aligned closely with the University’s strategic policy of
working in partnership in students across many areas of its business.

PROJECT

The project was triggered by three main aims, that is, firstly, the strategic re-
quirement to enhance student satisfaction with the Library service; secondly,
the desire to obtain direct student input into the improvement; and thirdly,
the development of services and to aid Library and Learning Resources in its
objective of achieving the Customer Service Excellence standard.
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 169

The objectives of the project were to:

1. Test the mapping methodology to ensure that it was an effective tool for
involving students in journey mapping;
2. Establish the level of staff resource required to implement the methodol-
ogy with students;
3. Identify service improvements highlighted by the mapping sessions; and
4. Test the benefits model used to articulate the benefits of customer journey
mapping (Figure 1)

A detailed project plan was developed and implemented. It contained the

elements as described in the following section.

Budget
A project budget of £1,500 was agreed. Of this amount, £1,000 was secured
via a bid to the University’s Student Academic Partner Scheme. This allowed
the employment of a student researcher. The remaining £500 was allocated
from the Library and Learning Resources budget to pay for Amazon vouchers
to encourage students to participate in the focus groups.

Staffing
The project team consisted of:

• The student researcher who was employed for 100 hours;

• Two senior members of staff who guided the project;
• The input of a Senior Library Assistant to train the student in the customer
journey mapping methodology; and
• The input of Principal Library Assistants at each campus to set up the
system requirements to support the scenarios.

A job specification was created so that there was a clear understanding of

the student’s role. The job role was to:

• Work with library staff and students to identify scenarios to map;

• Identify and involve a small group of students to work with in mapping
sessions at more than one campus;
• Co-ordinate and run mapping sessions providing an overview of the map-
ping process, lead group discussions, drawing out feedback and ideas;
• Map and record the student journeys undertaken and outcomes of discus-
sions;
• Evaluate the journeys and identify improvements that could be made; and
170 J. Andrews and E. Eade

• After consultation with library staff make recommendations for develop-

ments and improvements

Detailed project specific training was developed and was delivered as soon
as the student was in post. Scenarios were provided for him to work on so
that he developed an understanding of the process and the practical skills to
transfer the outcomes of the scenarios into customer journey maps.

Communication
Effective communications with Library and Learning Resources staff was con-
sidered to be an important element in the project. Key points for commu-
nication and staff involvement were agreed to ensure that staff were fully
informed and supportive of the project. They were informed when the project
started; key staff were involved in the development of the scenarios. Library
staff at the appropriate campuses were informed when focus groups were
taking place and staff at those campuses were involved in debrief sessions
when the journey maps developed via the focus groups were shared.

Project Methodology
Consideration was given to the most effective means of engaging students
with the hands on process of journey mapping. It was agreed that, as the staff
resources available were time limited, focus groups would provide the best
route for engagement as “the researcher can elicit substantive information
about participants’ thoughts and feelings on the topic of interest in relatively
little time” (Vaughn et al. 1996, 16).
As one of the project objectives was to test the mapping methodology
developed by Library and Learning Resources the project team agreed that
the established elements would be used, i.e. the use of scenarios to trigger
the interactions, the capturing of points on post it notes which would then be
stuck onto flip charts marked up with swim lanes to represent the different el-
ements of the journey. The student’s previous research experience triggered
ideas for additional tools to be incorporated into the mapping methodology.
A key element was the identification of activities to enhance the participants’
engagement in the session. The student’s rationale for adopting this approach
was that “applying the process of co-design which encourages participation,
engagement and contribution of ideas by the participants will help generate
quality ideas” (Ikem 2012). The tools included “Touch point cards,” “model-
ing toolkits,” and “emoticons.” In addition, the student generated data sheets
to record steps in the mapping process. These used a series of questions,
that is, “What do you think?,” “What did you feel?,” and “What did you do
and see?” (Ikem 2012).
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 171

Scenario Development
In discussion with Library colleagues a series of service areas were identified.
For each area the student identified 4 key points, that is, Scope, Objectives,
Customer Segment, and Touchpoints (i.e., points where the customer comes
into contact with the service; e.g., via the Help Desk). These were then
discussed with Library colleagues and twelve library experiences were iden-
tified as scenarios to be mapped as they represented key access points to
library services. The twelve library experiences chosen were:

• Finding books/materials on the shelf;

• Accessing a journal using the Athens authentication page;
• Use of the instant chat service Meebo;
• Location and use of My Assignment Planner;
• Accessing journals both paper and electronic;
• Self-collection of reservations—unstaffed including PIN requests;
• Use of the resources area including vending machine;
• Use of Room Booking system;
• Borrowing items via the Inter site Loan system;
• Borrowing laptops;
• Self-service transactions in unstaffed hours; and
• Using cash photocopiers in unstaffed hours.

