Page 249 - The Design Thinking Playbook

How do we start in the virtuous design loop?

1) Determine the core value proposition 4) Define the value streams and connect the actors with the value streams
The core value proposition for the user/customer, or for the system, is A core element in the business ecosystem design is the shaping of current and future value streams. For
inferred from the customer needs. simple ecosystems in traditional businesses, we would be fine with physical product/service flows, money/
credit flows, and information. For digital and digitized value streams, intangible values are highly relevant.
2) Determine and describe the actors in the Intangible values can be knowledge, software, data, design, music, media, addresses, virtual environ-
business ecosystem ments, cryptocurrencies, or access and transfer of ownership and possession. These value streams are
Initially considering which actors could have relevance in the ecosys- increasingly decentralized and are exchanged directly between the actors. In addition, we should also bear
tem is one good way to do this. There are a number of generic market in mind that there are negative value streams in the system, which emerge, for example, through a transfer
roles in systems that we can define in advance. For the analysis, we of risk.
can use well-known strategic and systemic methods of analysis (e.g.,
PESTEL analysis). Short descriptions of the companies, in which the 5) Create awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of each actor
function and role in the system, the primary motivation, and compati- After the actors are positioned in the ecosystem and clarity exists about the value streams, the effects can
bility with our core value proposition are entered, help us summarize be analyzed for the individual actors. In this phase, we focus on the advantages and disadvantages that
the findings. In addition, we note the intensity of the relationship and every actor gets from collaboration in the network. Without clear advantages, we will not be able to induce
the current business model of each actor and other aspects. enthusiasm for the system in the actors.

3) Arrange the actors in the different areas of the 6) Multidimensional view of the business models of all actors in the target business
ecosystem map ecosystem
Enter the actors in an ecosystem map. For the business ecosystem The analyses from the previous phases help us in the multidimensional view of the business models. We
map, we can work with a four-part division, for example; depending consider in particular the value proposition of each individual actor for his customers and, ultimately, what
on the sector and use case, other structurings are possible. We place the actor contributes to the core value proposition for the customer/user. We make sure that the value
the core value proposition in the middle. The expanded, complemen- propositions of individual actors match. In the end, all actors should perceive the distributions of oppor-
tary offers and the enabling networks with their actors and their cus- tunity and risk in the system as fair, and they should understood the value streams resulting directly or
tomers can be placed on the outer circles. The boundaries between indirectly from the system. For many companies, the interaction with a digital business ecosystem is part
the individual areas are blurred. of the digital transformation. In Chapter 3.6, we deal with this challenge again separately.

7) (Re)design of the business ecosystem
In this phase, the business ecosystem is iteratively improved. Actors are added in the iterations or are
eliminated. For example, platform providers, hardware vendors, or value-added services can be added that
change and improve the existing system. The impact on the individual actors and value streams should be
determined for each variant or idea of the new or adapted ecosystem. From our experience, it is important
to prove the robustness of the scenarios by means of iterations and experiments.

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