Evolving to my focus on the Business Ecosystem story

Building Strong Business Ecosystems

Recently I have been reflecting and giving a new focus on my journey on Business Ecosystems. On this dedicated web site ecosystems4innovating.com I have traveled from my initial emphasis on the platform and the technology parts, increasingly recognizing and moving towards building over these past few years, the business ecosystem story and understanding needed. I have evolved my thinking from over 200 plus posts published as this evolving journey to lead up to today and my current opinion. The future promises to be exciting-

Let me summarize this on a current state of Ecosystem play, as it forms the basis of where I go forward in the continued development of Business Ecosystems and why I see these as significant in value to any business searching for new growth, different impact points and recognizing the value of collaborating within networks of ecosystems to accelerate their offerings, making these more resilient and sustaining.

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Cutting through the issues with Partner Ecosystems

Cutting through the issues to build a Partner Ecosystem

Sometimes we do limit our thinking in business. One organization wants to “own it” and through this limited view deny themselves a diverse set of growth options by opening up to collaborations and co-creation.

Partner ecosystems are far, far more than supply chain or purchasing agreements. They can be a real catalyst for new growth opportunities, resolution to complex challenges and provide new options to build a business differently for impact and sustaining value.

I believe many organizations need to look beyond the “known” and explore the “unknown. It is not as uncomfortable as you might initially think, yet it needs some serious thinking through and approaching and the business case shown below might prompt your thinking to reach out.

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A suggested sequence into the Interconnected Business Ecosystem framework

Putting sequence into the building of Interconnected Business Ecosystems

How would you sequence these within a interconnected business ecosystem environment?

As I continue to build out the Interconnected Business Ecosystem framework into my version 2 following the opening post Extending out the Interconnected Business Ecosystem as necessary. That opening post outlined each ecosystem in its specific concept approach, positioning and focus area that define the ecosystems and suggest the distinctiveness and value parameters this gives.

Initially I focused on framing this around four ecosystems: innovation, business, dynamic and enterprise as interdependent ecosystems. In the past few months I have been questioning this and believe the interplay was lacking in recognition that other ecosystems were coming into play. Here I deal with the sequencing.

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Why Business Ecosystems are highly valuable to think through.

Thinking through Business Ecosystems

Business ecosystems have grown in real importance for me to focus upon. Alone on this site I have written around 200 plus posts that relate to ecosystems and platforms since 2016 when I started separating my innovation thinking with this business ecosystem one.

Today, I have turned full circle, there is a need for merging these back but into innovation ecosystems for one and business ecosystems for the other, to explain different essential value parts..

Having an ecosystem-centric approach has growing advantages to navigate complexity and strive towards a new level of sustaining growth and impact.

Designing Ecosystems for collaboration, co-creation and extending your business out in radically different ways needs thinking through. It has become essential for the sustainable future tacking more complex and challenging issues

Let me provide some thoughts on this:

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Ecosystems lack a perceived differentiation

Achieving a new positioning in Ecosystem differentiation

I have been spending a lot of my time working through Business Ecosystems, trying to get a decent “handle” on what matters as the most critical dynamics and, secondly, why ecosystems are rising in importance to support reshaping multiple business landscapes and determine what practices will unlock value and impact.

Staggering as it might seem, 86% of clients perceive ecosystems offered by firms to be very similar and want to know why their time and investment in any Ecosystem will enable them to stand out and be differentiated with all its potential disruption in the risks it can pose.

Ecosystems are complex, and I have been trying to encapsulate a (more) concise positioning statement to amplify what needs to be considered and where I think I can really help. Ecosystems are so important in our designs for the future, and a collaborative approach combining expertise, diversity, and knowledge is needed.

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Are you ready to elevate your Business Partner Ecosystem with us?

The time to evaluate Business Partner Ecosystems

Many business organizations have already attracted and worked with various ecosystem partners to solve immediate and longer-term issues.

Those who work within Partner Ecosystems recognize the value and benefits of overcoming many immediate operational issues.

When you view Partner Ecosystems as far more strategic to your business, you require another completely different level of collaborative work and mindset to solve challenges and complex issues that can bring a fresh dimension to your growth ambitions.

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Living in a changing world, embracing Partner Ecosystems

copyright SIA Partners, with permission on Partner Ecosystems

I have entered into a collaborative partnership with SIA Partners on Partner Ecosystems. Combining expertise, connections, methodologies, capabilities, and client work in advising, mentoring, and consulting is exciting; in offering some genuinely unique IP methodology in concept designs, research, and industry and institution connections, a compelling service offering is emerging. We believe the diversity within the proven application and combined strengths offer much.

The time to engage to discuss what this might mean to different businesses, institutions, and societies requires radically new thinking. Partner Ecosystems can solve complex issues, make a real difference in enhancing lives, and, in many cases, save lives through collaborative efforts.

Irrespective of providing solutions to the immediate and surface-level issues we are facing today, we encourage and all need to dive deeper into those systemic challenges and position at the forefront of collaborative and co-creation approaches. This requires a progressive mindset, a recognition we must change so you can differentiate your propositions and demonstrate a deep understanding of the complexities involved in tackling systemic business issues.

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Proving the Interconnected Stacks of the Business Ecosystem Framework.

The Interconnected Business Ecosystem Framework

Are you considering building a greater understanding of where Ecosystem thinking and design can fit within your organization?

The Interconnected Business Ecosystem Framework is a pioneering and holistic approach that redefines how organizations create value, drive innovation, and achieve long-term success in an increasingly complex and dynamic business environment.

“Deploying a design that recognizes the layers of an Innovation Ecosystem that feeds the Business Ecosystem, and these provide the Dynamic Ecosystem to adjust and respond and, when combined, allow the Enterprise Ecosystem to unlock untapped potential driving sustained growth and achieving collective prosperity that thrives on its interdependence and interconnectedness.”

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We still need to sell Business Ecosystems

The selling of Business Ecosystems needs facilitation and realization

So often, you get the question, “What are the arguments for selling B2B business ecosystems?”

Then why would enterprises invest in such a significant change to their systems and structures? Where is the value and payback?

It should be recognized that selling B2B business ecosystems to enterprises can be a compelling proposition as it offers several potential benefits and value propositions. Here are some key top level arguments for why enterprises might invest in adopting a B2B business ecosystem approach:

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How to Design and Resolve Effective Business Ecosystem Governance.

Building Effective Business Governance has multiple challenges.

We must emphasise the importance of ecosystem governance, providing a comprehensive structure for designing a practical framework. The robustness and depth of Governance understanding make or break Business Ecosystems. Building a robust governance framework clarifies that managing business ecosystems is not for the faint-hearted or light-of-pocket in all the aspects that need to be considered.

Managing governance is challenging but essential if we recognize that business ecosystems offer immense potential for innovation, rapid scaling, and adaptability. Otherwise, Ecosystems can become expensive and often disruptive ventures. They need to be managed well.

Early research indicates that less than 15% of business ecosystems are sustainable in the long run, with the primary reason for failure lying in the governance model, according to MIT Sloan in How Business Ecosystems Rise and Often Fall, published in 2019.

We have made significant progress in the past few years due to a growing understanding of Governance needs across all parties and the appreciation of the real differences in thinking, designing, and operating in business ecosystems.

The growing recognition of the real power of ecosystems is in the diversity and knowledge sharing today. Also, the recognition that balancing collective interests, mitigating risks, enforcing compliance, and promoting long-term sustainability from kick-off.

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