Buyer Utility Map

This framework from Blue Ocean Strategy (link) outlines on one axis the stages in a buyer’s experience cycle, and on the other axis a variety of “utility levers.”

The experience cycle includes:

• Purchase: How long does it take to find the product? Is the place of purchase attractive and accessible? Is the environment secure?
• Delivery: How long does it take to get delivery? How easy is it to get the product ready to use? How difficult and costly is the entire process?
• Use: Does the product require training or assistance? How effective are the products features and functions? Are there too many bells and whistles for the average user?
• Supplements: Do you need other products and services to make the product work? If so, how costly / difficult to obtain / time consuming to set up are they?
• Maintenance: Does the product need external maintenance? How easy is it to maintain or upgrade the product? How costly is maintenance?
• Disposal: How easy / costly is it to dispose of the product? Are there legal / environmental issues in the disposal of the product?

The utility levers (customer productivity, simplicity, convenience, risks, fun and image, environmental friendliness) can be applied to each of these cycles. Ask yourself in the top left box of the table: How productive is the customer in the purchasing stage? How could this phase be made more productive for the customer? And so on for each box in the table. Also, taking a “horizontal” view, you should ask: At which stage of the customer experience cycle are there the biggest blocks to productivity, simplicity, etc.?