EIDOS Erfahrungen

Unique Set of Strategic Planning and Visualization Tools for the Most Complex of Transformations

Kommentare: Having experience relating to EIDOS that goes back to 2001 (before it was even called EIDOS), I have found the tool set to be fantastic for structuring complex challenges in even the largest organizations. The core tool suite has not really varied dramatically over the past 15+ years, but the usability has soared.

I find EIDOS greatly complements my work in Enterprise Architecture, the value of which I often bottom line as being "Better informed decisions faster." In Enterprise Architecture (EA), one tries to better link Business Demand with Information, People, Process, and Technology Supply. EIDOS helps me ensure coherency and comprehensiveness in addressing and scoping any major business/government/non-profit transformation, especially on the business strategy/architecture side of the house up front and then with analysis of alternatives to best satisfy any chosen course of action. I have used it to support my EA work with some of the largest organizations, including the United Nations and the U.S. Federal Government, along with Ivy League universities and Fortune 10 companies. In short, EIDOS, once mastered, and it is not easy to master, to be honest, can really raise the IQ of an Enterprise. As with any complex tool environment, an investment is absolutely required to get at least a couple of people up to the expert level in the tool suite to fully benefit from it and this must be a concerted, focused effort over a reasonable period of time.

Vorteile:

This rich suite of complementary tools for strategic reasoning, decision making, and visualization can undoubtedly lead to better collaboration and communication for more comprehensive understanding of opportunities and alternative ways to approach them. EIDOS integrates myriad templates and allows for customizations of others to help do everything from stakeholder analysis; to better understanding drivers/concerns and requirements; goals, objectives, and measures; and ultimately of a consensus on the optimum courses of action, and associated implementation choices, including from different perspectives. Once one fully understands every tool in the EIDOS toolkit and how to leverage them all, one can become a master strategist in any domain, needing of course, to bring together particular experts and reference material related to the context of the strategic challenge is for what business or organization. The toolset is surely one of the best in the world for doing high-level impact analysis and analysis of alternatives -- again, provided the inputs into it are based on the leading business and technology thinking in any particular area. This is a great toolset for supporting CxOs in any vertical and any type organization, but it depends on outstanding skill in facilitation to link the tools to each other and the use cases. It is a world class set of tools for Decision Architecture. Its use for every significant change initiative would provide certain return on investment.

Nachteile:

Being in the Decision Architecture and strategic tools business for over 20 years, I respect how difficult it is to introduce any new tool or method into an organization's workflow and how easy it is for anything new to become yet another silo rather than the integrated platform intended. With this in mind, I think recognition of the need for other tools, and recommendations for their integrated use, such as Mind Mapping and modeling/diagramming, would be a big plus. In addition, processes that would lead to some kind of Quality Assurance of the products coming from EIDOS, such as through the use of Red Teams, should probably be included in the whole approach. This could force more thorough research and greater confidence regarding the data ultimately used in the different stages of the strategy and decision making processes. Finally, guidance on how to ultimately build and maintain a Decision Architecture Repository for the organization or "Enterprise" would be extremely valuable and a great way to showcase the contributions of EIDOS. Ideally, one could have a record of all key aspects of any transformation life cycle that could also serve as a reference library of potentially reusable building blocks.

Excellent Tool to drive strategic decisions

Kommentare: We have been looking into difficult and complex situations like product designs and roll out, speed optimization of our Innovation process as well as strategic investment option evaluations.

Vorteile:

The software requires a different way of thinking. Complex decisions are broken into different parts which makes it better for the human brain to evaluate the situation instead of heading directly to a potential easier (but wrong) conculsion.

Nachteile:

The advantage is also a disadvantage. If someone is not open to the different way of thinking it might seem challenging to use the software for a decision making process.

For complex problems. Like strategy-making

Kommentare: Eidos structures strategic foresight projects. It is not super easy, but with the right guidance at the right time, is becomes a powerful tool.

Vorteile:

The world is getting more complex, and strategic foresight is maturing to match that complexity. Students enter the MBA here at Aarhus University with lots of different experiences in making strategy at their organizations. Because of this, there is a problem with harmonizing their vocabulary and the parameters under which the futures, strategies, and goals are discussed. Eidos is a good way to align these concepts so that groups can get further into the future and deeper into strategy. Eidos provides the architecture to transfer and collaborate, also decentrally, for the completion of project processes.

