Whenever I seem to read about Platforms and Ecosystems, it mostly seems to relate to technology-led organizations and how they continue to connect us all up in our private lives.
As leading examples of the disruption that occurs and the connected value, we get offered the likes of Uber, Facebook, Apple, etc., all bringing new value to transform our world.
Yet, for me, the area that is shifting dramatically is where Industrial organizations are providing platform solutions to solve industrial problems. Good examples are Bosch, Siemens, GE and Schneider Electrics.
They transform their solutions and clients businesses by offering digital on top of the existing products in some awe-inspiring ways. They focus on connecting up their solutions into their client network on platforms to build the industrial internet.
The building of these platforms has prioritised specific industries to master and progressively transform their business into a digitally connected one. This seems to me to be so much harder than those like Facebook, Google or Uber.
Industrial solutions have had to deal with legacy “big time,” overcome entrenched positions or views and begin to collaborate in highly sophisticated ways, with often very demanding and sometimes sceptical clients. Continue reading