Landscape Refresh Methodology

A landscape analysis decays if not refreshed. The refresh methodology has two cadences: scheduled refreshes that update the entire landscape on a fixed cycle, and event-triggered refreshes that update specific areas in response to competitive events. Scheduled refreshes maintain baseline coverage. Event-triggered refreshes ensure the landscape reflects recent developments without waiting for the next scheduled cycle.

1. Quarterly Scheduled Refresh Update competitive positions across all tracked dimensions. Re-score credibility for key sources. Recalculate strategic groups. Update trajectory maps. This is the comprehensive update that maintains the integrity of the full landscape.
2. Event-Triggered Refresh When a significant competitive event occurs — M&A announcement, product launch, leadership change, earnings surprise — update the affected area of the landscape immediately. The affected area may be a single competitor profile, a strategic group boundary, or an adjacency threat assessment.
3. Annual Deep Refresh Re-evaluate the entire analytical framework: are the right dimensions being tracked? Are the right competitors included? Are any strategic groups obsolete? Has the market phase changed? The annual refresh challenges the assumptions that the quarterly refreshes take for granted.