Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

ScienceDirect
Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13

49th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems (CIRP-CMS 2016)

Ecosystems, strategy and business models in the age of digitization -

How the manufacturing industry is going to change its logic
Dominik Paulus-Rohmera*, Heike Schattona, Thomas Bauernhansla, b
a
Institute of Industrial Manufacturing and Management – IFF, University of Stuttgart, Nobelst. 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
b
Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation – IPA, Nobelst. 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 711-970-1075; fax: +49-711-970-1928. E-mail address: [email protected]

Abstract

The digital transformation of people’s everyday life is progressing; almost everybody uses connected devices, shares information and builds a
network according to the existing preferences or needs. A similar development takes place in the industrial environment, e.g. the IT- and software
industry is already organized in deeply connected ecosystems. In ecosystems there are different strategic roles an organization can play, which
affects an organization’s business strategy. If the firm is aware of this fact, it can adapt its strategy after having analyzed its position in the
surrounding ecosystem. The strategy is implemented by an according business model. This business model will cause the active change of the
organization’s role in the ecosystem and the digitization offers opportunities for implementation. This development is also going to change the
traditional manufacturing sector. Thus, the change of the industry logic needs to be integrated into strategic decisions to be competitive in the
future. In this paper an approach to handle these developments in the organization’s environment is addressed. The model of the ecosystem is
transferred to the manufacturing industry. Based on this transfer and analysis, a roadmap for a consistent alignment of a firm in an ecosystem is
suggested.
© 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of Scientific committee of the 49th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems (CIRP-CMS 2016).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 49th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems
Keywords: Ecosystems; strategy; digitization; business models; manufacturing industry;

1. Introduction and motivation This is the focus of this paper. First, the state of the art is
examined and – based on this – an approach for the relationship
Digitization has changed B2C-relationships significantly in between digitization, ecosystem, strategy and business model
form of connected devices and digital networks. This is also is suggested. Afterwards, the logic is applied to the
going to affect B2B sectors in the future, since according to a manufacturing industry and examples for how to adapt a
study provided by MIT Technology Review the amount of strategy in an ecosystem are given. In conclusion, a roadmap
connected devices will increase from 17 billion in 2014 to 28 how to approach the position in an ecosystem for
billion in 2020. The majority of the increase will consist of manufacturing firms is developed and future need for research
connected “things”, small devices that interact with each other. is pointed out.
This may trigger a significant renewal of the traditional value
chain of the manufacturing industry since digitization will offer 2. State of the art of ecosystem, business model and
completely new ways of value creation e.g. by offering added strategy
value by data analysis or integrating the customer via
development platforms. Ecosystems of firms will evolve and The following section outlines the state of the art in the field
create value for the customers. As a consequence firms of the of the ecosystems, business models and strategy.
manufacturing industry will have to adapt to this evolution by
adjusting their strategy and business model.

2212-8271 © 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 49th CIRP Conference on Manufacturing Systems
doi:10.1016/j.procir.2016.11.003
 Dominik Paulus-Rohmer et al. / Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13 9

