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The complete guide to customer journey stages.

12 min read If you want to turn a potential customer into a lifetime one, you’ll need to get to know every step of the entire customer journey. Here’s why the secret to customer retention lies in knowing how to fine-tune your sales funnel…

What is the customer journey?

What do we actually mean when we talk about the customer journey? Well, the simplest way to think about it is by comparing it to any other journey: a destination in mind, a starting point, and steps to take along the way.

In this case, the destination is not only to make a purchase but to have a great experience with your product or service – sometimes by interacting with aftersale customer support channels – and become a loyal customer who buys again.

And, just like how you can’t arrive at your vacation resort before you’ve done you’ve found out about it, the customer journey starts with steps to do with discovery, research, understanding, and comparison, before moving on to the buying process.

“Maximizing satisfaction with customer journeys has the potential not only to increase customer satisfaction by 20% but also lift revenue up by 15% while lowering the cost of serving customers by as much as 20%”

– McKinsey, The Three Cs of Customer Satisfaction

In short, the customer journey is the path taken by your target audience toward becoming loyal customers. So it’s really important to understand – both in terms of what each step entails and how you can improve each one to provide a maximally impressive and enjoyable experience.

Every customer journey will be different, after all, so getting to grips with the nuances of each customer journey stage is key to removing obstacles from in front of your potential and existing customers’ feet.

Free Course: Customer Journey Management & Improvement

What are the essential customer journey stages?

While many companies will put their own spin on the exact naming of the customer journey stages, the most widely-recognized naming convention is as follows:

• Consideration

These steps are often then sub-categorized into three parts:

• Sale/Purchase

It’s important to understand every part of the puzzle, so let’s look at each sub-category and stage in turn, from the awareness and consideration stage, right through to advocacy:

Customer journey: Pre-sale

In the pre-sale phase, potential customers learn about products, evaluate their needs, make comparisons, and soak up information.

Awareness stage

In the awareness stage, your potential customer becomes aware of a company, product, or service. This might be passive – in that they’re served an ad online, on TV, or when out and about – or active in that they have a need and are searching for a solution. For example, if a customer needs car insurance, they’ll begin searching for providers.

Consideration stage

In the consideration stage, the customer has been made aware of several possible solutions for their particular need and starts doing research to compare them. That might mean looking at reviews or what others are saying on social media, as well as absorbing info on product specs and features on companies’ own channels. They’re receptive to information that can help them make the best decision.

Customer journey: Sale

The sale phase is short but pivotal: it’s when the crucial decision on which option to go with has been made.

Decision stage

The customer has all the information they need on the various options available to them, and they make a purchase. This can be something that’s taken a long time to decide upon, like buying a new computer, or it can be as quick as quickly scouring the different kinds of bread available in the supermarket before picking the one they want.

Customer journey: Post-sale

Post-sale is a really important part of the puzzle because it’s where loyal customers , who come back time and again, are won or lost.

Retention stage

The retention stage of the customer journey is where you do whatever you can to help leave a lasting, positive impression on the customer, and entice them to purchase more. That means offering best-in-class customer support if they have any issues, but it also means being proactive with follow-up communications that offer personalized offers, information on new products, and rewards for loyalty.

Advocacy stage

If you nail the retention phase, you’ll have yourself a customer who not only wants to keep buying from you but will also advocate on your behalf. Here, the customer will become one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal, in that they’ll actively recommend you to their friends, family, followers, and colleagues.

What’s the difference between the customer journey and the buyer’s journey?

Great question; the two are similar, but not exactly the same. The buyer’s journey is a shorter, three-step process that describes the steps taken to make a purchase. So that’s awareness , consideration, and decision . That’s where things stop, however. The buyer’s journey doesn’t take into account the strategies you’ll use to keep the customer after a purchase has been made.

Why are the customer journey stages important?

The short answer? The customer journey is what shapes your entire business. It’s the method by which you attract and inform customers, how you convince them to purchase from you, and what you do to ensure they’re left feeling positive about every interaction.

Why this matters is that the journey is, in a way, cyclical. Customers who’ve had a smooth ride all the way through their individual journeys are more likely to stay with you, and that can have a massive effect on your operational metrics.

It’s up to five times more expensive to attract a new customer than it is to keep an existing customer, but even besides that: satisfied customers become loyal customers , and customer loyalty reduces churn at the same time as increasing profits .

So companies looking to really make an impact on the market need to think beyond simply attracting potential customers with impressive marketing, and more about the journey as a whole – where the retention and advocacy stages are equally important.

After all, 81% of US and UK consumers trust product advice from friends and family over brand messaging, and 59% of American consumers say that once they’re loyal to a brand, they’re loyal to it for life.

Importantly, to understand the customer journey as a whole is to understand its individual stages, recognize what works, and find things that could be improved to make it a more seamless experience. Because when you do that, you’ll be improving every part of your business proposition that matters.

How can you improve each customer journey stage?

Ok, so this whole customer journey thing is pretty important. Understanding the customer journey phases and how they relate to the overall customer experience is how you encourage customers to stick around and spread the news via word of mouth.

But how do you ensure every part of the journey is performing as it should? Here are some practical strategies to help each customer journey stage sing…

1. Perform customer journey mapping

A customer journey map takes all of the established customer journey stages and attempts to plot how actual target audience personas might travel along them. That means using a mix of data and intuition to map out a range of journeys that utilize a range of touch points along the way.

One customer journey map, for example, might start with a TV ad, then utilize social media and third-party review sites during the consideration stage, before purchasing online and then contacting customer support about you your delivery service. And then, finally, that customer may be served a discount code for a future purchase. That’s just one example.

Customer journey mapping is really about building a myriad of those journeys that are informed by everything you know about how customers interact with you – and then using those maps to discover weaker areas of the journey.

2. Listen like you mean it

The key to building better customer journeys is listening to what customers are saying. Getting feedbac k from every stage of the journey allows you to build a strong, all-encompassing view of what’s happening from those that are experiencing it.

Maybe there’s an issue with the customer sign-up experience, for example. Or maybe the number advertised to contact for a demo doesn’t work. Or maybe you have a customer service agent in need of coaching, who only makes the issue worse. By listening, you’ll understand your customers’ issues and be able to fix them at the source. That customer service agent, for example, may just feel disempowered and unsupported, and in need of the right tools to help them perform better. Fixing that will help to optimize a key stage in the customer journey.

The key is to listen at every stage, and we can do that by employing the right technology at the right customer journey stages.

Customer surveys, for instance, can help you understand what went wrong from the people who’re willing to provide that feedback, but conversational analytics and AI solutions can automatically build insights out of all the structured and unstructured conversational data your customers are creating every time they reach out, or tweet, or leave a review on a third party website.

3. Get personal

The other side of the ‘listening’ equation is that it’s worth remembering that each and every customer’s journey is different – so treating them with a blanket approach won’t necessarily make anything better for them.

The trick instead is to use the tools available to you to build out a personalized view of every customer journey, customer journey stage, and customer engagemen t, and find common solutions.

Qualtrics Experience iD , for example, is an intelligent system that builds customer profiles that are unique to them and can identify through AI, natural language processing , and past interactions what’s not working – and what needs fixing.

On an individual basis, that will help turn each customer into an advocate. But as a whole, you’ll learn about experience gaps that are common to many journeys.

Listening to and understanding the customer experience at each customer journey stage is key to ensuring customers are satisfied and remain loyal on a huge scale.

It’s how you create 1:1 experiences, because, while an issue for one person might be an issue for many others, by fixing it quickly you can minimize the impact it might have on future customers who’re right at the start of their journey.

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Related resources

Customer Journey

Buyer's Journey 16 min read

Customer journey analytics 13 min read, how to create a customer journey map 22 min read, b2b customer journey 13 min read, customer interactions 11 min read, consumer decision journey 14 min read, customer journey orchestration 12 min read, request demo.

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Understanding the pre and post purchase journey for your customers.

• Customer Journey Map

What is a customer journey map?

Before we get to the definition of the customer journey map , let’s take a look at the component concepts: a customer journey  and a map .

The Customer journey  is your customer’s experience before, during, and after the process of discovering and adopting your products, services, or business in general.

A map  is simply an informative visual guide that can be used as a reference for a specific purpose. Traditionally, we use maps to navigate locations and distances and to get from point A to point B. In business, we use various types of maps such as  Wardley Maps , Business Process Maps, etc. to navigate the strategic landscape. 

A customer journey map  is a visual representation of your customer’s complete interaction with your company starting from coming across your product or service, and continuing through every interaction with your business during and after the purchase process. 

How To Complete A Customer Journey Map Quicksheet?

To make this process more intuitive, we have also created a  Purchase Decision Process Model Quicksheet  that you could complete before starting your customer journey map. We strongly recommend using it as a starting point, especially if this your first time drafting a customer journey map.

To better understand each stage of the customer journey, we recommend that you think of yourself as one of your customers and think about how you would approach the decision-making process. This also helps you to identify what your business can do better to stand out from the competition and make the decision-making process easier for customers.

Your customer journey map consists of five different stages. Each stage represents a step that a customer takes during the decision-making process.

The very first stage of every customer’s journey is awareness. This is when they come across a certain problem or discover a need. 

After need recognition, customers often move on to the consideration stage, start their research, and look at all of their options. 

They will use search engines, blog posts, videos, recommendations from friends and family, etc. This is a critical stage of their journey. Your online platforms need to be easy to find and do an effective job showcasing your value. This is why you want your marketing efforts to be targeted towards the right people.

Most people have a list of criteria that helps them with alternative evaluation and ranking and ultimately eliminating options that don’t fit their requirements. It is important that you, as a business, identify these criteria and adjust your business and marketing efforts to meet your customers’ needs.

Tip: Make sure you have included your contact information so people can contact you easily if they have any questions. 

This is the decision-making stage of the customer journey. All the research done in the previous stage helps the customer narrow down their options and choose the one that stands out to them the most and which of their alternatives meets their criteria best. This is where you convert leads into sales.

This is where customer service and user experience are key. Once the customer has committed to working with your business (purchasing a product or service), it's up to you to deliver that product or service in a way that is convenient, reassuring, and reliable for your end user.

After your service or product has been purchased and used by a customer, at this stage, they now have an idea of how they feel about their experience. If they are satisfied, they are likely to become loyal customers, write a positive review, or refer your business to their friends, family, and colleagues. On the other hand, if they are unsatisfied, they are likely to contact customer service or share their experience on social media or other online platforms. This is yet another chance for you to get in touch with unsatisfied customers in order to resolve their problem or improve their experience as best as you can. Keep in mind that the customer journey does not end after the service delivery stage, and your interactions still leave a significant impact even after a purchase has been completed. 

Now that we have gone through each stage of the customer journey, we are going to investigate each step in the six following categories:

What does your customer do in each stage of their journey?

What are your customer’s goals?

What specific distinct interactions do you have between your customer and your company?

Graph your customer’s emotional outlook through each stage of their journey.

What Key Performance Indicators can you measure to ensure you’re on the right track?

What opportunities do you see to improve your customer’s experience? 

With an understanding of each component of the customer journey map, now you can start developing your own map. As your business evolves, there might be changes that you can add to your customer journey map. 

You can always refer to this map to identify and discover areas of improvement and enhance the overall customer experience.

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Customer Journey

The customer journey consists of actions your customers take before and after they make a purchase. It should be part of your overall marketing strategy to improve lead generation and enable more effective marketing. By understanding the different actions your customers take before and after a conversion, you can start brainstorming new marketing tactics to improve the customer experience and keep them coming back for more.

Turn clustomers into customers with personalization

Discover ways to personalize messaging using Mailchimp segmentation and automation for customer differentiation and growth.

Think of a customer journey as a detailed map that shows the full experience a customer has with your business. It lets you see every interaction they have with your company, even before and after they engage. By first understanding the customer journey , it will be easier to define your goals and use our automation tool to create the overall marketing experience you want to provide.

