Making Sense of Digital Business Platforms

Platforms have been around for many years where shopping malls link retailers and shoppers; where magazines connect subscribers and advertisers. But in the recent years, the exchange has been enabled by an array of technologies, from cloud computing to data analytics, hence reducing the need to own physical infrastructure and assets.

In this workshop, we present the concept of platform business model and explore the difference between platform firms and product firms. Through a mixture of lectures, activities and case studies, participants will learn about the concepts of pulling consumers, facilitating interactions and matching users. We would also explore monetisation of platforms and most importantly, building on network effects and sustaining the ecosystem. Finally, participants keen to develop or launch a digital platform will learn to develop a digital platform strategy to engage the platform-based markets.