Like most other Frequently Asked Questions, these are questions we figured you might be curious about! 🙂

What is a customer journey? A customer journey is a metaphor for “walking in the customer’s shoes” as he or she is using a service, for example, online shopping.  The journey concept’s expansion into non-commercial settings has broadened its focus to include users, consumers, patients, and citizens.

What is a customer journey map? A customer journey map is a visualization of a customer journey. There is no standard diagram for customer journeys, but they are often divided into sequential steps with time along the horizontal axis. In most cases the vertical axis represents the customer experience.

What is CJML? A formalized approach to customer journeys, and it includes terminology and a visual notation. The diagrams are a specialized form of process diagram that highlight the actors participating in the journey and the sequence of steps (touchpoints) necessary to achieve the end-user’s goal. For each touchpoint, the diagram specifies which actor initiates communication, the recipient, and the channel through which the interaction occurs.

What can CJML be used for? The basic usage is as a communication tool; a standardized lens for investigating the end-user’s perspective and experience. It’s a tool geared towards user-centricity. The intuitive visual format is effective in getting a group of people on the same page. Typical use cases are documentation (journey discovery), analysis (journey conformance), and service innovation (journey design or redesign).

Is CJML difficult to use? No. CJML is designed for a broad target group. Anyone can make a fairly precise diagram (yes, we have done systematic studies confirming this). Some parts of CJML are more technical, for example if you want your computer to interpret a journey. We have a number of tools to cope with CJML. Check out the Tools section.

How is CJML different from other approaches? CJML relies on formalism. Like definitions, principles, and rules. It does not necessarily make it more complex. On the other hand, it may simplify communication by giving teams a common language and systematic approach.

What is xCJML? To make CJML machine readable, we have developed a XML format for customer journeys. This format is called xCJML. For example, some of our tools can import and export journeys in the xCJML format.

Can I use CJML for free? Yes. CJML is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license (CC-BY-SA), the same license used by Wikipedia. You must credit the source when using CJML, and if you adapt the model, you are required to share your modifications under the same terms. More information about this license can be found on the Creative Commons website

Who made CJML? Researchers at SINTEF Digital, Norway, developed CJML over many years, based on requirements and feedback from project partners, companies, and collaborators. Read more in the history of CJML, and a research paper on how we involved users in the development of CJML.

Who is using CJML? We don’t have a full overview of this, as no registration is required, and we don’t collect any personal data. However, we do know that more than 30 000 users have downloaded the CJML specification.

How can I give feedback? We would really like to hear your suggestions! Soon we will provide an e-mail address.

Is CJML finished? We are continuously working to improve CJML. So keep an eye out for updates.