Hackathon Canvas

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What is a Hackathon Canvas?

A Hackathon Canvas is a visual and strategic planning tool designed to help organise a successful hackathon event.

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Hackathons are a popular way for people to network, learn new skills, and collaborate on innovative projects. They have been used to create new products, solve real-world problems, and even launch new companies.

They require careful planning to ensure that the event runs smoothly and achieves its goals.

Why Use a Hackathon Canvas?

A Hackathon Canvas can help take the effort out of organising a hackathon by helping to –

  • Break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable ones.
  • Provide a visual representation of the key components.
  • Provide a common language that can be used by all stakeholders.
  • Define the goals and objectives of the hackathon and ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal.
  • Identify the resources required to run the hackathon.

Who Needs a Hackathon Canvas?

  • Hackathon Event organizers
  • Innovation Managers
  • Start Up Consultants
  • Accelerators and Incubators
  • Internal think tanks
  • Judges, Sponsors and Mentors
Related templates
Tips for effective hackathon planning
  • Start by defining the goals of the hackathon.
  • Engage a diverse group to help plan the hackathon. This will offer a range of skills and perspectives.
  • Use technology to involve critical people in different locations rather than miss their contribution.
  • Minimize groupthink by brainstorming ideas individually then combining issues to get the overall picture.
  • Provide adequate time in the session to discuss and clarify ideas.
  • Ensure all actions are assigned to someone with an agreed deadline.
  • Communicate outcomes to stakeholders and regularly update progress on actions.
References

How to Use a Hackathon Canvas

Ensure all stakeholders involved in the planning process have access to the Canvas. Using an online collaborative tool such as GroupMap allows those stakeholders to engage both in person and remotely. It can also allow for the group to share their input either synchronously or asynchronously depending on their availability.

It is best to start by defining the Hackathon Goals then moving to the section the group agrees to be the next most important.

Once all ideas are captured, actions can be defined that shape the agreed steps to the delivery of the hackathon itself.

Brainstorm

Add ideas to each section of the Canvas.

Action

Add action items to deliver the plan.

Share

Share and communicate the plan.

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Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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Startup Canvas

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What is a Startup Canvas?

A Startup Canvas is a one-page strategic planning tool used to help entrepreneurs define, realize and communicate their business model on a single page. 

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This is a variation of the Business Model Canvas by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur. The Start Up Canvas was created by Maurya Ash, a notable start up adviser who varied the original model to be more focused on a new business.

Since then, more variations have been created. The one shown here includes a broad set of aspects for a start up including value, user acquisition and channels to market.

Why use a Startup Canvas?​

  • Defines your business model. You can see how the elements fit together and how one affects the other.
  • Improves focus and priorities. By honing in on the areas a start-up business needs most, you can be smarter with time and money.
  • Can identify gaps and opportunities. Working through each element challenges assumptions and can also spark new ideas.
  • It acts as a communication tool. A ‘one pager’ helps you communicate the vision to the team and investors.
  • Allows for easy iteration and refinement. You can easily change or update your canvas as you learn more or gain clarity.

Who Should Use Startup Canvas?

  • Start up teams
  • Entrepreneurs and start up founders
  • Business Consultants
  • Start up coaches and advisors
  • Investors
  • Educations in entrepreneurship and design thinking
Related templates
Tips for the Startup Canvas
  • Focus on the problem first. Having a clear definition of the problem goes a long way to making sure the solution in mind fits. Hit the nail with the hammer, not the other way round.
  • Ensure that the solution is unique, but also has value. It’s great to be one of a kind, as long as it also solves the problem.
  • Iteration is key. It would be a miracle if the first cut of the start up canvas stays the same. As lessons are learned, and assumptions are validated, the canvas should evolve and change as needed.
  • Work with the team and invite others. It will help give new perspectives, critical thinking and opportunity for feedback.

Startup Canvas template

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How to Use a Startup Canvas

It all starts with your new business idea. You can start with a proposed name.

The criticl thing to define is the customer’s problem. From there, you can refine any solution/s you have in mind.

Identifying competitors helps develop an understanding of the current market landscape. Then list all the ways your solution brings value to solving the problem. Capture what you know to date and how you will create a minimum viable product. 

Next, define your ideal customers and how you attract them to your business. This step is crucial in knowing how you might market and position your product. 

Finally, decide on who you need in your team to accomplish the goals you have for your company and create the vision for your startup.

