Turning insight into action: How Lyreco built a daily discipline of journey management

At the Beyond the Map 2025 event, Aude Jacquemin, Global CX Manager, took to the stage to explain how Lyreco, one of Europe’s largest workplace solutions providers, wants to reshape the way customer experience generates business value in 25 countries.

She opened her session titled “From Mapping to Managing: Putting Journeys at the Center of Decision-Making,” by addressing the elephant in the room:  “We’ve all heard it: ‘Journey management doesn’t work for us.’ And honestly? I agree. But not for the reason you think.”

For Lyreco, the problem wasn’t the concept of mapping. The issue was fragmentation, inconsistency, and the absence of a shared system for decision-making. “We still think in terms of business features versus IT systems,” said Jacquemin. “And the big missing piece in this puzzle is the customer.” This is a reality in many large groups. When discussing with peers, we realize that we all have the same problems.

The problem with mapping

Like many companies, Lyreco began by mapping journeys. But those maps quickly multiplied. “So many files, so many formats, each team had its own version, its own way to send it,” Aude Jacquemin recounted. “And when it came time to decide, you have endless debates.” 

The consequence was predictable, as she explained: “You have no clear prioritization, a loss of wasted energy, and sometimes programs can fizzle out before having any impact.” The problem wasn’t the journey maps themselves; it was the absence of a real practice behind them. Mapping existed, but the discipline did not.

From project to process

For Lyreco, the breakthrough came when they started thinking about journeys differently. “Journey management is not a deliverable but a current, daily discipline,” said Aude Jacquemin. “It’s a common language that can reconnect IT, business, and the customer.” This is a real change that needs to be made.

With this mindset, Lyreco rebuilt its approach around a single, universal journey framework — simple, visual, and tied to OKRs, KPIs, and clear definitions of success. “It’s easy for everyone to understand,” she emphasized. “It’s one shared framework, visible to all.”

But the framework itself wasn't a magic bullet; the real change lies in ownership. Rather than imposing solutions from headquarters, Lyreco empowers each country to implement the framework locally. "The group defines the framework, but the countries drive all the actions," explains Aude Jacquemin. "This avoids the trap of simply copying and pasting and ensures better adoption."

Sharing responsibilities leads to a slow but steady cultural shift. “Initially, each department prefers to maintain control: ‘This is my area, my habits, I’m the expert.’ But when we place the customer journey at the heart of our concerns, discussions shift from a defensive attitude to a collaborative approach,” explains Aude Jacquemin. “Teams no longer think, ‘This is your customer experience tool,’ but instead ask themselves, ‘How can we collaborate? How can I contribute?’”

Real-world proof

Aude Jacquemin illustrated the power of this new operational model with a concrete example: customer onboarding. Initially, the teams approached the problem solely from a tool perspective: adding fields, fixing bugs, and adjusting screens.

Today, Lyreco is rethinking onboarding as a customer journey rather than a system workflow, and the solution emerged as a natural progression. “We suggested changing our approach, simplifying, presenting things differently, and reducing the effort required from the customer.”

A new approach: quarterly journey performance reviews

To integrate this work within the organization, Lyreco initiated quarterly performance reviews, which helped consolidate lessons learned and action plans.

This shift in perspective led to new discussions and viewpoints. “It’s no longer just a collection of data. It has become a genuine decision-making process,” explains Aude Jacquemin. This body is being built in collaboration with the contributing countries.

These reviews have established transparency, a consistent pace, shared responsibility, and the sharing of best practices. Following individual training and support, participation has become more visible. “This commitment from the initial contributing countries is the best proof that this represents real change,” she reaffirmed.

Overcoming obstacles, one step at a time

The presentation ended with a frank assessment of what real transformation demands. “I heard many things like ‘You arrived too early,’ ‘You’re going too fast,’ ‘We’re not Google.’ These obstacles are inevitable,” Aude Jacquemin admitted. She countered with an approach grounded in patience and evidence, “Change must be lived step by step, and proven by tangible results.”

Journey management succeeds only when it stops being a project and becomes a practice: a shared language, an evidence-based system, and a cultural rhythm grounded in real customer experience.

“We started small, only 4 people. Now we have 80 contributors trained across multiple countries. 5 countries are Ok to be contributors as Pilots to refine best practices. It’s a discipline. And it gives the company more speed and confidence in every decision,” she enthused. With that shift, journey management at Lyreco moved from aspiration to a daily discipline that now shapes how the business delivers real value.

Aude Jacquemin closed by reminding practitioners, leaders, and budding journey managers that the future of this discipline will be built through shared frameworks, consistent rituals, and organizations willing to take the next step: “Let’s collaborate beyond the map.”