What is a customer journey?

A customer journey outlines the different steps your customers take to become customers. Without the customer journey, your marketing funnel couldn’t exist. A marketing funnel helps you market your products and services to customers based on where they are in their customer journey. For example, someone researching products is at the top of the marketing funnel or at the very beginning stages of their journey.

Ultimately, a customer journey map tells a story about how customers interact with your brand, including how they first discovered your business to whether or not they’ll make a repeat purchase. The journey lays out different interactions someone could have with your brand, although not every customer needs to use all those touch points before converting.

While not all customer journeys are the same, you can use your website and marketing efforts to easily guide customers through the journey by taking them through different touchpoints.

What are the phases of a customer journey?

Knowing the customer journey definition is only the beginning; now you must learn the different stages involved. A customer journey is made up of phases , which are the distinct stages a customer passes through as they’re guided to take specific actions. The phases you include will depend on your business goals.

Do you want a user to adopt a new app you’ve released? Are you looking to get inactive newsletter subscribers to read your emails? Is your aim to turn occasional shoppers into regular, loyal customers? All these marketing paths require a strategy for getting your customers from point A to point B.

Most customer journeys will usually account for these phases:

This is how someone discovers your company, usually through a search engine or your paid advertising efforts. Let’s say your new future customer sees an ad for your latest line of ‘I Have the World’s Okayest Cat’ mugs, and they click through to your website to learn more about the brand and product. Now your business is stored in their memory.

Acquisition

Congrats! You can now call that new future customer an actual customer, because they loved the ‘I Have the World’s Okayest Cat’ mugs you released so much that they bought one. Not only that, they also signed up for your email list through a form on your site so they can be the first to learn about any new merchandise.

Now that you’ve acquired a new customer, you can send them a series of emails to make them feel welcome, showcase other stuff in your store they might be interested in, and help them understand when and how they might expect to hear from you in the future.

This refers to how you can get customers to regularly use your product or service, shop at your store, or read your content. Consider using email, social media, in-product messages, and personalization to make your customers’ experience more enjoyable.

Make your customers so happy that they’ll recommend your brand to others. This is probably one of the best ways to get new customers.

Once you’ve established the phases of a customer journey, you can plan the touchpoints you’ll use to connect with customers at the right moments.

Advantages of a customer journey map

Customer journey maps are useful marketing tools that can help you better understand your target audience and use that information to lead them down a path to conversion. All businesses can benefit from having a customer journey map, so whether you’re doing B2B marketing or building an e-commerce brand, it’s good to know how customers interact with your company.

A few other advantages of a customer journey map include:

• Understand consumer behavior . Understanding how users interact with your brand can help you comprehend their motivations.
• Identify touchpoints . Identifying the different interactions customers have with your brand before making a purchase can help you create more effective marketing campaigns.
• Support your marketing efforts . Learning as much as you can about your customers can improve marketing performance by allowing you to shorten the customer journey and increase conversions.
• Improve the customer experience . With customer data, you can improve customers' experiences with your brand, making them more likely to convert.
• Predict how customers will behave . Customer journey maps help you predict what customers will do next, allowing you to market to them no matter where they are in the funnel.
• Boost customer loyalty and engagement . By creating a path for your customers and providing great experiences, you can keep customers coming back for more. This makes customer journey mapping an essential customer retention strategy .

How to build a customer journey map

Building a customer journey map is easy, and it’s an effective way to learn more about your customers.

To build your own customer journey map, follow the steps below.

• Determine your business goals . You’ll need to determine your goals before establishing the touchpoints for your customer journey map. Goals can include converting more qualified leads into customers, increasing brand awareness, and so on.
• Understand your customers . Gather data on your customers to learn about their behavior and uncover new ways to market to them.
• List opportunities for communication . Consider all the different ways you can communicate with customers, including social media and email marketing.
• Test your customer journey . Pretend you’re the customer and test your journey to see how you can make it easy for customers to convert after their initial touchpoint with your business.
• Refine customer journey map if necessary . Refine your customer journey map when there are changes to your business. Breaking down the map into stages can help you meet your customers’ needs no matter where they are in their journeys.

How does marketing automation benefit the customer journey?

Marketing automation uses technologies that eliminate the need for you to send one-off emails or set up other marketing efforts every time you need to connect with customers. Basically, you set up an automation to execute your strategy the way you want, and it’ll do the marketing work for you.

Since automations are usually powered by if-then logic, they adapt to match the individual paths your customers take.

For example, before making a purchase people might read your website, consider what product they want, sleep on it, and eventually go back to buy. This wandering route is different for everyone. With automation, you can automatically send an email during the consideration stage of their journey, reminding them of the products they were interested in and encouraging them to finalize the purchase.

Here are a few ways automation can help you build lasting relationships by connecting with customers at each step of their journey with your business.

Connect with new fans

When someone expresses interest in what you have to offer and enters their email address in a subscriber pop-up form on your site, you can send them a welcome email to introduce yourself—and give them a reason to stick around. You can also provide information about how often they’ll receive marketing correspondence from your business.

Sell more stuff

When that contact starts to move toward a purchase, such as putting something in their cart without checking out, you can set it up so they receive an abandoned cart email from you.

Meanwhile, you can send occasional reminders to prospects that haven't interacted with you in a while. Retargeting ads and emails, for example, remind people about the great stuff they saw on your site. Chances are, at least some of them are still interested and will take action if you reach out.

Cultivates a trusting 2-way relationship

When you deliver relevant content to your customers , you show them that you care about them. The more you target your communications, the more they will trust you to keep providing high-quality products or services . You can even use automation to send coupons or other discounts to people that meet certain criteria for loyalty or spending.

Increase open and click rates

Build automated workflows to send relevant messages based on how your customers interact with your brand.

What is a Customer Journey in Mailchimp?

In Mailchimp, a Customer Journey is a marketing automation tool that lets you visually map dynamic, automated marketing paths for your customers. Depending on the phases you want customers to pass through—discovery, acquisition, retention, etc.—you can choose the starting points and other unique interactions to engage your customers every step of the way.

Any marketing or purchasing paths that you want to use your data to create can be mapped out with the Customer Journey Builder, which allows you to target specific users and focus on what will get them to move from one point to another.

To illustrate this, let's take a look at the welcome journey that people will enter when they sign up to receive your marketing. You’re probably familiar with welcome emails and have heard us talk about their value a bunch. The concept of a welcome journey is the same: greeting new contacts and introducing them to your brand.

A journey should include emails, but it also differs from an automated welcome email in 2 key ways:

• People don’t just trigger an email once they’ve met the criteria of your starting points. They’re added to and start a path that’s customized for them.
• You can plan what actions you want new customers to take throughout this journey and where you want them to end up.

Adding the right mix of rules and actions—including branching points and email—to a journey map can put new subscribers on the path to becoming loyal users and customers. Branching points help make the journeys you build for your customers more dynamic and adaptable, taking customers down If/Else paths based on specific behaviors.

You can also use a Customer Journey to tag new contacts based on insights that are important to your business. This will allow you to track customer interests and send more relevant marketing content later.

Ways to use automated Customer Journeys

Of course your needs for setting up automated Customer Journeys will vary based on how your business functions and scales, but there are a few key workflows that can help any small business build and maintain relationships with their customers.

Create Customer Journeys to:

Greet new customers & introduce your brand

First, you need to onboard new people who start following your brand. A great first impression is key to establishing a long-lasting relationship. Begin with an email that thanks people for signing up and provides the information they need to know. Show customers you care about getting to know them by sending a survey to discover what they’re interested in, so you can customize your marketing to fit their needs. You can also use this journey to measure how often your contacts want to hear from you and when they’re most likely to engage.

Reunite shoppers with their carts

Research shows that 69% of e-commerce shoppers abandon their carts before checking out. If you don’t have an abandoned cart automation setup, you’re missing out on a lot of easy sales. Shoppers who have left a cart have already expressed interest in your brand; they just need a nudge back to your store to finish buying. With a journey, not only can you set up an automated email to send when someone abandons a shopping cart, but you can use the flow to highlight other stuff you sell and keep customers coming back.

Re-engage customers who have lost interest

There are several ways you can win back inactive customers—it just depends on what type of engagement is most important for your business goals. You can set up a journey that customers will start when a specific amount of time has passed since they last bought something from your store, or you can target customers who haven’t opened any of your last 5 email campaigns. From there, you can decide what interactions will get these customers to fall in love with your brand again.

Ask for product reviews or feedback on your service

When someone buys a product, that’s the perfect time to reach out and make a connection. Get their thoughts on the order and shipping process. Check in on how they’re liking their purchase. And don’t forget to include a coupon for other stuff in your store they’re sure to love.

Organize your contacts based on their interests and levels of engagement

Use a Customer Journey to help manage your audience based on insights that are important to your business. Make behind-the-scenes changes—like adding and removing tags—that'll help you send relevant messages and create more meaningful interactions.

Find success with customer journeys

Customer journeys are an important marketing tool to communicate effectively with your customers and lead them down a path to conversion. The easier your customer journey is to follow, and the more touch points you take advantage of, the better experience you can provide. Even after your customers have converted, deliver ongoing support and communication to retain them and promote brand loyalty.

Visualizing your customer journey is simple with Mailchimp. Using our Customer Journey Builder , you can start to learn more about your customers’ behavior and write a sales email that converts no matter where they are in the buying process.

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Customer Journey Maps

What are customer journey maps.

Customer journey maps are visual representations of customer experiences with an organization. They provide a 360-degree view of how customers engage with a brand over time and across all channels. Product teams use these maps to uncover customer needs and their routes to reach a product or service. Using this information, you can identify pain points and opportunities to enhance customer experience and boost customer retention.

“ Data often fails to communicate the frustrations and experiences of customers. A story can do that, and one of the best storytelling tools in business is the customer journey map.” — Paul Boag, UX designer, service design consultant & digital transformation expert

In this video, Frank Spillers, CEO of Experience Dynamics, explains how you can include journey maps in your design process.

• Transcript loading…

Customer Journey Maps – Tell Customer Stories Over Time

Customer journey maps are research-based tools. They show common customer experiences over time To help brands learn more about their target audience. 

Maps are incredibly effective communication tools. See how maps simplify complex spaces and create shared understanding.

Unlike navigation maps, customer journey maps have an extra dimension—time. Design teams examine tasks and questions (e.g., what-ifs) regarding how a design meets or fails to meet customers’ needs over time when encountering a product or service. 

Customer journey maps should have comprehensive timelines that show the most essential sub-tasks and events. Over this timeline framework, you add insights into customers' thoughts and feelings when proceeding along the timeline. The map should include: 

A timescale - A defined journey period (e.g., one week). This timeframe should include the entire journey, from awareness to conversion to retention.

Scenarios - The context and sequence of events where a user/customer must achieve a goal. An example could be a user who wants to buy a ticket on the phone. Scenarios are events from the first actions (recognizing a problem) to the last activities (e.g., subscription renewal).

Channels – Where do they perform actions (e.g., Facebook)?

Touchpoints – How does the customer interact with the product or service? What actions do they perform?

Thoughts and feelings – The customer's thoughts and feelings at each touchpoint.

A customer journey map helps you understand how customer experience evolves over time. It allows you to identify possible problems and improve the design. This enables you to design products that are more likely to exceed customers’ expectations in the future state. 

How to Create a Customer Journey Map for Exceptional Experiences?

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 4.0

Define Your Map’s Business Goal

Before creating a customer journey map, you must ask yourself why you're making one in the first place. Clarify who will use it and what user experience it will address.

Conduct Research

Use customer research to determine customer experiences at all touchpoints. Get analytical/statistical data and anecdotal evidence. Leverage customer interviews, surveys, social media listening, and competitive intelligence.

Watch user researcher Ditte Hvas Mortensen talk about how user research fits your design process and when you should do different studies. 

