Brainstorming using process chains

Hey, you mean value chain and not process chain?

Everything you have listed applies. In addition, value chain can be used for following:

• Maximise value to customer
• Create competitive advantage
• Improve channel efficiency

I like to think of this approach as the “Journey Method”

It works in almost any situation and can help un-earth more details than most traditional frameworks. I recommend to use it when the standard methods of structuring a case do not reveal much headway.

Some examples include:

• Customer journey (restaurant, shop, store, any other service ). It helps in uncovering certain areas of problem that are not covered in conventional framework approach.
• Production journey (manufacturing, food preparation, etc.). It helps in spotting bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
• Product journey (e-commerce, post, cargo, etc.). Helps in finding hidden steps and costs that not covered in conventional frameworks.
• Process journey (approvals, tenders, applications etc.). Highlights miscellaneous items like customer experience issues, bottlenecks etc.)

Hope this helps

If I understand correctly, you're trying to figure out a way of using a process to structure in a MECE way a problem. Value chain to analyze cost is indeed a good example. 

Two more I could think of right off the bat is
1. Recruitment pipeline. Looking at how many candidates come in, how many are dropped across each stage and how many end up in the final one. You can basically break this down by stage.

2. Marketing pipeline (e.g., digital marketing would work as well). From how many initial leads do we end up with people actually buying the product. You could then break it down by each step in the pipeline. Hope this helps!

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• First of all, all your examples make sense. Some additional questions where structuring along the process might be beneficial would be related around customer strategy (i.e. customer journeys, marketing excellence, sales excellence aso.)
• Generally speaking, I would advise you - as I do with most of my coachees - to really put effort in the structure for brainstorming questions since the more precise the structure is the easier it will be for you to come up with suitable initiatives behind each aspect of the structure. If you solely have a very generic and vague structure (e.g. financial/ non-financial), it will be way harder for you to identify reaonsable initiatives.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best design structures for brainstorming questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Hi there,

The other coaches have provided great examples. The only thing I have to add is to emphasize the importance of variety and flexibility.

Please don't only use process/value chains when brainstorming. Make sure you're thinking about the most logical grouping for the question at hand. If the interviewers notice you always run towards value/process chains, this is will be a knock against you (much like if I candidate always breaks things down by revenue and cost)

Hi!

Another good area is the sales funnel.

Hope this helps.

Best,

Anto

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