Facing increasingly uncertain strategic environments, traditional tools struggle to turn analysis into action. The “Source” method, developed by the French armed forces, offers a six-dimensional approach to connect diagnosis, resources, and concrete decisions.
Uncertainty and complexity dominate strategic environments across all sectors. The world is changing, making it harder to anticipate and understand technological innovations, geopolitical tensions, ecological threats, economic instabilities, and demographic changes.
In this chaotic context, traditional strategic tools may seem outdated. Since the 1960s, corporate strategy has gradually incorporated numerous methods and matrices to analyze value creation. However, most of these approaches have favored analytical and compartmentalized methods, neglecting a more systemic and relational perspective.
They often only provide a partial view of strategic issues and offer observations rather than actionable insights.
For example, the Porter’s Five Forces model from 1980 focuses on analyzing market structure and pressures without illuminating how a company can turn constraints into opportunities. Similarly, the Boston Consulting Group’s BCG matrix from 1970 guides resource allocation but oversimplifies the strategic environment and assumes a mechanical link between market share and profitability, a hypothesis often disproven in practice.
Therefore, there is a surplus of analyses and reports without corresponding strategic decisions being made.
The French armed forces have acknowledged this reality, especially due to the unique challenges they face. A flawed strategy could jeopardize national interests, industrial, technological, and scientific rankings, or even survival. Consequently, they have developed a strategic analysis method tailored to address these challenges.
Enter the “Source” method, developed in 2025 by the French Directorate General of Armaments. What is the scientific significance of this approach and its potential managerial applications?
The core principle of “Source” lies in strategic anticipation and action. For instance, French armed forces applied it to energy access issues, particularly concerning oil supply security. How can they ensure sufficient supplies without igniting public backlash against increased oil usage? These are complex questions that experts have grappled with for years.
“Source” offers a fresh perspective, suggesting sovereign biocarbohydrate production by attracting foreign actors to French soil and leveraging their expertise. While not revealing all their strategic secrets, the armed forces have hinted at the potential strategic significance of biocarbohydrates.
This method emphasizes the translation of analysis into concrete actions, triggering organizational momentum.
The six-dimensional approach of “Source” involves analyzing, problem-solving, and exploiting each subject from pivotal perspectives: Situation, Opportunities, Utility, Resources, Connections, and Exploitation.
These dimensions help qualify external strategic situations and delve into internal response capabilities.
Additionally, “Source” champions succinct and explicit strategic profiles through visual and concise strategy cards, catering to decision-makers overwhelmed by information excess.
The method aims to integrate external and internal analysis for holistic exploitation, transforming strategy from a force field analysis to designing a living system.
Although in its early stages, “Source” poses critical questions about its impact on strategic decision-making, especially outside defense contexts. Can its concise format effectively convey recommendations? Does it inadvertently introduce cognitive biases in analysis?
Behind “Source’s” synthetic presentation lies extensive research and interviews to distill complex strategic issues into a few pages or even words, fostering a decisive vision. While the method equips users to transmit this vision, it lacks a systematic approach to construct it.
This article was written with the assistance of Jean-Baptiste Colas from the Directorate General of Armaments.
