Digitale Plattformen

Industrial platforms are fundamentally transforming the organization and structure of value creation. Beyond serving as intermediaries that connect machine manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers, they enable data-driven decision-making in production while fostering innovation in product development. In doing so, they create new opportunities for collaboration and value creation through enhanced connectivity and interaction across the platform ecosystem.

Assessing the impact of digital industrial platforms on the dynamics and resilience of supply chains requires clear classification of such platforms. This article examines the extent to which a current classification proposal from the field of supply chain management must be further developed in the context of digital platforms for implementing the circular economy (CE). The authors conclude that a fundamental revision is not necessary, as the digital CE platforms under consideration fit well into the existing classification system. However, new research questions arise regarding the distinction between digital service platforms and digital data-oriented platforms, as well as the link between the circular economy and supply chain management—particularly in connection with supply chain control towers, which are becoming increasingly established in supply chain management practice.

In recent years, digital platforms have established themselves as a central concept in the IT field. Due to the wide variety of digital platforms available on the market, there is still a need for clear comparison with criteria to enable interested parties to select, change, operate and further develop these platforms. The following paper aims to contribute to the facilitation of this comparison by undertaking a systematic literature review of digital platform frameworks in the context of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) for manufacturing companies and thus providing a basis for a number of potential ways to effectively compare current digital platforms and ecosystems.

The potential of platform-based business models in the context of Industry 4.0 has not yet been fully realized. Approaches for platforms and ecosystem- based value creation vary between industries. The plastics industry has so far been widely ignored in this respect. Due to its industrial structure, in particular the uniform value creation structures, the plastics industry is suitable for digital platforms. In addition to approaches for platforms in the injection molding industry, the article offers a procedure model for the expansion of established business models. This can facilitate the entry into the field of platform-based business models for SMEs.