Brainstorm

Start with the problem statement.

Group

Group similar ideas into one.

Vote

For areas that need further discussion or research

Results

See where people have voted.

Action Plan

Create a plan to validate assumptions, learn and iterate.

Start a Startup Canvas in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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4P Marketing Mix

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What is the 4P Marketing Mix?

The 4P Marketing Mix is a popular framework used by marketers to define and develop marketing strategies. The 4P’s stand for Product, Price, Place, and Promotion, which are the four key elements that make up a successful marketing mix.

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If offers an order that is simple to follow.

The first step is to define the product or service that you want to market. Next, determine the pricing strategy for the product. Then plan the promotion strategy for the product. Finally, identify the best channels for distributing and selling the product.

Why Use the 4P Marketing Mix?

  • It offers a comprehensive approach to planning as businesses can create a complete plan by considering all four elements.

  • By considering the needs and wants of customers, businesses can design a product or service that fits their demands and is priced, promoted, and distributed in an easy and accessible way.

  • Businesses can change the template to meet their needs and goals.

  • Tracking the effectiveness of the strategy lets businesses make data-driven decisions and tweak their approach.

Who Needs the 4P Marketing Mix?

Any business or organization that wants to develop and implement an effective marketing strategy would benefit from this approach. Small enterprises, large corporations, start-ups, and non-profit organizations are some examples of those that could benefit from using the 4P Marketing Mix.

Related templates
Tips in using the 4P Marketing Mix effectively
  • Conduct market research before using this template to identify the needs and preferences of your target audience.
  • Remember that the four elements of the 4P Marketing Mix are interdependent.
  • Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategy, using metrics such as sales, customer feedback, and market share.
  • Keep the needs and preferences of your target audience at the forefront of your marketing strategy.
  • Ensure that your marketing activities are aligned with your business goals and are designed to support your business growth.
  • Customize the elements of the framework to suit the needs of your specific business, industry, and target audience.
Tips in using the 4P Marketing Mix effectively

4P Marketing Mix Template

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How to Run a 4P Marketing Mix

Start by defining the product or service you will be marketing.

Then collaborate to determine the pricing model that will best meet the needs of the business and its target audience, Then discuss the most effective promotion channels and strategies.

After that, collaborate to find the most effective strategy to get the product into the hands of the target demographic. Lastly, put the marketing strategy into action and use metrics to measure how well it worked.

Brainstorm

Brainstorm for each section

Vote

Vote on the ideas to take forward

Results

Discuss and share results with stakeholders

Start a 4P Marketing Mix in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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Corrective Action Plan

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What is a Corrective Action Plan?

A Corrective Action Plan is a systematic approach to addressing problems or issues that have been identified in a process, system, or project.

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Why Use a Corrective Action Plan?

A Corrective Action Plan can be used when there is a need to address and improve an issue in the workplace. It could be the quality of a product or service, customer satisfaction, or the overall efficiency and effectiveness of a process or system.

It helps your organizations identify and address problems early on, before they become larger issues that can negatively impact the organization’s reputation, financial performance, and overall success.

Who Should Run One?

Anyone who is involved in a process or system can benefit from a corrective action plan. This includes

  • Individuals and teams responsible for quality control, risk management, and Six Sigma.
  • Project managers
  • Change agents and leaders
  • Team leaders and agile scrum masters
Related templates
Tips for effective corrective action plans
  • Be inclusive. Involve the whole team or group.
  • Use technology to involve people in different locations rather than miss their contribution.
  • Minimize Groupthink by brainstorming ideas individually.
  • Be specific rather than broad when defining ideas.
  • Keep things positive. Remind people they are helping to build solutions and avoid the ‘blame game’.
  • Provide adequate time in the session for people to share their ideas.
  • Monitor outcomes, if improvements aren’t observed revisit the process.
References

Corrective Action Plan template

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How to Use the Corrective Action Plan Template

The Corrective Action Plan is a map designed to facilitate a collaborative approach to identifying and addressing issues in the workplace.

Start by making sure all stakeholders impacted by issues have access to the map. Using an online collaborative tool such as GroupMap allows those stakeholders to engage both in person and remotely. It can also allow for the group to share their input either synchronously or asynchronously depending on their availability.

As one section of the map leads to the next, it is best to work through it one column at a time. First have the group decide upon the top three issues it will discuss. Then have them settle on the corrective actions they will use to address them. Finally, have the group identify the various metrics that will be used to track success in the ‘Measurement’ column.

