Building personal scorecards for coaching clients to help them achieve balance in their lives, while using an accountability tool.

Dennis Johnson, Consultant, Leadership Architecture & Design LLC, Madison, WI

While I am still getting to know the software, I believe the product is an excellent tool to help build balanced scorecards in both business and personal contexts. The instructions are easy to follow. Additionally, I plan to discuss the tool in the context of leadership and good business practice in an MBA course I teach adjunct. Finally, I think this tool could be adapted for some of the nonprofit organizations in which I sit on their boards.

We BSC Tool Kit to cascade organizational objectives to different organizational levels

Nandanan Kannanpulakkal, CEO, Future Options Consulting Ltd, Kampala

The BSC Took kit of AKS Labs was useful in developing a broader understanding of the step by step process of cascading objectives and goals of the organization to different organizational levels. Using the BSC Tool Kit we were able to break down the organizational objectives and cascade them into goals for different positions in the organization.

BSC is an excellent tool, I revisited my client strategy and found to be non competitive, this toolkit helped me to device their strategies in a right manner, setting up vision, mission, departmental goals and functional objectives, also tools were very helpful aligning organization competitiveness at all levels.

Opinion about BSC Toolkit

This toolkit is for internal or external consultants and implementer they should be able to align their companies, firm or organization for today’s commutative environment. This toolkit helps to set objectivity, Key performance indicators converting to key result areas helping stakeholders predicting internal and external strategy to stay competitive also these tools have a lot of material to train managers and implementers

Initiating BSC projects in client companies, usually medium-sized organisations where the understanding of strategy execution is limited.

Opinion about BSC Toolkit

The templates are useful and allow for a simple yet effective approach to explaining, training and implementing BSC approaches. The tools also serve as an excellent set of inputs for the facilitation of design sessions when starting out with BSC approaches to strategy execution. The guideline notes are also practical and assist in taking the complexity out of launching BSC initiatives in organisations that try to use “scorecards” without understanding the logic and flow of the BSC process and the design and role of strategy maps.

I am using Balanced Score Card in the implementation and tracking of a five-year strategic plan for an academic medical library. i have found this approach to be helpful in narrowing down the relevant metrics and to review the library\’s role in the College overall mission. It has also been helpful in elevating the level of data collected within the department, which was mostly at the result indicator level.

Opinion about BSC Toolkit

I thought the audio files were fantastic. They were to the point and had a review element built into them. The examples used to illustrate BSC concepts were easy to understand and follow. I learnt a lot from them and have gone back to listen to them many times. Using them in conjunction with books on BSC I have also found to be good.

When talking about balanced scorecard is imperative to mention strategy maps.  In fact, creation of strategy map is the first thing one should do before implementing balanced scorecard in the company.  The strategy map is visualization of company’s strategic goals.  In other words, strategy map illustrates how a company will achieve strategic goals and what these goals are.  In business, a strategy map is a long term game plan with the ultimate goal of increasing profits or gaining competitive advantage (or any other strategic goals).

Any strategy map has four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, learning and growth.  In other words this is everything that can happen to a company.  This is to say that these perspectives cover all processes in the company.

Creation of a strategy map is a very convenient way to visualize company strategy.  There is no need to collect different documents and plans and bring them together.  Strategy map includes all the elements to represent company strategy and the way strategic goals will be implemented.  Strategy map is an easy to use document and a perfect way to present company strategy to its personnel, top management, owners and shareholders.

Strategy map in BSC Designer

It has been observed that customers mostly pay attention to strategy tree when using BSC Designer, although a strategy map is an extremely important element of balanced scorecard.  It should be noted that the traditional procedure of implementing balanced scorecard implies creation of a strategy maps which can then be converted into a strategy tree.  BSC designer has the reverse procedure.  One should first create a strategy tree which can then be converted into a strategy map.

One of the greatest advantages of a strategy map in BSC Designer is that it supports full cycle of balanced scorecard implementation: from setting strategic goals, to selection of KPIs, their analysis and evaluation to adoption of response measures and even introduction of amendments to balanced scorecard.

Besides, when changes to their strategy tree are introduced they will be automatically represented in the strategy map.  Unfortunately, this feature doesn’t work backwards.  So, if amendments to a strategy maps were introduced, a strategy tree needs to be changed manually.

Strategy map is a core element of balanced scorecard

Strategy map in BSC designer is not just a static picture but the structure of active elements which can be amended and corrected if necessary.  It is possible to use strategy map feature as an average designing program.  BSC designer offers special tools to complement and amend strategy map like arrows, lines, geometrical figures etc.  Let’s review key designing features and elements specifically used to create schemes, charts and strategic plans. Features will be divided into 4 groups, based on their core functions.

1. New rectangle. New text. These features make it possible to add rectangles with blocks of text, or just text alone to any part of a strategy map. When adding a new rectangle with text one can adjust its color in the left side panel. These features can be used to add some comments, names of new measures etc.

Add rectangles with text to strategy map in BSC Designer

2. Geometrical figures and floating line.

Floating line. This tool can be used to link two objects placed on balanced scorecard.  Size and direction of the floating line are adjustable.  Besides, it is possible to change its position any time.

Rectangles, triangles and arrows. These elements have the same function as the floating line with the only difference that they look more noticeable, and thus can be used to point important links on the strategy map.  Here users have and a wide range of figures according to their needs or aesthetic preferences.

Use floating lines to connect strategy map components

Make emphasis with noticeable arrows (colors are adjusted)

Use additional figures in strategy map

3. Images and fixed lines.

It is possible to add images to a strategy map.  Please note that images are not automatically adjusted to strategy maps sites, thus make sure only small images are uploaded.

Fixed lines can link elements of balanced scorecard although cannot be moved to a different location once applied.  The good news is that it’s possible to use curves and wavies.  It goes without saying that any element on the strategy map can be deleted.

Add images to strategy map

Curves and wavies are available in strategy map toolkit

1. 4. Zooming

Zoom strategy map

The three buttons in the zooming section will zoom in and out the strategy map as well as restore it to actual size.

It is possible to draw a strategy map report which is saved in HTML extension.  The report contains various forms of the strategy map design, like default placement, horizontal tree placement, snowflake tree replacement, classical placement, cascading placement etc.

Generate strategy map report

Cascading report placement

Snowflake report placement

• A brief background of strategy maps.
• How to apply strategy maps to help you set and reach your goals.
• Examples of strategy maps, with success stories and critiques.
• Step-by-step instructions to help you design your strategy maps, update them, and integrate them into your business processes.
• And a checklist to help you design good, effective strategy maps for your company.

• We’ll explain the process in “How to calculate performance indicators, step-by-step.
• We’ll cover perspectives and metrics.
• Weights and scores.
• And step-by-step, how to calculate your performance and normalization.

The Balanced Scorecard Toolkit:

• Provides valuable information for each stage of your Balanced Scorecard life cycle;
• It is a source of ready-to-use guides, check lists, and step-by-step manuals;
• And the Toolkit includes more than 280 pages of presentation slides.
• Learn more about BSC Toolkit.

Checklist on designing good strategy maps

This slide is for demonstration purposes only. Check the Business Strategy Map homepage for details and full version.

Checklist on designing good strategy maps

• Strategy maps must depict critical information in simple manner