Stephanie Woerner reads MIT CISR's August 2022 research briefing, which she co-authored with Peter Reynolds, Michael Harte, and Peter Weill. See the text version and related content at https://cisr.mit.edu/publication/2022_0801_ExplainingReplatforming_WoernerReynoldsHarteWeill.

Abstract: Enterprises today often replatform as part of their efforts to become Future Ready because the state of their existing systems, data, and processes hinders the organization’s ability to compete in the digital economy. In replatforming, an enterprise transitions legacy applications to cloud platforms and digitizes key components and capabilities. It’s critical that the enterprise’s board and top management team embrace replatforming for the effort to be successful; therefore, effectively explaining replatforming to these stakeholders is a skill that technology leaders, and eventually all leaders, must develop. This briefing describes the opportunities and risks of replatforming approaches and illustrates each approach graphically with a platform map.

Replatforming: Securing Board and Top Management Team Buy-In

Alex and Peter discuss the need for Europe to catch up in platform creation and the challenges and opportunities in the space. They also touch on the evolving landscape of platforms, including the emergence of second-generation platforms and the application of platform strategy to create circular platforms. Additionally, they highlight the role of technology, such as AI and low-code solutions, in shaping the future of platforms.

Alex and Peter also talk about the monetization potential of platforms, including the various income streams and growth opportunities they offer. They aim to target mid-sized companies, hidden champions, and enterprise-level organizations, with a particular interest in showcasing how consortia can effectively collaborate to create successful platforms.

Peter has a ton of experience in the platform space. He co-chairs the MIT Platform Strategy Summit which puts him in connection and dialogue with some of the leading platform scholars in the world. He joined the advisory board of Marketplace Risk and is also a partner and co-chair of the network summit which is based in Barcelona and focused on community building around platforms and platform professionals in Europe.

Why Europe Is Far Behind In Platform Creation

Stephanie Woerner reads MIT CISR's May 2025 research briefing, which she co-authored with Peter Weill. See the text version and related content at https://cisr.mit.edu/publication/2025_0501_DigitalPlatformDesigns_WoernerWeill.

Abstract: People use the term “digital platform” to mean lots of different things—an internal business capability, a business model, a technology, a business service, or a mindset, among other things. To help executives discuss, design, and manage digital platforms, we studied platform designs. We identified four dominant digital platform designs—platform as a service (PaaS), multisided marketplace, internal platform, and X as a service (XaaS)—and found that companies that effectively managed one or more of the designs had above-average financial performance. In this briefing, we describe the designs and share the financial performance of companies using each design.

Top-Performing Companies Reuse Four Digital Platform Designs

Entdecken Sie die Strategie, Technologie und Menschen hinter modernen transaktionalen Ökosystemen. Begleiten Sie uns auf einer Entdeckungsreise mit Branchenführern, die an der Spitze von Plattform-Geschäftsmodellen stehen. Wir vertiefen uns in die kritischen Aspekte von Strategie, Technologie und Organisationen, die den Erfolg in heutigen transaktionalen Ökosystemen antreiben. Gewinnen Sie Einblicke aus erster Hand in die Herausforderungen und Erfolge, die Top-Führungskräfte erleben, und erhalten Sie das Wissen und die Inspiration, um Ihre Marktplatzinitiativen effektiv zu gestalten, aufzubauen und zu erweitern. Der Podcast hat Episoden auf Englisch und Deutsch.

A research center at the MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT CISR helps executives meet the challenge of leading dynamic, global, and information-intensive organizations.

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