Brainstorm

Add ideas one column at a time

Like/Dislike

Indicate which ideas you support

Action

Share and implement agreed actions

Start a Corrective Action Plan in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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Enquire now

Character Alignment Chart

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The Character Alignment Chart

This icebreaker activity lets you create different actions for any given situation and classify them as lawful, chaotic, good, evil or somewhere in between.

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This is an imaginative way to encourage people to think about their values, how they approach decision-making, and the roles they play when working together.

This is a fun way to explore how people’s values play out in different situations.

Why Use One?

This activity encourages self-reflection by revealing how each person may respond to a situation. The benefits of this include:
  • It encourages creativity and solving problems from a different perspective.
  • It promotes team building by understanding how different people respond to the same situation.
  • People can explain their decision-making process in a non-threatening way.

Who Should Use One?

This activity is well suited for group facilitators, trainers, team leaders, or people leading groups to solve common issues that have multiple solutions.

Its game-based theme works well with retreats, creative problem-solving, and other collaborative settings.

Related templates
Tips for the Character Alignment Chart
  • Have a scenario ready to go, such as onboarding a new vendor or having to speed up production.
  • Use technology and online collaboration tools to allow people to add their ideas in real time.
  • There is room for all roles, including Evil, Unlawful and Chaos. Tell people to reserve judgment as the reasons for this behaviour might reveal a different, yet important perspective.
  • Having all actions in a single category may have implications. Have the team discuss what it could mean for the group.
References

Character Alignment Chart Template

Lawful Good

Upholds the law and is driven by duty and justice. Follows a moral code and respects authority.

Lawful Neutral

Seeks to maintain the law, but is not bound by good or evil. Is motivated by duty or tradition.

Lawful Evil

Uses the law to gain power or control. Is motivated by selfish desires.

 

Neutral Good

Seeks to do good, but is not bound by rules or laws. Is driven by empathy and compassion to help others.

Neutral Good

Remains balanced between following the law and their beliefs. Seeks to maintain balance and self-interest.

Neutral Good

Primarily motivated by their own self interests, rather than the law. May use others to further personal goals.

 

Chaotic Good

Prioritizes doing good over following the law or social norms. Is driven by freedom and individuality.

Chaotic Neutral

Prioritizes freedom and individuality over law or moral codes. Is unpredictable and difficult to control.

Chaotic Evil

Prioritizes own desires and goals above all else. Enjoys causing harm and destruction, and is difficult to control.

 

How to Run a Character Alignment Activity.

Firstly, create a few scenarios that you can pose to the group. For example:

  • You are the head of a new innovation hub for the company and have been charged with coming up with new ideas to improve the product and service offerings of the team. What kind of actions would you take?
  • You are running a community consultation workshop to get policy feedback on greening the neighbourhood, targeting the younger generation. What kind of actions would you take?

    You can make the scenario as detailed or as simple as you like. Explain each of the different character types above to the group.

Brainstorm

Brainstorm actions for the scenario

Categorise

Sort actions into each category

Share

Explain your action and reasons

Start a Character Alignment Chart in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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Icebreakers and Warm-ups

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Why use an icebreaker?

Icebreakers are a great tool for launching collaborative sessions. They open the channels of communication, and help put people at ease by giving everyone a chance to contribute.

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The value of icebreakers doesn’t stop there. They help set the tone for a session. They let the facilitator model collaborative behavior. They can also establish common ground between participants which helps foster spaces in which people are happy to share.

A good icebreaker should be so simple that people can respond almost instantly. They aim to get a response rather than a right answer. Icebreakers should be inclusive. They should apply to everyone in the group so they all get the chance to contribute positively. 

Everything that’s said during an icebreaker can help build a connection. That’s why asking people to explain their input is giving them a chance to connect. The best thing about these new connections is that they start a conversational momentum that carries over into the session itself. 

In short, icebreakers help focus and engage a group to ensure they get the most out of their collaborative session.

