Services are made up of different parts and products, and some areas work better than others. As service designers, we need quick and easy ways to communicate and share with others how each part is doing. One method that works really well is using RAG ratings to show how ready or healthy the parts of a service journey are.
The History of RAG Ratings
The RAG rating system started in project management as a way to show how well a project was progressing. It was inspired by traffic lights—red, amber, and green—to make it easy to see at a glance whether something needed attention. First used widely in the 1990s, it became popular because it helped teams quickly spot problems. Today, it’s used in many fields, including service design, because it makes complicated information easy to understand.
What are RAG ratings?
RAG ratings are a simple tool that uses three colours—red, amber, and green—to show how well something is working:
- Red means there is a big problem that needs to be fixed right away.
- Amber means there are some issues, but they aren’t too serious yet. You still need to keep an eye on them.
- Green means everything is working well and there’s no need to worry.
Why Use RAG Ratings?
Implementing RAG ratings makes it easy to quickly see which parts of a service are in good shape and which parts need more attention.
RAG ratings are especially helpful when dealing with complicated services that have many parts. They let you see at a glance what’s going well and what isn’t.
Why RAG ratings are useful
- They make things simple: Services can be complex, but RAG ratings break things down into easy-to-understand chunks without overwhelming you with details.
- They help You prioritise: When you know what’s working and what isn’t, you can focus on fixing the most important problems first, especially those marked red.
- They improve communication: It can be hard to explain every detail of a service to people who aren’t familiar with the design process. But everyone understands red, amber, and green, making RAG ratings a great way to share information with stakeholders.
- They encourage continuous improvement: By using RAG ratings regularly, you can track how well a service is doing over time and catch problems before they get worse.
How to Use RAG Ratings in Service Design
- Set your criteria: Decide what you’re going to rate. Is it how easy a service is to use? How well it works? Or something else?
- Rate each part: Look at each area of the service and decide if it should be marked red, amber, or green based on your criteria.
- Share the results: Once you’ve rated everything, share the RAG ratings with your team and stakeholders. For red areas, explain what needs fixing and how to solve the problem.
- Keep monitoring: RAG ratings are most useful when used regularly. Keep checking and updating your ratings to make sure everything stays on track.
By using RAG ratings, service designers can easily spot issues, communicate with stakeholders, and keep services running smoothly. It’s a simple but powerful tool for managing complex systems.