Anthony W. Ulwick

THE OPPORTUNITY LANDSCAPE

The opportunity landscape shows visually which outcomes are under-and overserved. As shown in the figure, there are three main sections: (1) the underserved section (on the right), which includes all outcomes with an opportunity score of 10 or greater, (2) the appropriately served section (in the middle), and (3) the overserved section (on the left), in which outcomes’ satisfaction exceeds their importance.

All the outcomes included in the quantitative survey are plotted on this landscape, revealing with a high degree of precision where the targeted segment is under-and overserved.

This approach clearly points out which outcomes to target for growth. The upper right section of the landscape points out the “table stakes,” which are important outcomes that existing products satisfy and that new products must also satisfy to win in the marketplace. The overserved outcomes in the left-most area become targets for cost reduction. If existing products include costly features that address these overserved outcomes, replacing them with lower-cost features can help customers get the job done more cheaply.

The outcomes in the lower part of the shaded area on the right are the most underserved. Addressing those outcomes will enable the customer to get the job done better.

Ask yourself what the chances are of developing a product or service that addresses underserved outcomes if the development team doesn’t know what those underserved outcomes—unmet needs—are. You will rightly conclude that the chances are extremely low.

But what if the development team knows precisely what those underserved outcomes are? The chances for success go up dramatically. This is the power of Outcome-Driven Innovation.

The opportunity algorithm and the opportunity landscape are invaluable tools when trying to figure out which outcomes to target for growth.

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