How to structure a Capability Map

A Capability Map is a two-dimensional, one-page, high-level representation of the architecture of the enterprise. It provides an overview of the enterprise's architecture (what Capabilities it needs to operate) and can represent the as-is state or to-be states related to particular design challenges. The one-page view provides a widely-agreed, complete overview of the Capabilities we want to build together to realise our strategy. It helps us build a shared understanding of direction and focus, allowing everyone to use it as a foundation for their concrete, more detailed design challenge.

A Capability Map serves as a powerful tool to facilitate a meaningful dialogue with co-creators about

strategy realisation;
identification of operational weak points;
governance and accountability;
priorisation of projects;
budgeting;
the organisational structure;
the management of IT applications.

Overview of this section

The guidelines in this section provide advice for the general structure of Capability Maps, independent of the design challenge at hand.

Practical Tips:

Tips	Why
Helpful and accepted by everybody.	You are finished when everyone agrees that the map represents the Enterprise’s Capabilities, not when you have applied all the guidelines in this publication. This shared understanding is essential when people later dive into different design challenges, all based on the same Capability Map.
Don’t strive for the “perfect” Map.	Creating Capability Maps is not about perfection but about a structured and wide-ranging process of communication and negotiation with co-creators (see “Benchmark as-is Capabilities”). Co-design iteratively, allowing ample opportunity for review, refinement, and discussion. You are “finished” with capturing the as-is Capability Map when everyone agrees that the map represents the Enterprise’s operation, not when you have applied all the guidelines in this publication. You are “finished” with a future-state scenario when you have secured buy-in of all relevant co-creators.
Let organisational structure follow Capabilities.	Organisational structures are often shaped through a combination of politics, trust, and relationships between managers, as well as structural considerations similar to those outlined in these Capability Modeling Guidelines. This frequently results in flawed organisational structures with overlapping accountabilities and inefficient flows between teams. Applying the guidelines in this chapter exposes those flaws, and you must utilise all of your social skills to navigate the interventions of managers who often don’t want this transparency. Enable a “Capability first” approach where Capabilities on your map suggest organisational structures around the delivery of the outputs of those Capabilities.