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Model Canvas

Business Model Canvas

Customer Segments (1st Block)

The Customer Segments Building Block defines the different groups of people or organizations an enterprise aims to reach and serve

Customers comprise the heart of any business model. Without (profitable) customers, no company can survive for long. In order to better satisfy customers, a company may group them into distinct segments with common needs, common behaviors, or other attributes. A business model may define one or several large or small Customer Segments. An organization must make a conscious decision about which segments to serve and which segments to ignore. Once this decision is made, a business model can be carefully designed around a strong understanding of specific customer needs.

Value Propositions (2nd Block)

The Value Propositions Building Block describes the bundle of products and services that create value for a specific Customer Segment

The Value Proposition is the reason why customers turn to one company over another. It solves a customer problem or satisfies a customer need. Each Value Proposition consists of a selected bundle of products and/or services that caters to the requirements of a specific Customer Segment. In this sense, the Value Proposition is an aggregation, or bundle, of benefits that a company offers customers.

Channels (3rd Block)

The Channels Building Block describes how a company communicates with and reaches its Customer Segments to deliver a Value Proposition

Communication, distribution, and sales Channels comprise a company's interface with customers. Channels are customer touch points that play an important role in the customer experience.

Channels serve several functions, including:
• Raising awareness among customers about a company's products and services
• Helping customers evaluate a company's Value Proposition
• Allowing customers to purchase specific products and services
• Delivering a Value Proposition to customers
• Providing post-purchase customer support

Customer Relationships (4th Block)

The Customer Relationships Building Block describes the types of relationships a company establishes with specific Customer Segments

A company should clarify the type of relationship it wants to establish with each Customer Segment. Relationships can range from personal to automated. Customer relationships may be driven by the following motivations:
• Customer acquisition
• Customer retention
• Boosting sales (upselling)

Revenue Streams (5th Block)

The Revenue Streams Building Block represents the cash a company generates from each Customer Segment (costs must be subtracted from revenues to create earnings)

If customers comprise the heart of a business model, Revenue Streams are its arteries. A company must ask itself, for what value is each Customer Segment truly willing to pay? Successfully answering that question allows the firm to generate one or more Revenue Streams from each Customer Segment. Each Revenue Stream may have different pricing mechanisms, such as fixed list prices, bargaining, auctioning, market dependent, volume dependent, or yield management.

Key Resources (6th Block)

The Key Resources Building Block describes the most important assets required to make a business model work

Every business model requires Key Resources. These resources allow an enterprise to create and over a Value Proposition, reach markets, maintain relationships with Customer Segments, and earn revenues. Different Key Resources are needed depending on the type of business model. A microchip manufacturer requires capital-intensive production facilities, whereas a microchip designer focuses more on human resources. Key resources can be physical, financial, intellectual, or human. Key resources can be owned or leased by the company or acquired from key partners.

Key Activities (7th Block)

The Key Activities Building Block describes the most important things a company must do to make its business model work

Every business model calls for a number of Key Activities. These are the most important actions a company must take to operate successfully. Like Key Resources, they are required to create and offer a Value Proposition, reach markets, maintain Customer Relationships, and earn revenues. And like Key Resources, Key Activities differ depending on business model type. For maker Microsoft, Key Activities include software development.

Key Partnerships (8th Block)

The Key Partnerships Building Block describes the network of suppliers and partners that make the business model work

Companies forge partnerships for many reasons, and partnerships are becoming a cornerstone of many business models. Companies create alliances to optimize their business models, reduce risk, or acquire resources.

Cost Structure (9th Block)

The Cost Structure describes all costs incurred to operate a business model

This building block describes the most important costs incurred while operating under a particular business model. Creating and delivering value, maintaining Customer Relationships, and generating revenue all incur costs. Such costs can be calculated relatively easily after defining Key Resources, Key Activities, and Key Partnerships. Some business models, though, are more cost-driven than others. So-called "no frills" airlines, for instance, have built business models entirely around low Cost Structures.

For More Information, Please Read:

Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. Purchase the book here.