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Jobs To Be Done
Jobs To Be Done

The concept that helps to create products that get the job done best

Alexander Sergeev avatar
Written by Alexander Sergeev
Updated over 5 years ago

Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) framework is a way to reframe how you think about products and services—away from features and toward outcomes.

The framework was created by Professor Clayton Christensen. JTBD orients the team around the customer needs. It was also described by Tony Ulwick in his Harvard Business Review article.

The framework turns the basements of jobs-to-be-done thinking into an innovation practice. 

The concept allows companies deconstruct the job that clients/users try to get done into specific process steps. 

The visual result of the concept is a job map. It represents a structure that makes it possible to capture all the customer’s needs as well as identify opportunities for the growth.

You may define two types of JTBD concept:

  • Main JTBDs that describe the task that customers want to achieve.

  • Related JTBDs that customers want to accomplish in conjunction with the main JTBDs.

Categories of Jobs

Each type includes:

  • Functional job aspects—the practical and objective customer requirements.

  • Emotional job aspects—the subjective customer requirements related to feelings and perception.

Why do managers use Job To Be Done Framework?

When you clearly understand the jobs your clients want to get done, you can identify new opportunities and build new growth strategy.

Working with the JTBD framework also assist to turn to a customer-centric perspective. Understanding the customers’ jobs will help you emotionally connect and deliver more empathy.

The JTBD Map includes 8 steps. Using the framework you'll define how your company may act to help customers at every step.

Step 1. Define

  • At this stage, customers determine their goals and plan resources.

  • What can you do? Optimize and simplify planning.

Step 2. Locate

  • Customers gather all information and items needed to do their jobs.

  • You can make the inputs easier to gather and ensuring they’re available.

Step 3. Prepare

  • Customers set up the environment to do the job.

  • You can make this set-up process less difficult and create guides to ensure proper set-up.

Step 4. Confirm

  • Customers verify that they’re ready to perform the job.

  • You may provide them with the info they need to confirm readiness.

Step 5. Execute

  • Customers carry out the job.

  • You should pay attention to preventing problems or delays.

Step 6. Monitor

  • It's time for customers to assess whether the job is being successfully executed.

  • Your aim is to link monitoring with improved execution.

Step 7. Modify

  • Customers make an optimization to improve execution.

  • You can reduce the need to make the optimization.

Step 8. Conclude

  • They finally finish the job or prepare to repeat it.

  • You should design products that simplify the process of concluding the job.

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