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Michael MancusoProduct & technology executive
Projects & case studies

Complex work.
Concrete results.

Product launches, operating-model changes, and complex AI-enabled builds. Explore the business problem, the decisions I led, and what changed.

Built with agents

Product strategy and a repository-based second brain.

Phase 3 Benefits brings eight health, commuter, and wage-law account types onto one payment card. I built a repository-based second brain—product strategy, specifications, verified facts, and agent memory—to keep AI development aligned.

Specification-driven development at platform scale.

Shared FHIR-based contracts coordinated parallel development across clinical, operational, and financial workflows.

Leadership case studies

Showing 6 of 38

SmileMD

Created a comprehensive service design framework at SmileMD, resulting in improved operational efficiency, enhanced team collaboration, and proactive planning for future growth.

01

Challenge

As SmileMD grew, it became essential to create a cohesive understanding of how providers, practices, and patients interacted within our system. The lack of a unified perspective on these interactions posed challenges in identifying capacity and efficiency constraints, ultimately hindering proactive planning for future growth.

02

Action

To address this, we undertook a comprehensive service design initiative. This involved creating detailed maps and blueprints to visualize and understand the interactions and workflows within our organization. Key actions included:

  • Level 1 Subway Map: Developed a high-level subway map illustrating the connections and interaction points between providers, practices, and patients. This map served as a foundational tool for building a shared understanding of our business across all levels of the organization.
  • Level 2 Detailed Maps: Created detailed maps for each stakeholder group (Providers, Practices, and Patients) to depict the next level of fidelity. These maps provided a clearer view of the specific interactions and workflows within each group.
  • Level 3 Service Blueprints: Designed in-depth service blueprints that offered granular details of the processes and touchpoints for each stakeholder group. These blueprints highlighted the front-stage and back-stage activities, ensuring comprehensive visibility into all operational aspects.
03

Results

The implementation of these service design artifacts led to significant improvements in organizational understanding and planning:

  • Enhanced Shared Understanding: The Level 1 subway map fostered a strong, shared understanding of our business operations across all levels of the organization. This unified perspective facilitated better communication and collaboration.
  • Detailed Operational Insights: The Level 2 maps provided detailed insights into the specific workflows and interactions within each stakeholder group. This clarity helped teams identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
  • Comprehensive Visibility: The Level 3 service blueprints offered an in-depth view of the processes, enabling us to pinpoint capacity and efficiency constraints. This visibility was crucial for proactive planning and informed decision-making.
  • Proactive Planning for Growth: With a clear understanding of our operations, we were able to anticipate and address capacity and efficiency issues. This proactive approach ensured that we were well-prepared for future growth, maintaining operational excellence.

Questions

What is service design and why was it needed at SmileMD?

Service design maps the interactions between providers, practices, and patients to build a shared understanding of operations. SmileMD needed it to identify capacity constraints and plan proactively for growth.

What service design artifacts were created?

Three levels of artifacts were created: a Level 1 subway map showing high-level connections, Level 2 detailed maps for each stakeholder group, and Level 3 in-depth service blueprints.

How did service design improve operations at SmileMD?

It fostered shared understanding across the organization, provided detailed operational insights, enabled proactive planning for growth, and identified capacity and efficiency constraints.

How were the service blueprints kept up-to-date as SmileMD grew?

The three-level design system was built to evolve with the organization — the subway map provided a stable high-level view while Level 2 and 3 maps were updated as workflows and team structures changed.

How did service design connect to the outcomes-driven roadmap?

The service blueprints directly informed the outcomes-driven roadmap by identifying the capacity constraints and process inefficiencies that the roadmap's goals and success metrics were designed to address.

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