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Review Touchpoints and Channels

List customer touchpoints (e.g., paying a bill) and channels (e.g., online). Look for more touchpoints or channels to include.

Make an Empathy Map

Pinpoint what the customer does, thinks, feels, says, hears, etc., in a given situation. Then, determine their needs and how they feel throughout the experience. Focus on barriers and sources of annoyance.

Sketch the Journey

Piece everything—touchpoints, timescale, empathy map output, new ideas, etc.). Show a customer’s course of motion through touchpoints and channels across the timescale, including their feelings at every touchpoint.

Iterate and Refine

Revise and transform your sketch into the best-looking version of the ideal customer journey.

Share with Stakeholders

Ensure all stakeholders understand your map and appreciate how its use will benefit customers and the organization.

Buyer Journey vs User Journey vs Customer Journey: What's the Difference?

You must know the differences between buyer, user, and customer journeys to optimize customer experiences. A customer journey map is often synonymous with a user flow diagram or buyer journey map. However, each journey gives unique insights and needs different plans.

Customer Journey

The customer journey, or lifecycle, outlines the stages a customer goes through with a business. This journey can vary across organizations but includes five key steps:

1. Awareness : This is the first stage of the customer journey, where the customers realize they have a problem. The customer becomes aware of your brand or product at this stage, usually due to marketing efforts.

2. Consideration : Once customers know about your product or service, they start their research and compare brands.

3. Purchase : This is the stage where the customer has chosen a solution and is ready to buy your product or service.

4. Retention : After the purchase, it's about retaining that customer and nurturing a relationship. This is where good customer service comes in.

5. Advocacy : Also called the loyalty stage, this is when the customer not only continues to buy your product but also recommends it to others.

The journey doesn't end when the customer buys and recommends your solution to others. Customer journey strategies are cyclical and repetitive. After the advocacy stage, ideally, you continue to attract and retain the customers, keeping them in the cycle. 

There is no standard format for a customer journey map. The key is to create one that works best for your team and product or service. Get started with customer journey mapping with our template:

This customer journey map template features three zones:

Top – persona and scenario. 

Middle – thoughts, actions, and feelings. 

Bottom – insights and progress barriers.

Buyer Journey

The buyer's journey involves the buyer's path towards purchasing. This includes some of the steps we saw in the customer journey but is specific to purchasing :

1. Awareness Stage : This is when a prospective buyer realizes they have a problem. However, they aren't yet fully aware of the solutions available to them.

2. Consideration Stage : After identifying their problem, the buyer researches and investigates different solutions with more intent. They compare different products, services, brands, or strategies here.

3. Decision Stage : The buyer then decides which solution will solve their problem at the right price. This is where the actual purchasing action takes place.  

4. Post-Purchase Evaluation : Although not always included, this stage is critical. It's where the buyer assesses their satisfaction with the purchase. It includes customer service interactions, quality assessment, and attitudinal loyalty to the brand.

All these stages can involve many touchpoints, including online research, social media interactions, and even direct, in-person interactions. Different buyers may move through these stages at different speeds and through various channels, depending on a wide range of factors.

User Journey

The user journey focuses on people's experience with digital platforms like websites or software. Key stages include:

1. Discovery : In this stage, users become aware of your product, site, or service, often due to marketing efforts, word-of-mouth, or organic search. It also includes their initial reactions or first impressions.

2. Research/Consideration : Here, users dig deeper, exploring features, comparing with alternatives, and evaluating if your offering suits their needs and preferences.

3. Interaction/Use : Users actively engage with your product or service. They first-hand experience your solution's functionality, usability, and usefulness to achieve their goal.

4. Problem-solving : If they encounter any issues, how they seek help and resolve their issues fall into this stage. It covers user support, troubleshooting, and other assistance.

5. Retention/Loyalty : This stage involves how users stay engaged over time. Do they continue using your product, reduce usage, or stop altogether? It includes their repeated interactions, purchases, and long-term engagement over time.

6. Advocacy/Referral : This is when users are so satisfied they begin to advocate for your product, leaving positive reviews and referring others to your service.

Download this user journey map template featuring an example of a user’s routine. 

Understanding these stages can help optimize the user experience, providing value at each stage and making the journey seamless and enjoyable. 

Always remember the journey is as important as the destination. Customer relationships start from the first website visit or interaction with marketing materials. These initial touchpoints can influence the ongoing relationship with your customers.

© Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0

Drawbacks of Customer Journey Maps

Customer journey mapping is valuable yet has limitations and potential drawbacks. Recognize these challenges and create more practical and realistic journey maps.

Over-simplification of Customer Experiences

Customer journey maps often risk simplifying complex customer experiences . They may depict varied and unpredictable customer behaviors as straightforward and linear. This simplification can lead to misunderstandings about your customers' needs and wants. As a result, you might overlook customers' diverse and unique paths. 

Always remember that real customer experiences are more complex than any map. When you recognize this, you steer clear of decisions based on simple models.

Resource Intensity

Creating detailed customer journey maps requires a lot of resources and time. You must gather extensive data and update the maps to keep them relevant. This process can strain small businesses or those with limited resources. 

You need to balance the need for comprehensive mapping with available resources. Efficient resource management and prioritization are crucial to maintaining effective journey maps.

Risk of Bias

Creating customer journey maps carries the inherent risk of biases . These biases can arise from various sources. They can impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the maps. 

Alan Dix, an expert in HCI, discusses bias in more detail in this video.  

Common biases in customer journey mapping include:

Assumption Bias: When teams make decisions based on preconceived notions rather than customer data.

Selection Bias: When the data doesn’t represent the entire customer base..

Confirmation Bias : When you focus on information that supports existing beliefs and preferences. Simultaneously, you tend to ignore or dismiss data that contradicts those beliefs.

Anchoring Bias : Relying on the first information encountered (anchor) when making decisions.

Overconfidence Bias : Placing too much trust in the accuracy of the journey map. You may overlook its potential flaws.

These biases may misguide the team, and design decisions based on these maps might not be effective.

To address these biases, review and update journey maps with real user research data. Engage with different customer segments and gather a wide range of feedback to help create a more accurate and representative map. This approach ensures the journey map aligns with actual customer experiences and behaviors.

Evolving Customer Behaviors

Customer behaviors and preferences change with time. A journey map relevant today can become outdated. You need to update and adapt your maps to reflect these changes. This requires you to perform market research and stay updated with trends and customer feedback. 

Getting fresh data ensures your journey map stays relevant and effective. You must adapt to evolving customer behaviors to maintain accurate and valuable customer journey maps.

Challenges in Capturing Emotions

Capturing emotions accurately in customer journey maps poses a significant challenge. Emotions influence customer decisions, yet you may find it difficult to quantify and represent them in maps. Most journey maps emphasize actions and touchpoints, often neglecting the emotional journey. 

You must integrate emotional insights into these maps to understand customer experiences. This integration enhances the effectiveness of customer engagement strategies. You can include user quotes, symbols such as emojis, or even graphs to capture the ups and downs of the users’ emotions..

Misalignment with Customer Needs

Misalignments in customer journey maps can manifest in various ways. It can impact the effectiveness of your strategies. Common misalignments include:

Putting business aims first, not what customers need.

Not seeing or serving the varied needs of different customer types.

Not using customer feedback in the journey map.

Thinking every customer follows a simple, straight path.

Engage with your customers to understand their needs and preferences if you want to address these misalignments. Incorporate their direct feedback into the journey map. This approach leads to more effective customer engagement and satisfaction.

Over-Reliance on the Map

Relying too much on customer journey maps can lead to problems. These maps should serve as tools rather than definitive guides. Viewing them as perfect can restrict your responsiveness to customer feedback and market changes. Treat journey maps as evolving documents that complement direct customer interactions and feedback. 

Make sure you get regular updates and maintain flexibility in your approach. Balance the insights from the map with ongoing customer engagement. This approach keeps your business agile and responsive to evolving customer needs.

Data Privacy Concerns

Collecting customer data for journey mapping poses significant privacy concerns. Thus, you need to create a balance. You must adhere to data protection laws and gather enough information for mapping. 

You need a careful strategy to ensure customer data security. Stay vigilant to adapt to evolving privacy regulations and customer expectations. This vigilance helps maintain trust and compliance.

Learn More about Customer Journey Maps

Take our Journey Mapping course to gain insights into the how and why of journey mapping. Learn practical methods to create experience maps , customer journey maps, and service blueprints for immediate application.

Explore this eBook to discover customer journey mapping .

Find some additional insights in the Customer Journey Maps article.

Questions related to Customer Journey Maps

Creating a customer journey map requires visually representing the customer's experience with your product or company. Harness the strength of visual reasoning to understand and present this journey succinctly. Instead of detailing a lengthy narrative, like a book, a well-crafted map allows stakeholders, whether designers or not, to grasp the journey quickly. It's a democratized tool that disseminates information, unifies teams, and aids decision-making by illuminating previously unnoticed or misunderstood aspects of the customer's journey.

The customer journey encompasses five distinct stages that guide a customer's interaction with a brand or product:

Awareness: The customer becomes aware of a need or problem.

Consideration: They research potential solutions or products.

Purchase: The customer decides on a solution and makes a purchase.

Retention: Post-purchase, the customer uses the product and forms an opinion.

Advocacy: Satisfied customers become brand advocates, sharing their positive experiences.

For a comprehensive understanding of these stages and how they intertwine with customer touchpoints, refer to Interaction-Design.org's in-depth article .

A perspective grid workshop is a activity that brings together stakeholders from various departments, such as product design, marketing, growth, and customer support, to align on a shared understanding of the customer's journey. These stakeholders contribute unique insights about customer needs and how they interact with a product or service. The workshop entails:

Creating a matrix to identify customers' jobs and requirements, not initially linked to specific features.

Identifying the gaps, barriers, pains, and risks associated with unmet needs, and constructing a narrative for the journey.

Highlighting the resulting value when these needs are met.

Discuss the implied technical and non-technical capabilities required to deliver this value.

Brainstorming possible solutions and eventually narrowing down to specific features.

The ultimate aim is to foster alignment within the organization and produce a user journey map based on shared knowledge. 

Learn more from this insightful video:

Customer journey mapping is vital as it harnesses our visual reasoning capabilities to articulate a customer's broad, intricate journey with a brand. Such a depiction would otherwise require extensive documentation, like a book. This tool offers a cost-effective method to convey information succinctly, ensuring understanding of whether one is a designer or lacks the time for extensive reading. It also helps the team to develop a shared vision and to encourage collaboration.  Businesses can better comprehend and address interaction points by using a journey map, facilitating informed decision-making and revealing insights that might otherwise remain obscured. Learn more about the power of visualizing the customer journey in this video.

Pain points in a customer journey map represent customers' challenges or frustrations while interacting with a product or service. They can arise from unmet needs, gaps in service, or barriers faced during the user experience. Identifying these pain points is crucial as they highlight areas for improvement, allowing businesses to enhance the customer experience and meet their needs more effectively. Pain points can relate to various aspects, including product usability, communication gaps, or post-purchase concerns. Explore the detailed article on customer journey maps at Interaction Design Foundation for a deeper understanding and real-world examples.

Customer journey mapping offers several key benefits:

It provides a holistic view of the customer experience, highlighting areas for improvement. This ensures that products or services meet users' needs effectively.

The process fosters team alignment, ensuring everyone understands and prioritizes the customer's perspective.

It helps identify pain points, revealing opportunities to enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.

This visualization allows businesses to make informed decisions, ensuring resources target the most impactful areas.

To delve deeper into the advantages and insights on journey mapping, refer to Interaction Design Foundation's article on key takeaways from the IXDF journey mapping course .

