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Quick start
Value Proposition Analyzer
Apply the ERMRC framework from Blue Ocean Strategy to clarify what you offer, to whom, and why it is distinctively valuable. Score your value drivers against the industry norm and your primary competitor to reveal where your proposition is genuinely differentiated.
Based on the Blue Ocean Strategy framework by W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne
▶ Load an industry example
Differentiation Score
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Value Innovation
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Blue Ocean Signal
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Drivers Tracked
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| Value Driver | ERMRC Action | Yours | Proposed | Industry ⓘ | Competitor | Weight | Cost |
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All industry scores are identical. Industry scores reflect the competitive norm within your market for each driver — they should vary. Review for accuracy.
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No Create drivers found. A strong Blue Ocean proposition typically introduces at least one driver that does not exist in your offering today.
Rate how important each value driver is to each customer sub-segment (0 = irrelevant, 5 = critical). Edit segment names inline. Click + to add a new segment.
Add at least one value driver to populate the segment scoring matrix.
Your proposition organised by ERMRC action — what you are creating, raising, maintaining, reducing, and eliminating.
Add value drivers to generate the value map.
ERMRC Action Framework
Eliminate
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Reduce
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Maintain
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Raise
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Create
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Driver Priority Ranking
Ranked by customer importance × divergence from industry norm × proposed level — where your investment creates the most differentiated value.
Add value drivers to see the priority ranking.
Save to File
.json will be added automatically
Strategic Planning Tool
How to use the Value Proposition Analyzer
This tool applies the ERMRC framework from Blue Ocean Strategy to your customer-facing value proposition. It works like the Strategy Canvas — scoring your value drivers against the industry norm and your primary competitor — but focuses on what you deliver to customers rather than your competitive position overall.
What this tool produces
ERMRC Action Plan
Each value driver is automatically classified as Eliminate, Reduce, Maintain, Raise, or Create based on your current and proposed scores — giving your team a clear action agenda.
Segment Scoring Matrix
A driver × sub-segment grid showing which value drivers matter most to which customer groups — revealing where your proposition fits best.
Value Curve
A four-line chart comparing your proposed strategy against your current position, the industry norm, and your primary competitor across all drivers.
Driver Priority Ranking
Drivers ranked by customer weight × divergence from the industry norm × proposed level — the sequence that creates the most differentiated value.
Understanding the scoring columns
Yours (Current)
How strongly you deliver this driver today. 0 means you don't offer it at all; 5 means best-in-class.
Be honest — the strategic value of this tool comes from accuracy, not optimism.
Proposed
Where you intend to take this driver. This drives the ERMRC classification and is your strategic intent made explicit.
Setting Proposed = 0 on a driver you currently offer triggers Eliminate. Setting Proposed > 0 on a driver you don't yet offer triggers Create. Keeping Proposed = Yours triggers Maintain.
Industry ⓘ
The competitive norm for this driver within your specific market. This is not an absolute scale — it reflects what is typical in your industry.
Start at 3 (the market standard) and adjust only when evidence supports it.
Competitor
Your primary competitor's delivery level. Base scores on observable evidence — pricing, product capability, customer reviews — not assumptions.
Underestimating rivals is a common bias.
Weight
How important this driver is to your target customer (1–5). Drives the Differentiation Score and Driver Priority Ranking.
Weight the factors that actually determine whether customers choose you.
Cost
The resource intensity required to deliver your proposed level (1–5). Used to calculate the Value Innovation index.
A negative Value Innovation score is a warning: investments may be too resource-intensive relative to customer value.
How to complete it — step by step
1
Set your context
Enter your company or offering name and the primary customer segment you are targeting. Load one of the five industry examples from the dropdown to see the tool in action first, then replace with your own data.
2
Define your value drivers
Value drivers are the specific things your proposition does for customers — capabilities, features, experiences, or commitments they evaluate when choosing you. Aim for 6–10 drivers covering both functional and experiential dimensions.
Include at least one driver that does not exist in your market today — this triggers the Create classification and is the engine of Blue Ocean value creation.
3
Score each driver
For each driver, score Yours, Proposed, Industry, and Competitor. The Industry column is the most important to calibrate carefully: start at 3 (the market standard) and only move it when observable evidence supports a genuine deviation.
4
Complete the Segment Scoring Matrix
Navigate to the Segment Scoring tab. Rate how important each driver is to each customer sub-segment (0 = irrelevant, 5 = critical). Edit segment names inline. This reveals which segments your proposition serves best.
Disagreements on segment scores are the most valuable output — surface them before they become budget conflicts.
5
Review the Value Curve and act on the ERMRC Framework
The Value Curve shows your proposed strategy diverging from the industry and competitor lines. The ERMRC Framework, Value Map, and Driver Priority Ranking translate the curve into a clear action agenda. Export PDF when ready for leadership review.
ERMRC action logic — how each classification is determined
Eliminate
Proposed = 0 & Current > 0
Removing this driver entirely. Funds your Create moves.
Reduce
Proposed < Current
Still offering this, but at a lower level than today.
Maintain
Proposed = Current
Holding this driver steady — deliberate continuity, not inaction.
Raise
Proposed > Current
Investing to deliver this driver at a meaningfully higher level.
Create
Industry = 0 & Competitor = 0
This driver does not exist in the market today. The engine of Blue Ocean strategy.
Understanding your scores
Differentiation Score
Measures how far your proposed strategy diverges from the industry norm, weighted by customer importance.
A negative score means you are trending below the industry average — may be deliberate, but warrants scrutiny on high-weight drivers.
Value Innovation
Balances the customer value uplift you are creating against the resource cost required.
A negative score signals proposed investments may not generate sufficient customer value to justify the cost.
Blue Ocean Signal
Classifies your overall strategic direction based on Create drivers and Differentiation Score.
Blue Ocean requires 2+ Create drivers and high differentiation. Incremental means your proposition stays close to the industry norm.
Guidance for executive teams
Maintain is a deliberate choice, not a default. When you mark a driver as Maintain, you are explicitly deciding that your current level of investment in that area is correct and should continue. It is distinct from inaction — it reflects a conscious strategic decision to hold steady while resources are reallocated elsewhere.
Use this tool alongside the Strategy Canvas, not instead of it. The Strategy Canvas compares your competitive position against rivals and the industry average. This tool focuses on the value you create for customers directly. Together they give a complete picture.
Create drivers are rare by design. A genuine Create classification means no business in your market offers this today. Most strategies will have one, perhaps two. If your canvas shows five Create drivers, revisit your Industry and Competitor scores.
Eliminate is a strategic choice, not a gap. Deliberately removing a driver — especially one the industry over-invests in but customers no longer value — frees the resources that fund your Create moves.
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