Our icebreaker templates to help build connections

Our team has hand-picked our top four fun icebreaker activities and designed templates to deliver them online.  
  • House Rules
    • Create a safe conversational space where a set of agreed rules can be agreed upon.
  • Photo Wall
    • A colorful, creative collage that lets participants share a friendly fact or two about themselves by way of some conversation starter questions.
  • Two Truths and One Lie
    • A fun and creative way to have participants interact with each other while discovering a fact each is happy to share.
  • Where in the World?
    • A way for people to share a bit of where they are located or where they are from and perhaps to learn something about the area.
You can find these templates in our library of meeting templates and maps.
Related templates

Tips for running effective icebreakers

  • Maintain a mood that’s friendly and lighthearted
  • Provide examples of past responses to show the simplicity of the task and help put participants at ease.
  • If facilitating a remote or hybrid session, make sure all participants can access and use the collaborative tool.
  • If no one volunteers to talk, use a simple, transparent process, to determine the order of speakers. Examples include this online spinner, following the order of the attendance list or having the last speaker choose the next.
  • Reference what was shared in the icebreaker during the collaborative session so participants feel heard and known.
  • Positively reinforce responses and thank participants for contributing.
References

Who should use an icebreaker?

Anyone who wishes to get more out of their collaborative, meeting, workshop or lesson. This could be because there is a new group of people, or there is a new person to the team. It can also be used to encourage at least everyone saying something at a meeting and to help overcome any initial fears. 

Icebreakers are a proven way of supporting engagement and focus. As such they should be used by:

  • Facilitators
  • Trainers
  • Teachers
  • Coaches
  • Workshop practitioners

In short, anyone overseeing group interaction who is looking to support that group’s effectiveness would benefit from their use.

How to run an icebreaker

An icebreaker helps to set the scene for the session that follows, so it’s important for a facilitator to begin as they wish to go on.

When it comes to online sessions, there are a variety of tools to help. Screen sharing software, video conferencing and online collaboration tools such as GroupMap allow facilitators to deliver inclusive icebreakers. 

GroupMap’s icebreaker templates are deliberately simple in design. This is because most of the time spent during the icebreaker should be spent talking and getting to know each other. Besides just a simple poll that means people simply get lost in a stack of numbers, these ice breakers questions are non-threatening and allow each person to share freely without fear. There is no wrong answers.

Online Icebreakers can also be used to make sure participants know how to use the collaboration tool, add comments, images and ideas, check everyone is able to access the software.

Brainstorm

Add input to the template.

Explain

Explain the input and why it was included.

Start a fun icebreaker in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

Start your 14-day free trial
Enquire now

Meeting Agenda Template

Plan and deliver effective meetings with GroupMap’s Meeting Agenda Template

What is a meeting agenda template?

A meeting agenda template is a tool designed to make building an agenda easy. It does this by helping to gather all the elements needed to plan and deliver an effective meeting.

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A meeting agenda template offers a customisable framework that can be shared by everyone who is involved in the meeting. This helps to set a collaborative tone even before the meeting begins.

Because everyone can see and contribute to the template, stakeholders have shared ownership of the meeting process. This increases buy-in, which contributes to meeting effectiveness.

GroupMap’s meeting agenda template includes nine elements to get you started:

  • Meeting details
  • Meeting Materials
  • Attendance
  • Apologies
  • Previous Business
  • Reports
  • New Business
  • Actions
  • Parked Items

Why use a meeting agenda template?

A meeting agenda template makes organizing a meeting faster and easier, without sacrificing attention to detail.

While the importance of an agenda is well-known, it’s often given a low priority. Its preparation can be overshadowed by more urgent matters. It can be allocated to a person who has the time rather than the expertise to deliver an agenda. It can be pulled together ‘on the fly and so can lack clarity of process.

A meeting agenda template overcomes all of these obstacles as well as delivers other benefits by –

  • Presenting an easy-to-follow structure to which everyone can contribute.
  • Delivering a transparent meeting planning process.
  • Sharing the agenda building process, thereby reducing the time any one person needs to allocate to its delivery.
  • Leveraging the expertise of the whole group in support of the planning process.
  • Including documents as attachments, so they are easy to distribute to the group and document control is effortlessly supported.

The meeting agenda template reduces the time required to document the meeting itself. This is because key information and discussion points have already been recorded.

You can also use it to:

  • Set clear, organization-wide, meeting standards that deliver consistency between meetings and across teams
  • Capture key documents for good governance
  • Track outputs and decision points
  • Make it easier to rotate the meeting facilitator role
  • Provide an opportunity for all meeting participants to contribute and feel heard
  • Deliver all meetings types including online, hybrid, and asynchronous
  • Build a psychologically safe meeting space

Related templates

  • House Rules
  • Photo Wall
  • Two Truths and One Lie
  • Exit Ticket 3-2-1

Tips for effective meeting agendas

  • Map out and circulate a meeting timeframe that includes the preparation of the agenda and all associated deadlines
  • Allocate times for each section of the agenda
  • Align each section of the agenda with an action that’s required. Make clear if an item is -
    • for noting
    • to be discussed
    • for approval
    • if a decision is required
  • Regularly review and update your agenda to make sure it delivers value to your meetings.

