Turn the Chaos of Bottom-Up Planning Into a Highly Aligned Set of Initiatives
Collect ideas from anywhere in the organization — no account required — then map every strategy, objective, program, project, system, and technology into one connected network that instantly flags what lacks a visible connection back to strategy.
Starts at $18/mo with a 30-day free trial. See pricing →
Trace a Real Network, End to End
This is a complete Benefit Dependency Network built with the BDN tool from a synthetic digital-transformation dataset — every strategy, objective, program, project, system, and technology is a real item on a real canvas, not a mockup.
An illustrative digital-transformation network created with the Useful EA BDN tool. Red alignment indicators identify technologies with no visible upstream connection in the model.
View full-size model (opens in a new tab) →Trace the complete chain
Follow strategic goals through objectives, programs, projects, systems, and technologies.
See where dependencies converge
Identify platforms and technologies that enable several different pieces of delivery work.
Find what lacks alignment
The red indicators on Legacy Payments Mainframe and COBOL Batch Runtime show items without a visible upstream connection.
The BDN model and all information shown in the image above are entirely illustrative and were generated using AI. They do not represent an employer, client, or actual transformation program.
Build the Network, Then Let It Do the Reviewing
BDN is built around one question: does this piece of delivery work trace back to a real strategy? The workflow below is how you turn scattered, bottom-up input into an answer.
Collect & Connect
Add items yourself across up to six columns — Strategy, Objective, Program, Project, System, and Technology by default — or open a Suggestion Link so anyone in the organization can propose ideas with no account of their own. Drag between an item's edge handles to draw a dependency: an arrow from A to B means B depends on A.
Arrange & Analyze
Auto Layout sorts and positions everything automatically, minimizing crossings. Turn on the Relationship Tracer to highlight everything connected to one item, or leave the alignment indicator on to flag anything with no upstream connection.
Export & Share
Export the network as a PNG, JPEG, or an editable PowerPoint slide, or export the underlying data as CSV. Invite colleagues in as an Editor, Contributor, or Viewer.
Where This Fits
You're buried in bottom-up ideas with no way to sort them
Open a Suggestion Link and let teams submit proposals directly — no accounts to provision. Review what comes in and promote the ones worth pursuing straight onto the network, where the alignment indicator shows whether they actually connect to strategy.
You need to defend a technology investment
Show the complete chain from a system or piece of technology back to the strategy it serves — in one view, not spread across separate decks and documents.
You're reviewing a delivery portfolio
See every program and project tied to a strategy in one place, and let the alignment indicator surface anything that's drifted from its original justification.
You need benefits language, not delivery language
Rename the six columns to match the classic Benefits Dependency Network vocabulary — Investment Objective, Benefit, Business Change, Enabling Change, IT Enabler — without changing how the tool works underneath.
Everything Above, Plus the Details
Custom column headers
Rename or reduce the six columns (2 to 6) to match your own planning language, OKRs, or benefits-realization terminology, per model.
Alignment indicator
A red triangle flags any item with no visible upstream connection, so gaps in strategic justification are easy to spot instead of buried in a deck.
Relationship tracer
Click any item to highlight everything connected to it, upstream and downstream, across the whole network.
Named views
Save a filtered view anchored on specific root items — a strategy, a program, a technology — without duplicating the underlying model.
CSV round-trip
Import your existing planning data by CSV, including dependency links, and export it back out the same way at any time.
Share by role
Invite colleagues as an Editor (full access), a Contributor (status, description, and stakeholder only), or a Viewer.
Suggestion links
Share a link that lets anyone submit ideas with no account, or bulk-import a batch by CSV — then review, edit, and promote the good ones onto the network yourself.
What's True Right Now
Benefit Dependency Network is in beta. Here's exactly where things stand.
- Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial — no charge until it ends, and you can cancel before then.
- Sign in with just an email address.
- Your connection to BDN is encrypted (HTTPS).
- Export your data as CSV, PNG, JPEG, or PowerPoint at any time — nothing is locked in a proprietary format.
- Features will change while the product is in beta and likely will continue to change as we improve. Your data will be protected so that we do not lose anything as the product evolves.
Full details in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
I am so tired of expensive Enterprise Architecture tools that don't do the things I want. I want tools that do the boring work — like laying out a model I can actually hand to someone.— Nick Malik, the Enterprise Architect building this
Benefit Dependency Network is built and operated by CTO Resources LLC, a Washington State company, as part of the Useful EA suite of tools. See the Terms of Service for the full legal details.
Common Questions
Is Benefit Dependency Network free?
Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. After that, Individual plans start at $18/mo — see full pricing for Individual and Corporate options.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It runs entirely in your browser.
Do I have to use the Strategy / Objective / Program / Project / System / Technology labels?
No. Every model's Configure dialog lets you rename any of the six columns — or use as few as two — to match your own planning language, an OKR framework, or benefits- realization terminology. The underlying mechanics stay the same.
What happens to items in a column I turn off?
They're not deleted — they simply stop appearing until you turn that column back on, at which point they reappear exactly as they were left.
Can I get my data back out?
Yes, any time — as a CSV in the same format you imported, or as a PNG, JPEG, or editable PowerPoint export of the diagram.
How do I collect ideas from people who don't have an account?
Create a Suggestion Link from any model and share it — anyone can submit ideas from that link with no sign-up. Submissions stay private drafts until the submitter sends them, and you review, edit, and promote them onto the network as a licensed user.
Where can I learn everything BDN can do?
The full user guide covers every feature in detail — models, views, custom columns, connections, the alignment indicator, CSV round-trip import, sharing, and exporting.
Turn Bottom-Up Chaos Into a Well-Aligned Plan.
Start your 30-day free trial — cancel before it ends and you won't be charged.
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