Member Article

New Project To Overhaul Design and Delivery of North East Services

A new project is underway which could significantly improve the design and delivery of services in the North East, regional development agency One NorthEast has said. The new initiative – the Design Innovation Education Centre – uses information gathered over several years by One NorthEast, including changes that have taken place in service design and models of best practice from around the world, to devise new ways of enhancing the experiences people have of businesses and public sector organisations in the region.

One example of this in practice was a recent project at Newcastle International Airport. The airport worked with DIEC to map the passenger journey, in a bid to make the entire experience more relaxed and stress free. The Spirit of Creation project focused on low-cost airlines - because less time was being spent by the aircraft on the ground, passengers weren’t in the airport as long, thus reducing revenue. DIEC helped staff take a completely fresh look at the services it offered, and where possible identify additional facilities to generate increased spending.

Lars Friis, finance director of Newcastle International Airport, said: “The project was extremely useful as a tool for identifying new ideas to enhance the service experience of our customers, business partners and staff. “The airport has certainly benefited greatly in terms of the way in which we conduct our strategic planning.”

DIEC project director Robin Mackie believes that as well as improving the customer service journey, the new approach can also boost the effectiveness of public bodies and the performance of private businesses, by adding significant value to what they do.

To find out more about the work of the Design Innovation Education Centre (DIEC) email info@diec.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .