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Throughout history, maps have been essential in just about every strategy. They help us understand why we take action, how we can outmanoeuvre rivals and where our escape routes are if things go wrong. Business competition can also be viewed as a landscape, and thus the value chain of customers, suppliers, activities and processes can be broadly mapped. IT is radically changing the competitive landscape and those firms that see the playing field clearly, will be more likely to anticipate the future and deploy effective strategies. By undertaking this course, you will learn about: * The principles of mapping and how to relate them to your business * Value Chains, and their role in defining Strategy * Evolution in a map (showing how a superior, but expensive solution is inevitably replaced by a barely-good-enough, but commoditized version.) * The phases of Evolution * How to anticipate the future by looking at economic patterns * Approaches to component development — one size does not fit all. Wardley Maps can help you to better identify uncertainty and associated risks in delivering value to your customers. They allow us to anticipate what’s going to happen in the future and to avoid irreversible decisions that may hamper our operations down the road. Maps help us understand and handle inertia, and to remove unnecessary duplication of effort. They help us to outsource using commoditized components, increasing our ability to respond to changing environments. Finally, Wardley Maps enable us to discover inefficiencies — for example, where people are working on projects to which they’re not suited, and are, therefore, working much more slowly than might be expected. Keeping your organization fit is not a one-off exercise — it requires continuous effort. Wardley Maps can be applied over and over again, and regular Map Reviews can keep your organization delivering value to your customers by manipulating both your own — and your competitors’ — value chains. With Wardley Maps, your organization can stop self-harm and get fit!

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Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Examines how value chains define strategy
Shows how a superior solution is inevitably replaced by a barely-good-enough, but commoditized version
Explores how economic patterns help anticipate the future
Helps understand and handle inertia, and remove unnecessary duplication of effort
Demonstrates how to outsource using commoditized components
Helps discover inefficiencies and identify where people are working on projects to which they’re not suited

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Wardley Mapping with these activities:
Read 'The Innovator's Dilemma'
Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of innovation in established organizations.
Show steps
  • Read the book's introduction and first three chapters.
  • Summarize the key concepts of disruptive innovation.
  • Analyze the case studies presented in the book.
Organize Your Course Materials
Improve your learning experience by organizing your notes, assignments, and other course materials.
Show steps
  • Review your notes.
  • Organize your notes by topic.
  • Create a study schedule.
Complete online quizzes or exercises on Wardley Mapping
Reinforce your understanding of Wardley Mapping concepts through interactive exercises and quizzes.
Show steps
  • Find online quizzes or exercises on Wardley Mapping.
  • Complete the quizzes or exercises to test your knowledge.
  • Review your results and identify areas for improvement.
Ten other activities
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Show all 13 activities
Learn about Wardley Maps from Simon Wardley
Gain insights from the creator of Wardley Mapping, Simon Wardley, by watching his tutorials on the topic.
Show steps
  • Watch Simon Wardley's tutorials on Wardley Mapping.
  • Take notes on the key concepts of Wardley Mapping.
  • Apply the concepts to your own business.
Learn about Value Chain Analysis from Harvard Business Review
Expand your knowledge of value chain analysis by reviewing the insights from Harvard Business Review.
Browse courses on Value Chain Analysis
Show steps
  • Read Harvard Business Review articles on value chain analysis.
  • Take notes on the key concepts of value chain analysis.
  • Apply the concepts to your own business.
Practice Identifying Value Chains
Reinforce your understanding of value chains by practicing identifying them in different business scenarios.
Browse courses on Value Chain Analysis
Show steps
  • Choose a business scenario.
  • Identify the key components of the value chain.
  • Map out the relationships between the components.
  • Analyze the map to identify opportunities for improvement.
Read 'Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes'
Gain a deeper understanding of strategy mapping and how it can be used to align an organization's goals and objectives.
Show steps
  • Read the book's introduction and first three chapters.
  • Summarize the key concepts of strategy mapping.
  • Create a simple strategy map for your own organization or a hypothetical organization.
Join a study group to discuss Wardley Mapping concepts
Engage with your peers to enhance your understanding of Wardley Mapping through discussions and knowledge sharing.
Show steps
  • Find a study group or create your own.
  • Discuss Wardley Mapping concepts and case studies.
  • Share insights and best practices.
Create a Wardley Map
Use Wardley Mapping to analyze your company's business landscape, identify opportunities, and develop a strategic plan.
Show steps
  • Review the course material on Wardley Mapping.
  • Identify the key components of your company's value chain.
  • Map out the relationships between the components of your value chain.
  • Analyze the map to identify opportunities for improvement.
  • Develop a strategic plan based on your analysis.
Practice Identifying Evolutionary Phases
Develop a deeper understanding of Wardley's evolutionary phases by practicing identifying them in different business scenarios.
Browse courses on Business Strategy
Show steps
  • Choose a business scenario.
  • Identify the evolutionary phase that the business is in.
  • Analyze the factors that have contributed to the business's current phase.
  • Predict the future trajectory of the business based on its current phase.
Create a Wardley Map for a hypothetical business scenario
Develop your practical skills in creating Wardley Maps and apply them to real-world business scenarios.
Show steps
  • Identify a hypothetical business scenario.
  • Gather information and data on the business scenario.
  • Create a Wardley Map based on the gathered information.
  • Analyze the Wardley Map and identify potential opportunities or risks.
Attend a conference or meetup focused on Wardley Mapping
Connect with professionals in the field, exchange ideas, and gain valuable insights on Wardley Mapping.
Show steps
  • Research and find a conference or meetup related to Wardley Mapping.
  • Register and attend the event.
  • Network with other attendees and learn from their experiences.
Write a blog post or article on a Wardley Mapping topic
Deepen your understanding of Wardley Mapping by researching, writing, and sharing your knowledge with others.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific topic in Wardley Mapping that you want to explore.
  • Research and gather information on the topic.
  • Organize your thoughts and write an outline.
  • Write the blog post or article.

