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Support for building and joining digital ecosystems through cross-industry collaboration
The PwC Japan Group provides one-stop support for cross-industry digital ecosystems, including the formulation of strategies for building new cross-industry ecosystems, participation in existing ecosystems and forming partnerships with other companies.
With advances in digitalisation, it is becoming increasingly possible for companies to enter various industries from business areas that would have previously seemed incompatible. As a result, new cross-industry business ecosystems are emerging one after another. As the competitive environment changes, individual players are pressed to come up with concrete strategies that, among other things, determine whether they will aim to become an ecosystem organiser or an ecosystem participant and how they will find a path to success in line with that choice. The PwC Japan Group’s highly knowledgeable professionals provide ‘one-stop’ support tailored to your company’s own business strategy. This includes support for the formulation of strategies for building new cross-industry ecosystems, participation in existing ecosystems and forming partnerships with other companies.
A growing number of new cross-industry business ecosystems is emerging
In recent years, new business ecosystems that extend across industrial boundaries have been emerging one after another as users’ values become more diverse and digitalisation accelerates. Examples of new ecosystems can be seen in digital commerce, digital health care and mobility ecosystems. In the past, business ecosystems were typically confined to a single industry. Today, however, companies are increasingly facing the need to differentiate themselves within their industries, to satisfy customer needs, and to seamlessly connect their products and services from the customer’s perspective. The result is an increase in cross-industry business ecosystems.
Figure 1: The shift from industry-specific ecosystems to cross-industry digital ecosystems
* Smart Logistics® is a registered trademark of Hitachi Transport System, Ltd.
Success factors vary depending on the players building the digital ecosystem
Digital ecosystems are formed by multiple players based on the concept of ‘co-opetition’—that is, ‘cooperation alongside competition’. The factors that determine the success of such an ecosystem, known as ‘key success factors’ (KSFs), vary depending on the type of ecosystem and each player’s position within it.
Figure 2: Five types of player within a digital ecosystem
When selecting and collaborating with partners, it is essential to consider the ecosystem’s characteristics and your own company’s strengths
Building an ecosystem makes it possible to provide new value that individual companies cannot provide on their own. But for this to happen, appropriate cross-industry collaboration among the ecosystem’s players is essential. It is important for each player to first verify the sources of their own strengths (e.g. data, technology and products, services, channels and relationships). Then, based on the characteristics of the ecosystem the player is planning to form or join, they should devise a strategy detailing which companies (groups) they will form alliances with and what kind of value they will create by combining their own strengths with those of the other players. The forming of alliances naturally entails collaboration among companies with different corporate cultures and capabilities. For example, we can assume that a digital service provider and a traditional manufacturer will have significant differences in terms of their work speed and digital capabilities. Therefore, these alliances need to actively utilise digital technologies to narrow digital capability gaps among the players.
Figure 3: Conceptual image of building an ecosystem (example)
The PwC Japan Group’s approach and services
We provide one-stop support that is tailored to your company’s own business strategy. This support covers such areas as the formulation of strategies for building new cross-industry ecosystems, participation in existing ecosystems and forming partnerships with other companies.
Our core team of professionals has extensive experience providing diverse assistance, including assistance for developing and shaping ecosystem strategies, digitalising businesses, and developing and executing strategies for new businesses through alliances and mergers. In addition to our core team members, we also leverage the PwC network’s relationships with leading companies.
General: Support for establishing a management office for the cross-industry cooperation needed to form an ecosystem
- EMO : Eco-System Management Office
Strategy development: Assistance in conceptualising and planning ecosystem strategies
- Conceptualisation of business ecosystems based on KSFs
- M&A/alliance strategy development, venture selection
- Examination of cross-industry data utilisation measures
- Data platform/data governance design
Partnering promotion: Assistance in executing M&A and alliances
- Examination of partnering schemes
- Business/operations due diligence
- Product tech due diligence
- Digital/data due diligence
Enhancement and expansion: Assistance in building ecosystems
- Reorganization and establishment of joint ventures
- Cross-organizational management
- Business ecosystem governance and business management improvements
Evolution: Assistance aimed at further development
- Agile business infrastructure design
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Our team
Partner, PwC Consulting LLC
Yasufumi Asano
Senior Manager, PwC Consulting LLC
Tomoya Tamei
Manager, PwC Consulting LLC
