Define the system and unit of analysis
Specify process, population, product, time window, boundaries and aggregation level. Without a defined unit of analysis, measures and comparisons may represent different phenomena.
TECHNICAL GUIDE · STRUCKEL TOOLS
EST-02 · Strategy
Ecosystem Map
Maps actors and initiatives across cultural change and value creation axes to visualize concentration, gaps and relationships in the ecosystem.
ecossistema · atores · cultura · valorFormulários Struckel
01
MANAGEMENT QUESTION
The problem the tool must make decidable.
Before opening a form, define the question that must be answered. A management tool is useful when it reduces ambiguity, exposes assumptions and makes clear which decision will be made from the evidence produced.
EST-02Which actors, dependencies and initiatives form the ecosystem, and where does value creation depend on coordination beyond firm boundaries?
Strategy is not an inventory of ambitions. It is a system of choices, hypotheses, indicators and resource allocation. A good strategic tool makes trade-offs visible and creates an explicit link between direction and execution.
Use it for priority setting, business-model review, portfolio management, objective deployment and construction of management routines.
02
METHOD ARCHITECTURE
Technical construction: from operational definition to evidence.
A map reveals relationships that are difficult to see in lists. First define the object and the boundary; then position elements using one consistent criterion. Mixing levels of detail or different criteria destroys readability.
Define criteria before evaluation
Translate abstract concepts into operational definitions, scales, classification rules and data sources. Criteria should exist before the result to reduce retrospective interpretation.
Preserve traceability
Link each conclusion to data, observations, assumptions and owners. When a score is used, retain its components; when a hypothesis is used, record how it will be tested.
When analyzing, look for gaps, concentration, conflicts, loops and disconnected elements. The value of the map is not aesthetic; it lies in the questions it makes possible about the system.
03
WORKED EXAMPLE
How the method behaves in a real situation.
In a franchise system, franchisor, units, suppliers, delivery platforms, customers, banks and digital platforms play different roles. Mapping exposes value dependencies and where one actor can block a system outcome.
The example is intentionally specific. Numbers illustrate the reasoning and are not universal benchmarks: limits, scales and targets must be defined for the process being analyzed.04
MEASUREMENT AND INTERPRETATION
What to observe so the document does not become mere form filling.
Measures should serve reasoning. Whenever possible combine outcome, process and contextual evidence. For time series, look for patterns and variation rather than only point-in-time before/after comparisons.
01critical actors
02dependencies
03value flows
04blocking points
05power/risk concentration
Consistency test
Ask whether another person, using the same definitions and evidence, would reach a similar interpretation. If the answer depends heavily on individual judgment, refine the operational definition, scale or data source.
05
LIMITATIONS AND GOVERNANCE
The tool supports decisions; it does not replace judgment, context and validation.
Operational adaptation of recognized methods. Consistency depends on explicit definitions, criteria, evidence and governance.
An ecosystem is not just a stakeholder list. Analytical value comes from interdependencies and joint value propositions.
Define an owner, review frequency, official data source and condition for reopening the decision. Link actions to deadlines and indicators, hypotheses to tests, and risks to treatment and follow-up.
DefinitionEvidenceInterpretationDecisionReview
06
METHODOLOGICAL BASIS
References for deeper study of the method.
The references below support the methodological family or principle used. Struckel’s digital implementation operationalizes application, documentation and traceability; it does not change the conceptual limits of the original sources.
ADNER_2017
Open reference Adner R. Ecosystem as Structure: An Actionable Construct for Strategy. Journal of Management. 2017;43(1):39–58.
TEECE_2010
Open reference Teece DJ. Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long Range Planning. 2010;43(2–3):172–194.
USE IT IN PRACTICE
Turn the method into a document ready for real work.
Struckel Forms offers a free way to structure this methodology with guided fields, contextual help and print/PDF preparation. Use the tool to organize reasoning; use consulting when the challenge requires design, implementation, facilitation or executive follow-up.