Digitization 11#
This pattern relies on the ability to turn existing products or services into digital variants, and thus offer advantages over tangible products, e.g., easier and faster distribution. Ideally, the digitization of a product or service is realized without harnessing the value proposition which is offered to the customer. In other words: efficiency and multiplication by means of digitization does not reduce the perceived customer value.
Examples: Iconic Cases
How they do it: Traditionally, encyclopedias were publications spanning many invididual book volumes, and were out of date within a short time after publication. Wikipedia contributed to the demise of Britannica’s publishing model and medium: The 2010 version of the 15th edition, which spans 32 volumes and 32,640 pages, was the last printed edition; digital content and distribution has continued since then. In 2005, Nature published a peer review comparing 42 science articles from Encyclopædia Britannica and Wikipedia and found that Wikipedia’s level of accuracy approached that of Britannica.
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How they do it: LinkedIn brought the possibility to network and search for relevant industry contacts to the internet. Through the LinkedIn network, users can communicate with potential business partners and identify new leads for collaborations, sales and recruiting. This allows reaching-out beyond your immediate physical reach or relying on trade fairs to meet potential new business partners.
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How they do it: As one of the first webmail services, Hotmail was a pioneer in digitizing traditional postal communication. It enabled users to set up a virtual inbox and send and receive email messages using the internet.
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How they do it: Cewe digitized the process of creating and ordering individualized products, utilizing your own fotos. Through their website, customers can create their products remotely at anytime and have them shipped to their home.
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How they do it: Facebook digitized a lot of processes around social interaction ranging from communication to sharing photos and organizing in interest groups.
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Below, the top industries for the pattern "Digitization" are displayed, in order to get insights into how this pattern is applied across different industries. We've collected data from 5 firms using this pattern.
Top Industries
40% of firms using pattern
31% of firms using pattern
29% of firms using pattern
All Industries
Below, the pattern "Digitization" is analyzed based on co-occurrence, in order to get insights into how this business model pattern is applied in combination with other patterns within the firms we studied.
Top Co-Occurrences
10 pattern co-occurrences
10 pattern co-occurrences
9 pattern co-occurrences