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Cases

Ohjelma
Bike Lease Finland

Bike Lease Finland

Leasing and maintenance of employee bicycles, digital services.

Ohjelma
Excelence Solutions

Excelence Solutions

Consulting and data analytics, expert services and consulting.

Ohjelma
Finnish Timber Oy

Finnish Timber Oy

Ecological log buildings and construction site processes, project business.

Ohjelma
Green Scape

Green Scape

Customized green wall services for B2B clients, service business.

Ohjelma
Marine Craft

Marine Craft

Customized motorboats, project delivery, manufacturing industry.

Ohjelma
Scandinavian Design

Scandinavian Design

Leasing and maintenance of company bicycles, digital services.

Task

Mapping Needs and Benefits



In this task, the student maps the key needs of a case company's customer and the expected benefits from the service. They describe the situation of the selected customer type, list the key needs, and attach a concrete solution or development proposal to each one. Finally, the student prioritizes the most important needs and summarizes the conclusions. The task deepens customer understanding and supports customer-oriented marketing and service design.

Learning objectives

After completing the task, the student:
1. Can identify the key needs and desired benefits of the case company's customer.
2. Can attach a concrete solution or development proposal to each need.
3. Can assess which needs are the most important for the customer relationship and purchasing decision.
4. Understands how customer-oriented service development is based on the systematic mapping of needs and benefits.

Step by step

  1. Mapping of needs and benefits

    Objective:
    The objective of this assignment is for the student to identify the key needs and desired benefits of the case company’s customer and link them to concrete solution proposals. The aim is to practise thinking in which the service is designed and developed systematically from the customer’s perspective.

    Material:

    • The case description of the selected case company from the learning material.

    • The assignment is based on the case description and on justified assumptions made about the customers’ situation and expectations.

    Assignment process (instructions for the student):

    1. Define the customer type to be examined
      Choose one clear customer type (e.g. consumer customer, small business owner, procurement manager).
      Write a 5–7 sentence background description: who they are, in what situation they need the case company’s service, and what they are trying to solve in their own daily life or work.

    2. List the customer’s key needs
      Identify at least 5 customer needs or expectations related to the case company’s service. These may include for example:

      • functional needs (what the service must practically do)

      • emotional needs (what the customer wants to feel, e.g. trust, ease)

      • benefit-related needs (saving time or money, better outcomes).
        Write a short description for each need: what the customer wants and why it is important to them.

    3. Define the desired benefits
      Describe half a page of the concrete benefits the customer expects to receive if the case company’s service meets the needs well. Consider for example:

      • what improves in the customer’s daily life or work

      • which problems are removed

      • how their emotional state or sense of security improves.
        Connect your reflection to the case company's industry and the nature of the service.

    4. Link a concrete solution or proposal to each need
      Make a list where each need you identified earlier has:

      • a concrete solution (what the case company already does or could do)

      • or a development proposal (what could be added or changed in the service, communication, processes or channels).
        For each point, briefly describe:

      • what the company does/could do in practice

      • how this action results in a benefit for the customer.

    5. Identify the 2–3 most important needs and the related solutions
      Choose 2–3 needs from your list that are the most critical for this customer type.
      Write a half-page reflection explaining:

      • why these needs are the most important (e.g. related to purchase decision, customer loyalty, safety)

      • how well the case company’s current service is likely to meet them

      • which one improvement the company should implement first in your opinion.

    6. Summarise the findings on one page
      Finally, write a one-page summary presenting:

      • a short description of the chosen customer type

      • a list of the key needs and the related solutions

      • your conclusions on which needs the case company should particularly focus on during the next year.

    Submission and evaluation:
    Submit a text of approximately 1–2 pages that includes:

    • the selected customer type and its background description

    • a clear list of the customer’s key needs and desired benefits

    • a concrete solution or development proposal linked to each need

    • reflection on the most important needs and priorities, and a concise summary.

    Evaluation will focus on how well you:

    • identify customer needs and expectations based on the case description

    • clearly link needs to the benefits produced by the service

    • present realistic and customer-oriented solution proposals

    • write in a structured and understandable manner.

    Recommended working time: about 45–60 minutes, individually or in pairs.

Tasks by audience and theme

University of applied sciences

Polytechnics and higher education studies.

68 tasks