The Power of Platforms and Networks
03.18.22
In a business environment with accelerating rates of change, the power to compete and win is shifting radically from corporations to ecosystems, from leveraging internal assets to accessing external networks, from a traditional operating focus on efficiency to dynamic open innovation. Welcome to the Collaboration Economy and the new source of competitive advantage for firms that want to thrive in our new business climate.
With many cross-industry projections saying that we will see more change and innovation in the next three to five years than we have seen in the past thirty years, firms need to be less insulated and become more synergistic. No one company and management team in isolation can practically keep up with the hyper-changing complexity of our modern business world.
Firms need to leverage their knowledge and experiences with others fighting the same fight or addressing similar challenges. Deeper connections need to be formed between firms that can lead to an ecosystem of resources built on mutual interests. These ecosystems tend to function as open platforms adding substantial new capabilities to all. It is now up to how firms can creatively connect with one another that determines how successful they can be. This puts a whole different spin and a new reality on what “networking” really means and how it is being strategically applied to meet today’s challenges.