Summary
Building a service-oriented culture is hard in any organisation. It is especially challenging for a government agency tasked with the regulation, health and safety of the labour force in the country. Yet, the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore succeeded in becoming one of the leaders and champions of service excellence. How did they do it? Their story is pieced together in this behind the scenes look at the design of their award-winning website.
Key Insights
-
•
Singapore is known for its small size but rich diversity, particularly in its coral species.
-
•
The concept of finding and leveraging a narrative can significantly shape an organization's identity and operations.
-
•
User experience orchestration involves mapping customer journeys to expose complexities and improve interactions.
-
•
The Ministry of Manpower successfully reduced call volumes by almost 40% through effective service design.
-
•
Engaging users through empathy and hands-on experience can lead to transformative insights and service improvements.
-
•
Democratizing design allows all employees to contribute to service excellence, enhancing engagement and outcomes.
-
•
Continuous research and user feedback are crucial in maintaining and improving service delivery.
-
•
Service excellence is viewed as an infinite game that requires ongoing attention and adaptation.
-
•
Collaboration among different departments is essential to streamline processes and improve customer experiences.
-
•
Design is about rendering intent into actionable service frameworks that meet users' actual needs.
Notable Quotes
"Singapore is a nation by design; nothing we have today happened by itself."
"To spark a service excellence mindset, we must find the narrative hidden beneath the surface."
"The customer journey map is vital in exposing the elephant in a complex process."
"If we can get design from being a practice of a few to a habit of many, great things can happen."
"The shift in mindset from production to consumption is key to improving user experience."
"It’s not just about redesigning; we need to tend to services like a garden."
"We can create solutions by being in the shoes of our users, not just asking them questions."
"The heart of service excellence lies in constant reflection and learning from our actions."
"The ministry shifted responsibility to the department closest to the customer to enhance accountability and responsiveness."
"We must play the infinite game to ensure sustainable service excellence."
















More Videos

"It's critical to reinforce users' understanding that AI tools are augmentative rather than standalone solutions."
Jennifer KongJourneying toward AI-assisted documentation in healthcare
June 5, 2024

"We have a hashtag... We'd love to see what you think."
Uday Gajendar Louis RosenfeldDay 2 Welcome
June 5, 2024

"Conversion means change, not just sales."
Erin WeigelGet Your Whole Team Testing to Design for Impact
July 24, 2024

"We are drowning in an endless sea of data yet stuck in an insight desert."
Jill FruchterInconvenient Insights: The Researcher's Role is to Stay Curious
March 29, 2023

"We need to build trust within the organization to enable our design processes."
Sarah Auslander Betsy Ramaccia Gordon RossInsights Panel
November 18, 2022

"Letting go of responsibilities was extremely difficult, but it opened up opportunities to focus on creative leadership."
Edward CuppsThe Principal Path: Journeying from Management to Individual Contributor
June 11, 2021

"Research is evolving; decisions need research no matter who does it."
Sean McKayCoexisting with non-researchers: Practical strategies for a democratized research future
March 11, 2025

"Getting to know people's origin stories was really important."
Indra KlavinsA Design Ops Girl in a Dev Ops World
October 23, 2019

"When we tailor education to individual needs, everyone benefits."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021