FUTURE MANUFACTURING
Building your own marketplaces with digital platforms
DR-ING . MATHIAS DÖBELE
Digital platform business models link demand and offer in a particularly efficient way . But companies should carefully examine whether it is profitable for them to set up their own platform . It is essential to first individually determine the success factors for a new platform business to be created .
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The digital platform supports suppliers in creating offers and opens up a new sales channel .
Are mechanical engineering companies considering building their own platform when developing new business models , it quickly becomes apparent that there is a lack of uniform definitions about platforms . Therefore , companies should first clarify what the platform should do or whether they can fall back on existing solutions .
Platform business models : Disruption through digitization
Platform business models are not about technical platforms such as an IT system or a platform for configuring modular machines . A platform business model provides , for example , a marketplace for different groups of participants and enables them to find a solution to their problem . With a multi-sided platform , interested parties also receive offers from different providers . A weekly market or a trade fair is thus a classic platform – but not yet in the digital age . This is because it is only with digitization that the potential for disrupting existing market mechanics comes about , as the use of the Internet ensures an unprecedented range . This can also make platforms attractive that were simply not profitable in the past – for example , in narrow market niches of a mechanical en- gineering company . In addition , the emerging digital data and AI algorithms make it possible to offer new services . This not only increases the reach , but also makes the platform more attractive .
Custom development only makes sense in narrow niches
For a traditional mechanical engineering company , it does not make sense per se to develop its own platform for its business . The question is how companies in the mechanical and plant engineering sector can benefit from the opportunities offered by the platform economy . For this , it is
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