Category Archives: Hierarchy of Ecosystem Needs

Crossing the chasm with Partner Ecosystems to grow your business differently.

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A relatively quick post, partly as Hannover Messe 2024 is in full flow and tuning into events like this, you realize where we are all being pushed to the future,. Although GenAI gets a lot of central billing in the talks and demonstrations, the future “buzz words” that tell much of the immediate future are wrapped up in the solutions being offered.

Hannover is seemingly emphasizing the power and need of Ecosystems, platforms, marketplaces, end-to-end processes, and sustainability to set up so as to gain value and impact from all the data and AI coming towards us. These events are always forward-looking; you get the impression there are some big, even mega ecosystems, being built, but the reluctance and convincing are still lagging from those attending, transformation is a very tough call.

I am not sure we have crossed that “tipping point” needed from the essential missing piece—customers of all sizes and shapes—being convinced that opening up to far more collaboration and co-creation is in their interest. They need to cross the chasm and start with, perhaps, extending their existing thinking on “Partner Ecosystems” and opening them up to real collaboration and co-creation sharing.

Crossing the chasm into a new way of doing business through Ecosystem thinking and design is upon us all.

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Who is best to facilitate the building out of a Business Partner Ecosystem?

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Who should build a Business Partner Ecosystem?

Who orchestrates or facilitates this process of building out a Business Partner Ecosystem? Is it the lead company recognizing the value of building a more robust partner ecosystem or bringing in a specialized consultancy able to facilitate the significant amount of work this usually means?

It is not just about dedicated time but about experience, understanding, and recognition of all that can potentially change when exploiting ecosystems and being adaptive enough to respond.

There are typically two main approaches to orchestrating the process of building and managing a partner ecosystem:

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Are you thinking of Partner Ecosystems? You should. Making the opening Business Case.

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There is a growing trend towards Partner Ecosystems, so what’s the opening business case?

Partner ecosystems play a crucial role in business growth and success, especially in today’s interconnected and globalized business environment. They can tackle business issues, support social problems, and overcome the complex and challenging issues we increasingly face.

A partner ecosystem refers to a network of complementary companies, organizations, and individuals collaborating to create (additional) value for customers and drive innovation.

However, it’s important to note that building and managing partner ecosystems can be challenging. You need to obtain sound advice, relate to what ecosystems can provide, and recognize that they can challenge or disrupt much of what you have in place as they are highly collaborative with other parties  However, that is not such a bad thing in today’s unpredictable world. We live in an interconnected world, and your business should reflect that in more open co-creation ways

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We are facing growing complexity and more formidable challenges- time to think about Business Ecosystems

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All around us, we are faced with new challenges and growing complexity.

We seem caught up in more wicked problems that require a profound shift relating to innovation. Increasingly, we are also witnessing growing dissatisfaction with the impact that innovation has today to overcome customer needs and provide more sustained growth, returns, market and customer impact.

One of the implications of this growing recognition is that innovation today rarely succeeds in isolation, staying within the four walls of one organization. Solutions required are becoming highly dependent on a more dependent type of complementary innovation: open, collaborative, sharing, and exchanging collectively around a given concept to take it to market. This requires business ecosystem thinking and design.

Working in Ecosystems will change the nature of business activities.

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Knowing the different mindsets for Business Ecosystem Thinking?

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The importance of a radical mindset shift in Business Ecosystem Design

What makes Business Ecosystems different in how we approach them, the answer lies in our mindset? Are our existing ways of approaching business design different and within this, how important is a radical mindshift in any Business Ecosystem thinking?

Business ecosystems do need to be understood as radically different from how ‘we’ have undertaken the way we have “gone about our business” and think this through for the potential promise it might offer. Most businesses operate within their protected environment of designing, building, optimising and going to market. It is very singular, and everything is channelled through them.

A single entity undergoes and contract with selected suppliers and often stays with them for many good reasons, they conduct their proprietary research, build there own concepts of products and services and undertake the build to deliver internally within their selected ecosystem of stakeholders. This works and continues to function, but up to a certain point.

Today, this often silo thinking does need to be challenged and at least an initial rethink for instance about Partner Ecosystems and the value they can bring in different approaches, thinking, market offerings and mindsets does lead on to the broader adoption of Business Ecosystems. Applying a radically different collaboration thinking for co-creation can offer significant benefits, returns and rewards.

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Thriving in the Dynamic Ecosystem of the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs.

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Sub-Title: “Dynamically thriving and evolving Business Ecosystems; Adapting Together.”

Understanding the Dynamic Ecosystem within the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystems

I am introducing the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs in several posts. This is the sixth post within the series introducing the fourth and most novel layer- the Dynamic Ecosystem. I find this the most exciting ecosystem, with the potential to transform and challenge all of what we do.

The Dynamic Ecosystem is a unique and critical layer within the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs. It plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall ecosystem; I would argue it is the unique essence of this design.

As I have previously mentioned, the design of this Hierarchy of Business Ecosystems is modular; each Ecosystem can stand alone and offer significant value, but it is part of a more extensive cohesive system where each layer contributes to the overall success of collaborative ecosystems.

Achieving any dynamics within the system generates the potential for change. Providing the Ecosystem environment to build out dynamism enables the capabilities to challenge and have the abilities to disrupt.

The Dynamic Ecosystem is a transformational part of future-proofing the business.

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The Case for the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs

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Why should we consider establishing the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs within a single organization and collaboratively between Enterprises? It is recognized today that Ecosystem design and thinking provide demonstrable value and gain.

Building the Case for the Hierarchy of Business Ecosystem Needs:

In the rapidly evolving business landscape, we face constant change and recognise complexity is rapidly becoming the norm. The hierarchy of ecosystem needs emerged from my work and studies of ecosystems as a compelling and viable alternative for organizations to consider, manage their business, and look to extend their growth and potential through the ability to open up and create in different, highly collaborative ways.

This strategic paradigm dramatically shifts individual organizations towards sustained prosperity and fosters collaborative ecosystems that amplify collective impact, knowledge exchange, value and growth potential.

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