Small digital platforms offer great value — the hour of B2B platforms has struck.

The major platforms of the technology age—Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple (GAFA)—possess significant market power and are omnipresent in the media. Their market power is sometimes so dominant that a potential breakup of these corporations is being considered. Alibaba serves as a prominent example in these discussions.

The major platform providers have long since joined forces with and competed against nation-states, as cultural studies scholar Michael Seemann writes in his widely acclaimed book The Power of Platforms.

Voluntary or compulsory? This question quickly becomes a balancing act for large platforms. No one has to buy from Alibaba, Amazon, or Apple. But those who don't have to live with the disadvantages: fewer contacts, higher prices, or poorer service. In addition, these platforms offer the opportunity to trade efficiently in the increasingly complex environments of the modern economy. These advantages form the basis of their strong influence.

A look at the platform economy of the DACH region reveals a more nuanced picture.

Whether marketplaces, social networks, or booking portals: numerous digital offerings in the DACH region are based on the platform economy model. And in the industrial sector, more and more companies are also leveraging the advantages of the platform economy, offering their customers platform-based value-added services. With B2B platforms, no single platform holds a dominant market position, as they typically create added value for a specific user group within their niche.

Competition is encouraged, and the defined fields of application or sectors enable providers and companies to address specific user needs, thereby increasing customer loyalty. Successful B2B platforms also typically exhibit a strong service-oriented character.

The platforms' strategies vary considerably. Some platforms pursue a single goal: to explain a specific company's products to its customers. Others, like Platform V, promote cooperation within the construction industry in a particular region, strengthen networking, and thus broaden their horizons considerably.  

Another example is Aviatar from Lufthansa Technik. With its independent platform for digital products and services, the Lufthansa subsidiary offers its users solutions ranging from predictive maintenance to automated fulfillment solutions.  

In light of these and many other examples, it becomes clear that platforms are transforming value chains and offering new opportunities for companies. In the B2B sector, the possibilities are far from exhausted and offer opportunities to expand one's own business model accordingly.