Wardley Map Iteration and Refinement

You are refining an existing Wardley map in OWM format. This is an open-ended skill for ongoing map maintenance and evolution.

Prerequisites

Check that the project directory contains at least one .owm file. Typical locations under clients/{org}/projects/{project-slug}/:

• •evolve/map.owm or evolve/map.agreed.owm
• •strategy/map.owm or strategy/map.agreed.owm

If no OWM file exists, tell the user to complete earlier stages first (at minimum through wm-evolve).

Read owm-dsl-reference.md for the full OWM DSL syntax.

Identify the working map

Ask the user which map to refine, or determine from context:

• •If a strategy/map.agreed.owm exists, that is likely the current map
• •If only evolve/map.agreed.owm exists, use that
• •The user may specify a different file

Read the current map and decisions.md for context.

Refinement operations

Based on the user's request, perform one or more of these operations:

Adjust evolution positions

Move components left or right on the maturity axis:

// Before
component Platform [0.60, 0.35]
// After
component Platform [0.60, 0.55]

Update the corresponding assessment in evolve/assessments/ if it exists, noting why the position changed.

Split into pipeline

Replace a single component with a pipeline showing variants:

// Before
component Delivery [0.65, 0.45]

// After
pipeline Delivery
{
  component Legacy Delivery [0.25]
  component Modern Delivery [0.55]
  component API Delivery [0.72]
}

Update dependencies — things that depended on the original component now depend on specific variants.

Add or remove components

New information may reveal missing components or show that listed components don't actually exist as distinct things.

When adding: determine visibility from its position in the dependency chain, evolution from assessment.

When removing: ensure all dependencies to/from the component are also removed or redirected.

Add or modify dependencies

// Add a dependency
NewParent->ExistingComponent

// Add an annotated dependency
Component->Dependency; context note

// Add a flow
DataSource+'real-time'>Consumer

Create submaps

When an area of the map is too detailed for the main map:

1. •Extract the cluster into a new .owm file
2. •Replace the cluster in the main map with a submap element:
   owm

   submap Fleet Management [0.65, 0.48] url(fleet)
   url fleet [path/to/fleet-management.owm]
   

3. •Redirect dependencies to point at the submap

Add market forces

accelerator AI commoditisation [0.50, 0.55]
deaccelerator Regulatory lock-in [0.60, 0.40]

Add or update annotations

Keep each annotation under 12 words so it fits on one line in the rendered legend.

annotation 3 [0.55, 0.42] New insight from client feedback
note +Warning: vendor lock-in risk [0.48, 0.72]

Compare versions

If the user asks to compare map versions:

1. •Read both .owm files
2. •Identify differences:
   • •Components added, removed, or repositioned
   • •Dependencies changed
   • •Strategic elements added or removed
3. •Summarise the changes in plain language

Working with the client

For each proposed change:

1. •Explain what you're changing and why
2. •Show the relevant OWM snippet before and after
3. •Ask for confirmation before writing

For larger refactoring:

1. •Present a summary of all proposed changes
2. •Get agreement on the overall direction
3. •Apply changes
4. •Present the updated map for final review

Rendering

After writing or updating any .owm file, render it to SVG:

bin/ensure-owm.sh path/to/map.owm

This checks for cli-owm and installs it if missing, then produces an SVG alongside the OWM file. Show the SVG to the client.

After making changes

1. •Write the updated map (to the same file, or a new version if the user prefers)
2. •If the change is significant enough to warrant client sign-off, produce a new .agreed.owm and log in decisions.md
3. •Summarise what changed and why

Common iteration patterns

"The map doesn't feel right"

Start by asking which components feel wrong. Often it's evolution positions that need adjustment. Walk through the evolution characteristics for the contested components.

"Things have changed since we mapped this"

Identify what changed (new product launch, acquisition, regulation, technology shift). Trace the impact through the map — which components are affected? Do positions or dependencies change?

"We need more detail in this area"

Create a submap for the area. Decompose the high-level component into its constituent parts. Position and assess evolution for each.

"We want to explore a scenario"

Copy the current map to a new file (e.g. scenario-cloud-migration.owm). Apply the hypothetical changes. Compare with the current map to visualise the impact.

"New user/need identified"

Add the anchor and need. Trace its supply chain down through existing components (reuse where possible) and new ones. Assess evolution of any new components.