Are you a CEO or Head of Strategy? Confused by multiple scenarios and outcomes post-COVID? The creation of accelerated, yet comprehensive business scenario workshops and expert facilitation can help, especially linking to Enterprise Architecture through Business Architecture.

As a CEO, it is business-critical for you to ensure that your company has a plan to navigate the next 1-3 years smartly.

We have spoken to dozens of CEOs in the last month, and too many are ill-equipped to thinking creatively and comprehensively about alternative, innovative strategies amidst all this uncertainty.

Of course, many admit that the future is going to be quite different from the past. This black swan event on multiple dimensions has changed the way we are going to do a lot of things for years to come, even though a clear way forward is hard to define.

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY GOING FORWARD?

That was a trick question. If you have a well-run company, the right question is “What is your scenario-based business strategy”? Without an external scenario that factors in all the critical dimensions that could affect your product or company, your strategy will lack a strong foundation. With so many critical dimensions being redefined at the same time, businesses HAVE to reinvent themselves.

The GOOD news is that IF done correctly, there is every chance you will dominate your competition and not just survive but thrive.

Some Strategic Snapshots

The visual above is the Parmenides Matrix, which has been created using the Parmenides Eidos strategic planning tool suite. The Y axis indicates effectiveness, while the X axis shows relative robustness. The three scenarios being evaluated are based on 1) Continuing with the current strategy, 2) Introducing a strategy based on innovation, and 3) A mixed strategy that strongly builds on the existing one with some adjustments for the changed business environment. These three options change over the time frame selected. A choice that looks good in the short term might fade away after a couple of years, and one that starts slowly might be your best long-term bet. This initial graphic is based purely on a qualitative analysis; however, you can link to/import quantitative data to get a more complete picture.

If your strategy is overly linear and flows something like the visual below, locking in on one assumed path forward, you could be heading for a lot of trouble.

To better understand why, consider the visual below. The grey boxes are called dimensions, and the yellow boxes are called alternatives. 

Leveraging Robust Business Scenario Planning

Parmenides-Eidos, headquartered in Munich, Germany, has worked with Governments and multi-billion euro companies globally for two decades, using its Eidos software to help those in charge of making costly decisions to reach them more scientifically, accurately, and rapidly. Today the use of such approaches, facilitated by seasoned experts in business scenario planning is all the more critical and urgent.

EA Principals has joined forces with Parmenides-Eidos as part of a multi-disciplinary team of Eidos Partners in Europe, America and Asia. Our immediate goal is to serve as a kind of Center of Excellence to help senior decision makers create a modernized, robust strategy in just 20 hours. Facilitated remotely online. EA Principals will be the linchpin of the group to link such business scenario planning with Business Architecture overall, our particular sweet spot.

The strategy that we create for your product or service or company is DYNAMIC and can be updated on the fly to reflect any other changes in the environment or your business plan. This ensures that your strategy is evergreen for years to come and the whole team can literally “see” the plan on one page.

To find out more and to see if we are a good fit, book a call with EA Principals by emailing [email protected].

Authored by; Dhiren Desa and Steve Else, Ph.D.

30-Day Challenge to Master Advanced Business Scenario Tools and Methods!

Learn Eidos, a business strategy tool suite, online with live instruction about 1 hour a day for 30 workdays from experienced business consultants with Eidos expertise. Use Eidos with a  90-day license and start earning immediately after the 30-day training.

• Access to a membership area 
• Access to a group forum for mentoring and troubleshooting 
• Bonus webinars by industry guest experts
• Bonus marketing training on how to acquire clients online
• Parmenides-Eidos certificate from the Parmenides Foundation on completion
• Select candidates will be invited to become Eidos Partners or Associate Eidos Partners

To sign up, contact [email protected] by 15 June 2020!