2.1. Ecosystems ecosystem. The value is mostly generated by the physical

dominator, but since the joint value creation misses out it
Firstly, it is important to understand that the digitization results in a lower level of innovation [5]. Commodity is the last
brings business organization closer together. Thus, the nature role, but this reflects businesses that are competing solely via
and strength of interactions between those organizations gains price and volume [5]. According to [5] this is no strategy a firm
significant importance, also because nowadays the industry should be aiming at in the long term.
structure is highly distributed among a large number of Apart from the strategic position in an ecosystem it is also
companies. According to [1] this development can be important to consider the direct connection between different
conceived similar to biological ecosystems, where the firms on a network level. The position between upstream and
interaction between organisms is crucial to their survival downstream activities plays an important role when it comes to
because they depend on each other. [2] defines a business creating competitive advantage. Challenges within upstream
ecosystem “to be a dynamic structure which consists of an activities – respectively firms that deliver components for the
interconnected population of organizations.” Furthermore [3] focal firm – increase the competitive advantage of the focal
states that an “ecosystem is at its core a plan for how the firm if they can manage them. On the other hand, downstream
contributions in the proposed system will be modularized and activities which are also seen as the delivery of complements
what sorts of firms will provide which element”. The by the focal firm, do not create competitive advantage in case
participants include every organization that contributes to value of challenges [6]. This can be seen as the logic between niche
creation for the customer in form of products or services [1]. players, whereas keystones try to bring together the
Ecosystems can also overlap each other, since one company complements in order to create value for the customer. The
can be part of more than one ecosystem. Also competitors, strategy of a physical dominator in contrast would try to
customers, regulatory authorities and other stakeholder who vertically integrate providers of complements to avoid the
implicitly influence the processes are a part of an ecosystem competitive environment that can create disadvantages. [6]
[4]. points out that the business model plays a very important role
This means that an organization should think not according in the business ecosystem setting.
to its value chain anymore but in ecosystems and the position
the company occupies in an ecosystem. Derived from the IT- 2.2. Business Models
sector, [5] recognized four general types of strategies in an
ecosystem depending on the turbulence of innovation and the Innovations have always been an important lever for the
complexity of relationships of the firm as depicted in Fig. 1. growth and competitiveness of a company. Until a few years
ago, an investment in research and development activities for
creating and developing new technologies and products was
considered to be adequate for operating competitively in the
market [7]. In current time, however, a focus on mere product
and process innovation are totally insufficient for many sectors
[8]. This is where business models come into play.
Although the business model concept has been discussed in
literature for several years, a commonly accepted definition has
not yet evolved [9]. Relevant application contexts for this paper
can be roughly clustered in two research fields: technology and
innovation as well as strategy.
As representative of the research field technology and
innovation, [10] use the business model to describe how to
capture value from technology. Thus, they define a business
model as “the heuristic logic that connects technical potential
Fig. 1 Types of ecosystem strategies [5] with the realization of economic value” [10]. Furthermore, a
business model “performs two important functions: value
The keystone acts as a hub in the ecosystem since the creation and value capturing” [11]. [12] illustrates the
improvement of the ecosystem health is one of his main tasks. advantages of open business models which help to create value
Only a small part of the ecosystem is occupied by a keystone by leveraging an increasing number of internal as well as
and it provides the tools and instruments for the ecosystem to external concepts. The open business model concept, therefore,
survive also under a high level of turbulence and innovation. allows companies to benefit of trade in intellectual property
That means that a keystone protects the ecosystem against that has not yet been brought to product maturity. In relation to
encroachment to ensure its survival [5]. Niches reflect the bulk shorter product life cycles and associated high investment costs
of an ecosystem, but they resemble the content of what the in innovations, an open business model could also be an
ecosystem does and the keystone shapes the organizational opportunity to guarantee long-term competitiveness. A well
aspect of what it does. From a strategic perspective, the niche designed business model can also have a supporting effect on
player tries to specialize and differentiate himself from the marketing activities of innovative technologies and
other niche companies in the ecosystem [5]. In contrast to a compensate technological weaknesses. A technology with
keystone the physical dominator occupies a large part of the mediocre maturity pursued by a great business model may be
ecosystem and takes over other roles like niches in the
10 Dominik Paulus-Rohmer et al. / Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13