Nachteile:

Not the software, per say, but some students are unwilling from the get-go to learn new software. Not that it is overly complicated, but they just decide beforehand not to.

Engagements with public sector clients are fascinating as outcomes always exceeded expectations.

Kommentare: The software has supported difficult client engagements ensuring that one can deliver in their high expectations in unusually short timelines. I have applied the tools in facilitations for mainly large public organisations but also for the NGO sector. Without fail it allows capture of content in a systematic fashion and when such content (actors and factors) are connected to provide a situational view that provides clarity to context of the problem statement to both the leadership and management of such organisations. In times when the environment keeps changing and within such the industries have to continually evolve, the tools support quick updates of context and scenarios while keeping in tact outcomes from previous engagements as useful baselines. After the workshops I have found that executives and management are able to consistently communicate the knowledge gained and strategies formulated i.e. the process supports participants obtaining a deeper understanding of the situation, scenarios and selected strategies which the process forces to be very clearly articulated and evaluated. At the same time the common language and understanding gained by participants supports consistent communication crucial to execution of selected strategies.

Vorteile:

Development Bank of Southern Africa is the custodian of the Eidos licenses for the South African Government. My engagement were as administrator and custodian for the engagements supporting state initiatives such as the training and support to the secretariat for the National Development Plan within the Presidency, Policy Development within Local Government, parastatals such as Eskom (public electricity utility) and public initiatives such as the application funding to the Global Aids Fund by the South African National Aids Council. The set of tools supports decision processes both from a systemic helicopter as well as detail evaluation perspective while maintaining process and allowing unstructured and structured problem analysis. This is unique in my experience with the tools over the last 12 years. One can use the tools in isolation although I would recommend a structured use of 4 to 5 of the tools that usefully combine in support of the strategy development and then refinement required to select and execute different options. In point solutions one can perform detailed analysis of scenarios and strategies provided by others in very short time periods. The rich content without fail has provided useful insights for executives and senior management alike. The computational engines behind the tools extend our thinking capacity enormously while supporting such with visual representation that make interpretation and engagement with the content possible.

Nachteile:

One must ensure that the right people are in the room to support and engage with the content that the decision and strategy processes develop and build on. Groups of 10 to 12 participants are ideal, beyond which the skill of the facilitator will be even more important. Preparation takes time and is key but is very worthwhile in my experience. The process does tend to show up possible gaps in participants understanding which have to be managed. Usually this is an opportunity for learning but it does require follow up within the organisation.

Powerful think tool at a reasonable price

Kommentare: The guidance, and yet the flexibility Eidos offers, make my workshops more professional and qualitatively more valuable.

Vorteile:

I use the software in a wide variety of tasks in my projects and workshops. It is the ideal tool to structure content and thought processes, to visualize complex challenges and show their interrelationships to gain a deeper understanding and/or simply to create a common understanding for the participants. My customers are always excited how well structured the workshops run, how easy it is for everybody to follow while nobody gets lost, and also how effectively we work together. Besides, I find a suite that offers the necessary template for nearly every (managament) task and I can create my own background template if needed. Also the follow-up of the workshops is supported: using the "create slides" functionality there is no need to exhaustingly and stressfully prepare a summary or photolog nobody looks into afterwards anyway.

Nachteile:

Improvement on the import/export functionalities would be helpful.

The best set of tools for qualitative scenario and strategy work

Kommentare: Not only are our clients wowed by the ability to construct a strategy in real time, but also it helps create combinations of options that would otherwise not have been seen without the tools.

Vorteile:

The software suite has 11 distinct tools. Like for a carpenter, each tool has a particular function - e.g. a "goal assessment" to identify the goals. But as with real life tools, you can also "misuse" the tools to good effect. Hence in the morphological analysis destined to create scenarios and/or strategies, you can also employ it to find combinations of product features that let you stand out from the crowd (Blue Ocean) or to prepare how to react to various offers you may be made in a negotiation process... All in one set of tools

Nachteile:

It is clear that this is not for people who are not prepared to spend time thinking. For those of you who only want to rely on your gut for decision making, this is not the tool for you. Moreover, the tool really shows its power when visualising the results of a group deliberation. I do also use it "solo" but its real power is to align the thinking of diverse stakeholders.

