Mapping Business Models

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Produce a shared visual inventory of customer segments, value propositions, and supporting operations, evaluated with concrete strengths and weaknesses.

Use it when: Use in cross-functional strategy meetings when departments need a shared baseline understanding of how their organization creates, delivers, and captures value.

Skip it when: Skip when the focus is purely operational task planning, or when participants lack basic knowledge of the organization's customers, costs, and revenues.

Group arrangement: Small cross-functional teams of 3 to 6 people per canvas poster. A group of 24 divides into 4 parallel tables of 6.

Timing: Gamestorming lists durations from 15 minutes to half a day; UWT suggests 60 minutes for an actionable assessment of an existing business model.

Materials and tools

• 1 large Business Model Canvas poster (B0 or 36x48 inches) per small group
• Sticky notes in at least 4 distinct bright colors (1 pad per color per group)
• Small red and green sticky notes (or round stickers marked + and -), 1 set per group
• Broad-tip marker pens (1 per participant)
• Painter's tape for mounting posters to walls

Before participants arrive

1. Mount one large Business Model Canvas poster on the wall or place it flat on each group table.
2. Set out sticky note pads in 4 distinct colors, red and green evaluation dots, and markers at every station.
3. Pre-assign or balance small groups so each table includes varied functions (e.g., marketing, operations, finance, technology).

Say this to open

Today we will map how our organization works using the Business Model Canvas. We will start on the right side with customer segments, pairing each group with its own color of sticky note. Then we will trace value propositions, channels, infrastructure, and finances in matching colors before evaluating where the model is resilient and where it struggles.

How to run it

1. Define customer segments 10 minutes

   Explain the nine boxes briefly. Instruct each table to identify their top 2 to 3 distinct customer segments. Assign a specific sticky note color to each segment (for example, yellow for corporate clients, blue for individual consumers). Participants write one segment per note and place them in the Customer Segments box.

2. Match value propositions 10 minutes

   Prompt tables to specify what value or bundle of services the organization delivers to each segment. Participants write value propositions using the matching color sticky note for that segment. If an offer serves both segments, write two notes or stick both colored notes together, then place them in the Value Propositions box.

3. Map remaining operational blocks 20 minutes

   Direct groups to complete the remaining boxes: Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams, Key Activities, Key Resources, Key Partners, and Cost Structure. Teams continue using the designated segment colors when an element ties directly to that segment, or a neutral color for shared infrastructure. One idea per note.

4. Evaluate strengths and weaknesses 10 minutes

   Hand out green and red sticky notes (or + and - markers). Working silently for 4 minutes, each participant places green notes beside high-performing or durable components and red notes beside fragile, costly, or failing components. The team then reviews clusters of red and green together for 6 minutes.

5. Synthesize and debrief 10 minutes

   Bring all groups together. Each table gives a 90-second summary of their largest red cluster and their primary green strength. Close with the debrief questions.

Debrief questions

• Where on the canvas did our team have the sharpest disagreement about how things currently work?
• Which customer segment shows the most operational strain or red tags?
• What is one concrete change to a key activity or channel that would address our biggest vulnerability?

Finished output: A fully mapped nine-block Business Model Canvas color-coded by customer segment, annotated with red and green evaluation tags highlighting core organizational risks and strengths.

Remote

Set up a shared digital whiteboard with the Business Model Canvas template. Create separate board frames for breakout rooms of 3 to 6 participants. Provide pre-made digital sticky notes in distinct colors for customer segments and small + / - shapes for the assessment phase. Keep audio in breakout rooms during mapping, then return to the main room for screen sharing.

Hybrid

In-person members cluster around the physical canvas, while remote members access an identical shared digital whiteboard. Assign an in-person 'scribe-liaison' with a tablet or laptop at each physical station to read remote contributions onto physical notes and enter physical sticky notes onto the shared board so both views remain mirrored.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may opt to contribute ideas orally to a designated scribe rather than writing by hand.
• Use shape-coded stickers (+ and -) alongside red and green markers to ensure color-blind accessibility.
• Any participant may pass on speaking during the final whole-room summary.

If the session gets stuck

Participants write broad lists of features instead of distinct value propositions.

Remind groups to state the specific customer problem solved or benefit delivered, such as 'same-day reporting' rather than just 'analytics engine'.

One vocal participant dominates the mapping and dictates what goes on the poster.

Introduce a two-minute silent writing interval where everyone writes their own notes individually before posting them simultaneously.

Terms used here

• Customer Segment: A distinct group of people or organizations that have separate needs, behaviors, or commercial arrangements.
• Value Proposition: The bundle of products or services that creates observable value for a specific customer segment.