A presentation on how digital ecosystems are replacing conventional, hierarchical enterprises in many sectors. Recently presented as a guest lecture at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht.

1. An Introduction to
Digital Ecosystems
Jeroen van Grondelle
jeroen@vangrondelle.com

2. Summary
• New kinds of organizational schemes are emerging
– Both in disruptive innovations and in conventional sectors
• They can be characterized as digital ecosystems
– Small, autonomous participants cocreating big services
– Highly distributed demand and supply
• This has profound impact on business models, business
processes and technology

3. The Old Organizational Model
• Different Variants, yet…
– All take the organization as
main unit
– All focus on distribution of
authority and
responsibilities across a
hierarchy of departments
• Oh wait, and then there
are some external
partners…
Bron: Nieuwenhuis, M.A., The Art of Management (the-art.nl),
ISBN-13: 978-90-806665-1-1, 2003-2010.

4. Disruptive
Innovation

5. Wegenwacht vs Route Mobiel

6. Today: Changes in the Workforce
Source: Rabobank
Het NieuweWerken
Broodfondsen

7. Public Sector
Hierarchy or Network?

8. Characteristics of
Digital Ecosystems
And:
Why so many landscapes typically
have some of these characteristics!

9. A Transformation to Networked
Business Models
Enterprise Ecosystem

10. Small Organizations offering
Big Services
• Autonomous, independent
participants
– Rather than hierarchy of
departments
• Cocreating Products and Services
– Each with own business model
• Frequent changes in relations
– New Partners, etc.
• Also: Regulators, legislators
– Often not actors themselves Ecosystem

11. Distributed Demand and Supply
• Highly distributed demand and supply
– Instead of planned, standardized, centralized manufacturing
• Some form of Trading needed to match supply and demand
• Guaranteed supply through swarm characteristics, rather
than an “planned” match
• The middle man has a challenged business model!
• Examples:
– Prosumers in Energy
– Rent/lend out your room/car/drill/…
– Be a one-man supplier of physical products at Thingiverse.com

12. Digital Services
• Delivering Inherently Digital Services
– Instead of automating physical metaphors using
computers
• Digital Transformation: Redefine your products
and services, without the legacy of a ‘physical’
past
– No more Stock, Logistics, …
– Why was inside-out centralization and standardization
important again?

13. New Kinds of Assets and Capabilities
Big
Investments
Lots of
Employees
Knowledge
And Expertise
Regulatory
Compliance
Big Machines Data and
Algorithms

14. Impact on Business Models, Processes
and Supporting Technology
Business
Models
Business
Processes
Technology

15. Different Innovation Triggers
Technology
Business
Processes
Business
Models
Servitization
Commoditization
Consultancy 2.0
Big Data
Gamification
Mobile
Cloud
Customer Centric
Self Service
Expert Autonomy
Outside-In Processes

16. Impact on IT Landscapes:
No Distinction between Inside and Out
• Flexible sourcing relations
– Outsourcing & Cloud
– Shared Service Centers
– Whitelabel Processing Providers
– The API Economy
• Transparent Self Service
– Customers are User in Every system?
• Need for Open, Heterogeneous Infrastructures
– BYOD
– Distributed User Identity
– Distributed User Profiles and Data
– Etc.

17. Questions? Ideas? Other good examples of
Digital Ecosystems?
Contact me
jeroen@vangrondelle.com
www.vangrondelle.com