4 Key Ingredients of Transforming Your Organization From A Product-based Business To Platform Business Model

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Tethered Digital Platforms (23-slide PowerPoint presentation). Until recently, most traditional companies could not adapt their established business models to participate in the so-called Sharing Economy. However, sensors and related technologies are changing that reality. Sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) are expected to connect 20 billion to 50 [read more]

Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Strategy Development, take a look at Flevy's Strategy Development Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.

* * * *

Transformation from a product-based model to a platform model is a dream for many executives.  More and more product companies are now shifting into a platform model.  The drive behind such a shift is the huge success of platform companies—e.g., Amazon, Google, and Apple.  These organizations started out as a retailer, search engine, and iPod manufacturer respectively, but later transformed into platform models.

However, bringing this transformative vision into reality is anything but straightforward.  Research into successful platform businesses reveals that this necessitates a robust approach comprising the following 4 critical phases:

1. Attractive Product and Customer Base
2. Hybrid Business Model
3. Rapid Conversion
4. Identify and Seize Opportunities

Let’s dive deeper into the first two phases of the approach, for now.

Attractive Product and Customer Base

A platform model is not a remedy to resuscitate products that are on a downward slide.  It necessitates an attractive product that offers a significant customer base and value to help improve customer loyalty and resist rival offerings.  The critical mass of customers also allows the platform company to create value for—and attract—third parties that are crucial for the platform to flourish.

Qihoo 360 Technology, a large internet firm in China, commenced its operations in 2006 by selling an antivirus software, 360 Safe Guard.  To build a broad user base and to gather customers’ feedback on improving the product, the company started giving away the product free.  The company maintained a list of malware as well as a “whitelist” of programs that were safe for the users.  The critical mass of customers allowed Qihoo to:

• Quickly identify viruses on scanning computers
• Improve the antivirus
• Introduce new products
• Attract new customers
• Create new platforms
• Attract 3rd-party software companies to make Qihoo a channel for reaching customers.

Hybrid Business Model

The notion that an organization has to embrace either a product-based or a platform-based business model is far from reality.  Although, both the product-based and platform-based business models need a framework to assign dedicated resources and manage operations, however, Business Transformation from a product-based model to a platform-based model gets simplified utilizing a hybrid approach.  A product-based business model calls for organizations to have differentiated products catering to customers’ needs, to create value.  Whereas, a platform-based business model creates value by linking users to 3rd parties and charging fees for using the platform.  The focus of Platform models is on:

• Inspiring mass-market acceptance
• Increasing the number of interactions rather than meeting specific customer needs
• Connecting users and 3^rd parties to create competitive edge instead of relying solely on product differentiation (product model).

For example, Apple converted itself from a product model to a platform model within a year after the launch of the first iPhone.  Initially, Apple reacted defensively to any hacking attempts and precluded 3^rd party apps on the iPhone, but then decided to create an open platform, and launched the App Store.  The hybrid model and platform mindset created additional income streams and significant revenue for Apple.

Rapid Conversion

To make a product and business model profitable, the conversion of product users into platform users is of utmost importance.  To enable this, an organization needs to develop its platform in such a way that it should present enough additional value for the customers to adopt it and become its users.  Three key elements are critical to accomplish this:

• Deliver adequate value
• Launch connected products consistent with the brand
• Allow 3^rd parties to perform upgrades

If the platform does not offer adequate value for the customers they are not going to embrace it the way they do to a great product.  Similarly, addition of new offerings that are coherent with the brand has a strong correlation with new platform adoption.  New offerings gain traction from a firm’s image and strengthen the brand further.  Likewise, allowing 3^rd parties to make upgrades, improve product offerings, and develop the platform further helps in rapid conversion, additional revenue, and growth.

Interested in learning more about the phases of the approach to Products-to-Platforms Transformation?  You can download an editable PowerPoint on Products to Platforms Transformation here on the Flevy documents marketplace.

Do You Find Value in This Framework?

You can download in-depth presentations on this and hundreds of similar business frameworks from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives. Here’s what some have to say:

“My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success.”

– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects

“As a niche strategic consulting firm, Flevy and FlevyPro frameworks and documents are an on-going reference to help us structure our findings and recommendations to our clients as well as improve their clarity, strength, and visual power. For us, it is an invaluable resource to increase our impact and value.”

– David Coloma, Consulting Area Manager at Cynertia Consulting

“As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being able to easily edit and tailor the material for specific purposes helped us to make presentations, knowledge sharing, and toolkit development, which formed part of the overall program collateral. While FlevyPro contains resource material that any consultancy, project or delivery firm must have, it is an essential part of a small firm or independent consultant’s toolbox.”

– Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)

“FlevyPro has been a brilliant resource for me, as an independent growth consultant, to access a vast knowledge bank of presentations to support my work with clients. In terms of RoI, the value I received from the very first presentation I downloaded paid for my subscription many times over! The quality of the decks available allows me to punch way above my weight – it’s like having the resources of a Big 4 consultancy at your fingertips at a microscopic fraction of the overhead.”

– Roderick Cameron, Founding Partner at SGFE Ltd

“Several times a month, I browse FlevyPro for presentations relevant to the job challenge I have (I am a consultant). When the subject requires it, I explore further and buy from the Flevy Marketplace. On all occasions, I read them, analyze them. I take the most relevant and applicable ideas for my work; and, of course, all this translates to my and my clients’ benefits.”

– Omar Hernán Montes Parra, CEO at Quantum SFE

Want to Achieve Excellence in Strategy Development?

Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Strategy Development. Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.

"Strategy without Tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without Strategy is the noise before defeat." - Sun Tzu

For effective Strategy Development and Strategic Planning, we must master both Strategy and Tactics. Our frameworks cover all phases of Strategy, from Strategy Design and Formulation to Strategy Deployment and Execution; as well as all levels of Strategy, from Corporate Strategy to Business Strategy to "Tactical" Strategy. Many of these methodologies are authored by global strategy consulting firms and have been successfully implemented at their Fortune 100 client organizations.

These frameworks include Porter's Five Forces, BCG Growth-Share Matrix, Greiner's Growth Model, Capabilities-driven Strategy (CDS), Business Model Innovation (BMI), Value Chain Analysis (VCA), Endgame Niche Strategies, Value Patterns, Integrated Strategy Model for Value Creation, Scenario Planning, to name a few.

Learn about our Strategy Development Best Practice Frameworks here.