Becoming A Company of Tomorrow - Cutter Consortium
Becoming A Company of Tomorrow - Cutter Consortium
Becoming A Company of Tomorrow - Cutter Consortium
Businesses have traditionally organized themselves to ensure optimal effectiveness in each of their business
functions. n oda b ine clima e, however, shorter product lifecycles, demand for customization, rising
consumer expectations, and the growth of automation and data challenge this model. This Executive Update
explains how success requires organizations to decouple capabilities from business functions in order to
deliver best-in-class performance and enable the company of tomorrow.
To begin, le con ide a e ail b ine cena io among he companie of omo o . Based on demand
from its 7,000+ shops in almost 100 countries, Inditex (Zara), a prominent retailer ordered thousands of
raincoats from its Asian suppliers. During the 11-hour flight that brought the coats to the logistics hub in
Europe, they were reassigned to markets and shops based on actualized data that leveraged big data and
artificial intelligence (AI), considering weather forecasts, exchange rates, and other variables. In a hyper-
efficient logistics center only a few kilometers from the airport, a logistics partner received the raincoat
shipments and relabeled and folded them as needed for each market, shipping them for distribution to
their final destinations in only a few hours.
Zara o is an example of how capabilities can be externalized or opened to the market. As data and
technology are freely available and adopted by companies, collaboration with other companies to boost
productivity and creativity for core and noncore capabilities can be achieved with less friction, transaction
costs, and risks than in the past. This is fundamentally changing how companies conceive, develop, produce,
and deliver their products or integrate third-party products and services into their product build, operations,
and offerings. Our analysis suggests that this externalization of capabilities decoupling them from the
compan b ine f nc ion and le e aging he eco em mo e p ofo ndl will transform companies,
as well as the landscapes of many industries, in the next three to five years. This Update examines ha
behind the trend and identifies some imperatives for leaders to consider when transforming their own
organizations.
The Executive Update is a publication of Cutter Con o i m s Business Technology & Digital Transformation Strategies practice. ©2020 by Cutter Consortium,
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BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY & DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES EXECUTIVE UPDATE | Vol. 23, No. xx
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The availability and affordability of standardized technology infrastructure (from players such as Amazon,
Microsoft, and Alibaba) mean companie don need o de elop hei o n da a-related capabilities. Inexpen-
sive information processing lowers transaction costs and further facilitates decoupling of capabilities and
business functions. Extracting value from data (whether company-generated or from open data sources,
third parties, or ecosystems) has thus emerged as a new capability that pervades all business functions.
Beyond well-known examples like Google and Facebook, many traditional industrial companies such as
Atlas Copco (which is leveraging data for its pressured air-as-a-service business) are building business
models based on data.
As outsourcing became an established practice and the reach of functions grew, operational reasons
evolved to more strategic considerations. For example, hotel chains recognized that the capabilities
required to manage real estate no longer provided any competitive advantage. Thus, they have freed
financial resources by decoupling he o ne hip of hei b ilding , hich a e f e en l old o peciali ed
asset management players. This allows the hotel chains to focus on such aspects as operations, brand, and
user experience (so-called core competencies). Decoupling also means companies can boost production
by removing bottlenecks. Following this model, high-end fashion and luxury companies focus on brand
management for their perfume product lines, leveraging product design and manufacturing capabilities
of third parties. In another example, Apple took advantage of the flexible capacity provided by contract
1 Ea man Kodak 1989 deal with IBM is considered the birth of IT outsourcing.
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manufacturers to meet the explosive demand prompted by the launch of the iPhone. Sometimes, regulators
have taken the lead. In many jurisdictions, energy utilities have been unbundled, which has separated their
distribution activities from their retail activities, each requiring a different set of capabilities (optimizing
asset utilization versus dealing with commodity price hedging and customer management).
The automotive sector provides a good example of extending collaboration from noncore to core
capabilities. For instance, the challenges around the transition from combustion engines to electric power
trains and from ownership to access have forced traditional automakers to reconsider their approaches.
