resentation design is a tricky creative process- You might even call it an art. If you get it right and create a great presentation, you're far more likely to achieve your goals – whether that's selling more or helping people see your point of view. Hence, storyboarding your PowerPoint presentation is a surefire way to make sure that it covers the key points and hits the mark. It started with comic books and the film industry, and now storyboarding has a place in every executives repertoire of skills. Take a look and give this a shot!

1. Hypothesis driven
storyboarding
Techniques of creating an
outline of what you want
your final work product to
look like along with the
structure, flow, and key
messages.
Rahul Sahai

2. Hypothesis-Based Problem Solving is an approach where you formulate a potential
solution before you start to work based on experience, judgment and limited information
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 2
State the problem
Make observations
1
2
3 Extract solution through ‘induction’
4 Apply theory to problem and find solution
1 2 3 4
The “Boil the Ocean” Approach to Problem Solving
State the problem
Develop hypothesis for solution
1
2
3
Test the hypothesis4
Accept or reject the solution
Analyze the problem
5
1 2 4 53
The Hypothesis Driven Approach to Problem Solving
?
Requires a huge effort Requires a focused effort

3. Enterprise Value Map is A useful tool to develop hypotheses related to profitability
improvements
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 3
Improve Income
Tax Efficiency
Improve Logistics
& Service Provision
Efficiency
Improve
Development &
Production
Efficiency
Improve Customer
Integration
Efficiency
Improve Corporate
Shared Service
Efficiency
Marketing &
Advertising
IT, Telecom &
Networking
Product
Development
Income Tax
Management
Logistics &
Distribution
Sales Real Estate Materials Merchandising
Customer
Service &
Support
Human
Resources
Production Service Delivery
Order
Fulfillment &
Pricing
Procurement
Financial
Management
Business
Management
Operating Margin
Income Taxes
Cost of Goods Sold
(COGS)
Selling,
General &
Administrative
(SG&A)
Shareholder Value
Revenue Growth Operating Margin
(after taxes)
Asset Efficiency Expectations
Volume Price
Realization
Selling,
General &
Administrative
(SG&A)
Cost of Goods
Sold
(COGS)
Income Taxes
Property, Plant
& Equipment
(PP&E)
Inventory
Receivables
& Payables
Company
Strengths
External
Factors
Product &
Service
Innovation
Marketing &
Sales
Product &
Service
Innovation
Retention
Account
Management
Cross-Sell/
Up-Sell
Cash/Asset
Management
Demand &
Supply
Management
Price
Optimization
IT,Telecom&
Networking
Real Estate
Human
Resources
Procurement
(Excluding
Production Materials
& Merchandise)
Business
Management
Financial
Management
Finished
Goods
Work in
Process &
Raw Materials
Operational
Excellence
Partnership &
Collaboration
Relationship
Strength
Strategic
Assets
Accounts,
Notes
& Interest
Receivable
Accounts,
Notes
& Interest
Payable
Equipment &
Systems
Real Estate &
Infrastructure
Agility&
Flexibility
Business
Planning
Governance
Program
Delivery
Business
Performance
Management
Logistics &
Distribution
Merchandising
Service
Delivery
Improve
Development &
Production
Efficiency
Product
Development
Materials
Production
Income Tax
Management
Improve
Corporate/
Shared Service
Efficiency
Marketing &
Advertising
Sales
Customer
Service &
Support
Order
Fulfillment &
Billing
Retain and
Grow Current
Customers
Strengthen
Pricing
Leverage
Income-
Generating
Assets
Improve
Inventory
Efficiency
Improve
Execution
Capabilities
Improve
Income Tax
Efficiency
Improve
Managerial &
Governance
Effectiveness
Improve
PP&E
Efficiency
Improve
Logistics &
Service Provision
Efficiency
Improve
Receivables &
Payables
Efficiency
Improve
Customer
Interaction
Efficiency
Acquire New
Customers
▪ Enterprise Value Map says something about how value is created in an
organization and the elements that influence value creation
▪ In a profitability improvement project it is natural to focus on operating
margin