References

TeamRetro Agile Retrospectives

Check out TeamRetro, our solution for distributed agile retrospectives

Who should use a meeting agenda template?

Anyone looking to support the delivery of a meeting can use a meeting agenda template. It is a really straightforward brainstorming meeting tool that can super-charge the effectiveness of any type of meeting.

As such, the template could be used by:

  • Meeting Facilitators
  • Executive Officers
  • Company Secretaries
  • Team Leads and Managers

It is a great tool to reduce the time burden of meetings while improving participation rates and record-keeping accuracy.

Meeting agenda template format

meeting-agenda-template-image

How to create a meeting agenda template

When it comes to remote and distributed meeting participants, this online template is a real game-changer. It means everyone can be actively involved in the planning process and so completely up to speed when the meeting itself starts.

Of course, with the template populated, moving to the next step of delivering the meeting online can be done seamlessly.

Screen sharing software, video conferencing, and online collaboration tools allow facilitators to deliver inclusive meetings. GroupMap’s meeting agenda template has been designed with this in mind. It can be used with any group type (co-located, hybrid or remote). So it’s a cost-effective way of removing geographical barriers to participation.

The time it takes to complete a meeting agenda template depends on the nature of the meeting and the detail required. Sharing the template with plenty of lead time will allow contributors to work it in with their own schedules. This will help deliver a better quality outcome.

How to use a meeting agenda template

Set agenda elements

Define the sections of the meeting agenda template

Invite

Invite contributors

Brainstorm

Populate each section of the meeting agenda template

Start a meeting agenda template in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

Start your 14-day free trial
Enquire now

DMAIC Analysis Template

What is a DMAIC Analysis Template?

This is a structured approach to solve problems using the roadmap to (D) Define, (M) Measure, (A) Analyze, (I) Improve and (C) Control a particular issue or problem. It was developed as part of the Six Sigma initiative as part of a quality improvement procedure. 

It can help create significant improvements by offering a more streamlined approach with a 5 step plan. It can be implemented as a standalone quality improvement procedure or part of the process improvement initiatives such as lean. 

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The DMAIC Methodology aims to help teams improve by stepping through an iterative process that takes them through a problem definition phase all the way to being able to verify effectiveness of proposed solutions.

The 5 factors of DMAIC are as follows:

  • Define – This where the team starts by trying to develop a specific definition of the problem or goal. This helps to set the context for the team and to focus their attention to.

  • Measure – These are metrics that you can use to track or measure the problem. It could be a pareto chart based on error rates, hours of rework, throughput or creating a capability analysis.

  • Analyze – Now it’s time to get to the root cause of the issue and to look at potential causes of what might be creating the problem in the first place or is causing the problem to be repeated. The root causes can be listed and prioritised (e.g. through rating or dot voting) to pursue in the Improve step.

  • Improve – This is where the team looks at performance improvements that can address and eliminate root causes. This could be through the design of experiments that help to isolate a key factor or variable through to a skunkworks project through to an innovation process. The improvements should lead to positive changes in the items described in the measure step.

  • Control – These are actions and systems to ensure quality and sustainability of the improvements and to allow for adjustments over time.
Related templates
References

Tips for completing a DMAIC Analysis

  • Work through one column from left to right. Jumping ahead will defeat the purposes of the DMAIC flow.

  • Use prioritisation techniques such as voting to gain consensus from the team in each step.

  • Capturing comments is a great way to seek clarification, get more understanding and ensure buy in as you go through the problem solving steps.

  • It’s important to only focus on one key issue at a time per DMAIC. if there is a new issue that arises, then create a new DMAIC template and run that as a separate exercise.

Why should I use DMAIC?

The DMAIC problem-solving method provides a logical problem solving approach, but has a strong emphasis on data. It can drive accountability and measurable success not just by a good definition of the problem, but adds on the elements of how you can measure and therefore control errors in a sustainable way. This helps to build team accountability and also focus on what elements of the problem the team can change in order to address the root causes for the problem. 

