Experts have long agreed that the future belongs to digital business models. There are now a large number of economically successful digital business models that offer their providers and their customers advantages in terms of sustainability, among other things.
Nevertheless, in our daily lives – especially in B2B business relationships – we do not experience euphoria, but rather reluctance with regard to the digital transformation of business models. In our opinion, this reluctance results primarily from the fact that the ‘active’ persons tend to view the digitalisation of business models rather sceptically, e.g.
Managers who fear that digital business models will cannibalise the revenues/margins of analogue models. Or who do not provide the necessary resources/investments because they do not believe in the sustainable success of digital business models.
Employees who fear that digital business models will increase their workload and complexity (e.g. due to the parallel operation of analogue and digital business models) and that there will be no other advantages for them, or rather disadvantages.
Customers who appreciate the familiar analogue business models because they work well and are critical of the added value of digital business models.
How can the digitalisation of business models be started and successfully implemented despite the often not entirely unjustified scepticism of the ‘acting’ persons?
What measures do we recommend?
The best way to deal with the scepticism of the ‘acting’ persons is to actively involve them in the development and implementation of digital business models and to communicate successes and failures transparently. The following ten points are important:
- Digital business models should generally be introduced in addition to current business models.
- The ideas for digital business models are developed in interdisciplinary teams if possible (including selected customers/users, employees, management).
- When developing ideas, the focus should be on developing new business models rather than on replacing current business models one-to-one.
- The developed ideas are described and evaluated from the perspective of all ‘active’ groups of people. The aim is not to develop a detailed business case, but to identify the achievable added values (monetary and non-monetary)
- The ideas with the most positive ratings from as many/all ‘active’ groups of people as possible are prioritised for piloting
- The decision to implement selected pilots is linked to the provision of the necessary internal and external resources
- When implementing the respective pilots, the most important components of the digital business model are started
- As soon as a first ‘usable version’ of the digital business model is available, it is tested with selected customers/users
- Critical feedback from test customers/users is used to successively optimise the business model. A constructive error management culture in the company is a key success factor here. Positive feedback is a reason to celebrate together and a good time to offer the model to further customers for testing
- As soon as the key components of the digital business model have been implemented in a stable manner and successfully tested by a larger number of customers, the business model can be expanded to include further components
The aim is not to quickly work through a detailed project plan and fulfil extensive business cases, but to learn step by step how digital business models affect everyone involved. This way, undesirable developments can be quickly corrected and the advantages can be transparently presented. This reduces scepticism among ‘active’ people and creates enthusiasm for the expansion of digital business models.
Conclusion
The earlier a company sets out with its employees and customers to identify and test digital business models, the earlier the learning process starts on how these can be successfully implemented in the long term. In this way, venturing into a digital business model can result in a real competitive advantage over market companions.