Szenario based strategy development. Visualized reasoning and development of strategic options.

Kommentare: With this coherent methodological framework you'll be enabled to craft and develop scenarios and strategies. Enhancement of decision making processes with tools that enable a rigorous analysis and synthetic integration through effective visualization and efficient computation. Highly effective interaction between tools addressing endogenous factors (PESTLE) in strategic frameworks, and those enabling assessments of external drivers and trends through scenarios. Eidos also captures knowledge generated in strategic planning exercises. The highly dynamic and integrated formats, are reuseable and easily support modifications and expansions later on. Enabling effective strategic management of issues and challenges in highly volatil, uncertain, complex and ambigue environments.

Vorteile:

Advanced systemic Analysis of cause and effects relevant for strategic decisions. Helps to handle complexity rather than simplify. Avoiding managerial bias within the crafting of different strategic initiatives. Comprehensive toolset to support different Business Tasks. Help to evaluate robustness of strategies within different external Szenarios and effectiveness of Strategies to Support internal Goals. Integration of existing knowledge in and interlink with other programs / documents like Office, Acrobat. Exchanging and recordind knowledge in workshops interactively in a resuable way, with the benefit of effectively identifying main issues of un-/certainty or non-/conformaty.

Nachteile:

Licencing Modell is focused on Enterprises models. Stand alone licences not offered. Drag and Drop / Copy & Paste between Eidos and PPT could be more anhanced. The power and manifold of the Software somestimes leads to hesistant initial user Feedback. The gap between the minimalism of visualisation Features in Eidos tools to support the effective reasoning process and usual variety or used visuals in ppt sometimes hampered involvement of different stakeholders.

We significantly improved our decision making process as well as our meeting efficiency

Vorteile:

EIDOS helps people and teams to create a common understanding of complex situations. It allows avoiding misunderstandings between people with different backgrounds (cultural, professional, social, intellectual). In addition it supports to understand the most important levers for solving a problem, to transparently show options how to act, to clearly understand which risks have to be managed. It offers different ways to visualize complex data or information landscapes in a comprehensive and intuitive way. The tool box of EIDOS is based on latest research how people could become stronger in communication, problem solving and decision making.

Nachteile:

The tool box of EIDOS comprehends besides easy to use tools other applications which need a profound training. Following the recommended rules and processes requires a high degree of discipline as well as sufficient time for discussions. Most business people are not highly motivated to create transparency regarding their decision making or their risk management approach. Such complex problem solving workshops need top management support. Usually results created with EIDOS need to be transferred into a classical Power Point format for presentations towards management councils.

Perfect to structure complex interrelations, bring transparency and create ONE pict of understanding

Kommentare: EIDOS shortens long discussions and recursions based on misunderstandings, as this tool helps to clearly structure argumentations and makes thoughts re-thinkable. The visual layout makes gaps in the discussions obvious. Hence, the benefits for me where a) saving time in problem solving; b) achieving ONE joint picture of a topic without room for individual "interpretations"; c) solid documentation of discussion that can be used for further developments, even if not all participants were part of the initial phases of the process.

Vorteile:

EIDOS "forces" the users (in a structured way) to be precise. It encourages to leave the abstract level of argumentation and discuss relevant details without loosing focus. Due to its visual structure, it immediately shows gaps in the discussions and processes. Hence, EIDOS supports to achieve a "complete" picutre in the strategy- and scenario processes. It helps to conduct a holistic analyses of internal and external situations (including the classical strategy tools of SWOT, Porter 5 Forces a.s.o); it clearly underpins the difference of strategy and goals. In so doing, EIDOS helps to create joint understandings of the topic in scope and its constituting parameters.

Nachteile:

Due to its complexity it definitely needs training! However, the Parmenides Foundation provides excellent 2-days trainings and is highly supportive in on-site Workshops.

Best in class software tool-kit to support strategic thinking and reduction of high complexity!

