Purpose Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack decision-support tools that support context-sensitive real-time prioritisation. Existing models, frameworks and tools primarily focus on performance measurement and management rather than guiding individual-level decision-making. These systems are often too generic, technocentric and burdensome to implement, especially in environments where decisions are intuitive, time-pressured and owner-driven. In response to this gap, this study introduces the organisational performance and value (OPV) framework, a structured yet flexible personal decision-support tool designed to help SME owner-managers identify and act on high-impact priorities aligned with their unique organisational contexts. Design/methodology/approach This study is guided by Anderson's (2006) five principles of analytic autoethnography, and data sources include recorded reflexive conversations, email exchanges with the practitioner and beta testing results of the developed tool. Using an iterative narrative interpretation, excerpts were selected based on their conceptual richness and relevance to the tool's evolution. This approach supports a layered, reflexive analysis that elevates the study from personal reflection to a theoretically grounded scholarly contribution. Findings The analysis of Beta test feedback identified five main themes covering platform and report-level matters: navigation, user interface and functionality; required time and effort; relevance and question design; design and experience suggestion; and engagement and consolidation potential. These insights reveal that SME decision-makers assess tools not only by usability but also by how well they match their expectations and strategic thinking needs. Perceived time burden reflected an expectation-experience mismatch, highlighting the importance of managing cognitive load and aligning design with user assumptions. More broadly, the findings show that tool development in SME contexts functions as an entrepreneurial negotiation, balancing user input with business model realities rather than the linear application of user experience (UX) design principles. Finally, the study underscores the importance of emotional design, as SMEs seek tools that foster trust, legitimacy and reflective engagement alongside functional efficiency. Practical implications Decision-support tools should help owner-managers think, prioritise and act, not just complete tasks efficiently. They should also promote emotional engagement and build trust. Future research should explore the impact of diagnostic tools on strategic action and organisational adaptability, entrepreneurial constraints and tensions on SME tool development and design approaches for managing SMEs' expectations. By improving reflective prioritisation under constraint, such tools may also contribute to more resilient small businesses and local entrepreneurial ecosystems. Originality/value This study presents the OPV framework as a practitioner-informed, context-sensitive contribution to SME strategy support tools. It is distinct in translating the lived consulting experience of advising SME owner-managers into a practical, structured tool for prioritisation. Unlike traditional large-firm-based frameworks or performance measurement systems, the OPV framework reflects the cognitive demands, intuitive styles and adaptive needs of SME decision-makers. It offers a timely and relevant model for real-time, capacity-conscious decision-making, bridging a critical gap between academic insight and practical application in the SME domain.
Downes et al. (Fri,) studied this question.