more valuable than a technology achieving the maximum to a successful strategy. There are three principles that
maturity pursued by an average business model [13]. Inspired characterize a strategic position [21]:
by the interpretation of [14] this work assumes that “a business
model articulates the logic and provides data and other x Creating a unique and valuable position
evidence that support a value proposition for the customer, and x Focus on core competencies consistent with the position
a viable structure of revenues and costs for the enterprise x Find synergies between activities to prevent imitation
delivering that value“[14].
As mentioned above, there is a mutual interaction of To make this more concrete, “a truly strategic decision
business models and technological innovation. Nevertheless, occurs only at the nexus of three organizational considerations
the business model construct is clearly separable from — where it adds value, how it handles and employs imitation
technology. Of course, path-breaking technological and how it defines its perimeter” [22]. These decisions lead to
developments enable new business models, but innovative a long-term competitive advantage, short-term issues like
business models can also arise without technology operational optimizations do not count as strategy. Sustainable
development, like the just-in-time production system [11], value creation is the goal of any strategy [22]. To prevent the
[15]. For sectors that are influenced by digitization it is a delivered value from imitation, it has to be protected by
challenge to develop an adapted business model and increasing the difficulty of copying. To link these two
appropriate technology. The challenge is to elaborate the elements, the scope of the company needs to be defined,
interactive connection between the influence of technological respectively the level of vertical and horizontal integration as
developments on business model innovations as well as on the well as diversification [22]. Thus strategy and business models
organization of technology development. To solve these are different concepts but closely related [20]. Strategy
problems, managers can revert to existing approaches or decisions provide the frame for the activity system or, in other
experiments [16], alternatively they can take an ecosystem terms, the business model of the organization [20].
perspective in order to discover the possibilities that
technology offers for forward-looking business models [11].
[17] and [18] investigate business models regarding to
strategic issues. Referring to the concept of Peter Drucker,
aspects as customer, customer value as well as the economic
logic of the business are addressed [17]. In further works the
term business model is often used interchangeably with the
term strategy, nevertheless, these are two concepts which have
effects on different levels [11], [13]. In general, the business
model represents the mediator between the strategic level and
the operational respectively tactical level. The definition of a
company’s vision and mission occur in the superior, normative
level [19].
The distinction and relationship between business model,
strategy and tactics are analyzed with particular intensity in
[18]. According to their definition, a business model consists Fig. 2 Relation between strategy, business model and tactics (following [9])
of a set of “specific choices made by management” [18] and
the resulting consequences. Every organization makes choices To protect the competitive advantage created by strategy
which have consequences; therefore, every organization has a from imitation, the business model needs to be analyzed and set
business model. In contrast to the strategy, a business model up with isolation mechanisms [14]. When a business model is
appears observable and thereby partly imitable for externals implemented there is a specific tactical set. That means that
[14]. The strategy coincides with the company’s business there are possibilities to change single aspects of a business
model and only seems completely visible in trivial situations model – like the choice of a supplier or the price setting. Those
[20]. choices are based on the tactics stage of a business model and
this relation is depicted in Fig. 2 [20].
2.3. Strategy Applying the previous concept of strategy to the keystone or
shaper position in the ecosystem, there are particular aspects to
The strategy is what defines the purpose of a company, but consider. First of all, a shaping strategy needs a critical mass of
there are different interpretations of its content and context. To participants to be successful. This can be achieved by
start from another perspective: Strategy is not operational transparently showing the opportunities of the ecosystem to
excellence. This is because benchmarking among competitors potential participants, setting standards for an easy
will lead to a convergence of the competition and sooner or participation and showing the commitment by investing in the
later the different firms will be indistinguishable [21]. shaping strategy. The participants should also know that the
Moreover, the preservation of what is distinct about a company shaper has no interest in competition but in cooperation with
– the performance of “different activities from competitors or the participants of the ecosystem. If this is fulfilled, the
similar activities in different ways” [21] – is what contributes participants will share risks and learn from one another [23].
 Dominik Paulus-Rohmer et al. / Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13 11