4. EVM gives us a good starting point to
determine which drivers that affect
the costs and through this helps us to
develop hypotheses
• EVM gives us a good starting point to look at what drivers that affect the costs
• In addition, EVM gives us a starting point to develop hypotheses related to
drivers based on a review to identify opportunities to change the way an
organization operates today and what it can do better
• A hypothesis-based approach helps us to identify areas where the potential for
profitability improvements are greatest
• Development of hypotheses is based on interviews and workshops with key
people within the organization and provides an estimate of the potential
savings opportunity
• Data is then used to verify or disregard the hypotheses
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 4
How value is created
(value drivers)
What you can do
Drivers of improvement drivers: Process, assets
and organizational capabilities)
Change what you do
▪ What you offer
▪ Who you target
▪ How you compete
▪ How you use your resources
▪ Which operations you outsource
Do what you do better
▪ Improve management
▪ Adjust resources in relation to strategy
▪ Improve business processes
▪ Power control/reduce risk
▪ Collaborate more effectively
▪ Meet expectations of customers, employers and owners

5. Process mapping is a good approach to identify challenges and develop hypotheses on
areas of improvements
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 5

6. Developing a hypothesis driven approach
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 6
Develop working hypotheses for resolution of these issues
Identify key factors that will prove/disprove the hypotheses
Gather only relevant data
Analyse data to test key factors of hypothesis
Draw conclusions and finalize deliverable
Break down the objectives in a number of underlying issues
Refine hypothesis if necessary
State the project objectives
‘Thesis’
‘Hypothesis’
‘Synthesis’
Project
preparation
Project
execution
Hypothesis Based Approach

7. hypothesis development is typically part of the planning and scoping phase of a project
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 7
Planning and Scoping As Is Analysis
To Be Visioning
(Develop Solutions)
Implementation
Planning
▪ Collect deliverables from similar projects
▪ Review your service line tools and methodologies
▪ Lever other experience (experts and colleagues)
▪ Do your background reading on industry/function
▪ If possible, talk to sponsor
Prepare
▪ Set up 2-4 hour meeting with project team
▪ Prepare relevant material (deliverables from similar projects)
▪ Conduct a team brainstorming
▪ Write out initial storyboard
▪ Share with sponsor working or steering group
Develop
Generic Project Approach

8. Based on the initial outline, the team can make a first ‘ghost Pack’ with slide headers
for each hypothesis even before the graphic support has been created
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 8
The market is large
$ in millions
$ in millions
1
The limited success of multinationals speaks
against market entry at this time
%
ROI Market Share
6
Profitability varies by country
US$
Korea H.K. Sing. Taiwan
3The market is growing
$ mm
500
200
2006 2007 2008 2009
2
Hypothesis 1A Hypothesis 1B Hypothesis 1C
Hypothesis 2A Hypothesis 2B Hypothesis 2C
The competitive environment varies by
country
4 Domestic producers
have advantages
5
▪ Captured suppliers
▪ Controlled distribution
Korea H.K. Sing. Taiwan
# suppliers

9. hypotheses can be refined As you move along in your project
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 9
Problem and hypothesis
definition (refined)
Data collection
Data analysis and
findings
Recommendations and
communication
Working smart here… …means working less here
Planning and Scoping As Is Analysis
To Be Visioning
(Develop Solutions)
Implementation
Planning
Generic Project Approach

10. depending on the type of data that needs to
be collected, various methods and tools can be
deployed
• Mapping as an observation of today's situation (As Is Analysis)
• quantitative and/or qualitative gathering of data
• known as assessment or as is analysis
• Benchmarking analysis
• to be able to see how a company or function appears compared to other (often) quantitative data gatherings
• Maturity models
• describing different levels in a function from non-existing to best practices
• the information gathering is often supported by questionnaires or other structured reviews of the functions
• indicates where the functions practice are on the maturity scale, and what they can do to improve their
functions
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 10

11. AS IS Analysis and to be assessment
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 11

12. Overall the benefits of hypothesis-based storyboarding are substantial, the limitations
are manageable
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 12
Benefits
▪ More efficient data collection and analysis by focusing on most
important data (eliminate “nice to haves”)
▪ Identifies analytical dead-ends quickly
▪ Avoids analysis paralysis; know why you want data before collecting it
Limitations
▪ Incorrectly formulated hypotheses can lead to “analytical circles” or
missed issues
▪ Requires careful judgment to avoid getting trapped into stating obvious,
absurd, or banal
▪ Sponsors may gravitate to preconceived notions or familiar hypotheses
▪ Clients and colleagues unfamiliar with process may view as academic

13. Some DOs ...
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 13
• Develop a hypothesis in the first 2 weeks of the case (assuming 8-12 week project) and agree it internally
• week one of the case if it is a 6 week project
• day 2 of the case if it is a 2 week strategic due diligence project
• example:
• Discuss the initial storyboard with the sponsor but always state that is it NOT the final answer but just a work plan
• creates buy-in for approach
• raises issues
• manages expectations
• Update the hypothesis when analysis throws up answers which substantially change the likely answer. Ensure
the team keep working in the same direction - some analysis may become redundant while some new analysis
may be required
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
Hypothesis
development