Demonstrating this, Daimler and BMW are pooling their noncore mobility services to create a new global
player that will provide sustainable urban mobility for customers; they are also sharing core engineering
capabilities on driverless cars. Moreover, new entrants in every industry have taken full advantage of the
opportunities provided by decoupling. Challenger banks, such as N26, focus on CX and rely on third parties
for product development, regulatory compliance, or IT platforms. Aryaka, a next-generation telecoms
provider, concentrates on products and leverages connectivity and go-to-market channels from partners to
reach its customers. In addition, man mall online e aile e Ama on pla fo m o each con me .
Decoupling can also be u ed o b ild a ne eco em. While Te la ini ial in i ence on being e icall
integrated may seem to be in opposition to this trend, it actually recognizes that dominating certain
capabilities is the way to build a position in a new industry. Panasonic b ilding ba e ie in Te la plan i
ano he e ample of capabili ie going be ond a fi m all . Te la ha opened i pa en and p bli hed i
roadmaps, demonstrating the importance of creating an ecosystem where your capability advantages can
thrive. Finally, in the telecoms industry, Telefonica is transforming itself from an integrated network and
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service operator to a capabilities- and platform-based business, splitting into a network company and an
operating company to take the best advantage of their respective capabilities.
Additionally, Telefónica announced a new organization in which two new B2B units would integrate a set of
decoupled capabilities on a global scale: Telefónica Tech (focused on cybersecurity, the cloud, the Internet
of Things, and big data) and Telefónica Infra (with stakes in infrastructure vehicles serving Telefónica and
third parties such as towers, greenfield fiber projects, and data centers/edge networks). Telefónica Tech
will leverage the muscle and local reach of the commercial teams in each country to sell its services, and
through alliances, will aim to export its capabilities to other countries where Telefónica is not present.
Telef nica nf a ambi ion i o be one of he la ge elecom inf a c e ni in he orld, exploiting
the al e of Telef nica and i pa ne po folio of a e .
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they are the right size for each capability and possess the correct internal/external combination of
technology, data, infrastructures, human expertise, and facilities. This will be a competitive advantage
because it will make them more efficient, creative, flexible, and agile than integrated organizations. We
expect three different categories of capability-based players to arise:
1. Orchestrators attract and align players on the demand side (consumers and business customers),
the supply side, or both, at a scale that generates benefits for all. The capability-driven ecosystem model
favors a few orchestrators dominating a space. Amazon has chosen to open its operational capabilities
to third parties to become an orchestrator, with great success.
2. Premium players can generate superior value by offering products, services, and CX that match the
material and emotional needs of carefully segmented consumer or business customer groups. Retailer
Inditex, again with superb operational and CX capabilities, is a premium player in its ecosystem.
3. Efficient players can now offload big parts of their organizational structures to focus on their
cores. Efficiency is their main value driver, and the capability-driven approach can deliver substantial
advantages versus the classical integrated model. Tata Consulting Services excels in operations and
people management and competes as the leading commodity provider of IT outsourcing services.
Decoupling capabilities from business functions and working in ecosystems brings its own challenges.
Choosing the differentiating capabilities and their target scale are difficult strategic decisions. Identifying
the right partners and controlling the interfaces with them adds complexity. Moving from linear supplier-
provider relationships to joint development and increased dependencies requires new management
capabilities that go beyond the classic command-and-control model. Balancing creativity and efficiency
becomes essential. However, we should expect technology to continue its rapid development and become
even more pervasive. This will drive further decoupling of capabilities and functions because the cost to
select and connect the required capabilities to perform any business function could be driven down to
almost zero. Cheap access to data provides full visibility of end-to-end processes, which means the hidden
costs of collaboration decrease and confidence increases. As automation progresses from the current wave
of algorithms (in which simple tasks are automated) to autonomous machines (which solve problems and
take decisions in real time), machines will engage most transactions. Building on the IT outsourcing analogy,
the future could resemble the Lambda service from AWS, in which each instruction demands computing
resources, optimizing performance and eliminating all waste. All of this means that for the company of the
future, virtually all capabilities could be potentially decoupled, including such core capabilities as product
development and go-to-market. Indeed, we see the ability to drive innovative approaches to capability
management as a critical enabler.
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Technologies that enable fluid collaboration will change at an accelerated speed, as will their adoption,
occasionally jumping rather than following a smooth path as critical mass of adopters is reached. Being an
early adopter or fast follower can provide a competitive advantage. However, in most instances being first
is not necessary. When considering technology adoption, deciding when to follow will be as important as
choosing when to lead in order to avoid wasting money and distracting the organization. Companies should:
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Continuously read the context through researching customer trends, technology maturity, and
adoption rates, as well as the economic, global trade, and geopolitical environment. Thought leadership
is key.