In design thinking, a customer journey map visually represents a user's interactions with a product or service over time. It provides a detailed look at a user's experience, from initial contact to long-term engagement. Focusing on the user's perspective highlights their needs, emotions, pain points, and moments of delight. This tool aids in understanding and empathizing with users, a core principle of design thinking. When used effectively, it bridges gaps between design thinking and marketing, ensuring user-centric solutions align with business goals. For a comprehensive understanding of how it fits within design thinking and its relation to marketing, refer to Interaction Design Foundation's article on resolving conflicts between design thinking and marketing .

A customer journey map and a user journey map are tools to understand the experience of users or customers with a product or service.

A customer journey map is a broader view of the entire customer experience across multiple touchpoints and stages. It considers physical and digital channels, multiple user personas, and emotional and qualitative aspects.

A user journey map is a detailed view of the steps to complete a specific task or goal within a product or service. It only considers digital channels, one user persona, and functional and quantitative aspects.

Both are useful to understand and improve the experience of the users or customers with a product or service. However, they have different scopes, perspectives, and purposes. A customer journey map provides a holistic view of the entire customer experience across multiple channels and stages. A user journey map provides a detailed view of the steps to complete a specific task or goal within a product or service.

While user journeys might emphasize specific tasks or pain points, customer journeys encapsulate the entire experience, from research and comparison to purchasing and retention. 

Customer journey maps and service blueprints are tools to understand and improve the experience of the users or customers with a product or service. A customer journey map shows the entire customer experience across multiple touchpoints and stages. It focuses on the front stage of the service, which is what the customers see and experience. It considers different user personas and emotional aspects.

A service blueprint shows how a service is delivered and operated by an organization. It focuses on the back stage of the service, which is what the customers do not see or experience. It considers one user persona and functional aspects. What are the steps that the customer takes to complete a specific task or goal within the service? What are the channels and devices that the customer interacts with at each step?

For an immersive dive into customer journey mapping, consider enrolling in the Interaction Design Foundation's specialized course . This course offers hands-on lessons, expert guidance, and actionable tools. Furthermore, to grasp the course's essence, the article “4 Takeaways from the IXDF Journey Mapping Course” sheds light on the core learnings, offering a snapshot of what to expect. These resources are tailored by industry leaders, ensuring you're equipped with the best knowledge to craft impactful customer journey maps.

Answer a Short Quiz to Earn a Gift

Why do designers create customer journey maps?

• To document internal company processes and designer feedback
• To replace other forms of customer feedback
• To visualize customer experiences and identify pain points

In which stage do customers first recognize they have a problem?

What element is essential in a customer journey map?

• Competitor analysis
• Customer's thoughts and feelings
• Empathy maps and user stories

Why are scenarios included in a customer journey map?

• To exemplify the design thinking process
• To list product features
• To show the context and sequence of events

Why should designers iterate and refine customer journey maps?

• To ensure it remains relevant and accurate
• To keep the map visually appealing
• To reduce the number of customer interactions

Better luck next time!

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Literature on Customer Journey Maps

Here’s the entire UX literature on Customer Journey Maps by the Interaction Design Foundation, collated in one place:

Learn more about Customer Journey Maps

Take a deep dive into Customer Journey Maps with our course Journey Mapping .

This course will show you how to use journey mapping to turn your own complex design challenges into simple, delightful user experiences . If you want to design a great shopping experience, an efficient signup flow or an app that brings users delight over time, journey mapping is a critical addition to your toolbox. 

We will begin with a short introduction to mapping — why it is so powerful, and why it is so useful in UX. Then we will get familiar with the three most common types of journey map — experience maps, customer journey maps and service blueprints — and how to recognize, read and use each one. Then you will learn how to collect and analyze data as a part of a journey mapping process. Next you will learn how to create each type of journey map , and in the final lesson you will learn how to run a journey mapping workshop that will help to turn your journey mapping insights into actual products and services. 

This course will provide you with practical methods that you can start using immediately in your own design projects, as well as downloadable templates that can give you a head start in your own journey mapping projects. 

The “Build Your Portfolio: Journey Mapping Project” includes three practical exercises where you can practice the methods you learn, solidify your knowledge and if you choose, create a journey mapping case study that you can add to your portfolio to demonstrate your journey mapping skills to future employers, freelance customers and your peers. 

Throughout the course you will learn from four industry experts. 

Indi Young will provide wisdom on how to gather the right data as part of your journey mapping process. She has written two books,  Practical Empathy  and  Mental Models . Currently she conducts live online advanced courses about the importance of pushing the boundaries of your perspective. She was a founder of Adaptive Path, the pioneering UX agency that was an early innovator in journey mapping. 

Kai Wang will walk us through his very practical process for creating a service blueprint, and share how he makes journey mapping a critical part of an organization’s success. Kai is a talented UX pro who has designed complex experiences for companies such as CarMax and CapitalOne. 

Matt Snyder will help us think about journey mapping as a powerful and cost-effective tool for building successful products. He will also teach you how to use a tool called a perspective grid that can help a data-rich journey mapping process go more smoothly. In 2020 Matt left his role as the Sr. Director of Product Design at Lucid Software to become Head of Product & Design at Hivewire. 

Christian Briggs will be your tour guide for this course. He is a Senior Product Designer and Design Educator at the Interaction Design Foundation. He has been designing digital products for many years, and has been using methods like journey mapping for most of those years.  

All open-source articles on Customer Journey Maps

14 ux deliverables: what will i be making as a ux designer.

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• 2 years ago

The Power of Mapping

User Story Mapping in Design

Enhance UX: Top Insights from an IxDF Design Course

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Home CX Customer Experience

Digital Customer Journey: Definition, Stages & Examples

Defining the digital customer journey (DCJ) our customers follow is critical to offering a good user experience. This process that finally leads to the purchase must be optimized if we want good results.

That is why more and more companies recommend products or services that might interest you. Even streaming services such as Hulu or Netflix suggest movies or series that you might like, personalizing user experience. The most exciting thing about this is that these strategies are not coincidental. There are many efforts behind it, such as building a great customer experience strategy through the use of tools like the customer journey .

LEARN ABOUT: Perfect Customer-First Strategy

One of the greatest challenges for companies is learning what their customers want. How do you live up to their expectations? What are the exact moments and places that most influence their buying decisions?

LEARN ABOUT: Time to Value

If you want to learn more about what is digital customer journey, its five stages and read some examples, this is the right article for you.

Content Index

• Digital Customer Journey Definition
• Optimizing your Digital Customer Journey

The five stages of the Digital Customer Journey

• Example of Digital Customer Journey

What is Digital Customer Journey?

The Digital Customer Journey (DCJ) is the process carried out by a user. It goes from the moment the user identifies they have a need, to the moment they acquire a product or service to satisfy or solve it.

This process or journey comprises five different phases: awareness, consideration, purchase, retention and customer advocacy . The user will decide on either buying or discarding your product/service, depending on how every interaction with your brand within those 5 phases makes them feel. And remember, the best way to attain a good visualization of user interactions, touchpoints and all stages is through a user journey map .

In each phase there are different touchpoints . This term refers to the contact points where the user and the company meet. The DCJ is built to identify these points of contact. Of course, this journey is not the same for all users. Depending on the type of consumer, their trip will be different; thus, their relationship with these customer points of contact will vary.

The DCJ is not only a descriptive tool of a process but also a practical one. It is the first step in an optimization process that leads to better sales opportunities and more satisfied customers.

Learn how to create your  customer journey canvas  and download our template.

Why optimizing your Digital Customer Journey is a good idea?

The focus on customer experience has surpassed the price and the product as a brand differentiator. The strategy’s success is based on the communication of different areas within an organization. But, mainly, on understanding the importance of their role in digital customer experience . to use digital customer experience software .

Today, the main trends that stand out in the management of relationships between companies and clients are: a more informed, hyper-connected, self-sufficient, demanding and much more emotional consumer. Similarly, the transformation of the opening of multiple channels and their correct integration to the contact, self-service and customer experience channels regarding a product or service.

Here lies the importance of the Digital Customer Journey. While the purpose of any marketing strategy is to execute a purchase, the process the customer goes through is now as relevant as the purchase itself. In other words, if the customer does not have a pleasant, frictionless experience during their purchase journey, they will most likely not reach their destination.

If you like reading about what is the digital customer journey, you might find interesting learning about customer journey vs customer experience: the difference .

Let’s look at the different phases in the case of the online customer journey.

Awareness (pre-sale)

The customer awareness or discovery phase is where the user realizes they have a need. Keep in mind that “the need” is a broad concept in the customer journey.

A need may be, for example, that you want to try the new flavor of a brand of candies. You didn’t know that flavor existed, and suddenly, you discover it. Or, for example, you feel like getting a massage based on a post you saw on your Instagram feed.

Discovery can be offline, for example, in a conversation with friends, in a shop window, or in a TV commercial, before going online. In general, the entire customer journey can start offline and go digital.

LEARN ABOUT:  Customer Journey Mapping Tools

If you like reading about customer journey, you might find valuble to learn how to build your own Customer Journey Map .

In this case, where we’re talking about a 100% digital process, the most common way to get to the awareness phase is through advertising, whether on social networks, websites, or search engines or even through sponsored articles in the media.

It is also possible to discover it through recommendations on social networks, where influencer marketing strategies come into play.

Be that as it may, this first stage is passive for the user, requiring no effort from the user’s standpoint. They discover they have a need based on observing Ads or by listening to a friend talk about a specific brand, for instance. If they decide to investigate further, we move on to the next phase.

2. Consideration (pre-sale)

Digital consideration is the second phase of the digital customer journey. At this point, the user begins to think about what they have discovered and consider if and where to buy it.

Here it begins the search process. The brand can reach the user through SEO and SEM content strategy by sending out email campaigns, reviews on third-party websites or sponsored articles, etc…

Consideration is perhaps the stage where most companies invest more money since it is where everything is at stake. The business needs to attract the user with various digital marketing strategies in order to compete and win the first spot in the mind of the consumer. 

At this point is when the potential client has to understand what you offer that the competition does not give. And as we have already mentioned, it is not only an informative process but also an emotional one.

At the consideration stage, it is crucial to differentiate from the competition and offer the added value of your brand. It is not only about solving the need once but about truly understanding the user persona that is targeted so that later down the line, they become loyal customers. 

3. Purchase (post-sale)

Finally, it’s time to buy. We cannot express enough how the shopping experience in a digital customer journey is crucial. For instance, if the website usability is poor, you leave. In case there are too many steps or you can’t pay with your preferred payment method, you also leave.

Cart abandonment is a crucial problem in many e-commerce. Within the company’s digitization strategy, optimizing the sales process is essential to not lose all previous work.

Your potential client is lost because they instead go to an alternative where the process is more accessible. For this, it is necessary to make the purchase as easy and frictionless as possible for the customer. If they feel that it is becoming a hassle to purchase something at your online commerce, they turn around to your competition. 

You can make the purchase process easier by offering alternatives such as data autofill, having different transaction payment methods or providing competitive shipping options, for instance. These actions are essential, so the purchase is not lost at the last moment.

4. Retention (post-sale)

Once the purchase is over, we move on to retention. If your experience in customer service has been positive, it will be much easier to convince your customers to stay. 

How do you do that? It could be a telephone after-sales service, reaching out to the customer through a digital channel and touching base with them to offer extra support with their purchase. Responding promptly to the customer will aid to get a better impression of your business and, most importantly, increase the customer’s lifetime cycle rate. 

There are different strategies your marketing and customer success team can implement to build longstanding customer relationships. That could be sending out additional resources to add more value to the purchase, creating a customer online community, and keeping the CX experts following up with online surveys to learn more about their current experience with the brand, to name a few.

In the Retention phase, the key is to make the client feel that they’re important to the business. 

5. Advocacy (this is where every business wants customers on)

Lastly, we need these satisfied customers to recommend us to other potential customers. In this sense, the voice of the customer (VOC) must be listened to. As we explained in our article on what VOC means, this methodology puts the customer and their impressions at the center.

