The Business Model Canvas is an analytical tool outlined in the book Business Model Generation. It is a visual template preformatted with the nine blocks of a business model, which allows you to develop and sketch out new or existing business models. This book has sold over 220,000 copies the past two years and has established itself as one of the leading sources of modeling for both startups and established businesses.
I have found it to be challenging for many companies to document and developing a consensus on Standard Work of a service product. It will meet resistance, but it is the one thing that can have a significant impact, almost immediately. I am not talking about developing call scripts, checklist, etc. I am talking about characterizing how we do things or in other words, provide clarity. At that point, best practices will surface and a few bad ones will be obvious even to the naysayers.
Many will want to jump into Lean Practices of Value Stream Mapping, Process Mapping and even Customer Journey Mapping as the first step, start improving a process. I think that is too cumbersome. I use the Business Model Canvas as my first step. The nine blocks that make up this canvas provides the organization the necessary structure needed. This video will explains how to complete and use the canvas:
The video was a little fuzzy, this is the slide deck that was used.
Dr. Alexander Osterwalder is a sought-after author, speaker, workshop facilitator and adviser on the topic of business model design and innovation. He has established himself as a global thought leader in this area, based on a systematic and practical methodology to achieve business model innovation.
Alex’s Website: http://www.businessmodelalchemist.com
Post from Alex Osterwalder discussed in the Business901 Podcast – The Customer-Value Map
Download both of these and tape to your wall!
Business Model Canvas Poster V.1.0 from Alexander Osterwalder
Customer Journey Canvas from the book, This is Service Design Thinking