VCW Funnel

The Value Creation Wheel Funnel (VCW Funnel) is a powerful tool that breaks the ice and empowers the co-creation team. It aligns them toward a common goal and solution for a specific problem, fostering a sense of engagement and motivation.

The VCW Funnel is not only effective but also efficient in solving challenges, even with limited resources. Its cyclical and iterative approach ensures that the final solution developed within a very short period is robust, innovative, and aligned with the organization’s strategic goals, providing reassurance about its effectiveness.

What is the Value Creation Funnel?

Download the VCW Funnel here.

The Value Creation Wheel Funnel (VCW Funnel) is a strategic tool to help organizations solve simple problems, innovate, and create value.
Its main purposes are:

  1. Problem-Solving

    The VCW Funnel helps identify and address simple organizational problems. Analyzing small and manageable problems facilitates the development and analysis of alternative solutions.

  2. Innovation

    The VCW Funnel fosters creativity and innovation by encouraging diverse perspectives, brainwriting, the use of artificial intelligence, and collaborative brainstorming within a short period. It helps participants and key decision-makers to think outside the box and “without a box” and develop novel solutions that can lead to significant improvements or breakthroughs.

  3. Value Creation

    The VCW Funnel creates value for stakeholders, whether customers, employees, shareholders, or the community, within a short period. Aligning problem-solving and innovation efforts with value creation ensures that the outcomes are meaningful and beneficial.

  4. Strategic Decision Making

    The VCW Funnel aids in making informed and strategic decisions by providing a structured framework that guides the analysis and evaluation of different options and respective implementation (4Ms: Manpower, Minute, Money & Motivation).

5. Collaboration and Alignment

The VCW Funnel promotes teamwork and alignment among different organizational departments or stakeholders. Involving diverse groups ensures that various viewpoints are considered and integrated into the final solution.

6. Adaptability and Flexibility

The VCW Funnel is not just a tool. It's a versatile framework that can be adapted to different contexts and industries. Its flexibility makes it a confident choice for various strategic initiatives, instilling a sense of trust in its adaptability.

Overall, the VCW Funnel enhances an organization's ability to systematically create value through effective problem-solving, innovation, and strategic alignment.


Guidelines to Develop a Value Creation Funnel

Time for VCW Funnel: approximately 2 hours

Click here for an example


1.

Start by filling the boxes of Diagnostic, Challenge, Key Decision Makers (KDMs), Stakeholders & VCW Scientific Advisors 


2.

Generate ideas and filters: there are no good or bad ideas and filters. In the first phase, everything is acceptable. Make sure they are very clear and understood by everyone:
a) Start with brainwriting (not brainstorming): we desire only brainwriting in the first phase of generating ideas and filters; brainstorming is for the second phase of the VCW funnel and defining the 4Ms (Manpower, Minute, Money, Motivation).
b) One single idea per yellow paper /one single filter per blue paper
c) Division of tasks: half of the group generates ideas, and the other half generates filters/criteria.


3.

Filters:

a) When defining the filters, you must have the mindset of a Key Decision Maker (4Ms)
b) The order of the filters should be from the most important to the least important: 1) killers/non-negotiable; 2) must-have; 3) nice-to-have


4.

Narrow down to create value:

In this step, each solution goes through the ranked filters, to ensure a comprehensive and thorough evaluation process.


5a.

Final solution(s)

  • For each solution, fill in the 4 boxes of the 4Ms (Manpower, Minute, Money, Motivation). If you have multiple solutions (e.g., 3 solutions), you must develop the 4Ms multiple times (e.g., 3 times), add new filers, or group the solutions into clusters.

5b.

Conclude with an elevator pitch

  • 1 - Challenge (15s); 2 - Solution (30s); 3 - 4Ms (15s)