Peter C. Evans, PhD

In this Forbes article, I examine the key role that circular platforms can play in improving sustainability and de-risk supply chains. Most discussions of the circular economy focus on the actions specific brands can/ must play. However, as I argue in this article, it is often much more efficient and effective to go circular together via digital marketplaces.

This article explores the benefits of linking platforms that would not typically think to get together. It provides three examples of how new value could be created.

Building a strong bench of platform talent is demanding the increasing attention of senior executive teams. Finding talent that the right digital acumen and experience is one thing. Finding these capabilities plus a sophisticated understanding of platform dynamics and implications of network effects, platform pricing, data management, and external ecosystem management is an even taller order. Platform talent is now what sets companies apart.

The market for enterprise AI is evolving rapidly. Platform strategies will play a growing role in matching supply with demand. The supply side of the market increasingly recognizes that platform strategies that link open-source frameworks, large developer communities, bot stores/exchanges, digital learning and technical certification will support faster enterprise AI adoption.

This is a brief white paper based on a much larger project I lead titled the AI 200. This paper embeds some of the findings from this research in the context of 8 major trends that are shaping the adoption of AI by the world's largest enterprises. To understanding enterprise AI adoption, the study took two approaches: a) it compiled open source data on key metrics for the 200 companies including the number of AI job postings and new article mentions; b) compiled and analyzed the results of… Show more

This is a brief white paper based on a much larger project I lead titled the AI 200. This paper embeds some of the findings from this research in the context of 8 major trends that are shaping the adoption of AI by the world's largest enterprises. To understanding enterprise AI adoption, the study took two approaches: a) it compiled open source data on key metrics for the 200 companies including the number of AI job postings and new article mentions; b) compiled and analyzed the results of 70 inteviews with KPMG account teams and 35 interviews with senior company leaders. The interviews involved a 45-minute to one-hour discussion based on a 45 question guide. These interviews provided a key input into constructing a deployment status map for each company interviewed as well as 3 year spending forcasts. The research also provided valuable insights into the compostition of large enterprise build vs buy to 2022.

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In this new survey, I examine the most significant platform enterprises operating in Asia today. Asian platform companies, such as Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, Rakuten, Naver, and Flipkart — to name but a few—leverage digital infrastructure to facilitate the creation of interactive ecosystems that enhance the efficiency of aggregation, matching, exchange and innovation. The survey identified 62 major platform companies operating across Asia, with a market capitalization of $800 million or more… Show more

In this new survey, I examine the most significant platform enterprises operating in Asia today. Asian platform companies, such as Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu, Rakuten, Naver, and Flipkart — to name but a few—leverage digital infrastructure to facilitate the creation of interactive ecosystems that enhance the efficiency of aggregation, matching, exchange and innovation. The survey identified 62 major platform companies operating across Asia, with a market capitalization of $800 million or more. The final list of companies is diverse. The companies serve 10 major industry sectors, with headquarters in 18 different cities. They have grown dramatically in the past decade, with a significant number of platforms now servicing hundreds of millions of users. These companies have also attracted significant investor attention. The market value of the 62 companies now exceeds $1.1 trillion, and they are having a growing influence on shaping markets throughout the region. Show less

This report uncovers the 42 top platform companies operating across the Sub-Saharan region. These companies were identified through reviewing more than 600 digital/tech companies. The cohort of African platform companies surfaced through this analysis is quite young — most have been launched since 2010. They represent vibrant experimentation with new approaches to organizing and managing business. The survey offers insights into where they are located, the scope of their coverage, the… Show more

This report uncovers the 42 top platform companies operating across the Sub-Saharan region. These companies were identified through reviewing more than 600 digital/tech companies. The cohort of African platform companies surfaced through this analysis is quite young — most have been launched since 2010. They represent vibrant experimentation with new approaches to organizing and managing business. The survey offers insights into where they are located, the scope of their coverage, the sectors in which they operate and the mix between indigenous and foreign players.
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Organizational capital is arguably, the most important, value-contributing asset companies have — an asset that cannot be easily imitated by competitors, and therefore conferring sustained competitive advantage on its owners. This report examines the growing significance of organizational capital and how CEOs can better measure and manage this key resource.

Valuable insights can be gained by applying visual analytic techniques to understand complex, emerging ecosystem dynamics and evolving enterprise strategies. One such context is the application programming interface (API) ecosystem. APIs have grown dramatically in the past five years. These bits of code act as digital control points that set the terms for which data and services can be efficiently shared or "called" over the Internet. There are now over 12,000 open APIs available across a wide… Show more

Valuable insights can be gained by applying visual analytic techniques to understand complex, emerging ecosystem dynamics and evolving enterprise strategies. One such context is the application programming interface (API) ecosystem. APIs have grown dramatically in the past five years. These bits of code act as digital control points that set the terms for which data and services can be efficiently shared or "called" over the Internet. There are now over 12,000 open APIs available across a wide range of market sectors, a thirtyfold increase since 2006. Show less

The Rise of the Platform Enterprise: A Global Survey, presents the results of a year-long research project in which leading scholars and experts from Africa, China, Europe, India and the U.S. collaborated to conduct the first comprehensive survey of major public and privately owned platform companies.

"Forces of Change: Networks, Data & Platforms" discusses how ecosystems, big data, & platform business models are transforming the corporate landscape is a chapter in Growing Global: Lessons for the New Enterprise, published by the Center for Global Enterprise (CGE). The book examines the forces transforming global business & how leaders can apply real-world management lessons to their organizations.

Extreme weather from climate change and growing urbanization are making cities more vulnerable to loss of electric power and damage to energy infrastructure. Policy makers and users of critical infrastructure services are searching for solutions that increase the resiliency of energy systems but are closely tied to other goals, such as sustainability and affordability. Creating Resilient-Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions, or “RSI solutions,” will require technical solutions, including:… Show more

Extreme weather from climate change and growing urbanization are making cities more vulnerable to loss of electric power and damage to energy infrastructure. Policy makers and users of critical infrastructure services are searching for solutions that increase the resiliency of energy systems but are closely tied to other goals, such as sustainability and affordability. Creating Resilient-Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions, or “RSI solutions,” will require technical solutions, including: intelligence, redundancy, and coupling and decoupling within networks. Show less