If you find it interesting reading about the voice of the customer, you might want to review these VOC survey questions and templates . 

We can know what our NPS is and what we need to change to achieve these recommendations through customer satisfaction surveys. Considering that retaining a customer is much more profitable than getting a new one, profitability will most likely skyrocket if our retained customers recommend us.

Example of Digital Customer Journey: Purchasing a guitar online

Now that every stage of the digital customer journey is explained let’s go over all of the phases in a simple example. 

Let’s say you want to purchase a guitar. In the awareness phase, you discover you’d like to learn to play a musical instrument. Maybe the mobile phone “heard you” speak with your friends about your interest to learn to play the guitar, and now your social media and every website you visit are bursting with Ads of companies wanting to sell you the “best guitar in the market.” The awareness or discovery stage doesn’t require any effort from the user other than reading the Ads that show up on your digital channels. 

The next stage, consideration , is when you start to notice you might ponder on the idea of the purchasing process of a guitar. Now the search process has begun, and you’re actively looking for the best guitar that fits you. In this stage, you could be doing things like watching YouTube reviews, reading a blog post about “the top 10 best guitar alternatives for beginners,” and even comparing prices from different e-commerces such as Amazon, Best Buy, or an official musical instruments online store. Once it’s decided where you want to purchase your product, you go to their website to order it. But then you get a couple of unpleasant surprises. The website user experience is terrible because the pages take a lot of time to load. Even when you manage to overcome such inconvenience with a lot of patience, the site marks an error whenever you’re trying to do the transaction with your card. Given your e-shopping experience got stuck, now you go to your second online shop website of preference. This time you can navigate through the website quite faster, and the payment transaction with your card gets through with ease. 

The second option you had to go for instead of the first one continues bringing in a great customer experience. What happens in the retention stage? Well, they said the approximate delivery date was going to be in a week, but you got your guitar within 3 days! Plus, it comes in a nice box with a personalized note from the business thanking you for the purchase and offering flexible return policies. Besides, you’ve also received downloadable resources and provided customer access to an online community portal where you can connect with other users and get support from the company’s Customer Success team. All of these actions may seem like a bonus, but they aim to make the client feel special, so the next time you need to purchase any other instrument or an extra set of new strings, you buy with them.     

Finally, if you’re happy with the guitar and the service they continually provide post-sale, you might start recommending them to other people, be it in person or by writing a review on their website.

This may take some time to get here, so the sum of what the business does in all the previous stages (especially retention) is critical.

 This is the part where you, as their customer, are so happy with the product and their service that you start genuinely advocating for them.

LEARN ABOUT: Consumer Decision Journey

In conclusion…

• The Digital Customer journey is the process carried out by a user when interacting with your brand to satisfy a need with your product or service. 
• There are 5 stages the user goes through Discovery, consideration, purchase, retention, and advocacy.
• Touchpoints are a critical part of a DCJ because they are your company’s points of customer contact, end to end.
• The success of your company relies on the optimization of your DCJ. Remember, the customer’s process is as relevant as the purchase itself.
• Great customer experiences can be obtained through the use of a powerful customer experience management platform.

If you’d like to boost customer loyalty at your company, QuestionPro CX can help you achieve it with our extensive toolbox set of features, including the creation and deployment of CX surveys, NPS flexible dashboards, sentiment analysis , customer churn prediction, closed-loop feedback system to address customer issues better, and more! 

Do you have a CX program and don’t know where to start or how to incorporate a CEM? Share what’s your current business challenge, and we will offer you different proposals tailored to your needs.

Try QuestionPro CX today if you want to boost customer loyalty by efficiently processing large amounts of data in real-time and turning them into fact-driven action support. 

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Preboarding Checklist: How to Welcome New Hires in Advance

Creating an engaging employee experience is one of the key drivers of a successful business. It sets the stage for increased loyalty and higher retention levels. However, it’s important to remember that the employee experience doesn’t start when a new hire first walks through your door. You need to make sure you create a positive experience from the moment they accept your job offer. In fact, good preboarding and onboarding not only increases staff retention by 82% , but it also increases employee productivity and improves your reputation.

Table of Contents

What is Preboarding?

Let’s start with a preboarding definition.

Preboarding, also known as pre-onboarding (in case you were wondering “is it preboarding or pre-boarding?”), is the period of time that occurs between a candidate’s acceptance of your job offer, and their first day working at your company. This period might be a matter of days, or in the case of new starters who have to work extensive notice periods – several months.

The aim is to spend this time familiarizing a new hire with their role and your organization so that they are ready to hit the ground running on day one. This helps them feel welcome, engaged, and valued so that they are ready and excited to join the team. It’s also a great opportunity to complete any necessary administrative tasks so that the onboarding stage can be more focused on introductions to new colleagues and the practical side of their induction.

Preboarding vs. Onboarding

It’s important to understand the difference between employee preboarding and employee onboarding .

So, what is onboarding ?

Onboarding is the period between your new hire’s first day on the job and the end of their induction into the company. It is an opportunity for incoming employees to find out more about the organization, their role, who their co-workers are, the philosophy of the company, and much more.

The process consists of a series of orientation events designed to aid employees to integrate into their departments. This might include an office tour, giving employee ID numbers, and setting up workspaces. This differs from preboarding, which occurs in the period before an employee’s first day.

Benefits of Preboarding Employees

In the past, not much was done with new starters during the pre-onboarding phase. A candidate would accept an offer and then wait in anticipation until their eventual introduction to the company on their first day. However, increasing numbers of companies are realizing the benefits of engaging new hires from the moment they are hired.

Here are just a few of those benefits:

• Preboarding gives you the opportunity to share your mission, vision, values, and culture with a new hire before they join the team. This helps new employees align with your organization in advance. What’s more, if new hires are able to meet their team before their first day, then it also helps them bond with their future colleagues .
• By providing a new hire with basic information about their role in advance you can help them feel comfortable and ready to embrace their onboarding, orientation, and induction period.
• Pre-onboarding also offers a valuable opportunity to complete all admin in advance so that the new hire can focus on meeting the team on their first day instead of completing endless tax forms and non-disclosures. This helps to improve the employee experience .
• Engaging new hires from the moment you hire them is also a great way to make a good first impression. The employee is able to begin developing relationships and emotional attachments before their first day. This reduces time to productivity and boosts employee engagement, motivation, and retention .

Preboarding Checklist: Steps in the Preboarding Process

The experience you offer during the pre-onboarding stage sets the benchmark for what an employee can expect from their overall experience with your organization. It’s the first real impression a new hire has about you, so it can have a big impact on whether or not they choose to remain at your company. This means it is vital that you build a formal pre-onboarding process so that you give new employees the best possible start in their employment with you.

With this in mind, we have put together a pre-onboarding checklist so that you include all the important steps in your preboarding process.

Welcome to the Team!

The first stage in the preboarding process is welcoming your new hire to the team. It may sound simple, but a quick, informal email or phone call can help your soon-to-be new employee feel comfortable and valued. This will help them understand that you are there to help with anything they need in the run-up to their first day, and hopefully reduce their first-day nerves.

Complete Admin Tasks

As we mentioned already, preboarding is a great opportunity to get any boring admin tasks out of the way before a new hire’s first day . That way, instead of spending it signing forms and setting up accounts, they can focus on getting to know their new colleagues and understanding the company culture.

Onboarding documents will usually include tax forms, contracts, and NDAs, activating company accounts, verifying personal details, adding personal information to payroll software, and completing relevant government employment documents. You can use digital onboarding tools or onboarding software to further improve the employee experience.

If you’re not sure what to include, check out Factorial’s onboarding checklist to help you keep track of the process.

Share Company Policies

Send your company handbook to your new starters so that they have time to review it before their first day. You could also create a handy FAQ sheet answering common informal questions. For example, you could share details about your dress code, parking, where people go for lunch, etc.

This will help them understand what you expect of them and the internal guidelines they will need to follow. Then if they have any questions they can address them in advance so that everything is clear before they start.

Announce New Arrival

The next important stage of the preboarding process is introducing new arrivals to the team.

You can start by sending out a company-wide email announcement with a bit of information about the new starter. You could even get them to send out their own personalized introduction email. As simple as it sounds, this simple action can help your new hires feel valued. It’s also a great way to drum up excitement within the department and cultivate a sense of community.

Invite Them to a Company Event

Finally, if you have a company event coming up, invite the new hire to come along and meet the team. Or if everyone works remotely, you can organize a digital meet-up instead. This gives new hires the opportunity to meet their new colleagues in an informal setting.

This will help them build relationships and break the ice. And this, in turn, will make their first day seem far less stressful. Nothing beats a familiar face, after all.

Tips for Preboarding New Hires

Let’s finish by looking at a few pre-onboarding tips to keep in mind as you launch your program.

• Make sure you provide new hires with everything they need for a successful first day. Ideally, this should include a comprehensive first-week schedule and access to pre-start training where possible.
• Try to get the new hire to complete as much admin as possible during the preboarding phase. This will enable them to focus on the practical side of their introduction to your company on their first day. For example, meeting their new colleagues and, most importantly, finding out where the coffee machine is!
• Create an onboarding video to introduce new hires to your company. Use this to showcase your company values and share staff testimonials .
• Introduce a preboarding buddy system for new hires. This will give them the support they need if they have any questions.
• Be as proactive as possible during the preboarding period. This will leave less formal stuff for their first day. For example, you can use this period to set them up with an email account and prepare any equipment.
• Finally, and most importantly, preboarding is all about communication . Touch base with your new hires regularly in the run-up to their first day. Find out if they have any questions. Share updates about company news or upcoming projects to help them integrate with your organization. This is the best way to ensure they are engaged and motivated from day one.

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What Is the Perioperative Period?

"Perioperative" is a term used to describe the time around surgery. It generally refers to the period between going to the hospital or clinic and returning home afterward, but it can also include months of preparation and recovery.

The perioperative period has three distinct phases:

• Preoperative: before surgery
• Intraoperative: during surgery
• Postoperative: after surgery

Every surgery is broken down into these phases to differentiate tasks and establish who is responsible for overseeing and delivering each stage of care. By maintaining strict adherence to procedures and a clear chain of command, hospital teams are able to deliver consistent, optimal care from the moment surgery is ordered to the time when a person is fully recovered.

This article describes what happens in each of these three perioperative phases.

Preoperative Phase

The initial phase, called the preoperative phase , begins with the decision to have surgery and ends when the patient is wheeled into surgery. This phase can be extremely brief, such as in the cases of acute trauma, or require a long period of preparation during which time a person may be required to fast, lose weight, undergo preoperative tests, or await the receipt of an organ for transplant.

One of the goals of the preoperative phase is to manage the anxiety that may arise, either as a result of an emergency situation or having to wait for inordinately long periods of time. Preoperative anxiety is a common reaction experienced by patients and one that can be relieved with ongoing interaction with one or more members of the medical team.

Prior to intake, that person will usually be the treating doctor and/or surgeon. Once a person is admitted into a hospital, patient care and oversight will typically be coordinated by one or several perioperative nurses.

Intraoperative Phase

The second phase, known as the intraoperative phase, involves the surgery itself. It starts when the patient is wheeled into the surgical suite and ends when the patient is wheeled to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU).

During this phase, the patient will be prepped and typically given some form of anesthesia, either general anesthesia (for complete unconsciousness), local anesthesia (to prevent pain while awake), or regional anesthesia (such as with a spinal or epidural block).

As the surgery begins, the patient’s vital signs (including heart rate, respiration, and blood oxygen) will be closely monitored. In addition to the surgeon and anesthesiologist, other team members will be responsible for assisting the surgeon, ensuring safety, and preventing infection during the course of the surgery.

Postoperative Phase

The final phase, known as the postoperative phase, is the period immediately following surgery. As with the preoperative phase, the period can be brief, lasting a few hours, or require months of rehabilitation and recuperation.

