Digital platforms have been reshaping the structure of whole industries. Whereas previous developments mainly have taken place within the business-to-consumer (B2C) or consumer-to-consumer (C2C) market, the business-to-business (B2B) market is at the edge of the so-called platform economy. Leading companies step out of their core business and develop their own platforms. The paper at hand presents a methodology to master the challenges of developing digital platforms by using patterns, which represent proven principles of already established platforms. The methodology is based on a holistic pattern catalogue that can be used independently from the task at hand. We show in detail how we derived a catalogue with 37 platform patterns and how the catalogue can be applied to the development of digital platforms. The corresponding methodology contains three phases. Within the first phase, a specific platform idea is being developed. The second phase addresses the collaboration of an abstract platform concept. Finally, a specific digital platform concept is worked out.

Hardly any other area has as much disruptive potential as digital platforms in the course of digitalization. After serious changes have already taken place in the B2C sector with platforms such as Amazon and Airbnb, the B2B sector is on the threshold to the so-called platform economy. In mechanical engineering, pioneers like GE (PREDIX) and Claas (365FarmNet) are trying to get their hands on the act. This is hardly a promising option for small and medium-sized companies, as only a few large companies will survive. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are already facing the threat of losing direct consumer contact and becoming exchangeable executers. In order to prevent this, it is important to anticipate at an early stage which strategic options exist for the future platform economy and which adjustments to the product program should already be initiated today. Basically, medium-sized companies in particular lack a strategy for an advantageous entry into the future platform economy.The paper presents different approaches to master the challenges of participating in the platform economy by using platform patterns. Platform patterns represent proven principles of already existing platforms. We show how we derived a catalogue with 37 identified platform patterns. The catalogue has a generic design and can be customized for a specific use case. The versatility of the catalogue is underlined by three possible applications: (1) platform ideation, (2) platform development, and (3) platform characterization.

Kurzfassung Die im Zusammenhang mit Industrie 4.0 diskutierten Entwicklungen eröffnen für Unternehmen vielfältige Möglichkeiten zur Leistungssteigerung. Gerade für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen ist es zielführend, nicht das grundsätzlich Mögliche einzuführen, sondern das für die spezifische Situation Erforderliche. Das Verbundprojekt INLUMIA unterstützt Unternehmen darin, ihre Leistungsfähigkeit im Kontext von Industrie 4.0 zu erhöhen.

Kurzfassung Ansätze der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) sind Innovationstreiber für die Produkte von morgen. Zur Erschließung der Potenziale von KI mangelt es Unternehmen jedoch an ausreichender Expertise. Anbietern von KI-Anwendungen wiederum fehlt der Zugang zu Problemstellungen aus der Industrie. Im Projekt KI-Marktplatz entsteht ein Ökosystem für Künstliche Intelligenz in der Produktentstehung. Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Ökosystems ist eine digitale Plattform, welche KI-Experten, Lösungsanbieter und produzierende Unternehmen zusammenbringt und gemeinsame Innovationen ermöglicht.

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