In today’s business world, it’s important for companies to always look for new ways to grow. One effective strategy is using the “Strategy Canvas.” This tool helps businesses map out their competition, find new market opportunities, and stand out from competitors. By using the Strategy Canvas, companies can see where to focus and use resources, leading to lasting growth.

What is Strategy Mapping?

A strategy map helps organizations see their goals and how to turn them into actions. It’s different from traditional planning because it focuses on making the strategy into a plan, not just setting goals. This visual tool helps align goals, objectives, and initiatives. It shows how each goal or objective is connected to different parts of the organization. By doing this, managers can understand how the strategy works and communicate better.

A strategy map usually includes objectives, perspectives, and initiatives. These represent the important factors for success. Organizations can adjust these components to fit their unique needs. They can change the connections to match their industry, environment, or focus.

Make Your Own Strategy Map

A Basic Template for Strategy Mapping

A basic template for strategy mapping should include:

• A graphical representation of the current strategic landscape
• Various factors of competition
• The offering level buyers receive across these factors
• Your organization’s strategic profile and cost structures, along with those of your competitors

To customize a strategy map, it’s important to consider:

• Unique market conditions
• Target audience
• Strategic objectives and priorities

For effective use in strategic planning and implementation, key considerations include:

• Alignment with the organization’s overall business objectives
• Clear and measurable key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Regularly updating and revising the strategy map to reflect changes in the market and industry landscape

These elements are important when creating and using a strategy map for business development.

Blueprint Strategy Map

A Blueprint Strategy Map shows the current strategy and future outlook of an organization in one visual. It helps create a blue ocean strategy for business growth. The map compares an organization’s offerings to competitors and aligns business goals. It highlights key strategic elements like competition factors, buyer offerings, and cost structures. The map should include investment areas, products, services, delivery factors, and what customers get from competitive offerings.

This guides the organization towards value innovation and a blue ocean strategy.

How to Use a Strategy Map

A strategy map helps an organization to communicate its goals and objectives effectively. It captures the current strategic landscape and future prospects graphically in a single page.

The map shows how an organization configures its offerings in relation to its competitors. It communicates the factors of competition, the level of offerings buyers receive, and the strategic profiles and cost structures of the organization and its competitors.

It tells a story that helps users understand where they and their competitors are investing, the product, service, and delivery factors the industry is competing on, and what customers receive from existing competitive offerings.

To align resources and initiatives with strategic priorities using a strategy map, it is important to recognize the value of brevity. For example, John Reed of Citicorp demanded that business unit heads present their proposed strategies in just a few slides.

Furthermore, strategy maps can be used to track and measure progress towards achieving strategic objectives, allowing users to see and understand what is currently being invested in, the product, service, and delivery factors the industry is competing on, and what customers receive from existing competitive offerings.

Different Kinds of Strategy Maps

There are different types of strategy maps that organizations can use to achieve success in their industries. These include destination maps, blue ocean strategy maps, economic value maps, and innovation value chain maps. Each focuses on different aspects of strategic planning.

These maps vary in structure, layout, and the specific areas of business development they emphasize, catering to the unique needs of various industries and organizations.

Determining the most appropriate type of strategy map for a specific organization involves analyzing the organization’s current position, competitive landscape, and long-term strategic goals. For example, if a company wants to identify untapped market space and create new demand, implementing a blue ocean strategy map may be most beneficial. On the other hand, if an organization aims to optimize its current offerings for maximum economic value, an economic value map would be more suitable.

By carefully evaluating their strategic priorities and market conditions, organizations can select a strategy map that aligns with their unique business development needs.

Common Challenges When Making Strategy Maps

Creating a strategy canvas can be challenging for organizations. It’s hard to decide how much information to include in a single picture. Figuring out which metrics to use and what questions to ask can also be tough.

To tackle these challenges, organizations do thorough research upfront. This helps them extract only the necessary information and metrics. It’s important to avoid making the strategy canvas too complex.

Best practices include understanding industry and market trends, involving diverse team members, and regularly reviewing and updating the strategy map to keep it relevant.

Overcoming Problems with Strategy Maps

Organizations often struggle with strategy maps due to the complexity of information and a lack of clarity on what to focus on. This can make it hard for teams to grasp the organization’s goals. To address these challenges, organizations can simplify the information on strategy maps, use visual aids, and focus on the most important elements for clear understanding.

By simplifying information and using visuals, organizations can effectively communicate their strategic direction and improve decision-making. It’s also important to train all team members in understanding and using strategy maps effectively through regular sessions and workshops. This alignment ensures the successful use and implementation of strategy maps to achieve goals and objectives.

Learning More About Strategy Maps

There are different kinds of strategy maps. They show how a company’s offerings compare to those of its competitors. These maps can indicate the factors of competition, the level of offerings, and the strategic profiles and cost structures. Strategy maps can help tell a story by showing where a company and its rivals are investing. They also help identify the product, service, and delivery factors that the industry competes on, as well as what customers get from existing competitive offerings.

Making strategy maps can be challenging in terms of time. However, focusing on simplicity can help overcome this challenge. A noteworthy example of an inspiring strategy map in the public sector is the transformation of Medellin, Colombia. Once known as the ‘Murder Capital of the World’, it used an innovative strategy involving a public transport system called the Metrocable.

By using chairlift technology from ski resorts, Medellin built the world’s first urban cable car system at a fraction ofthe cost. This transformation rapidly and inexpensively changed the city.

Examples of Strategy Maps

Strategy maps are used in various industries. For example, in the public sector, Medellin transformed into an innovative city with the ‘Metrocable’ transit system. This system used chairlift technology from ski resorts to create an urban cable car system for public transport, transforming transportation options rapidly and at low cost.

Citicorp’s chairman and CEO, John Reed, implemented a strategy map that required business unit heads to present proposed strategies in a few slides, reflecting a focus on clear and concise communication of organizational strategies.

Different organizations use strategy maps to achieve their goals and objectives by emphasizing value innovation and focusing on providing unique and valuable benefits to customers at low costs. It helps them set apart from traditional transit systems.

Successful strategy maps incorporate key elements such as consistency with the organization’s overall strategy, a clear visual depiction of the factors of competition and the buyer’s offering level, and a compelling story that communicates the organization’s strategic investments, product offerings, and competitive position.