Once the patient is awake and ready to leave PACU, the postanesthesia nurse will typically transfer the responsibility of care back to the perioperative nurse. (In smaller hospitals, the same person may be tasked with both responsibilities.)

Postoperative care is mainly focused on monitoring and managing the patient’s physiological health and aiding in postsurgical recovery. This may include ensuring hydration, monitoring urination or bowel movements, assisting with mobility, providing appropriate nutrition, managing pain, and preventing infection.

Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. Colleges of nursing - faculty tool kit .

Celik F, Edipoglu IS. Evaluation of preoperative anxiety and fear of anesthesia using APAIS score .  Eur J Med Res . 2018;23(1):41. doi:10.1186/s40001-018-0339-4

By Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FN Jennifer Whitlock, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She has experience in primary care and hospital medicine.

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What is pre-construction.

There is a phase of planning known in the industry as “pre-construction.” This initial phase of the project serves to lay out the project’s entire scope and schedule for the construction team and the client.

In this article, we’re going to dig deep into what pre-construction is and give you the information you need to fill out your pre-construction checklist.

After reading, you’ll be able to go into any construction project much more knowledgeable about the process and know what to expect when your job is set to begin.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at pre-construction.

Table of Contents

What is Pre-construction?

Pre-construction services are preliminary planning and engineering services offered by construction companies before a construction job even begins. This pre-construction planning stage involves defining the project, identifying potential issues, planning and scheduling, the scope, cost estimation, and analysis of the job’s needs.

What is the importance of pre-construction? Quality pre-construction will help a client decide if they can follow through with the construction project. During this pre-construction phase, they may find that the work is either too expensive or not feasible for the space they have. 

If the contractor and client agree that work is viable, the contractor will then provide the client with a cost and schedule for the construction project.

The pre-construction phase should give the construction team a clear outline to follow during the job and educate the owner/client on what they will need to do to make their project functional and expect it to cost. This process helps the client better understand the project before they even commit to any work being done.

Pre-construction services come at a cost, which will depend on several factors, including:

• Type of job
• Scope of project 

If the client is unsatisfied with the contractor or isn’t feasible for the client because of cost or constructability, the client can terminate the relationship before construction begins. 

This is a much better option (and much less costly) than figuring out you aren’t happy with the work being done, aren’t confident with the contractor’s abilities, or realize the project’s scope is too large for the allotted space after construction has begun.

Outline of the pre-construction process

The pre-construction process is vital to the success of the entire construction project.

Also referred to as the design phase, pre-construction gives owners a full understanding of the project’s cost, scope, and schedule. The project’s success will often be dependent on this phase before a single nail is driven or brick is laid.

Once you enter the pre-construction process, it’s time to become familiar with the pre-construction manager.

What does a pre-construction manager do?

Pre-construction managers look after the pre-construction phase.

It’s their job to:

• Form an understanding of the project
• Assemble a team to do the work
• Create a strategy and schedule
• Develop an understanding of the owner’s business goals, and align the project to match.

While it sounds like a lot, and it is, it’s not that daunting for clients since they don’t have to do any of the work. To help put your mind at ease, here is a step-by-step look at the pre-construction process.

What is the purpose of a pre-construction meeting?

The pre-construction process should always start with a meeting between the client and general contractor.

During this meeting, the two will get a better sense of each other, and the general contractor will understand the client’s wants and needs. Goals and objectives will be defined, and any questions or issues the client has will be laid out for the general contractor to resolve.

The client will give the general contractor their vision for the project, and the general contractor will then get to work to see if that vision is feasible.

A general contractor will determine the project’s feasibility and assess how much work is required to get the job done from this initial meeting. Deliverables will be appropriately defined, and the general contractor will outline a schedule.

What happens after a pre-construction meeting?

Once the meeting has occurred, the general contractor gets to work on the project’s pre-construction design phase.

They will go into the field and visit the construction site to produce a digital schematic of the design and layout. This will then be presented to the client to visualize how the project will look after construction.

Helping clients visualize their project is essential for the general contractor to land the construction job. It will allow them to see that there will be sufficient space for all of the components, equipment, furnishings, and other elements that they want or need.

Output of a Pre-Construction Meeting 

Pre-construction meetings that are properly conducted to increase overall project efficiency. A tight network of workers or a workforce who understand their roles and how they fit into the project makes it possible. In addition, they should be able to see the entire project through the eyes of other participants and understand their responsibilities and rights. 

These meetings minimize risks and work-related incidences and give room for more significant project profits. The goal is to complete the project in time and within budget while reducing risks and costly delays in the process. Therefore the pre-construction meeting makes the participants analyze their roles comprehensively and identify any likely pop-up problems in time. 

 Involving your project team at the start helps you identify any sidestep traps in any construction project. In a nutshell, the meeting’s outcome is to make it easy to identify who is expected to follow up with who and who also is responsible for clarifying any gray areas that may arise during the construction process.

A pre-construction meeting is vital so that the production team, workers, and client are on the same page from the jump. It is meant to help manage and set expectations and to begin the construction phase on a strong foot, with the least amount of stress and pressure possible.

They set the course for a successful construction project by setting an agenda, facilitating discussions between all key parties, and coordinating quality assurance and quality control reviews.

Assessment of Engineering

During this portion of the pre-construction phase, the contractor must look into the existing conditions of the space or construction site and figure out what needs to be done for the project.

This will include checking on existing components such as:

• The electric
• HVAC systems 

These checks are necessary to ensure that they will perform in the new construction. If not, they will need to recommend that these items be updated or replaced.

Cost Estimating

The contractor will then put together a preliminary construction budget based on their design and engineering assessment. But how does the contractor come up with a number?

Beyond materials needed and whether or not the components listed in the step above are required, they will also factor in the budgets used for comparable projects. While this estimate will be another vital part of the process, it’s important to note that the cost estimation is not necessarily a bid.

The bid document will be prepared later after other parts of the pre-construction phase are complete, as other elements, such as the final design, will help create a more accurate bid. Here, the contractor is mainly looking to get a close ballpark to the actual price so the client can see if the project will be feasible.

Forming a Responsibility Matrix

The responsibility matrix is used in pre-construction to identify deliverables by all parties involved and will specifically outline:

• Who is responsible for what
• Who is providing what item
• Who will be handling the installation

Since when the project is underway, the client, contractor, and building owner may all have a part to play, this responsibility matrix will keep all parties involved on the same plan and give a clear outline on who has signed up for what.

Clear communication will ensure that the construction project flows smoothly and is done correctly, on time, and on budget.

Define an Initial Schedule

Now that most of the project scope has been laid out, it’s time to formulate a schedule.

The preliminary schedule serves more as a guide to show the client when certain aspects of the job will begin and end. As final decisions for the project are made, this will be fine-tuned, but it gives the client a better idea of the construction timeline.

The contractor will estimate the number of days it will take to complete each task and provide a rough idea of how long it will take to complete the project.

Guidance & Leadership

Pre-construction services involve more than just documents that the general contractor provides to the client. The contractor also will need to guide their client through every step of the process and educate them on what is going on.

The contractor should talk to the client about their options and give them recommendations and what the contractor thinks will be best for their budget or meet their goals.

The ongoing consultations should help the client feel more comfortable about the construction process and ultimately help the contractor win the bid based on their familiarity. Not only will it give the client peace of mind, but it will also save time during the construction phase .

Despite the initial investment, pre-construction also saves money on construction projects because of the value it provides. Good pre-construction allows for value engineering and helps prevent arising issues, each of which can be too costly on a construction project.

Good contractors can provide this guidance because they are the leaders of the project. They lean heavily on their expertise to anticipate potential issues and provide solutions to any of these problems. They will effectively coordinate efforts between the owner, client, architect, and contractor and manage any subcontractors needed for the project.

The contractor should have vast knowledge of all legal issues, permits, and building codes involved so the project stays straight and narrow. They will also be mindful of controlling cost and assessing risk throughout the pre-construction and construction process .

Pre-construction Checklist

Here are some of the items you can expect to cover during the pre-construction phase:

• Initial meeting to discuss the project
• Planning the design
• Estimating costs and offering cost-saving options
• Managing project scope
• Identifying potential issues & outlining solutions
• Determine any options for value engineering
• Site selection and study feasibility
• Evaluating soil condition on site
• Checking existing utilities
• Determining equipment required
• Check for green building options and viability
• Life-cycle analysis
• Outlining contingencies for both client and contractor

Expected Outcomes of pre-construction

The primary outcomes of pre-construction provide include:

• Estimated cost of the project

Having all of these elements accurately outlined gives the client the necessary expectations going into construction.

The process also helps to make sure the project is feasible, reducing the chances of encountering issues along the way.

A post-construction phase commonly occurs as a precaution, ensuring issues are taken care of after the pre-construction and construction phases .

Benefits of pre-construction

Pre-construction offers many benefits to both the clients and contractors. The top benefits of pre-construction include:

• Removal of many unknown variables for the client
• They provide a clear picture of what the project will look like and how it will get done
• The completion date for the work can be assessed
• It provides the contractor the opportunity to present potential options for cost savings, which benefit the client.

Evaluating all possible scenarios, upfront gives the client confidence that the contractor they are working with knows what they are doing. Having realistic expectations helps avoid issues while the project is underway. It’s a real win-win for everyone involved.

Output of pre-construction

A critical element for a successful construction project is selecting a great project team. This includes the selection of the design team and construction partner. Early involvement with a construction partner allows the owner and design team to benefit from the cost history, feasibility, construction methods and materials, subcontractor input, and construction experience of the contractor.

In the pre-construction process, the following is essential; project scope, budget, details, team, materials, permits, inspection, and communication.

Project Scope

A client should define the scope of their construction project. This is important as it outlines your objectives, indicating what you want accomplished post-construction, the schedule, space, and the personnel needed in each phase. Be aware of the requirements you need for your project and any limitations that may hinder your success.

Project Budget

After defining your project objectives and goals, analyze the budget you have to ensure you finish the construction. Then, work with your design and construction team to understand the cost implications and design intricacies, track expenses, and formulate means to cut costs without reducing the project’s standard.

Project Details

Once you have a clear project scope and budget, you can discuss the design plans, including; layout, size, style, systems, floor plan, quality, building materials needed, and more. These details help in the better execution of each construction phase and the completion of the whole project.

Project Team

The team set to work on a construction project will influence its practical completion. Based on the project scope, you can decide on the number of people required to attain all tasks needed. As a result, you may require a variety of skill sets. 

Based on the scope of your project, you can build the teams needed to accomplish all the tasks required. Depending on the type of project, you may require different sets of teams to meet your goals. It would help if you had a design and construction team at the bare minimum, but consider adding other groups as needed.

To accomplish all your goals. As a contractor bidding out the work, you should identify subcontractors that align with your project goals. Then, with proper communication, ensure that each team member knows their expectation and will create time to bid on the project properly. 

Project Materials

In pre-construction, you must know the materials and equipment needed. Therefore, a contractor or sub-contractor should see the number and type of materials in detail before any procurements. This will ensure proper delivery minimizing any delays in the construction schedule. 

Project Permits and Inspections

Permits and inspection requirements provided during pre-construction help assess the project and mitigate any risks experienced during construction. Ensure that all safety precautions are adhered to before constructing.

Project Communication 

All construction projects need proper communication to be completed. During the pre-construction phase, a client must create a communication plan to guide the entire team throughout the construction. To meet project objectives and goals, project teams should use the best communication methods and constantly exchange information and ideas.

A well-communicated construction team will solve issues and ensure all client needs are met per the budget and schedule.

How much does pre-construction cost?

Pre-construction costs will depend on the scope of the project, the location, and more but will usually be somewhere in the range of one to three percent of the project’s total cost. Pre-construction’s cost is a separate fee from the construction cost, as it comes before a bid for the actual construction is even in place. But as we mentioned above, the potential savings it can provide and the peace of mind make pre-construction worth it.

