Technology · Build, buy or subscribe · Component
Capability evolution map
The capabilities under consideration placed by how evolved and how differentiating each is, which frames what is worth building.
The deliverable
What it is
Wardley maps place the components of a value chain on an axis of evolution, from genesis through custom-built and product to commodity. The position matters for sourcing because the economics differ at each stage: novel capabilities change too fast for packaged products, while commodities are cheaper to rent than to maintain.
The map does not make the decision. It narrows the sensible options and makes visible when a team is proposing to build something the market already sells as a utility.
One level in
What it is made of
Each element is a constituent part of the component. Follow one to see the attributes it carries.
Capability
The business capability being sourced, described by what it does for its users instead of by product names.
2 attributes: Capability · User need
LearnEvolution stage
Where the capability sits between genesis, custom-built, product and commodity, with the evidence for placing it there.
3 attributes: Stage · Evidence · Confidence
LearnDifferentiation
Whether customers would notice or care if this capability were identical to a competitor’s.
2 attributes: Differentiating · Why
Learn
Most regrettable builds are of commodities. Check the stage before the team starts estimating.
The other components in build, buy or subscribe
Sourcing decision record
The options considered, the whole cost of each over time, the choice made, and the conditions under which it should be revisited.
LearnLock-in and exit assessment
What leaving would require — data, integrations, retraining and time — assessed before the commitment is made.
Learn