While emerging, digitization also gains more importance dynamics of the surrounding ecosystem into strategy
regarding strategy and needs to be considered when development. This means that the strategy of an organization is
formulating a strategy [24]. Digital strategy should not only be no longer restricted to the internal view of the company but
a functional strategy anymore, but an “organizational strategy extended to the environment of the company: the ecosystem.
formulated and executed by leveraging digital resources to By doing so, the company is actively positioning itself in the
create differential value” [24]. market by adapting one of the general ecosystem strategies
previously presented. The second way describes the reactive
3. Approach for the relationship between ecosystem, way of positioning in an ecosystem. This occurs, if a company
strategy and business model has the possibilities to become e.g. a keystone and the
surrounding ecosystem demands the organization to accept this
The question that needs to be discussed is, how do role. In this case, the company’s strategy has to be adapted to
digitization, ecosystems, strategy and business models interact the role the company is “forced” into. Both ways lead to new
and influence each other. Fig. 3 presents an overview of the business models, since new strategic decisions always result in
relationships between the elements in form of influencing new business model choices [20]. Another critical factor worth
factors and types of strategy development. To start with, considering is the maturity level of a firm’s business model. To
digitization is the main driver for a change in competition and be able to put a strategy into practice the company should
the organization of different sectors. Companies, consumers integrate its business model into the innovation process or
and products will be massively interconnected due to digital already think of it as a platform [8].
networks [1]. This leads to increased network effects and a joint
value creation in ecosystems, which provide solutions for end 4. Applying the approach to the manufacturing industry
customers. Digitization also has a significant impact on
strategy. Due to the increased transparency, it is hard to The manufacturing industry is characterized by the production
establish operational advantages and the barriers of entry for of capital goods that are long-lasting and capital intensive.
new firms are lowered. From the buyers perspective, Furthermore, those products are sold to other companies in a
bargaining power is shifted towards end customers, also business to business relationship and in the value chain
because switching costs are reduced. On the other hand, there manufacturing companies act as suppliers for machines,
are new markets that can be addressed by using the means of equipment or components. Historically, manufacturing
digitization. Furthermore, the core competencies can also be companies have focused on product and technology innovation
influenced if the value that is provided to the customer will and at the same time on reducing costs wherever possible.
change compared to the current situation [25]. Additionally, they offer services to complement their products
and raise margins [26].
In form of the industrial internet or Industrie 4.0 in Germany,
digitization is approaching and affecting this sector. As
described in the previous chapter, new possibilities are
available and the emergence of ecosystems is emerging. The
niche and the physical dominator strategy are already
established by various companies and there are also examples
for organizations which delivered commodities. Schunk or
Pepperl & Fuchs are typical niche players; one specialized in
the manufacturing of grippers and the other in the sector of
sensors and actuators. They are able to use new business
models fitting their strategy like data-based services or
platforms to provide a better value to their customers. Stihl, a
company selling chain saws and garden equipment, has won
several insourcing awards. They try to map the whole value
chain on their own and can, therefore, be considered a follower
of the physical dominator strategy. Digitization provides the
means to create more intelligent products and connect them
with protection clothing for example. A sector of the
manufacturing industry – where it becomes obvious that
Fig. 3 Simplified interaction between ecosystem, strategy and business model
commodity is no desirable strategy– is the production of solar
influenced by digitization panels. Earlier forming a niche where product and
technological innovation was the base for competitive
Finally digitization also provides new technologies like big advantage, it quickly became a price-based commodity.
data or platforms to design new business models according the Several companies vanished, because the production was
goal set by strategy. A fundamental factor for the cost structure outsourced to China due to cheaper workforce.
of a business model is the transformation of fixed costs into A new development in the manufacturing industry is the
variable costs by digitization [14]. In the outlined situation, evolvement of keystones. They take advantage of the need for
there are two possible ways to adapt a position in an ecosystem standards and tools in separate sectors of the industry but also
via strategy. The first course of action is to consider the protect the ecosystem from the entry of third parties like IT
companies [27]. To illustrate our previous assumption of two
12 Dominik Paulus-Rohmer et al. / Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13