How long does pre-construction take?

Again, the length of the pre-construction process will depend on the scope of the project. This phase can take anywhere from two to 12 weeks. While 12 weeks may seem like a long time, it really isn’t when you consider the value the pre-construction phase adds to the project.

What is the meaning of a pre-construction meeting ?

This is where the construction requirements and expectations are communicated to the project team. The involved parties communicate on the approved drawings and documents.

Is it worth buying pre-construction?

Yes, you are of great advantage to buy pre-construction. The main reason is that the construction is entirely passive in the first five years. After that, a qualified realtor can rent or manage the property at an agreed monthly fee with the investor. 

Pre-construction is considered a promising approach to construction. By having the scope, and expectations well aligned, clients can save on various margins and own property they are pleased with in the long run.

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[ ek-spi- dish - uh n ]

• an excursion, journey, or voyage made for some specific purpose, as of war or exploration.

a large expedition of scientists and military personnel.

He worked with great expedition.

Synonyms: quickness , alacrity , dispatch

/ ˌɛkspɪˈdɪʃən /

• an organized journey or voyage for a specific purpose, esp for exploration or for a scientific or military purpose
• the people and equipment comprising an expedition
• a pleasure trip; excursion
• promptness in acting; dispatch

Discover More

Other words from.

• preex·pe·dition noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of expedition 1

Idioms and Phrases

Synonym study, example sentences.

If you want to climb it, you usually start your expedition from Montemonaco.

To learn about the microbes living in sub-seafloor sediments, scientists must typically go on drilling expeditions to retrieve samples of them.

OceanSky Cruises—based, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Sweden—is currently taking reservations for expeditions to the North Pole in the 2023-2024 season.

Suffice it to say, the expedition, bolstered by complex preparation, was massive with over 35,000 soldiers from different nationalities.

These expeditions are commonly known as the Peasants’ Crusades.

Two years into an Arctic expedition, they were forced to abandon ship a thousand miles north of Siberia.

At Studio Stagetti, I shot a man with more picks and axes than I have ever seen outside an arctic expedition.

Going to the library was like a treasure hunt, an expedition.

He sees all the more reason to continue with plans for their next expedition, in June 2015.

Companies across the country donated supplies and equipment to assist him with his expedition.

After the battle of the Pyramids he fell sick, and before the Syrian expedition, applied to return to France.

Lawrence and Dan were told of the danger that threatened Fulton, and they determined to accompany Guitar in his expedition.

The wealth, which Ripperda deemed necessary for his expedition, was sewed into various parts of their muleteer garments.

The filibustering expedition set out in three small ships on the 28th of September.

But scarcely had the new ambassador arrived at his destination when he heard of Bonaparte's projected expedition to Egypt.

Related Words

• exploration
• undertaking

More About Expedition

What is an expedition .

An expedition is an organized journey or voyage made with a specific purpose, as in Johann packed only a large backpack for the expedition across the Alps .

An expedition can describe any trip made with a specific purpose or for the purpose of simple exploration. The term is used formally by militaries, cartographers, groups that aim to protect wildlife, and many others. For example, a military expedition is a specific type of military operation in which a group of soldiers move into a foreign country to accomplish a task.

Expedition can also be used to refer to a pleasure trip, especially for a trip to a location that is farther than a person would normally go.

Expedition can also refer to the group of people who go on the trip. For example, a scientific expedition to the rainforest can mean the trip to the rainforest or those who go on the trip.

Example: We took an expedition around the world to see all the sights.

Where does expedition come from?

The first records of the term expedition come from the 1400s. It ultimately comes from the Latin expedītiō , meaning “a military traveling.” Despite sharing a root word, an expedition does not have to be expedited , or sped up.

In popular culture, and often on television, the word expedition is used in reference to content dealing with locations viewers might never go to, such as African deserts or Antarctic tundras. Examples of this are the network television shows “ Expedition Unknown,” “ Expedition Bigfoot,” “The Ultimate Expedition ,” “ Expedition Mars,”  and “ Expedition to the Edge.” All deal with taking a narrator and a camera crew, or in some cases a camera rover, to lands far from the viewers.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to expedition ?

• preexpedition (noun)
• expeditionary (adjective)

What are some synonyms for expedition ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with expedition ? 

• expeditious

What are some words that often get used in discussing expedition ?

How is expedition used in real life?

Expedition is normally used to talk about a trip, especially one that was full of adventure.

I'm on a night expedition to find the ultimate rock to carve a stone sword. stone is easier to work with at night, this is a magical fact 🗿🗡 — PJ (@kickthepj) June 29, 2016

You can pay to go with National Geographic on its expeditions to exotic places – like Antarctica. — UberFacts (@UberFacts) June 6, 2014

The tragic death this morning of my 4-year old daughter’s carnival goldfish (affectionately named Asuka) led to many tears and a $200 expedition to @Petco for a new aquarium. The moral of the story is, don’t go to carnivals…I think. — Corey Graves (@WWEGraves) July 27, 2018

Try using expedition !

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for expedition ?

A. tour B. travel C. halt D. outing

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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How to Develop a Journey Management Plan

August 23, 2019 • Marianne Matthews • Bookmark +

An effective journey management plan is a holistic look at roadway safety risks and how to manage them.

Screenshot via National Safety Council/YouTube.

Journey management is a planned and systematic process for reducing transportation-related risks in a company’s operations. In short, it is a key element of safety in the workplace—for fleets and other employers. Across all industries, motor vehicle crashes cost employers approximately $9.25 billion a year, according to the National Safety Council.

Moreover, research shows that human error is the definite cause of truck or car accidents 70% of the time, and the probable cause 93% of the time.

Therefore, every journey management plan should take into account that your drivers are your greatest safety feature. In short, a company's drivers are its best defense in protecting the organization from risk and liability.

When developing a journey management plan keep in mind that the key objectives of the plan should be to eliminate unnecessary trips, reduce driving distances, and minimize the risks associated with necessary trips.

A solid journey management plan will focus on four key factors: the roadway, your drivers, the vehicle, and the environment. For example, you need to consider route planning in order to make sure drivers avoid construction or closed roads. You need to consider the behaviors of your drivers; for instance, if they are getting enough sleep before hitting the road. Then there are factors such as vehicle maintenance and weather conditions, which must also be considered when developing your plan.

Benefits of a Journey Management Plan

Commercial fleet management frequently deals with multiple vehicles engaged in long-distance driving—in some cases from one end of the nation to the other. But even relatively short journeys can benefit from thorough planning. A proper fleet logistics management plan should guide drivers through each stage of their journey, with the aim of supporting highway safety and accident prevention policies and procedures.

Your plan should aim to mitigate the following hazards:

• Driver inexperience
• Distracted driving behavior
• Poor road conditions
• Driver fatigue
• Wildlife on the roads
• Adverse weather conditions
• Malfunctioning vehicles
• Unsecured projectiles
• Risky behaviors of other drivers
• Communication failure

For commercial fleets, the benefits of a solid journey management plan are many, according to the National Safety Council. These include:

• Eliminating unnecessary trips to reduce crash risk
• Minimize exposure to traffic hazards
• Reduce wear and tear on fleet vehicles
• Increase fleet and driver efficiency

Elements of an Effective Journey Management Plan

A fleet safety plan should begin by outlining pre-journey inspection procedures. This involves checking to see that the vehicle is in sound operating condition and is up to date on preventative maintenance service. To aid this task, the fleet driver (or inspector) should have a checklist—these days, it’s often in the form of a mobile app—that includes all areas of the vehicle that require inspection. These areas typically include:

• Ignition system
• Fuel system
• Electrical system
• Exhaust system
• Vehicle frame

This can seem needlessly time-consuming, but ensuring that these inspections are completed, and correctly recorded, can go a long way toward bolstering fleet safety and reducing company or driver liability in the event of an accident.

There should also be a procedure where the inspector can take pictures of problem areas and transmit them to the appropriate company authority.

The journey itself should be mapped out so drivers can take the most efficient route to their destination in order to minimize fleet mileage and promote auto safety . This should include usable alternate routes in case of road blockage, inclement weather, or similar hazards. That’s why it’s important to customize each plan for every specific trip, as conditions may have changed since the last time a journey was made down a particular network of roads.

The route should allow the driver to avoid low-clearance obstacles, such as bridges, that can prevent the vehicle from safely passing through. The driver should know the exact dimensions of the vehicle so they can readily comply with posted clearance requirements.

The plan should also be created with the aim of preventing “road fatigue” from becoming a factor in a long-distance driving trip. Driving while sleepy reduces reaction times and makes collision avoidance far more difficult; this is why so many road accidents can be traced to driver fatigue. To ensure optimal highway safety, journey plans should permit the fleet driver to be on the roads only when they are most likely to be sufficiently alert, and adequate rest breaks should be included in the itinerary.

The plan must also provide guidance to the driver in the event of an accident, vehicle failure, or other emergency situation. Trucking tips for the driver should include what to do and whom at the company they should call.

It’s important to understand that a journey management plan is not just a formality. It provides a number of vital benefits that support effective commercial fleet management: promoting sound fleet logistics, enhancing fuel efficiency of vehicles, reinforcing accident prevention practices, reducing risks associated with road fatigue, and ensuring that routine maintenance tasks are followed on schedule.

Related Video: Journey Management Explained

Marianne Matthews

Contributor

Marianne Matthews contributes safety news and articles for the Fleet Safety newsletter. She is an experienced trade editor.

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• Early childhood education

Every child deserves access to quality early childhood education.

• Available in:

Quality pre-primary education is the foundation of a child’s journey: every stage of education that follows relies on its success. Yet, despite the proven and lifelong benefits, more than 175 million children – nearly half of all pre-primary-age children globally – are not enrolled in pre-primary education.

Nearly half of all pre-primary-age children around the world are not enrolled in preschool.

In low-income countries, the picture is bleaker, with only 1 in 5 young children enrolled. Children from poor families are the least likely to attend early childhood education programmes. For children who do have access, poorly trained educators, overcrowded and unstimulating environments, and unsuitable curricula diminish the quality of their experiences.

Failure to provide quality early childhood education limits children’s futures by denying them opportunities to reach their full potential. It also limits the futures of countries, robbing them of the human capital needed to reduce inequalities and promote peaceful, prosperous societies.

Why should universal access to pre-primary education be a global priority?

Children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school and less likely to repeat grades or drop out. As adults, they contribute to peaceful societies and prosperous economies. Evidence of the ways in which pre-primary education advances development exists around the world.

Yet, global disparities in enrolment persist. More than half of low- and lower-middle-income countries are not on track to ensure at least one year of quality pre-primary education for every child by 2030, as set out by the Sustainable Development Goals .

What should governments do to ensure pre-primary education for all?

1. scale up investment.

Pre-primary education provides the highest return on investment of all education sub-sectors. Yet, it receives the smallest share of government expenditure compared to primary, secondary and tertiary education. 

2. Progressively grow the pre-primary system, while improving quality

Efforts to scale up access to pre-primary education should not come at the expense of quality. Quality is the sum of many parts, including teachers, families, communities, resources, and curricula.

Without adequate safeguards for quality, expansion efforts can intensify education inequities. It is only by investing in quality as education systems grow – not after – that governments can expand access and maintain quality.

9.3 million new teachers are needed to achieve universal pre-primary education

Only 50% of pre-primary teachers in low-income countries are trained, only 5% of pre-primary teachers globally work in low-income countries, 3. ensure vulnerable populations are not the last to benefit.

Access to early childhood education has been slow and inequitable, both across and within countries. Worldwide, vulnerable children are disproportionately excluded from quality pre-primary education – even though it can have the greatest impact on them.

To ensure no child is left behind, Governments should adopt policies that commit to universal pre-primary education and prioritize the poorest and hardest-to-reach children at the start of the road to universality, not the end.

