First use the guidance materials provided below to map the existing Value Network for addressing the problem you are targeting, before mapping the Value Network that you need for your preferred solution to work. Having done this, make a note of the adaptations that will be required by both the actors and in the actions within the ecosystem.
In order to fully develop a Value Network strategy, it is necessary to first map out the value exchanges across the network. This mapping method relies on only three simple elements (Allee, 2008):
- Roles are real people or participants in the network who provide contributions and carry out functions. Participants have the power to initiate action, engage in interactions, add value, and make decisions. They can be individuals; small groups or teams; business units, whole organisations; collectives, such as business webs or industry groups; communities; or even nation states.
- Transactions, or activities, originate with one participant and end with another. The arrow is a directional link that represents movement and denotes the direction of what passes between two roles. Solid lines are formal contract exchanges around product and revenue, while the dashed lines depict the intangible flows of market information and benefits.
- Deliverables are the actual ‘things’ that move from one role to another. A deliverable can be physical (eg, a document or a table) or it can be non-physical (eg, a message or request delivered verbally). It can also be a specific type of knowledge, expertise, advice, or information about something, or a favour or benefit that is bestowed upon the recipient.
By mapping these, you can assess where there might need to be adaptations to the ecosystem to:
- Roles: Are there new participants that need to be added to the network? Do any existing participants need to change their roles?
- Transactions: Are there any activities within the ecosystem that will need to change? Will some relationships need to stop, begin or change?
- Deliverables: What changes are there to the deliverables?