One feature that was deemed to be essential was that some scenarios were set
in staffed opening hours and others in unstaffed hours. This was intended as
a way of identifying additional barriers that students might encounter when
library staff were unavailable, for example, during 24 × 7 opening periods.
One example of a scenario used was:

Your campus is based at City North; your tutor has just recommended
some books for you and you searched the catalogue to find out that most
of the books are located at other campuses. You are aware that you can
borrow from any of the libraries . . . How would you go about doing this
without having to go over to one of the other campuses?

Project Participants
The Project Team considered the number of participants that they felt would
be an appropriate sample group. It was agreed that 50 would be an appro-
priate number for this pilot project. Students across all Faculties were invited
to participate in the focus groups. This was initially done via a formal email
sent to Faculty Student Representatives asking them to share the information
with students in their Faculty. Students were offered a £20 Amazon voucher
to encourage their participation in one two hour session. It soon became
apparent that there was a very low response to the invitation. In order to
172 J. Andrews and E. Eade

increase the response notices were displayed on the digital signage at the rel-
evant campuses. This proved to be a more effective means of communication
resulting in 23 volunteers. In the light of these numbers it was agreed that
4 focus groups would be run across 3 campuses to capture any issues that
might arise from the different libraries. It is acknowledged that this is a lower
number of participants than could be regarded as a representative sample.
However, it was enough to provide an effective test of the methodology.

Focus Groups Carried Out

The focus groups began with an introduction to the customer journey map-
ping process and the scenarios to be mapped. The students then worked
through the scenarios and then returned to map their experience of the jour-
ney. To do this they used post it notes on large sheets of paper with swim
lanes identified. They were asked to use the emoticons provided to identify
the emotions that they had experienced as they worked through the scenario,
for example, happy, easy, cool/OK, worried/apprehensive, angry/frustrated,
confused, and whew–task completed. These emoticons were added to the
maps at appropriate points (see Figure 2). Two other elements were the use
of “Touch point” cards and a modeling toolkit. The Touch Point cards were
used to ask the students to “imagine their favorite touch points and alterna-
tives in their journey and also for them to imagine future touch points that
are not currently in existence but would form part of their preferences in the
future” (Ikem 2012, 21). The modeling kits provided a creative opportunity
for the students to make a visual representation of what the library service
meant to them.

Documenting and Considering the Outputs of the Focus Groups

Using the outputs from the focus groups the student produced detailed
customer journey maps. Each journey was split across six “swim lanes” that
represented key elements in the analysis of the journey (see Table 1).
The completed journey maps were then shared and discussed with
library staff who had the responsibility for the area mapped. This provided

TABLE 1 Swim lane titles

Customer Journey This represented the steps/actions the student took

Library Staff Touch points where the student interacted with Library staff
Systems Touch points where the student interacted with Library
systems
Moments of Truth Feeling experienced, emoticons and comments
Pain Points Identification of problems experienced
Suggestions Ideas for improvement
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 173

FIGURE 2 Issuing a laptop at the Help Desk.

the opportunity for the student to clarify the outcomes for members of staff.
As part of the discussion key issues and findings were identified and action
plans developed.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

An assessment of the project outcomes against the objectives revealed the

following findings:

• The active engagement of students in the mapping sessions and the gener-
ation of ideas for service improvements led to the conclusion that the map-
ping methodology was an effective tool for involving students in journey
mapping. The only changes, identified as a result of the project, are that fu-
ture sessions will not use the touch point cards or modeling process as they
introduce additional complexity and use more time. However sessions will
include the recording of emotional responses as these are very effective in
illustrating the impact that problems have on students (Objective 1).
• The staff resource used in the project has been considered in detail. There
was a significant input of time from the two senior colleagues who were
involved but some of this was due to the fact that this was a project to
pilot the methodology. It would be expected that this input would be
reduced in subsequent uses of the methodology. Their input could be
reduced further if library staff took over the coordination of the student
174 J. Andrews and E. Eade