ways how a firm can position itself in an ecosystem, the firms manufacturing process, which provides a considerable added-
Farmnet 365 and Siemens will function as practical examples. value for the customer.
Farmnet 365 – a subsidiary of Claas, a manufacturer of land To evaluate how digitization can improve a company’s
machinery – chose the active way of positioning itself as a position in the market, first the firm’s current position in the
keystone or shaper within the ecosystem in the sector of ecosystem needs to be analyzed. An internal analysis in order
agricultural machinery. They actively developed the idea of to describe the current company strategy considering the
bringing services to farmers by using a platform, which has available resources and capabilities is essential. The external
access to data of used machines. The service apps of the analysis focuses on aspects such as local and global customer
partners on the platform use the data to create value offerings demands, market and competitive situation and general
like showing the best way to harvest a field depending on technological trends, e.g. additive manufacturing. Challenges
weather conditions and sustainability or to calculate the amount in any position of an ecosystem limit the company’s ability to
of fertilizers based on historical yield on a field. Contrary to create and capture value in varying degrees. Therefore,
this example Siemens is a large group including energy, upcoming keystones like Trumpf – a firm providing
industry, infrastructure and healthcare activities. Siemens has manufacturing solutions in the fields of machine tools, laser
the prerequisites to move into the position of a keystone, what and electronics – also provide complements (software as a
was expected by the customers and the industry. Together with service and financing) to enable value creation for their
SAP they work on providing an open cloud platform for customers. In the case of Trumpf, internal resources were
industrial customers where for example data based services can established in the recent years, such as competence in IT, an
be hosted. extensive network of customers and partners, a company-wide
sharing of technologies and experiences as well as data access
5. Roadmap for manufacturing firms to their distributed products.
After the company’s current positioning is analyzed, it is
Fig. 4 illustrates a roadmap for strategic positioning in an necessary to actively adapt the company’s vision and strategy
ecosystem by implementing the appropriate business model, to reach the target position in the ecosystem. In some cases, the
taking into account the impact of digital trends. The result can desired position can also be consistent with the already existing
be an adaption of an existing position in the ecosystem and position. The aim of the strategy adaption is to strengthen
business model or a new position in the ecosystem competitive advantages. By comparing internal conditions with
accompanied by the creation of a new business model. external demands, ideally a gap in the market can be discovered
– the potential for a competitive position. Afterwards, a
Current
Strategy adaption
Implementation feasibility analysis is necessary for a holistic consideration of
and further Realization of the
position in the
position in the strategic position
and Change the firm’s new business strategy. A clear differentiation from
ecosystem Management
ecosystem the competition by unique selling points represents the goal,
Actual-state analysis Target-state analysis ƒDesign of business ƒPlanning but the effort to achieve this aim also has to be evaluated
ƒInternal analysis ƒAnalysis of the models ƒOrganizational according to its associated risks.
ƒStrategy current strategy ƒGeneration of ideas adjustments
ƒResources ƒPotential and modelling ƒCulture change The three dimensions of strategy – value, imitation and
assessment ƒProtoypes ƒCommunication perimeter – should be considered in the strategic initiative
ƒExternal analysis ƒFeasibility analysis
ƒFeasibility analysis ƒExecution regarding to the future position in the ecosystem. The main
ƒCustomer demands
ƒAdaption of the ƒBusiness Cases ƒControlling and
ƒCompetitors aims of strategy are to define the type of value, the way of
ƒScenarios
ƒValue chain position strategy monitoring
ƒTechnological ƒReview sharing value, to prevent or ensure imitation as well as to
trends Iteration redefine a perimeter. Concerning the value, the balance
between increases in profits and sustainability as well as
ƒCyber-physical systems Digitization ƒPlatforms handling social aspects regarding the firm’s mission, are two
ƒBig Data ƒModularization main questions. Imitation plays a key role in strategic
considerations regarding the creation and defense of
Fig. 4 Roadmap for manufacturing companies for strategic positioning in an competitive advantages as well as the imitation of existing
ecosystem
business models. Perimeter focuses on the definition and
setting of limits to the firm’s scope what is especially relevant
The digitization forms the basis for this approach and regarding the core competencies. The steps with the highest
enables the achievement of profit above average in the long degree of value creation should be included in the scope of the
run. Strategically relevant is the ratio of hardware and software firm [22].
of a product, modularization, individualization as well as the In the example of Trumpf the internal resources as well as
network with other products or systems [27]. Digital systems, the customer potential and demand for a digital business
such as cyber-physical systems, enable a network of humans, platform and digital services, particularly for manufacturing
machines or productions. Platforms, e.g. marketplaces or companies, were available. Thus, Trumpf obtained a
development platforms provide a life-cycle environment and pioneering role as keystone by implementing a service-based
communication tool for economic availability of software and differentiation strategy.
hardware modules. Development platforms enhance the The third step focuses on the realization of the strategic
cooperation capability towards customers, suppliers and position which can only be reached by an adequate and
partners, which goes beyond a mere buyer-seller relationship. appropriate business model. Strategy entails designing, and if
The customer can also be involved in the product
 Dominik Paulus-Rohmer et al. / Procedia CIRP 57 (2016) 8 – 13 13

