Wardley map

A Wardley map is a map for business strategy.^[1] Components are positioned within a value chain and anchored by the user need, with movement described by an evolution axis.^[2] Wardley maps are named after Simon Wardley who created the technique at Fotango in 2005 having created the evolutionary framing the previous year.^[3][4] The technique was further developed within Canonical UK between 2008 and 2010^{[5][independent source needed]} and components of mapping can be found in the "Better for Less" paper published in 2010.^[6]

Summary

Each component in a Wardley map is plotted according to its position in two dimensions:

• in the vertical dimension or y-axis, the component's position within the value chain, corresponding to its visibility to the end-user (whether customer, consumer, business, government or other);
• in the horizontal dimension or x-axis, the component's evolution or commoditisation (ranging from "genesis" through "custom build" and "product" to "commodity").

Components are drawn as nodes linked by lines representing dependencies between them. The map is oriented towards the customer or end-user, at the very top of the value chain (and therefore the highest component in the vertical dimension). Directly beneath the end-user are nodes representing the user needs the company seeks to meet, and beneath these in turn are nodes representing components required to meet these needs, and so on. Each component also has a position on the horizontal axis corresponding to its evolution: components to the left are less evolved (rare or not-yet-extant, with higher risk of failure) and components to the right are more evolved (common and standardised, with lower risk of failure). Novel stage components which are highly visible to the end-user are therefore found in the top-left of the map, whereas commodity components abstracted away from the end-user are found in the bottom-right.^[7][8]

Much of the theory of Wardley mapping is set out in a series of nineteen blog posts written by Wardley^[9] which is a summary of Wardley's previous blog posts ^[10] and a dedicated wiki called Wardleypedia.^[11]

Applying Wardley Mapping to a Complex Problem

Applying Wardley Mapping to a complex problem involves a structured approach to visualise the problem's components and their evolution. Here's a brief explanation of how to do it:

1. Define the User and Their Needs: Start by clearly identifying the end-user or customer whose problem you are trying to solve. Then, articulate their needs related to the problem. This will be the anchor at the top of your map.
2. Build the Value Chain: Decompose the user's needs into a chain of components or activities required to fulfill them. Ask "What is needed to satisfy this need?" repeatedly, mapping out the dependencies from the user downwards.
3. Assess Evolution: For each component in the value chain, determine its current stage of evolution (Genesis, Custom-Built, Product/Rental, Commodity). Place each component along the X-axis according to this assessment. Components that are novel, experimental, or poorly understood go on the left, while those that are standardised and widely available go on the right.
4. Map Dependencies: Draw lines to connect the components in the value chain, showing how they depend on each other to deliver value to the user.
5. Analyze the Map: Once the map is complete, analyse the positioning of the components and their stage of evolution. Look for:
   • Misalignments: Are highly visible components stuck in early stages of evolution, causing user dissatisfaction?
   • Opportunities for Innovation: Where are the areas on the left (Genesis/Custom-Built) that could provide a competitive advantage if evolved?
   • Commoditization Opportunities: Which components on the right (Commodity) could be standardised, outsourced, or leveraged more efficiently?
   • Strategic Plays: Consider how the evolution of one component might impact others and identify potential strategic moves (e.g., industrialisation, productisation, innovation).
6. Consider the Future: Think about how the components are likely to evolve over time due to supply and demand competition and other forces. You can draw arrows to indicate the anticipated movement of components on the map.
7. Identify Constraints and Inertia: Consider factors that might hinder the desired evolution of components (inertia) or external limitations (constraints). These can be added to the map to provide further context.
8. Develop Strategic Options: Based on the analysis of the current and future state of the map, identify potential strategies to address the complex problem. This might involve focusing on evolving certain components, exploiting emerging technologies, or shifting investment.
9. Communicate and Iterate: Share the map with relevant stakeholders to foster discussion, challenge assumptions, and build a shared understanding of the problem and potential solutions. Wardley Maps are not static; they should be revisited and updated as the situation changes and new information emerges.

Key Dimensions

• Value Chain: Represents the sequence of activities or components required to meet a user's need, ordered by visibility to the user.
• Evolution: Represents the stage of maturity and standardisation of a component, ranging from novel (Genesis) to ubiquitous (Commodity).

Key Criteria for Application

• User Focus: The map is always anchored by the needs of a specific user or customer.
• Decomposition: Complex problems are broken down into individual components and their dependencies.
• Relative Positioning: The position of each component on the map is relative to other components, not based on absolute scales.
• Evolutionary Stages: Understanding the four stages of evolution (Genesis, Custom-Built, Product/Rental, Commodity) is crucial for placing components accurately.
• Visual Communication: The map provides a visual representation that facilitates understanding and discussion among stakeholders.
• Strategic Intent: The mapping process should be driven by a clear purpose or question related to the complex problem.
• Iterative Process: Mapping is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process of refinement and adaptation.
• Consideration of Forces: External forces (climate) and internal principles (doctrine) that influence evolution should be considered.

Example

Imagine that a company wants to set up a new drone courier service. The user need is to receive packages quickly from the company. The company objective is to meet this user need by delivering packages quickly to customers. This is a high-value, low-commodity component and is placed at the top-left of a Wardley map. If there were dozens of competing drone courier companies, this component would move right on the Wardley map, indicating that the service is closer to being a commodity.

Other components are mapped similarly. For example, a drone operator needs to be aware of the weather conditions to determine the route a drone should take and the maximum weight it can carry. Weather information is of little value to the customer and can be bought from a wide range of weather data providers. It is thus placed at the bottom-right of the Wardley map.

Key components needed to set up a drone courier service (left). The same components on a Wardley map (right).

Uses

Wardley maps are used within UK government, with particular interest within the Government Digital Service (GDS)^[12][13] for strategic planning and identifying the best targets for government digital service modernisation.

They have been used to map the existing and planned technology infrastructure and services for High Speed 2 (HS2).^[14]

They have been used to map the value chain and maturity of components in security operations to support a large scale commercial organisation decide to build or outsource their security operations centre, SOC Value Chain & Delivery Models.

Tools

A number of tools exist including Online Wardley Maps,^[15] templates in Miro,^[16] plugins for Visual Studio,^[17] MapScript,^[18] Wardley Map generator in Golang,^[19] MapKeep,^[20] and Glamorous Toolkit.^[21]

Criticisms

Simon Wardley claims that much of the process's value lies in "exposing assumptions. allowing challenge and creating consensus"^{[22][non-primary source needed]} — but detractors worry that the process in fact lets people "launder assumptions into facts, delegitimise challenge (and still create consensus)".^[23]