Facilitating macro analysis and running prototypes in city on the move

We recently conducted the absolute first external prototype test with actual users. This initial run focused on the analysis of the business environment and provided invaluable learnings working with end users.

Kiruna Church, a large dark red wooden church, in snow at dusk

Kirunas unique situation and context

Doing an environmental analysis in Kiruna is particularly exciting, as the city centre is currently undergoing massive urban relocation due to the expansion of the mine. This is because the expansion of the state-owned iron ore mine, LKAB, has compromised the stability of the ground beneath the old city centre, necessitating a multi-decade project to move homes, businesses, and infrastructure several kilometres away. This extraordinary local challenge provides a vivid backdrop for strategic discussion. The analysis included speculation on how various macro factors—such as the effects of a change in US leadership, the threat of tariffs, and tolls—would impact the local dynamics, adding a layer of global and political complexity to the uniquely local situation.

Addressing group facilitation challenges

Effective group facilitation is one of the key difficulties in strategy work. Typically, a few dominant voices can inadvertently overshadow valuable, nuanced perspectives, meaning crucial organisational knowledge is often left unshared.

The test had a two-fold objective:

To conduct a thorough environmental analysis that would help users identify factors they need to act on versus those they could monitor or ignore.
To test how effectively the software-aided group facilitation worked.

The core challenge for any process is to ensure that every participant's input contributes equally to the collective analysis. Our prototype addressed this by moving the initial input phase onto the digital platform, allowing participants to submit their observations and insights using unstructured text input, simultaneously and anonymously.

How the software aided facilitation

The software's input structure aimed to assist the facilitation process by:

Ensuring Equal Voice: Every idea was captured without the pressure of a public forum.
This design ensures the output reflects the most represented information in the data rather than the influence of any single dominant voice.
Structuring and prioritising input: The tool structured the diverse ideas and automatically clustered the data.
The clustering was based on macro factors (similar to a PESTEL analysis) generated by input from both the board and the management team.
The key factors were then evaluated and discussed based on their major versus minor impact on the organisation and society at large.
Focusing discussion and learning: By presenting the group with a visual, clustered synthesis of all input, the discussion immediately shifted to collective patterns and priorities. By evaluating impact, different opinions were highlighted and discussed to either agree or agree to disagree.

Key learnings

This external first prototype run demonstrated the software's capacity to facilitate organised, internal strategising. It also supplied us with invaluable learnings working with end users, specifically highlighting:
The limitations of AI synthesis across different macro dimensions.
How important a common understanding is when evaluating factors refined by AI.
The fundamental question of how to sort data, whether through closed card sorting or open input methods.

Huge thank you to Jörgen Svonni, CEO at Kirunabostäder, for inviting us to facilitate this analysis and run prototypes live.