Product Management
Service design in the public sector requires the same rigorous approach as product development in the private sector. EO helps you apply proven product management tools and techniques to research, design, and enhance services that truly solve problems for your service users.
Whether you’re developing new services or evaluating existing ones, we work in partnership with you and your service users by:
Creating service user personas to keep Service Users at the centre
Personas prevent services from being designed around organizational structures or IT systems. They ensure every decision is tested against “does this work for Sarah, the single parent with two jobs?” rather than “does this fit our department’s processes?”
Mapping the service user journey to reveal the real service experience, and identify pain points & friction
Journey maps show the gap between how you think your service works and what service users actually experience. The six-week pathway you’ve designed might feel like many months to a family bouncing between phone calls, appointments, and waiting for callbacks. They also highlight where people get stuck, confused, or give up. Maybe it’s the three different phone numbers they need to call, or the form that asks the same questions they’ve already answered twice. These friction points become visible and fixable.
Writing user stories to translate Policy into Practice
User stories bridge the gap between high-level policy objectives and what actually needs to happen on the ground. “As a youth worker, I need to record safeguarding concerns quickly so that I can escalate urgent issues without delay” is actionable in a way that “improve safeguarding” isn’t.
The “so that…” part of user stories forces you to articulate why something matters. This stops you building features or processes just because “we’ve always done it” or “the system can do it,” and keeps you focused on what service users and practitioners actually need to achieve.
Working with Your Software Suppliers
EO can also work directly with your software suppliers and their product teams on your behalf. With over 34 years’ experience on both sides of the design process, we provide an independent perspective when commissioning or upgrading case management systems. When inevitable blocks arise, we help you articulate precise change requests, achieve pragmatic compromises, or agree plans to iterate towards resolution—ensuring the software you commission helps you achieve your service objectives.
Whether you’re designing a new service, commissioning software, or trying to understand what your data is really telling you, EO can help.