it is required, redesigning of business models [22]. Ideas of References

business models should be generated in creative workshops or
inspired by existing business models patterns, c.f. [7]. The [1] Iansiti M, Levien R. Keystones and dominators: Framing operating and
development of business models and derivation prototypes technology strategy in a business ecosystem. Working paper / Division of
Research, Harvard Business School, 2002.
represent the next steps. A feasibility analysis reveals the [2] Peltoniemi M, Vuori E. Business ecosystem as the new approach to
available and the necessary resources for the future business complex adaptive business environments. In Proceedings of eBusiness
models. After this stage, unsuitable business model ideas and research forum 2004: p. 267–81.
prototypes can be rejected. Afterwards, business cases have to [3] Moore JF. Business ecosystems and the view from the firm. Antitrust
be created and evaluated regarding their economic efficiency Bulletin 2006; 51: p. 31–75.
[4] Iansiti M, Levien R. Strategy as Ecology. Harvard Business Review 2004:
while taking the entire company’s business case into account. p. 68–81.
Based on this analysis and after further identification of [5] Iansiti M, Levien R. The keystone advantage: What the new dynamics of
inappropriate business models, scenarios are developed for the business ecosystems mean for strategy, innovation, and sustainability.
remaining concepts. Trumpf already uses software as a service Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press, 2004.
in the manufacturing sector in order to tap into new value [6] Adner R, Kapoor R. Value creation in innovation ecosystems: How the
structure of technological interdependence affects firm performance in new
structures. For the planning of production processes Trumpf technology generations. Strategic Management Journal 2010; 31: p. 306–
has recently implemented the digital, open business platform 33.
called Axoom which connects systems, machines as well as [7] Gassmann O. Geschäftsmodelle entwickeln: 55 innovative Konzepte mit
workplaces. One main advantage of this platform is the dem St. Galler Business Model Generator. München: Hanser, 2013.
collaboration and interlinking of components of different [8] Chesbrough H. Business model innovation: It's not just about technology
anymore. Strategy & Leadership 2007; 35: p. 12–7.
manufacturers (platform as a service). [9] Bieger T. Innovative Geschäftsmodelle: Konzeptionelle Grundlagen,
The fourth step focuses on the implementation of the new or Gestaltungsfelder und unternehmerische Praxis. Academic network. Berlin
modified business model. In the planning phase, potential [u.a.]: Springer, 2011.
organizational adjustments and changes in corporate culture [10] Chesbrough H, Rosenbloom RS. The role of business model in capturing
should be addressed and communicated. Controlling and value from innovation - Evidence from Xerox Corporation's Technology
Spinoff Companies. Industrial and Corporate Change; 11: p. 529–55.
monitoring processes follow the implementation of the [11] Baden-Fuller C, Haefliger S. Business Models and Technological
business model. If any inconsistencies occur during the phase Innovation. Long Range Planning 2013; 46: p. 419–26.
of review, iteration loops have to be carried out which [12] Chesbrough H. Why companies should have open business models. MIT
optionally require an adaption of the strategy. Sloan Management Review 2007; 48: p. 21–9.
[13] Chesbrough H. Business Model Innovation: Opportunities and Barriers.
Long Range Planning 2010; 43: p. 354–363.
6. Conclusion and future fields of research [14] Teece DJ. Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation. Long
Range Planning 2010; 43: p. 172–94.
Strategy is the basis for business models, but since the [15] Baden-Fuller C; Morgan MS. Business models as models. Long Range
emergence of ecosystems is inevitable, it is not sufficient to Planning 2010; 43: p. 156–171.
develop a strategy for the own company. The view needs to be [16] McGrath RG. Business Models: A Discovery Driven Approach. Long
Range Planning 2010; 43: p. 247–61.
expanded to the surrounding ecosystem and the position of the [17] Magretta J. Why business models matter. Harvard Business Review
focal firm in it. Especially the manufacturing industry will face reprint, R0205F. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Pub, 2002
severe changes in the future – keystone or shapers will be [18] Casadesus-Masanell R, Ricart JE. Competing through business models.
needed to enable a structured and sustainable development of Working paper no 713 2007; p. 1-28
the industry. Their function is to protect the ecosystem around [19] Müller-Stewens G, Lechner C. Strategisches Management: Wie
strategische Initiativen zum Wandel führen, 4th edn. Stuttgart: Schäffer-
them and provide the means and tools for a joint value creation. Poeschel, 2011.
A roadmap is suggested, how firms can adapt their strategy and [20] Casadesus-Masanell R, Ricart JE. From Strategy to Business Models and
implement appropriate business models to realize their onto Tactics. Long Range Planning 2010; 43: p. 195–215.
strategy. [21] Porter ME. What is strategy? Harvard business review. Boston, Mass.:
Research this field is at an early stage and there are several Harvard Business School Press, 1996.
[22] Fréry F. The fundamental dimensions of strategy. MIT Sloan Management
fields of research that need better insight in the future. First, the Review; 2006: p. 71–75.
criteria for the position of manufacturing firms in an ecosystem [23] Hagel J, Brown JS, Davison L. Shaping strategy in a world of constant
need to be specified and more concrete. Based on this, a disruption. Harvard business review : HBR; 86: p. 80–9
systematic analysis of the strategic dimensions that connect the [24] Bharadwaj A, El Sawy OA, Pavlou PA, Venkatraman N. Digital Business
ecosystem strategy and the internal strategy of a firm needs to Strategy: Toward a next generation of insights. MIS Quarterly 2013.
[25] Porter ME. Strategy and the internet. Harvard Business Review 2001: p.
be developed. Furthermore, the feasibility of the strategy 62–78.
requires systematic evaluation. When it comes to the [26] Fischer T, Gebauer H, Fleisch E. Service business development: Strategies
realization of the strategy, the question which business model for value creation in manufacturing firms. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
is suitable for the particular position in an ecosystem and why University Press, 2012.
this is the case calls for investigation. [27] Bauernhansl T, Paulus-Rohmer D, Schatz A, Weskamp M, Emmrich V,
Döbele M. Geschäftsmodell-Innovation durch I 4.0: Chancen und Risiken
für den Maschinen- und Anlagenbau. München: Dr. Wieselhuber & Partner
GmbH, 2015