Kommentare: Effective & efficient strategy meetings, significant reduction of costs for strategic- and verbal reasoning, very positive team-building effects by joint Eidos sessions, good integration into the existing software landscapes of my clients (MS Office, SAP)focussed discussions, massive reduction of complexity, very satisfied customers

Vorteile:

I apply Eidos for 10 years with much joy and success. It is a great help for me and for my customers in reducing high complexity . During the last 10 years, Eidos was continuously improved into a very user-friendly tool kit. The help- and explanation-functions are best-in-class! And the different software components and tools are very well integrated. Today I see no better software for supporting an efficient and effective strategy process!!

Nachteile:

It's not a real "con": At the beginning, it is necessary to discipline yourselves. My customers very often have to learn step by step new strategic thinking. But it's worth the initial discipline. At least they very often share a common view on how to develop a real strategy. On that "journey" the examples stored in Eidos are very helpful for them .

I've used Eidos for strategic planning since v.1.6 , and cannot imagine operating without it.

Kommentare: Clarity of thought; greatly improved scenario practice; additional rigor in strategic process; significantly improved management and review capability.

Vorteile:

A coherent methodological framework; well-designed tools enabling rigorous analysis and synthetic integration through effective visualization and efficient computation; highly effective interfaces between tools addressing endogenous factors in strategic frameworks, and those enabling exploration of exogenous circumstances through scenarios; and a well-integrated reporting system ideal for board and executive management presentations. The suite also captures knowledge generated in strategic planning exercises, in dynamic integrated formats, allowing it to be used, modified, and expanded at any time thereafter, enabling effective strategic management of issues and organizations.

Nachteile:

It requires disciplined thinking and brutally exposes reasoning and planning weaknesses! This is a great advantage for organizations, but can be embarrassing for individuals.

it enables leaders/teams structured & interactive for do alignment, decisionmaking, and tracking

Kommentare: better decisions, quicker analysis via visual reasoning
and
a great learning/education of my staff/teams to learn about a structered thinking process for complicated and complex environments

Vorteile:

EIDOS is more than a Software - it offers a guided and well structutred thinking process to a Group of People, even if they to telco and screenshare and don't meet F2F. The toolbox and a lot of helpfull reference files offers users with different professional background a canvas to exchange their views to a Topic (from easy to complex), to gain alignment and to offer a follow up methodology. Strategic Thinking, Strategic Processes, Visual reasoning and well equipped management toolbox offers a unique way to start a group thinkig process with great results

Nachteile:

A skilled moderator is key to guide people in the thinking process and sometimes the hurdle to use it on your own is high - but like with every professional toolbox : you have to invest and pratice prior to get top-notch results.

Eidos helped formulate problem solving and supports us with better decision making as a result

Kommentare: Supports thinking processes and better decision making
Supports sense making and can be used effectively with other tools
Supports critical thinking

Vorteile:

The Suite of tools assists with a wide range of perspectives regarding how to consider the issue at hand and then supports options and means to address it appropriately.

Nachteile:

Some tools require a lot of practice. Using them correctly often means that several approaches may be needed before one gets the knack of the thinking process behind the specific tool. What is great about that though, is that users get trained to think in new ways!

I've moderated several workshops in different countries and business units using Eidos.

Kommentare: Great, structured way to moderate strategy sessions. Gives you a clear roadmap for such workshops which, in my experience, greatly reduces the time of the workshop itself by focusing the discussions.

Vorteile:

1. Handling of the software is easy and intuitive. 2. Enables you to tackle complex questions in a structured, step-by-step manner. Greatly diminishes the danger of jumping to premature conclusions. 3. Allows you to "re-visit" and change every assumption at any point in time. 4. Great visualization of results as "eye-opener"

Nachteile:

Moderation is as important as the tool itself. Just using Eidos won't guarantee you good results - you need a skilled and trained moderator to avoid discussions on a level which is too abstract (with no practical use for your business decisions) or too detailed (neglecting the fundamental questions).

EIDOS provides the most comprehensive and easy to use strategic thinking support,

Kommentare: Clarity on strategic objectives, external scenarios, strategic options and strategic direction as well as clarity on implementation planning and progress.