One of the key features of this six sigma methodology approach is that it offers a logical approach to looking at an issue and can be run in it’s entirety for each problem or issue. This makes it suitable for teams that might be struggling with a current problem and not being able to see various solutions. All of this will help add value to the customer, reduce cycle time, help with employee motivation and also reduce error costs.

Who should use DMAIC?

  • Six Sigma Leaders and teams
  • Process improvement teams and coaches
  • Change managers and innovation teams
  • Project Managers

Example of a Six Sigma DMAIC Model Template

Having a simple template can be the canvas for your team to start improving process outputs and address any problems. You can start by sharing the process name, or overall goal as the main topic of your project. E.g. Error rates in production of good X. Then working through the DMAIC process, each person can share their ideas and thoughts collaboratively (or individually) based on their experience. It is usually advisable to step people through the template one column at a time, creating definition of one before moving to the other. Having a clear definition for example will then make the rest of the process more meaningful. 

The DMAIC template offers a high level question which can help the team get started but you can of course customise this to suit. By using the thumbs up and thumbs down voting as you go through the steps will allow you to build consensus along the way. The outputs of of one step, e.g. Define, feeds into the next Measure, and so on. By using the consensus building approach, you get an overall view and perspective of how you have addressed the problem, the root causes and how you would monitor and measure over time.

How to use the DMAIC Analysis template to run better meetings

Set the stage

Define the problem

Brainstorm

Share ideas in order of the DMAIC Process

Variations

Vary the headers for your team as needed

Start a DMAIC Analysis in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

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PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting)

About the PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) Template

What is Plus, Minus, Interesting (PMI)?

A critical thinking and brainstorming tool, PMI was developed by Dr. Edward de Bono. it fosters discussion of an idea from multiple points of view, specification what is positive (plus), negative (minus) and what might be neither but is worth considering (interesting). It can be used for a retrospective exercise or a futurespective one depnding on the context of the topic.

Start a PMI Map in GroupMap

As one of simplest templates to use, the goal is simply to provide everyone the opportunity to express their views from different perspectives. The PMI Template is essentially lists headers of Plus, Minus and Interesting and allows participants to add ideas in, either one column at a time, or across the whole template depending on the style of your convsersations. By using the template and having people brainstorm individually, there is less group think and bias and anchoring of ideas or opinons.

Related templates
Examples of PMI statements
  • What are the positive things about this sprint/policy/feature/issue?
  • What are the negative (minus) things about this sprint/policy/feature/issue?
  • What is interesting about this sprint/policy/feature/issue?

References

Who Should Use the PMI Framework?

  • Agile or scrum teams
  • Change managers
  • Workshop facilitators
  • Policy and change makers
  • Teams having to evaluate a decision or outcome
  • Project teams, including remote teams
  • Education settings and lesson plans

Why Should I Run a PMI Retrospective?

The simple goal of Dr De Bono was to overcome some of the narrow views that can be shared when a person expresses their opinion. By considering the plus, minus and interesting aspects of the same decision, it opens up each person’s thinking and encourages creativity. In scrum or agile retrospectives, the PMI is a very useful tool for getting groups who are stuck to list down different perspectives and to then consider the whole picture.

How to Use the PMI Template to Run Better Meetings

Brainstorm

Start brainstorming through each of the different hats.

Vote

Have people voted on the topics that they would like to discuss the most.

Share

Share the results and facilitate the discussion towards a decision.

Start a PMI Map in GroupMap
Cross Device Compatibility

Save effort, time and money with GroupMap

Whether you have your best minds together in the same room, or distributed around the world, GroupMap’s unique technology allows groups of up to 2000 to submit ideas independently at separate times, from different places, in different timezones. Prevent dominant personalities swaying the group, drowning out the opinions of others – GroupMap allows everyone to brainstorm independently then effortlessly combines that information to reveal the full spectrum of ideas. GroupMap templates keep the objective front and center throughout the session, keeping everyone on task. This ensures the activity identifies actionable issues rather than becoming just a discussion on ideas. GroupMap gives you all the group decision making tools you need to prioritize, decide and take action.

Create your first map and invite people in to start sharing their thoughts right NOW. Experience the power of GroupMap with our 14-day, no risk, FREE trial. You don’t even need to provide your credit card details to access to all of our features, including the entire suite of templates, for a full 14 days.

Start your 14-day free trial
Enquire now