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Roland Berger Focus - Business Ecosystems Summary

Core Content

The document explores the concept of business ecosystems as a transformative model of cooperation in the digital age, emphasizing their role in redefining how companies and industries operate. It outlines the shift from traditional, internally driven innovation to a collaborative, network-based approach that leverages partnerships to meet customer needs more effectively.

Main Viewpoints

• Digitalization is more than a technological shift: It is a transformation in transaction costs, enabling more fluid and efficient collaboration between companies.
• Business ecosystems redefine industry and company boundaries: The rigid structures of the past are giving way to dynamic, interconnected networks where companies of all sizes can co-create value.
• Partnership of equals is central: Unlike traditional models, business ecosystems involve equal collaboration among partners, with the orchestrator ensuring alignment without dictating the direction.
• Innovation is no longer confined to internal capabilities: Companies must now look beyond their own value chains to combine resources and expertise from multiple partners.
• Growth opportunities exist outside traditional boundaries: Corporates and startups alike can benefit from ecosystems, especially in accessing new markets and customer segments.

Key Information

1. Companies and Industries without Borders

• Digital transformation is enabling unprecedented levels of information exchange between companies.
• Transaction costs have decreased significantly, allowing for more efficient and collaborative business models.
• Traditional industry boundaries are dissolving, giving rise to fluid cooperation across sectors.
• Customer needs are the focal point, and ecosystems provide a way to address them through a network of partners.

2. What is a Business Ecosystem?

• A business ecosystem (BES) is a partnership of three or more companies that together create a shared value proposition.
• Three key elements:
  • Shared value proposition: The foundation of the ecosystem.
  • Modules provided by partners: These are new and not pre-existing.
  • Orchestrator: Ensures integration and alignment among partners.
• Example: An automotive manufacturer partners with an online platform and an insurance company to offer autonomous mobility solutions.
• Differences from digital platforms:
  • Digital platforms are means to an end, reducing transaction costs.
  • Business ecosystems focus on network effects and individual interdependence among partners.

3. Conditions for a Successful Business Ecosystem

• Three critical questions must be addressed before setting up an ecosystem:
  1. Is there a clear value proposition?
  2. Does the solution require more than two partners and what are the risks?
  3. Does the expected benefit justify the costs and risks?
• Balanced scorecard is recommended to measure ongoing performance, with criteria divided into:
  • Output criteria: Economic success, market relevance, appeal, implementation, and awareness.
  • Process criteria: Future orientation, collaboration, reliability of timescales, satisfaction, and consequence.
  • Input criteria: Scope, costs, resources, participation, and promotion.
• Three possible evolution paths for a business ecosystem:
  1. It becomes a supply chain with standardized products.
  2. It continues to innovate without standardization.
  3. It evolves into a digital platform economy with a critical mass of users.
• Exit is always an option: Ecosystems are not meant to last indefinitely and can be dissolved after successful projects.

Conclusion

• Business ecosystems offer new growth opportunities and competitive advantages for all participants.
• They are a win-win model where partners achieve more together than they could alone.
• Corporates and startups must adapt to this new reality, embracing collaboration and shared value creation.
• Strategic engagement is crucial to avoid missing out on growth and to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Authors and Contacts

• Roland Berger GmbH:
  • Dr. Steffen Gackstatter, Partner, +49 711 3275-7337, steffen.gackstatter@rolandberger.com
  • Axelle Lemaire, Partner, +33153670324, axelle.lemaire@rolandberger.com
• University of St. Gallen:
  • Dr. Bernhard Lingens, Head of Helvetia Innovation Lab, +41712247223, bernhard.lingens@unisg.ch
  • Maximilian Böger, Project Manager & PhD Candidate, +41712247224, maximilian.boeger@unisg.ch

Publisher

• Roland Berger GmbH
• Sederanger 1, 80538 Munich, Germany
• +49899230-0
• www.rolandberger.com

Disclaimer

This publication is for general guidance only. No action should be taken based on its content without specific professional advice. Roland Berger GmbH is not liable for any damages resulting from the use of this information.