Overview

The digital landscape has changed in the last four years. This digital transformation happened because of several factors, including: the external conditions changed dramatically with remote and hybrid workforces and the great resignation that followed the pandemic, and the New Green Deal. Also, investors are expecting different levels of returns from companies and incumbent companies have to rethink their businesses, including how to perform transactions and interactions online. Technology permits a level of collaboration and exchanges that goes beyond the physical organizational limits of incumbents.

Thomas M. Siebel noted, in 2019, that 40% of Fortune-500 companies have disappeared since 2000, and he expects another 40% to disappear by the end of this decade. This is due to the rise of innovative corporate entities with entirely new DNA. In 2010, companies had 80% linear and 20% platform business models. Ten years later, we see an inversion of these numbers, with 28% linear business models and 72% being platform models. However, in most European countries, SMEs are still the economic breeding ground. For example, SMEs make up 99.5% of all companies located in Germany (2018).

Given all of the above, do incumbents have a chance in an era of mass extinction of companies? How should incumbent companies embrace the DNA of digital transformation so that they can survive and potentially thrive?

This course provides an interactive introduction to the world of digital transformation. With case studies and role plays, students will learn to decide where and how to steer the incumbent’s transformation strategies. The three-week course provides an understanding of the different digital transformation frameworks and how and where to influence the decision-making process. Furthermore, the course shows how to shape value propositions and structural changes.