14. ... and some DON’Ts
• Overinvest in developing the initial hypothesis. Initial hypotheses rarely
equate to the final answer
• It’s more important to get to something workable quickly
• Just copy an old hypothesis tree and adapt it- always ‘plant your own tree’
• Share the hypothesis with the sponsor before you have at least some data
and analysis to back it up
• Become too wedded to your original hypothesis- Especially in the face of
growing contradictory evidence
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 14

15. it is very important to structure and communicate our thoughts clearly to our
audience/sponsors- Pyramid principle
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 15
Product portfolio
Conventio Capisco H09 Logic Extend Ambio RBM 800 RBM 600 RBM 700
HÅG RH RBM
Shopping list pyramid

16. A good pyramid is always MECE: all items on each level are Mutually Exclusive and
Collectively Exhaustive
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 16
The shopping list pyramid is well structured because all categories are
▪ Mutually Exclusive, i.e. all items in each category belong only to that category
▪ Collectively Exhaustive, they comprise the complete list of items
Product portfolio
Conventio Capisco H09 Logic Extend Ambio RBM 800 RBM 600 RBM 700
HÅG RH RBM

17. Each thought process should start with clearly identifying what Question need to be
addressed
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 17
A neutral description, which you know the audience will agree on
A desired change of the current situation
The question that implicitly results from the complication
The Situation
The Complication
The Question
Introduction

18. The pyramid should then give the answer to the question
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 18
Answer
Support Support Support
Support Support Support Support Support Support Support Support Support
Situation - Complication -
Question
Why or how ?
Why or how ? Why or how ? Why or how ?
Properly structured logic

19. Storyboarding is a way of making presentations that double as a report
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 19
Header
text
• text
• text
• text
• text
Header
Agenda
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Conclusion
• A logical sequence of slides which together serve
as a report
• A storyboard has the same structure as a
traditional report
• table of content
• a logical chain of chapters and paragraphs
• the same paragraph structure
• A well built storyboard makes a report redundant
Bullets
Charts
Agenda Diagrams
Header
Generic SlidesStoryboard Characteristics

20. A storyboard is an overview of your intended deliverable
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 20
The market is large
$ in millions
$ in millions
1
The limited success of multinationals speaks against
market entry at this time
%
ROI Market Share
6
Profitability varies by country
US$
Korea H.K. Sing. Taiwan
3The market is growing
$ mm
500
200
2006 2007 2008 2009
2
The competitive environment varies by country4 Domestic producers
have advantages
5
▪ Captured suppliers
▪ Controlled distribution
Korea H.K. Sing. Taiwan
# suppliers

21. A storyboard combines horizontal and vertical logic
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 21
Header 1 Header 2 Header 3
Horizontal logic
A storyline linked by a chain of slide headers
Vertical logic
The text, graphs, and charts that support the message in the slide header

22. Use recurring agenda slides to show the horizontal logic on the chapter level (if needed)
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 22
Introduction
Current Situation
Market analysis
Competitive benchmark
Conclusions
X needs to become profitable fast
Financial crisis leads to increased competition
from Asia
Offshore, onshore and decommissioning
markets look promising
Competitors ahead in developing low cost
execution model
Three strategic initiatives should be launched
Conclusion chapter summarizes results and details recommendations Table of content is summary; recommendations in
last chapterHighlight each new chapter
Neutral chapter titles Chapter titles as conclusions

23. Each header should stand on its own without the need to read the supporting graphs,
text or charts to understand the key message
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 23
Wrong
The size of the beer market
US$ (mill)
2006 2007 2008 2009
CAGR: 22%
182
159
100
125
Right
The beer market is growing 22 % per annum
US$ (mill)
2006 2007 2008 2009
CAGR: 22%
182
159
100
125

24. Storyboarding should be an important part of our day-to-day
work. it will help create a more compelling messaging for
your audience and help you get the approvals you want
24
Remember: Storyboarding is very similar to creating a comic book. It
should be interesting (insightful), simple and should flow well. Else
the audience will lose interest.
Try it out: You got 15 slides that are in random order and without
any headings. You have to write the headings to each of the slides
and put them together in a reasonable and logic order.

25. The way to get started is to quit
talking and begin doing.
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 25

26. Thank you
Rahul Sahai office103@globalvyz.onmicrosoft.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulsahai
November 2020 Hypothesis driven storyboarding 26