Boris Fritscher, a brilliant masters student of HEC business school in Lausanne, Switzerland, has picked up on using software to sketch out business models under the guidance of my co-author, Professor Yves Pigneur.
Yesterday he showcased the tool to me and Patrick van der Pijl, producer of my business model book. Boris built a web-based tool that allows the design and description of business models. But Boris didn’t keep it there. He extended the tool to allow designing business models live on a projected image on the wall (see picture where Boris works on a business model). How cool is that?
The tool, which is a research project, is still in private beta. We are currently exploring how it can most easily be used to build a database of interesting and innovative business models on the book chunk platform.
I think there is quite some potential in software-based business modeling. Two IBMers, Norbert Herman and Sergey Trikhachev are also working on a tool based on my method. They built a Visio-based tool and are extending it to include business model simulation capacities
Previously I called this Computer Aided Business Model Design (CABMoD), referring to Computer Aided Design (CAD) in Engineering and Architecture. I believe it has similar potential in business…
Alex, this is very exciting and I would like to volunteer to test drive the software when you’re ready.
Also, you may want to consider calling it CABMI (Computer Aided Busines Model Innovation), which is a somewhat catchier acronym. Just a thought.
Good to hear Jeff. I’ll post a piece if Boris starts testing on a larger scale…
I have wondered for so long why Business Plan software is so horrible! This looks like a giant leap and I’d love to try it and help grow the product. Businesses must be viewed multidimensionally in terms of relationships.