■ Business Mapping

            Business Mapping, or Mind Mapping, is a technique that combines text, color, and visual images to capture or summarize a topic. Proponents claim it is better than linear text outlines. We like it because it’s graphic, just like a flip-chart or whiteboard.

            To take advantage of these files, please read the notes that follow the examples. The examples cover a number of versions.

            These maps are provided as examples, AS IS. No claims are made as to suitability or operation within your systems.

• Brainstorming Techniques

          A good use of MindManager© is to document a Brainstorming session. There are, however, many other situations that leverage MindManager© in a business environment. Here is a short example of Brainstorming.

          There are a number of idea generation techniques that go by names other than brainstorming. The techniques range from structured to unstructured, as shown in the map below:

          Display an image version.

          Download the Idea Generation Techniques Map.

©Piquero Insights, Inc. 2005-2008

• Business Plan Contents Map

          The map was done for presentations on Business Plans. A business plan outline is easy to list, the challenge was to organize our thoughts about what we were going to say about each heading. The map became a single page summary.

          Display an image version.

          Download the BizPlan Map (mmap)

          Download the BizPlan Map. LinkB

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2002

• IEEE Presentation Map

          The map was done for an IEEE Consultant’s Network discussion on Business Planning. The BizPlan map was a summary of business plan topics, but this map was a one page outline of the talk itself. Each main branch is a section heading for the presentation.

          Display an image version.

          Download the IEEE Presentation Map (mmap)

          Download the IEEE Presentation Map. LinkB

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2002

• Field Day Project Map

          The map was done for practice using the software application as a planning tool. The project is an amateur radio clubs efforts to organize and distribute the work for a field day event. You can see the combination of visual image with text. In addition to task assignments (behind the branches) the branches were color coded by person.

          Display an image version.

          Download the Field Day Project Map (mmap)

          Download the Field Day Project Map. LinkB

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2002

• CRM – SCORE Map

          The map was done as a brainstorming exercise with some of the chapter volunteers at the local SCORE office. We were discussing what would be needed if we wanted a software system for keeping track of clients and follow-up needs. (The industry buzz word is Customer Relationship Management, i.e. CRM.)

          Display an image version.

          Download the CRM - SCORE (mmap)

          Download the CRM-SCORE Map.LinkB

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2002

• Fishbone Diagram Map

          This map is an X5 format map. Fishbone Diagrams are sometimes called Ishikawa Diagrams. They are used to brainstorm root causes of a problem. A group thinks of possible causes and then groups them by defined categories; material, process, people, etc. I used extra graphics to portray the fish-bone “look” of a typical diagram.

          Display an image version.

          Download the Ishikawa Map.

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2004

• Consultant/Entrepreneur Assessment

          This map is in Ver 6 format. The map is modeled after a checklist in Elaine Biech’s book, “The Business of Consulting.” To use this map as an assessment, the user would move the listed topics to the appropriate category. It is a form of SWOT analysis.

          Display an image version.

          Download the Entrepreneur Assessment Map.

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2006

• LEAN Tool Analysis Worksheet

          This map is in Ver 6 format. The map is a SWOT analysis template. A more classic Strength – Weakness arrangement than the Assessment (above). The map was a proposal for a technical working group on the Human Side of Lean. The attributes of a particular tool used in a Lean implementation could be brainstormed or just assessed along the dimensions already provided.

          Display an image version.

          Download the LEAN Tools SWOT Map.

Piquero Insights, Inc. 2006

Please Note Version Differences:

          We use a software tool called MindManager© to develop and print the maps. The maps can be simple or complex. Each branch can have text attached, describing the thought further.

          This page has a number of example maps developed primarily by Piquero Insights, Inc. during various engagements or classes.

          You may not have the MindManager© software on your machine. If not, you can still view the actual maps with the free viewer software found here. Or, you can download the trial version, which defaults to a viewer after 21 days.

          There have been multiple releases on MindManager© during the last 6 years. The current version is Version 7.

          Earlier version than X5 used a file extension of “.mmp” which conflicts with Microsoft Project files. X5 and later use “.mmap”. We have noticed that sometimes downloading gets confused with the older extension. We have changed all the older maps to the current extension (saved with Version 7). But, we have retained the older version as LinkB.

          Please note that each map has a Copyright legend that should be retained if you print the map.

          These maps are provided as examples, AS IS. No claims are made as to suitability or operation within your systems.

Please direct questions and comments to

Piquero Insights, Inc.

Back to Piquero Insights, Inc. Home Page

Last update to this page, 09JUN2008

 Top

Copyright © 2002 - 2008  Piquero Insights, Inc.  All rights reserved.