While ecosystems will transform much of the way the healthcare and life sciences industry operates today, it is important to understand why ecosystems are beginning to emerge now, how they differ from traditional markets, what new incentives will emerge and how individual organizations can respond. This new IBM IBV (Institute of Business Value) report addresses each of these crucial aspects and provides a roadmap for organizations to pursue new types of partnering arrangements to navigate and thrive in a new age of ecosystems.

2. © 2015 IBM CorporationIBM Institute for Business Value2
Ecosystems expand what is possible though interaction and
collaboration between participants
ec•o•sys•tem /ˈekōˌsistəm, ˈēkō-/
Noun
Origin: 1935
1.A community of organisms together with their
physical environment, viewed as a system of
interacting and interdependent relationships
2.A complex network or interconnected system
An ecosystem is…
An ecosystem is a complex web of
interdependent enterprises and relationships
aimed to create and allocate business value.
Ecosystems are broad by nature, potentially
spanning multiple geographies and industries,
including public and private institutions and
consumers.

3. © 2015 IBM CorporationIBM Institute for Business Value3
The healthcare ecosystem is the convergence of otherwise separate
entities aimed to create and allocate business value

4. © 2015 IBM CorporationIBM Institute for Business Value4
Healthcare and life sciences environments are evolving with new
technologies making businesses more intelligent, fast and scalable
Sources: IBM Analysis 2014
Healthcare based drivers
Increased Competition and
Regulations
 More regulations and compliance
requirements
 Technology enabled new
competition
Demographics and Lifestyle
 Expectations for better quality, value
and outcomes
 Aging population and escalating
incidence of chronic disease
Resource Shortages
 Shortage of right skills, capabilities
and supplies
 Shortage of consumer and provider
based services
Technology driven forces
Connected and Open
 Proliferation of mobile devices and
internet access
 Fosters collaboration within the
ecosystem
Fast and Scalable
 Anticipate unknown requirements
and quickly address them
 Reduced cost of innovation
Simple and Intelligent
 Reduced and masked complexity
 Analytics and insights to drive
decision-making
HEALTHCARE
TRANSFORMATION
Organizations must
embrace disruptive
technologies to drive
innovation
Social
Mobile
AnalyticsCloud
3-D Printing
Nanotech

5. © 2014 IBM CorporationIBM Institute for Business Value5
Healthcare and life sciences organizations need to understand the
impact of ecosystems and reinvent their businesses appropriately
Business
environments are
evolving
Ecosystems are
emerging
Organizations should
act now
Business environments
are not alike
The ecosystem archetype
framework enables
organizations to identify the
ecosystems in which they
compete
Forces
Recommendations
Connected & Open
Simple & Intelligent
Fast & Scalable
Consumers are demanding
greater sophistication
Organizations are
increasingly pressured to
catch-up
These changes are
necessitating the emergence
of new ecosystems
Organizations must rethink
specific strategies based on
the environment in which
they find themselves
Organizations can act today
to embrace emerging
ecosystems, as they must:
1.Change the organizational
mindset
2.Make the right
connections
3.Make your organization
more agile
Ecosystems expand what
is possible
Organizations should
develop ecosystem
strategies aligned to their
particular environments
Ecosystem strategy

6. © 2015 IBM CorporationIBM Institute for Business Value6
Heather Fraser
Global Life Sciences & Healthcare Lead
IBM Institute for Business Value
hfraser@uk.ibm.com
Anthony Marshall
Global CEO Study Program Director
Strategy and Analytics Leader
IBM Institute for Business Value
anthony2@us.ibm.com
For more information about partnering in the age of healthcare
ecosystem please contact:
http://ibm.co/1F0VYMs
Click to download the paper