focus groups rather than using a student in this role. The project costs
over and above the input of senior staff time were low and as significant
benefits accrued it was agreed there was no cost implication that would
prevent further use of the methodology (Objective 2).
• The action plans developed from the journey maps included recommen-
dations ranging from basic practical changes to high level service devel-
opments. The recommendations also had different timescales to take ac-
count of the complexity of the task or the resource available. The practical
changes included improved signage, moving information to the point of
use and improved promotion of services. Higher level recommendations
included enhancements to the content of Library induction sessions at the
Conservatoire and discussions with Conservatoire staff about loan periods.
Issues identified in relation to Inter Site Loans were reviewed and are now
being included in the development of the new reservation service. The
action plans are discussed with staff on an ongoing basis to ensure that
the recommendations are being addressed (Objective 3).
• The project confirmed that the benefits of customer journey mapping (Ob-
jective 4) with students were:
◦ Obtaining a fresh perspective, that is, the perspective of the service as
experienced by a range of students:
• An increased understanding, that is, outcomes of the mapping ses-
sions highlighted: how students navigate through the physical space,
library policies, and procedures and services during staffed and un-
staffed hours; knowledge of the range of emotions they experienced
as they undertook the scenarios and problem areas that needed to be
addressed.
• Uncovering student expectations and fundamental misunderstandings
about how systems worked, that is, students were unhappy with reser-
vations delivery times but further dialogue established that that they
had expected that there would be a reference copy available for dis-
patch rather than a dependence on the return of a copy on loan to
another student
◦ Changes to work practices
• The impact of established working practices became clearer once the
steps in a student journey were documented. This showed that there
were still some working practices that were procedure driven rather
than customer focused.
◦ Continuous improvement
• Action plans developed from the pilot will ensure that issues will be
addressed
• Ongoing journey mapping will inform the continuous improvement of
services
◦ An aid to future planning
• The pilot identified key issues for students i.e. simplicity, flexibility,
timeliness and service availability. These will be at the forefront when
 Customer Journey Mapping to Improve Services 175

current services are reviewed and new ones planned. An example

of this is the recent review of the Inter Library Loan system and the
subsequent purchase of a new Inter Library Loan module to facilitate
the submission of requests on a 24 hour basis.

Following the assessment of the success in achieving the stated project aims
Library and Learning Resources has decided that it will continue to work
with students to map its services.

LEARNING POINTS

Even a successful project highlights issues that provide lessons for sub-
sequent implementations and for others wishing to undertaken a similar
project. Issues identified in this project were:

• The challenge of securing student engagement in the process – the project

identified that it can sometimes be difficult to secure student engagement
with activities that they see as peripheral. Using multiple routes for com-
municating information about the sessions proved more successful than
relying on a single route.
• Unless done with large student groups the outcomes need to be validated
with other students. For example, the Conservatoire Library mapping ses-
sion triggered a suggestion to stop the policy of Term Loans but when this
was taken to a Staff/Student Forum the feedback was that this would not
be acceptable to the wider student body. In turn some of the feedback re-
ceived via the focus groups underlined the importance of issues of which
staff were already aware.

NEXT STEPS FOR LIBRARY AND LEARNING RESOURCES

One task is the completion of the action lists derived from the student jour-
ney mapping sessions. An element in this work will be an evaluation of
the impact of the changes made, especially in relation to the new reser-
vation services. As this was a pilot project with small numbers of students
involved it is too early to come to definitive conclusions about increases in
student engagement and reductions in library anxiety. As the use of journey
mapping with students becomes embedded further within the service, it will
be possible to evaluate the long term impact on student engagement and
usage patterns. In terms of the literature this pilot did indicate that students
found library processes challenging and that this caused anxieties. In addi-
tion their maps indicated higher expectations of what could be provided.
The use of the maps created from the mapping sessions has led to services
being streamlined and enhanced.
176 J. Andrews and E. Eade

The next service areas to be targeted are ones highlighted as requiring

improvement in a recent student survey. Internal funding has been secured
to employ a student to plan and manage student focus groups to map sce-
narios associated with navigation through the physical library environment.
The outcomes of this work will feed into the development of signage for a
new library facility that is being planned. The second area to be mapped
will be access to electronic services, both on and off campus. The process to
arrange this series of student focus groups will be managed by two Library
Assistants using scenarios developed by the ELibrary Manager. The two dif-
ferent approaches to the management of these mapping exercises will be
monitored to establish which is the most effective, especially in terms of the
input of senior staff.
As part of the ongoing service development process customer journey
maps are being used to illustrate the differences between current and ideal
journeys. The feasibility of involving students in validating these proposed
ideal journeys will be investigated. Important additional benefits would be
the provision of opportunities to explore and clarify student expectations of
the library service and to build an increased understanding of the support
that library staff can provide for students throughout their academic careers.

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