On Guidelines for Representing Business Models - A Design Science Approach

Becker Jörg, Breuker Dominic, Rauer Hans Peter

Abstract
Business models describe the modus operandi of a firm and reflect the activities and value streams from an abstract viewpoint. This paper proposes a set of guidelines for the representation of business models. Based on recent conceptualizations of business models and argumentation theory, we develop a comprehensive framework for the representation of a business model’s structure and the logic of how the individual parts are assembled. We argue that adhering to these guidelines untangles the visualization of business models. In addition this approach also propels a comprehensible design process since the structure of the argumentation is laid down explicitly, thereby supporting critical reflection. In a similar way, applying our approach to existing business models helps evaluating them critically since new vantage points within the argumentation can be revealed with ease.

Keywords
business model; modeling; business strategy; design science