DECISION SUPPORTED
Which groups of needs, uses or capabilities genuinely require different strategies?
05 · Segment
Build segmentation that supports an investment decision
DECISIONS SUPPORTED
Which groups of needs, uses or capabilities genuinely require different strategies?
- 01Choose a segmentation unit
- 02Compare several segmentations
- 03Prioritise segments
- 04Explore adjacent segments
ORIGINAL ASSET
Segmentation builder
Tests the stability, actionability and decision value of several segmentations.
INPUTSUnitsVariablesSegmentationsMeasuresWeights
→OUTPUTSQualitySizePriorityAdjacent segments
DECISION LANDMARK
Move from the subject to the choice it supports.
ASSET TO USE
Segmentation builder: Tests the stability, actionability and decision value of several segmentations.
NEXT ELEMENT TO EXAMINE
NeedsExplore →VALIDATION DOSSIER
State the decision contract
Use the question “Which groups of needs, uses or capabilities genuinely require different strategies?” as a contract: name the owner, deadline, scope and alternatives before collecting more material. The builder compares several segmentations and distinguishes description, attractiveness, accessibility and ability to win. Record what is deliberately outside scope, who can challenge the framing and what consequence follows from postponement. This prevents an attractive framework, actor list or market story from silently replacing the decision that the analysis is meant to support.
- Owner and deadline
- Comparable alternatives
- Explicit boundary
- Cost of delay
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Build an inspectable evidence register
For every material statement, retain the original source, publication date, observation period, method, unit and relevant population. Distinguish observed facts, calculated estimates, interview judgements and assumptions. Connect the register to the promised output: Quality · Size · Priority · Adjacent segments Missing or contradictory evidence remains visible with a responsible owner and a collection action; it is never converted into certainty merely to complete the page.
- Primary source
- Method and unit
- Confidence
- Evidence gap
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Apply one operating convention
Define the rules before applying the analysis: inclusion criteria, identifiers, comparison set, calculation or coding convention, treatment of missing values and version date. Reproduce the same convention across every option or actor. Use the page checks as acceptance tests, beginning with “Choose a segmentation unit” A conclusion is usable only when another practitioner can reconstruct how the inputs became the displayed result and identify where judgement entered.
- Stable definitions
- Common comparison
- Versioned inputs
- Reproducible transformation
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Test uncertainty and rival interpretations
Challenge the preferred interpretation with at least one plausible alternative, contradictory observation and sensitivity test. Separate association from prediction and never infer intent, power or causality from a position, score or visual proximity alone. The standing limit remains: Review conditions remain part of the decision. State which uncertainty is most likely to reverse the conclusion and what additional observation would discriminate between the competing explanations.
- Alternative explanation
- Counterevidence
- Sensitivity
- Decision-changing uncertainty
VALIDATION DOSSIER
Record the action and reopening rule
Turn the analysis into a dated decision record rather than a static page. Preserve the selected option, rejected alternatives, objections, accepted risks and first reversible action. Name the signal, numerical or qualitative threshold, review owner and review date that will confirm, adapt, pause or reopen the decision. Link every later update to its author and reason so that the history remains understandable when evidence or market conditions change.
- Decision trace
- First reversible step
- Review threshold
- Named owner
SOURCES AND FOUNDATIONS
Review conditions remain part of the decision.
- Wedel and Kamakura, Market Segmentation, 2000 (opens in a new tab)Foundational reference on segmentation models, variables and validation.
- OECD, Competition Assessment Toolkit (opens in a new tab)Institutional reference for defining comparable markets and testing competitive constraints.
GO FURTHER
Review conditions remain part of the decision.
01
Needs
02
Uses
03
Technologies
04
Value
05
B2B
06