MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Three Lessons From Germany's Platform Economy
- 5m
- Frank Riemensperger, Svenja Falk
- MIT Sloan Management Review
- 2019
Platform markets are suddenly all the rage with B2B companies. And for good reason.
The rise of disruptive platforms like Alibaba, Airbnb, and Uber — coupled with Beijing’s Made in China 2025 plan to transform its manufacturing sector into a global high-tech leader — has forced industrial companies to rethink longstanding business models. In B2B markets across the world, companies are now looking beyond just selling products and are building platforms that enable others — including their customers, suppliers, and partners — to create value.
This shift in strategic thinking is significant, especially for companies with 100-year legacies making a product and then controlling the pipeline that delivers that product. But as B2B offerings become ever more commoditized, platforms offer a way to diversify and avoid becoming obsolete. Platforms can generate new revenue streams even after a product is sold, in the form of data-fueled “smart” services.
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MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Three Lessons From Germany’s Platform Economy