Created in the 2000s, Canvas has been gaining more and more space within corporations of different sizes, standards and profiles, which seek to grow and/or innovate in the market.
This business model, which can be applied in the creation of a new product/service, or in the remodeling of an existing company, is an easy way to understand the pillars of your company, helping to formulate a simplified business plan.
What is the Canvas methodology?
Canvas in free translation means "painting canvas". It is even a good reference for this business model, as the Canvas is, in short, a visual map that contains 9 pre-defined quadrants, with specific topics for the development of a business, and that must be filled in spontaneously by the employees of the company.
We can say that Canvas is a corporate innovation tool, where it is possible to plan a business in a simple, intuitive way, without bureaucracy, stimulating the creativity of employees.
Every business must first develop a “business plan” before launching its idea in the market.
It is through it that the company will understand whether its product/service will be viable or not, and whether it will bring financial returns.
The business plan should be the starting point of any company, however this document must be developed in a detailed and meticulous way, which will result in a complete but complex document.
And that's where the Canvas methodology comes in! This method does not detail each component of the business plan, it just lists them, making it possible to map all the processes needed to create a product/service more quickly and easily.
There are those who define Canvas as a substitute for the business plan when done well. Others use it as a tool to help produce a business plan.
Visual map components
The visual map, as previously mentioned, has 9 predefined quadrants, which will be filled in according to your business information.
For a better understanding of the methodology, we separate the nine components:
- Key partnerships: Neste quadrante você deverá elencar os principais fornecedores de sua empresa, definir quais são as parcerias que o seu negócio não pode ficar sem para que possa desempenhar sua atividade.
In this quadrant, you should list your company's main suppliers, define which partnerships your business cannot do without so that it can carry out its activity.
- Key activities: here, you should have the main activities of your business, those that are essential for your company to operate properly.
These are essential activities so that you can deliver the value proposition outlined to your client.
- Key Features: in this field you must expose the main resources/inputs needed to carry out the key activities, which can be of, character physical, like infrastructure for example, intelectual, such as specific knowledge about a particular subject, human, as collaborators and teams, or financial, such as equity, investments or shares.
- Value offer In the value proposition you should include what your company has to offer the market, and what benefits this will bring to your customers.
Your company's value proposition should solve a problem or meet a customer need. That is, it is not enough to create a product or service just for the sake of creating it, it must serve a purpose.
And it is in this item that you will understand what differentiates your company and your product from the competition.
- Relations with customers: you must define the ways in which your business will interact with your customers.
For example: through representatives, call-centers, chatbots, automatic messages on the website, customer service sector, and so on.
- Channels in the channel field, you should actually state how the customer will buy and receive your product or service.
Will they be able to buy through physical stores? E-commerce? Telephone? Email? Representatives?
Will they receive through carriers? Mail? Representatives? Directly in the physical store? Distribution center?
- Customer Segments: this quadrant should include the target audience of your business. For whom your value proposition was created, and which segment, customer niche will be the focus of your company.
- Cost structure: in this field you must list all the costs involved in your business, so that it can function properly.
List the fixed and variable costs involved in deploying, running and maintaining your business.
- Income sources: and here you will have to clarify what will be the sources of income from your value proposition, from where the money will come to your company.
For example, your income will come from selling a product, subscribing to a package, performing a service, or in other ways.
How to apply the tool Canvas to your business?
With the understanding of the structure of the Canvas methodology, it is time to apply it in your business.
First, you must create the physical board, with the nine quadrants defined, and place it in a visible place for all employees, as this methodology proposes communication between all those involved in the business.
The physical board can be glued directly to the wall, or fixed to a frame, it must be large enough for a good visualization, normally the minimum size of an A3 sheet is indicated, and the quadrants must be highlighted in different colors, to improve the perspective when viewing the picture as a whole.
Then start filling in the fields, and a tip is to follow the following quadrant order:
1st customer segments;
2nd Value proposition;
3rd Channels;
4th Relationship with customers;
5th Sources of income;
6th Key Resources;
7th Key activities;
8th Key Partnerships;
9th Cost structure.
By following this sequence above, you end up following a coherent flow, which will facilitate the development of ideas, creating a kind of guide for your thoughts.
Benefits of the Canvas methodology
By adopting the Canvas methodology for the development of your business, you will understand in practice the benefits that this business model can bring to your business.
Among these benefits we can highlight the following:
- Facilitates the understanding of the strategic business process as it is a flexible and easy-to-understand tool;
- Stimulates the creativity of employees;
- Simplifies communication between all those involved in the project, such as the team, managers and directors;
- Keeps the company's processes organized, without losing objectivity;
- It is able to increase the competitiveness of your business, by bringing an easier strategic visualization.
Now that you've gotten to know the famous Canvas methodology better, don't waste time and incorporate this model into your business to create even more value for your customers!
https://www.sebraepr.com.br/canvas-como-estruturar-seu-modelo-de-negocios/
https://introduceti.com.br/blog/saiba-tudo-sobre-o-canvas-uma-poderosa-ferramenta-de-gestao/
http://www.isocrm.com.br/metodologia-canvas/
https://www.siteware.com.br/blog/metodologias/modelo-canvas/
https://www.zendesk.com.br/blog/metodologia-canvas/
https://robsoncamargo.com.br/blog/O-que-e-Canvas
https://www.euax.com.br/2018/02/canvas-design-thinking-inovacao/