*Early childhood education 

The richest children are 7 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes than the poorest

Children of mothers with secondary education are 5 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes

Children in urban areas are 1.5 times more likely to attend ECE* programmes than those in rural areas

Equitable attendance in ECE* programmes exists between girls and boys

What does UNICEF call for to achieve universal pre-primary education?

What does unicef do to advance pre-primary education.

UNICEF works to give every child a fair start in education. We support pre-primary education in 129 countries around the globe by:

• Building political commitment to quality pre-primary education through evidence generation, advocacy and communication
• Strengthening policies and advocating for increased public financing for pre-primary education
• Bolstering national capacity to plan and implement quality pre-primary education at scale
• Enhancing the quality of pre-primary programmes by supporting the development of quality standards, curricular frameworks, teacher training packages and more
• Collecting data and generating evidence for innovative approaches that deliver quality pre-primary education for vulnerable children
• Delivering conflict-sensitive early childhood education and psychosocial support to young children and their families in humanitarian situations

More from UNICEF

Early childhood education for all.

It is time for a world where all children enter school equipped with the skills they need to succeed.

175 million children are not enrolled in pre-primary education – UNICEF

Early childhood education has a new MOOC

A new Massive Open Online Course sets out to give all children the best start in education

5 fun ideas for learning through play

Eat, play, love: Playful ways to help build your child’s brain

Better Early Learning and Development at Scale

Build to last: a framework in support of universal quality pre-primary education, blogs on the pilot countries’ belds experiences:  ghana ,  lesotho ,  the kyrgyz republic,   sao tome and principe.

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Definition of preserve

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

intransitive verb

Definition of preserve  (Entry 2 of 2)

Examples of preserve in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Medieval Latin praeservare , from Late Latin, to observe beforehand, from Latin prae- + servare to keep, guard, observe — more at conserve

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing preserve

• game preserve
• nature preserve
• preserve the planet

Articles Related to preserve

13 Breakfast Foods That Are Also Verbs

Verbs you'll find on the brunch menu

Dictionary Entries Near preserve

preservatory

preserveress

Cite this Entry

“Preserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preserve. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of preserve.

Kids Definition of preserve  (Entry 2 of 2)

Medical Definition

Medical definition of preserve, legal definition, legal definition of preserve, more from merriam-webster on preserve.

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The Patient Journey: A Roadmap to Wellness

In an era when patients are empowered to be as active in the healthcare field as possible, their collective voice resonates louder than ever. They actively engage in their healthcare, asking questions and asserting their right to access medical records. While their confidence grows, let’s not overlook the courage it takes to make that initial call—an outreach driven by a bodily concern.

Throughout their healthcare journey, patients often feel outside their comfort zone. It’s crucial to mindfully navigate this, carefully shaping responses to their queries. Healthcare’s increasing priority is evident, with over 60% of patients deeming wait times dreadful. They scrutinize their experiences with healthcare providers, realizing the impact on their well-being.

Research underscores the financial aspect; practices with “excellent” HCAHPS patient ratings boast a 4.7% net margin compared to 1.8% for “low” ratings. This underscores the importance of mapping the patient’s journey. As this practice gains momentum, consider it an opportunity to inspire, motivate, and create a transformative experience. Each interaction is a chance to instill confidence, provide comfort, and contribute positively to their path to optimal health.

What is a “patient journey”?

The term ‘patient journey’ describes the overall experience individuals encounter when interacting with a medical practice, whether as newcomers or established patients. It spans from their initial awareness through various touchpoints, such as word-of-mouth referrals or online searches, to the culmination of their engagement, such as leaving an online review.

Analyzing the patient journey is pivotal for a comprehensive diagnostic approach, as it reveals potential obstacles and roadblocks. To deliver an unparalleled patient experience, medical practices must grasp patient needs and preferences at each stage. Building trust is paramount, emphasizing the medical staff’s dedication to preserving patient well-being. Effective communication becomes a linchpin in elevating the patient experience , ensuring a seamless journey that fosters confidence, satisfaction, and overall health.

Which stages make up the Patient Journey?

Stage 1: discovery.

The patient’s journey begins with awareness. By self-assessing conditions and symptoms, patients initiate their healthcare quest through online searches, review sites, marketing efforts, networking, or community events. As they encounter your touchpoints—your website, call center, and ads—the journey officially starts. Ensure a robust online presence with SEO-friendly content and an optimized Google Business Profile, as 94% of patients rely on online reviews .

Stage 2: Exploration

In the consideration phase, patients weigh options based on referrals, location, insurance, accessibility, and reviews. Challenges arise if reaching the provider proves difficult. Craft patient personas for preferred communication methods, using strategies like email marketing , targeted ads, and AI chatbots to ease the decision-making process and distinguish your brand.

Stage 3: Engagement

The acquisition stage marks the patient’s decision to schedule an appointment. Direct interactions occur through phone calls, patient portals, social media, emails, and SMS. Challenges include difficulty finding appointment links, lengthy wait times, and extensive paperwork. Implement digital solutions like patient scheduling software to streamline bookings and enhance patient satisfaction .

Stage 4: Care Experience

Experienced care delivery is the focal point where traditional patient satisfaction is gauged. The emphasis shifts from online presence to quality of care. Administering treatment and meeting expectations become crucial. Utilize tools like billing or patient management software, CRM platforms, and review solicitation software to ensure top-notch care, effective data management, and feedback collection.

Stage 5: Continuous Care and Loyalty

In the ongoing care phase, retaining patients becomes pivotal. Prioritize improved communication, engage between visits, streamline appointments with digital solutions, manage your online reputation proactively, and exhibit excellent bedside manners. Personalize aftercare, track interactions, and build strong physician-patient relationships. Optimize patient experiences for better outcomes and heightened satisfaction.

Journey Mapping for Practice Growth: Why Is It Crucial?

Navigating the intricate realm of healthcare, patient journey mapping emerges as a cornerstone for medical practitioners. In the ever-evolving landscape, understanding the nuances of the patient journey becomes pivotal for sustainable practice growth. By delving into the patient journey from the outset, starting with the pivotal moment when individuals identify their health concerns, practitioners can strategically align their approach. Patient journey mapping serves as a powerful tool, offering insights that contribute to informed decision-making and ensuring each step of the patient’s path is crafted to be as pleasant as possible.

Key Importance of Patient Journey Mapping:

• Informed Decision-Making: Patient journey mapping provides a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making process, empowering patients with relevant and accurate information.
• Barriers Identification and Removal: Analysis of the patient journey allows practitioners to pinpoint and address obstacles, contributing to a smoother healthcare experience.
• Enhanced Patient Experience: Crafted interventions at each stage provide a positive patient experience, aligning interactions with individual needs and expectations.
• Practice Growth through Patient-Centric Care: Prioritizing patient journey mapping demonstrates a commitment to patient-centric care, cultivating satisfaction, loyalty, and organic practice growth .

Today, patient journey mapping isn’t just a tool; it’s a strategic approach that positions healthcare providers to adapt, evolve, and excel in delivering patient-focused care. Embracing patient journey mapping is not just about understanding; it’s about action, ensuring that every patient’s journey is a testament to the commitment to excellence in healthcare delivery.

Questions can help you build your patient’s journey map:

Question: How much does your patient know about his or her health situation? Tip: This question will help you decide your potential patients’ level of knowledge about their health situation. Is your patient well-researched?

Question: What should your prospective patients know about their situation? Tip: You can make your patients learn about their health issues by providing resources or educational material. Your patients must get a basic understanding of their illness, symptoms, and ways to address them. This process will also be helpful in establishing you as a trusted source.

Question: How severe is the illness? Is the patient feeling comfortable or in distress? Tip: Your patient may expect immediate answers or resolution if he or she is in distress. This conversation will allow you to understand the stages of illness, symptoms, emotional needs, if any, and points of pain.

Question: Is your patient scared, or in pain? Tip: Your patient could be feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed, uncertain, urgent, or hopeful.Your patient may want to know specifically how his or her health concern will be addressed.

Question: What is your patient expecting from the treatment plan? Tip: Most patients will expect an explanation or an understanding of their health issue. The most common expectation is relief or control of persisting symptoms or discomfort, and the most common disappointing outcome is being told not much can be done. Many patients expect further medical investigations and changes to the existing medication.

This conversation may make your patient feel hopeful and confident. You can help him or her get back to a normal life by reducing pain and worry.

These five questions can play a significant role in bringing your potential patient to life. By asking these questions, you can gauge your patient’s heart and mind. These questions may also help you make thoughtful decisions about the channels, touchpoints, and milestones that are most relevant to your patient’s current state and future outcome.

Patient Journey Analysis: A Maximizing Approach

Patient journey mapping is a pivotal strategic process for capturing and communicating patient interactions. This practice, when executed effectively, establishes a foundation for seamless patient experiences, fosters empowerment for both patients and physicians, and yields valuable insights for informed decisions. Key Tips for Patient Interactions:

Create Patient Personas:

• Understand patients as individuals with unique lives.
• Develop personas based on factors like gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle.
• Visualize the patient’s journey within the broader context of their daily lives.

Respect Without Judgment:

• Confirm assumptions and avoid unwarranted judgments.
• Recognize diverse internet usage across age groups.
• Tailor engagement strategies to different demographic preferences.

Acknowledge Caregiver Importance:

• Recognize the crucial role of unpaid caregivers.
• Address the unique stressors and concerns of caregivers.
• Tailor healthcare marketing efforts to support caregivers on their journey.

Simplify Communication:

• Avoid technical jargon in patient communication.
• Address health literacy concerns by simplifying information.
• Focus on a broad audience, considering varied levels of medical understanding.

Navigating the dynamic field of healthcare marketing, these concise yet powerful strategies underscore the importance of both patient journey mapping and the customer’s healthcare journey. They ensure personalized, respectful, and accessible interactions at every stage. By giving precedence to patient personas, embracing diverse internet usage, recognizing the pivotal role of caregivers, and simplifying communication, a collective effort is made to improve the overall patient experience and fortify the foundation of a robust healthcare practice.

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Sharon Mason Parker

Sharon has spent 25 years building teams and developing people to work together to help improve the client experience in the markets we serve. This ultimately benefits both customers and staff equally. Sharing best practices and ideas helps clients and team members envision new alternatives, which is quite fulfilling when positive change results. Sharon enjoys working closely with clients to understand the true drivers that are affecting their business environment. By engaging clients in meaningful exploration of their goals and challenges, she often discovers that an issue they asked for help in solving is merely a symptom of something else or something greater. Solving the real issue through truly listening and not just addressing the symptoms helps create true partnerships with clients.

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Meaning of journey in English

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journey noun [C] ( TRIP )

• She gave the children some candy to chew on during the long car journey.
• The journey was quite quick because the road was clear .
• I expect you'd like to rest after your long journey.
• We did the journey to Wales in five hours .
• The train journey took us through a valley past rolling hills .
• break-journey
• circumnavigation

journey noun [C] ( EXPERIENCES )

• adaptive evolution
• advance the cause
• advancement
• formatively
• from A to B idiom
• punctuated equilibrium

journey noun [C] ( BOOK )

• absorptive capacity
• achievement gap
• acquisition
• know better (than someone ) idiom
• know better (than to do something ) idiom
• know something from something
• know something like the back of your hand idiom
• know your way around something idiom
• orientation
• recognition
• study holiday
• study under someone
• subspeciality
• subspecialize
• around Robin Hood's barn idiom
• baggage drop
• communication
• first class
• peripatetically
• public transportation
• super-commuting

journey | Intermediate English

Examples of journey, collocations with journey.

These are words often used in combination with journey .

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Translations of journey

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Definition of journey verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• They journeyed for seven long months.
• Human beings have long desired to journey into space.
• In 1834 they journeyed south, staying in Rome and Naples.
• It's a chance to journey through one of America's last wildernesses.

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