Strategic Business Analysis

VUCA

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. It represents the challenging and rapidly changing environment that organizations and individuals often face.

Volatility

The rapidity, scale, and unpredictability of environmental shifts. Swift and unforeseen alterations can disrupt existing norms and plans. Agility and rapid adaptation are essential to navigate volatile situations.

Uncertainty

The rapid erosion of reliability in using past events, predictions, and historical experiences as a foundation for shaping the future. Planning investments, development strategies, and growth trajectories becomes intricate due to the unpredictable nature of the environment.

Complexity

The intricate connections and blurred lines that define the modern world. It requires an innovative approach that thrives in ambiguity and leverages complexity as an opportunity.

Ambiguity

The lack of clarity about the direction of journeys and the diminishing capacity to depend on past experiences and data to predict future outcomes. It challenges entrenched assumptions and necessitates a continuous learning approach and the ability to make prompt decisions.

Tesla Challenge

The example of car manufacturers facing the challenge of Tesla's innovations in autonomous driving, in-car entertainment, and performance metrics.

Turbulence in Telecommunications

The example of the fluctuating smartphone market and evolving technologies like 5G impacting profitability in the telecommunications industry.

Kodak Tragedy in Digital Photography

The example of Kodak's missteps in embracing digital technology, leading to its downfall and bankruptcy.

E-commerce and Retail Transformation

The example of traditional retail models being disrupted by e-commerce giants like Amazon.

Financial Services and Fintech Disruption

The example of traditional banks facing challenges from innovative fintech startups offering streamlined services and enhanced user experiences.

Healthcare Innovation and Regulation

The example of the healthcare sector navigating rapid technological advancements and evolving regulations, balancing innovation with compliance.

VUCA

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity - a framework used to describe the challenges and characteristics of today's ever-evolving business landscape.

Complexity

The intricate and convoluted nature of problems and their impacts in the VUCA world, characterized by a maze of perplexing interrelationships and a web of reactions and interactions.

Ambiguity

The inherent uncertainty and multiple interpretations of information in the VUCA context, leading to challenges in decision-making and organizational progress.

Strategic Management

The identification and description of strategies that managers undertake to achieve better performance and a competitive advantage for their organization.

Strategy

A general direction set for the company and its components to achieve a desired state in the future, resulting from the strategic planning process and taking into consideration goals, uncertainty, and the behavior of others.

Strategic Intent

The purpose and motivation for an organization's existence, providing a clear vision and guiding immediate actions to achieve the company's goals.

Mission Statement

A statement that describes the role and purpose of an organization, including its present capabilities, stakeholders, and unique qualities.

Components of a Strategy Statement

The key elements of a strategy statement, including strategic intent and mission statement, that define the overall mission, vision, and direction of an organization.

Mission statement

A statement that includes the mission or vision of a company, the core values that shape employee behavior, and the goals and objectives of the company.

Feasible

Able to be achieved or accomplished.

Clear

Easily understood or comprehended.

Inspiring

Motivating or encouraging.

Precise

Clearly defined or specific.

Unique

Distinctive or different from others.

Analytical

Involving the analysis of key components of a strategy.

Credible

Able to be believed or trusted.

Vision statement

Identifies where the organization wants to be in the future and describes dreams and aspirations.

Unambiguous

Clear and not open to interpretation.

Harmonize

Align or be in agreement with.

Rational/realistic

Logical and achievable.

Shorter

Concise and easier to remember.

Goals

Desired future states or objectives that an organization tries to achieve.

Precise and measurable

Clearly defined and able to be quantified.

Critical and significant issues

Addressing important and essential matters.

Realistic and challenging

Achievable but also pushing the organization to strive for more.

Specific time frame

A set period within which the goals must be achieved.

Financial and non-financial components

Including both monetary and non-monetary aspects.

Objectives

Goals that an organization wants to achieve over a period of time.

Foundation of planning

The basis for creating strategies and policies.

Multiple

More than one objective.

Short-term and long-term

Goals that can be achieved in the near future and goals that require more time.

Flexible

Able to adapt and respond to changes in the environment.

Feasible, realistic, and operational

Achievable, practical, and able to be implemented.

Business Analysis

The practice of enabling change in an organizational context by defining needs and recommending solutions.

Stakeholders

Individuals or groups who have an interest or are affected by the organization.

Value

The worth or importance of something.

Core Concept Model

A model that describes the relationships among the core concepts in business analysis.

Change

The process of making something different or altering the current state.

Need

A requirement or necessity.

Solution

A means of solving a problem or meeting a need.

Context

The circumstances or conditions in which something exists or occurs.

Stakeholder

An individual or group with an interest or involvement in the organization.

Value

The worth or importance of something.

Change

A controlled transformation of an organization.

Organization

A collection of stakeholders acting in a coordinated manner, and in service to a common goal.

Control

Conscious attention paid to directly effecting the change, by provoking it, preparing for it, or preventing it.

Prepare Change

Asking questions about what is changing, the context for the change, who cares about the change, and why.

Provoke Change

Discovering and defining potential changes to understand which ones are most likely to be most beneficial.

Prevent Change

Working to get damaging change prioritized to the bottom of the queue, invalidate bad business cases, uncover false assumptions, and question questionable decisions.

Need

A problem, opportunity, or constraint with potential value to a stakeholder.

Problem

A condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to solve a problem or achieve an objective.

Opportunity

A condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to take advantage of a favorable situation.

Constraint

Something that limits options or must be met or possessed by a solution or solution component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed documents.

Requirement

A usable representation of a need.

Stakeholder

An individual or group with an interest or concern in the organization or its activities.

Change Agents

People changing the organization who have needs related to making that change.

Change Targets

People being changed who have needs related to a functioning solution.

Solution

The thing needed to fulfill a need.

Value

The worth, importance, or usefulness of something to stakeholders.

Stakeholder

A group or individual with a relationship to the change or the solution.

Context

The part of the environment which encompasses the change.

Situation

The combination of the context and the change it contains.

Solution

A specific way of satisfying a need in a context.

Functionality

The solution allows a stakeholder to do something that is otherwise difficult or impossible.

Characteristics

The solution confers some characteristic on a stakeholder.

Experiences

The solution allows a stakeholder to experience something that others do not experience.

Value

The importance of something to a stakeholder in a context.

Value

The importance or significance of a thing.

Stakeholder

A person or group with an interest or concern in a particular organization or project.

Context

The circumstances or setting in which something exists or occurs.

Importance

The quality or state of being important or significant.

Ranking

The action of assigning a position or level of importance to something.

Prioritization

The act of determining the order or importance of tasks or goals.

Motivation

The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

Reward

Something given or received in return for one's efforts or achievements.

Money

A medium of exchange in the form of coins or banknotes.

Scarcity

The state of being in short supply or limited quantity.