Vorteile:

I like the way that EIDOS captures strategic thinking processes always with the benefit of picking up the strategic thinking process (also in a group of people) at the stage that was already achieved in previous meetings. This really creates clarity and avoids double work and endless iterations. EIDOS comes with a range of strategic thinking tools that jointly applied really add value. It also comes with many templates that use state-of-the-art strategic frameworks.

Nachteile:

Like with many tools the groups that should use them need to be convinced that the tool really adds value. This also has to be considered when implementing EIDOS in your organization.

EIDOS offers a great support in strategy (and other) development processes with a variety of tools

Vorteile:

- EIDOS contributes a perfect toolkit for strategy development processes - it gives a transparent overview about ideas, options, scenarios - it helps a lot to get coherent decisions - since EIDOS stimulates lateral thinking, a lot of new ideas and perspectives emerge during the working process - it offers easy to use possibilities for documentation and presentation, especially to management board, these results give impression - EIDOS HUB creates a lot of energy and fun working with larger groups

Nachteile:

- since EIDOS is a powerful toolkit, it takes some time and experience to get familiar with it - since EIDOS is very structured, it needs quite a lot of discipline of all persons involved in the working process - perfect fit for organizations, unfortunately not for individuals

Best strategic thinking toolbox

Vorteile:

Is is really ease to get in it and learn how to integrate the strategic questions in the Software. You have also a very good overview about all Versions of your work and you can Review all changes if required.

Nachteile:

The Scenario tool is the complexest one but also the most benifitial one. It helps to learn more about consistencies and develop mature Picture of the future,

Very good tool. It supports the strategic, structured and analytic thinking.

Kommentare: Great visualization. Very good tool to structure discussion and Meeting. Support in decicion making processes.

Vorteile:

Visualization of complex topics. You can lead a meeting with this software. After long time you are able to recognize the agreed topics.

Nachteile:

At the beginning, not everything is totally easy, but after you understand the tool, it works very well.

Excellent

Vorteile:

- Quick access to powerful strategic analysis Tools - Very stable - Tremendous tool set and flexibility

Nachteile:

Navigation to the various templates could be slightly more structured Software philosophy is not to stress Integration with Microsoft ppt and Excel too much - I believe more Integration could be beneficial The EIDOS Hub is a brilliant idea, but I expect it to become even better in the near future

With EIDOS I've gained outstanding results in transparent reasoning and decision making.

Kommentare: Good Results, Savings, Fun.

Vorteile:

This tool has the potential to reshape your thinking in how to achieve best results in a most efficient manner. In some way it is the ethereum (block-chain approach) for thinkers.

Nachteile:

That it is not used by everyone, yet. Howevr; it takes some time and effort to fully cope with all features offered.

Great experience, valuable for all departments, involvement instead of contribution

Kommentare: Buy-in from top Management, preparation of your pitch for new strategies or changes

Vorteile:

New features like the App on the smartphone for evaluation/ rating, I pretty much liked the animated development of e.g. strategies/ scenarios,

Nachteile:

You can show the whole input only if the software is available a use like "ThinkCell" embedded in Power Point would be probably more convenient.

EIDOS helped us to select the right location strategy in our team in a solid & fast way.

Vorteile:

- very intuitive user interface - varied applications - supporting the structuring of your own thoughts - significant reduction in planning complexity - easy access to new tools through templates - high system stability

Nachteile:

- high license costs (especially with low number of users) - small optical deficiencies (low formatting options in Properties)

Great tool with a lot of features, helping to structure the "vague" strategy finding process

Kommentare: understanding and reflecting the strategy finding and objective setting process

Vorteile:

- multiple features to break strategy down on more detailed objectives - prioritization of objectives -

Nachteile:

- weighting of objectives, assessment of scenarios etc. is random/subjective, which has an impact on overall strategy choice - no mac compatibility

Strong support to jointly develop strategies

Vorteile:

The richness of the software, the enormous variety of possibilities and possible usages. The ability to include the different models into the clients methodology.

Nachteile:

The functionality is somehow overwhelming but might lead to loose focus. Thus, some discipline is required.

I had an introduction into Eidos for strategic planning.

Vorteile:

The design of the analysis - it is very easy to understand the overall functions - you can plan and connect your strategies in the "big picture" ease of analysis

Nachteile:

It takes a while until you understand all of the features Sometimes you have to plan in very little details