Co-evolution of platform architecture, platform services, and platform governance: Expanding the platform value of industrial digital platforms

Industrial manufacturers increasingly develop digital platforms in the business-to-business (B2B) context. This emergent form of digital platforms requires a profound yet little understood holistic perspective that encom-passes the co-evolution of platform architecture, platform services, and platform governance. To address this research gap, our study examines multiple platform sponsors from an industrial manufacturing context. The study demarcates three platform archetypes: product platform, supply chain platform, and platform ecosystem. We argue that each platform archetype involves a gradual development of platform architecture, platform ser-vices, and platform governance, which mirror each other. We also find that each platform archetype is char-acterized by a specific innovation mechanism that contributes to the platform service discovery and expands the platform value. Our study extends the co-evolution perspective of platform ecosystem literature and digital servitization literature.

Automated summary

This study examines the development of digital platforms in the industrial manufacturing context and identifies three platform archetypes. The study finds that each platform archetype gradually evolves in terms of architecture, services, and governance, and they influence each other. Furthermore, each platform archetype has a specific innovation mechanism that contributes to the discovery of platform services and the expansion of platform value. The study extends the co-evolution perspective in platform ecosystem and digital servitization literature.