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Simon Wardley

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Simon Wardley
Wardley at the State of Open Conference, 2023
Born
United Kingdom
OccupationResearcher
Known forWardley mapping
Websitehttps://www.swardleymaps.com/

Simon Wardley is a British researcher and former CEO best known for the creation of Wardley mapping.[1][2][3]

Wardley mapping

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A Wardley map is a map for business strategy.[citation needed] It is a strategic management technique used to visualise the components of a business or a service on a two-dimensional map. This helps in understanding the current situation and planning for the future by considering how different parts of the business evolve over time.

Components are positioned within a value chain and anchored by the user need, with movement described by an evolution axis.[citation needed] The two axes of the map represent:

  • Y-axis (Value chain): This axis represents the visibility of a component to the end-user. Components higher up on the map are more visible and directly related to user needs, while those lower down are less visible but still necessary to deliver the overall value.
  • X-axis (Evolution): This axis represents the stage of evolution of a component, ranging from novel and uncertain (Genesis) on the left to well-defined and widely available (Commodity) on the right. The stages in between are Custom-Built and Product/Rental.

By plotting components on this map and understanding their dependencies, organisations can gain insights into strategic decisions such as where to invest, where to innovate, and what to commoditise or outsource.

References

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  1. Wardley, Simon (19 March 2015). "An introduction to Wardley 'Value Chain' Mapping". CIO magazine. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  2. "What is mapping?". Map Camp. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  3. Mosior, Ben (18 May 2018). "What are Wardley Maps? Using Miro for Wardley Mapping". Miro. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
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