Career center

Learners who complete Wardley Mapping will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst maps out how a business or its competitor functions. They take into account multiple factors that are shown in the value chain. This includes how customers, suppliers, activities, and processes interact with each other. With this information, they work with managers in developing strategies for the allocation of resources.
Business Consultant
A Business Consultant helps businesses of all sizes streamline their operations. They may be hired to help a business reduce cost, increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, or create a strategic plan. Wardley Maps provides the visual data helpful in setting up a holistic plan to accomplish this.
Information Technology Manager
An Information Technology Manager develops organizational plans by applying IT principles and methods. They use tools like Wardley Maps to help anticipate technological changes, identify cost-effective solutions to meet application and technology requirements, and overall guide the strategy of the IT department.
Management Consultant
A Management Consultant helps businesses improve their performance. With the use of Wardley Mapping, a Management Consultant can identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement within a company's processes, strategy, and organization.
Product Manager
A Product Manager leads the development, launch, and growth of a product. Wardley Maps enables Product Managers to understand the evolution of a product, anticipate future trends, and make informed decisions about the product's roadmap.
Operations Manager
An Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a business. Having knowledge of Wardley Mapping can help the Operations Manager identify and eliminate waste, improve efficiency, and make better decisions about how to allocate resources.
Supply Chain Manager
A Supply Chain Manager plans, implements, and controls the flow of goods, services, and information between a company and its suppliers. Wardley Maps enable Supply Chain Managers to visualize the supply chain, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions about how to improve the efficiency of the supply chain.
Project Manager
A Project Manager plans, executes, and closes projects. Wardley Maps allow Project Managers to visualize the project, identify dependencies, and make informed decisions about how to allocate resources.
Financial Analyst
A Financial Analyst provides investment advice to individuals and organizations. They may use Wardley Mapping to evaluate the financial performance of a company, assess the risk of an investment, and make informed decisions about how to allocate financial resources.
Systems Analyst
A Systems Analyst analyzes and designs business systems. Wardley Mapping helps Systems Analysts understand the relationship between different parts of a system, identify inefficiencies, and make informed decisions about how to improve the performance of the system.
Software Engineer
A Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains software applications. Wardley Maps help Software Engineers understand the architecture of a software application, identify potential bugs, and make informed decisions about how to improve the performance of the application.
Data Analyst
A Data Analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data. Wardley Maps may be useful in helping Data Analysts understand the relationship between different data sets, identify trends, and make informed decisions about how to use data to improve the performance of a business.
Marketing Manager
A Marketing Manager plans and executes marketing campaigns. Wardley Maps may be useful in helping Marketing Managers understand the target market for a product or service, identify the best channels to reach the target market, and make informed decisions about how to allocate marketing resources.
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads and motivates a sales team. Wardley Maps may be useful in helping Sales Managers understand the sales process, identify opportunities to increase sales, and make informed decisions about how to allocate sales resources.
Human Resources Manager
A Human Resources Manager plans and executes human resources policies. Wardley Maps may be useful in helping Human Resources Managers understand the organizational structure of a company, identify opportunities to improve employee morale, and make informed decisions about how to allocate human resources.

Reading list

We've selected 15 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Wardley Mapping.
Classic work on innovation and technology disruption. It explores the reasons why large, established companies often fail to innovate and are overtaken by smaller, more agile competitors.
Provides a practical guide to lean startup principles and methodologies. It teaches entrepreneurs how to test their ideas quickly and efficiently, and how to build successful businesses based on customer feedback.
Provides a clear and concise introduction to systems thinking. It explains the basic concepts of systems thinking and how they can be applied to solve complex problems.
Provides an overview of the Toyota Production System, which is one of the most successful manufacturing systems in the world. It explains the principles behind the Toyota Way and how they can be applied to any business.
Provides a clear and concise guide to developing good strategy. It explains the difference between good and bad strategy, and provides a framework for developing effective strategies.
Provides a sweeping overview of human history. It explores the origins of our species, the development of civilization, and the challenges we face today.
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Explores the science of motivation. It explains what motivates people and how we can create workplaces that are more motivating.
Provides a unique perspective on building a successful startup. It argues that startups should focus on creating something new and different, rather than copying existing businesses.
Provides a framework for understanding and developing the skills of disruptive innovation. It identifies five key skills that are essential for disruptive innovators.
Parable about the five dysfunctions that can prevent a team from being successful. It provides practical advice on how to overcome these dysfunctions and build a high-performing team.
Novel about a manufacturing manager who learns how to apply the Theory of Constraints to improve his plant's performance. It provides a practical introduction to the Theory of Constraints and how it can be used to improve any process.
Explores the role of improbable events in our lives and in the world around us. It provides a new way of thinking about risk and uncertainty.
Builds on the ideas presented in The Black Swan. It explores the concept of antifragility, which is the ability of a system to benefit from disorder and uncertainty.

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