Why Structured Canvases Matter
"Canvases are not a consulting artifact. They are enablement and scale mechanism."
We must anchor conversations around business problems, decision-making, and value before discussing technology. While the structure and terminology may differ, the intent is consistent: align stakeholders early, frame opportunities in business terms, and create a shared understanding before execution begins.
This canvas is not about introducing another framework; it is about institutionalizing how we engage business requirements. The result is clearer value narratives, and a more scalable approach.
The Four 4s Formula Canvas is a structured, value-led conversation and execution model designed to help organizations systematically identify, shape, and deliver Data & AI initiatives.
It guides teams from understanding where data products sit in their lifecycle, through translating business questions into actionable decisions, aligning stakeholders around a clear decision narrative, and finally ensuring accountability, speed, and measurable impact. By combining lifecycle thinking, value creation, executive alignment, and governance into a single coherent canvas, the Four 4s Formula enables consistent, repeatable, and outcome-driven Data & AI engagements that move organizations beyond ad-hoc analytics toward sustained business value.
Value Discovery Canvas
The core canvas that captures all dimensions of a Data & AI initiative in a single view.
Ideally to fill this canvas based on input in 30 Minutes max.
Opportunity Evaluation & Scoring Sheet
The Opportunity Evaluation & Scoring Sheet provides a structured and objective way to assess, compare, and prioritize Data & AI opportunities before committing significant investment. It translates early-stage discussions into measurable criteria by evaluating strategic alignment, business value, user impact, delivery feasibility, risk, and governance readiness.
By applying consistent scoring across these dimensions, organizations can move beyond intuition-driven decisions, create transparency in prioritization, and focus resources on opportunities with the highest likelihood of delivering meaningful business impact. This approach enables leadership teams to make informed, defensible decisions while ensuring alignment between strategy, execution, and value realization.
Business Viability
- Strategic Alignment: Does the initiative support current executive priorities?
- Business Value Generators: Expected measurable business value
- Change Timeframe: Expected timeframe to deliver meaningful change
Rating: 1-5 (1 = Low Impact, 5 = High Impact)
Experience Value
- Key Personas: User groups impacted by this initiative
- Value Proposition Appeal: Compelling value proposition for identified personas
- Change Resistance: Level of change tolerance expected
Rating: 1-5 (1 = Low Impact, 5 = High Impact)
Technical Feasibility
- Implementation & Operational Risk: Key risks associated with delivery
- Safeguards & Controls: Appropriate safeguards for governance
- Technology Readiness: Can it be delivered using existing platforms?
Rating: 1-5 (1 = Low Impact, 5 = High Impact)
Use Case
The Use Case step provides a structured way to capture and evaluate Data & AI use cases by grounding them in real business needs and accountable ownership. Each use case is defined by the problem it aims to solve, the proposed idea or approach, and the specific business objective that defines success.
It further clarifies which KPIs and measurable outputs will be influenced, ensuring progress and impact can be tracked objectively. By explicitly identifying the accountable business stakeholder responsible for outcomes, this approach enables clear ownership, informed prioritization, and confident decision-making on which initiatives should move forward.
Problem to Solve
What key business issue requires attention, and how is it being managed with current processes or tools?
Business Objective
What business outcome would define success for this initiative?
KPIs and Key Outputs
Which KPIs will this initiative influence, and what 3-5 measurable indicators will demonstrate progress and success?
Accountable Stakeholder
Name, Title/Role, Business Function - OKR Ownership
Use Case Prioritization Chart
The Use Case Prioritization Chart provides a visual and comparative view of Data & AI use cases to support clear, outcome-driven decision-making. By mapping initiatives based on their relative business impact and feasibility, the chart helps leadership teams distinguish between high-priority opportunities, quick wins, exploratory initiatives, and lower-priority candidates. This visual approach enables transparent trade-off discussions, aligns stakeholders on sequencing and investment focus, and ensures resources are directed toward use cases with the greatest potential to deliver measurable business value in a timely and manageable way.
Long Term
High Business Impact + Low Feasibility: Projects with no immediate priority and will take more long-term to the Line.
Low Hanging
High Business Impact + High Feasibility: Projects which can be implemented in shortest possible time with potential business value.
Hold
Low Business Impact + Low Feasibility: Projects with low priority and can be put on hold for some time.
Explore
Low Business Impact + High Feasibility: Projects which are technology or use and require a POC.
Storyline
Storyline is the narrative that translates the canvas into a C-level decision. Based on the details captured in the Value Creation Canvas, each initiative must be expressed as a clear storyline that answers four non-negotiable questions:
Problem
What business problem are we solving? And why does it matter now?
Outcome
What measurable change will success create? And how will we know it worked?
Decision / Action
What decision or actions will this enable? And who will act differently because of it?
Value
What tangible value is expected? And measure: cost, risk, safety, compliance, time etc.?
Only initiatives that can be articulated through this storyline progress to C-level approval. Those that cannot do not require escalation—they simply stop, preserving executive attention and investment for initiatives that are clear, credible, and value-driven.
How to Apply the Four 4s Formula
There are three structured ways to adopt and apply the Four 4s Formula, depending on the level of involvement and support required.
Executive Introduction
30 Minutes
For leaders who want a high-level understanding of how the Four 4s Formula – Value Discovery Canvas works in practice, a 30-minute introductory session is available. This session provides a concise walkthrough of the canvas and explains how it is used to structure value-led Data & AI conversations at an executive level.
Request SessionGuided Executive Value Application
2 × 90 Minutes
For organizations that want to apply the Four 4s Formula – Value Discovery Canvas using their own internal teams, a structured, paid engagement is available, delivered across two 90-minute facilitated sessions. These sessions guide participants through the complete canvas in detail, systematically evaluating sampled Data & AI initiatives while ensuring disciplined problem framing, decision clarity, clear ownership, and value alignment — without outsourcing ownership or execution.
Get StartedCanvas-as-a-Service
Professional Services Engagement
For organizations that prefer to outsource the application of the Four 4s Formula – Value Discovery Canvas, a separate professional services engagement can be established. Under this model, our team works directly with business stakeholders to facilitate structured interviews, synthesize inputs, and produce a decision-ready, value-led canvas that leadership can confidently act upon.
Contact Us"Move from framework awareness to decision clarity, and from clarity to value."
Ready to Apply the Four 4s Formula?
Transform how your organization discovers, prioritizes, and delivers Data & AI value.