Decouple anticipation from any given business function so it can achieve a broad-enough context.
Leverage automated tools, advanced analytics, human intelligence, and ecosystem partners to
anticipate, as well as create, a forward- and outside-looking attitude throughout the company culture.
Most trends and disruptions becoming relevant on a five-year horizon are present now with innovators
and early adopters. Connecting relevant dots from close and far references is a critical skill.
Map their organizational capabilities and compare these to the ecosystems they are in. This
should provide a fractal view of activities and assets of which end users and customers are at the center,
how the status quo has changed, who is winning, and who is losing ground.
Consider complementary providers and players connected with customers, either directly (B2C) or
through other players (B2B2C or B2B). This will offer a new perspective of the world.
Be flexible in adding, removing, scaling up, and scaling down capabilities, as well as collaborating
with ecosystem partners to boost efficiency and creativity. To decide which capabilities to own and
which ones to source, companies should plan for at least two or three fractal levels below the main
capability level. Dispose of assets and resources that do not provide differentiating or efficient
capabilities, and source them from more efficient and creative ecosystem partners. Be willing to
con ide e en he ac ed co .
Remember that data is essential. Companies should be able to generate, process, and share massive
amounts of data securely and without friction. Only a few companies will replicate the provision of free
services in exchange for data. Rather, winning companies will be able to run highly efficient operations,
make better business decisions, and expand their businesses in new areas through their superior
management of data.
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efficiency, but also in creativity, agility, and collaboration. It is important for companies to visualize this new
world in simple terms. Imagine a company with 1,000 engineers in product development, working on 50
projects. It could open 30 of these projects to co-development with ecosystem partners, with 600 of its
engineers collaborating with two or five times this number from specialized partners. This would allow
the company to increase its product development capability by 60%, or up to 300%. It could also reduce
headcount, freeing up expensive resources, while still accessing new projects with external resources. In
any case, data, collaboration tools, an open culture, and agile and efficient project organizations will be
necessary. Companies should:
Mobilize and retrain their workforces at all levels of their organizations to shift to a new model
in which teams running capabilities are highly accountable, with greater degrees of freedom to decide
what to do in-house and what to leverage from selected partners.
Seek opportunities to run flatter, leaner, and more project-driven organizations through
optimizing across internal and external capabilities.
Redefine business processes for ecosystem operations, leveraging data centricity, automation,
advanced analytics, and AI/machine learning.
As data becomes pervasive, real-time performance measurement and adjustments will become the new
no mal. The o gani a ion ho ld adop p o en app oache o become ambidextrous balancing
efficiency with creativity through matching the right approaches to the different jobs to be done.
Develop a clear and shared underlying sense of purpose ( ai on d e e ) to help guide positioning as
the scope of products and services changes and evolves.
Learn by doing and collaborating to help identify and reach preferred positions in the ecosystem.
Move away from linear strategic thinking to a networked, multidimensional model in which ecosystem
players can be partners, competitors, or both.
Put suitable innovation structures in place to facilitate development and validation of major new
strategic alternatives without their being stifled by corporate antibodies. These innovation structures
will be integrated into the organization if and when needed.
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Juan González is a Partner at Arthur D. Little (ADL), based in Madrid, Spain. He advises
clients on business transformation, new ventures launch, and reorganization to leverage
the opportunities provided by technology. In the course of his career, Mr. González has
supported major financial institutions, utilities, carriers, equipment makers, and media
companies in Europe and Latin America on strategy, regulation, technology choices,
organization, network and commercial operations, cost reduction and transformation,
new business development, and M&A. Before joining ADL, he led the strategic develop-
ment of Indra. Mr. González is a telecom engineer and holds an MBA from the Wharton
School, the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at consulting@cutter.com.
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Gregory Pankert is Partner with Arthur D. Little (ADL), based in Brussels, Belgium, and
a member of ADL s Telecommunications, Information technology, Media & Electronics
(TIME) practice. He is deeply experienced with market-entry and growth strategies,
content strategies, and regulatory strategies in all segments of the TIME sector, as well
as in other network industries (e.g., postal sector, utilities, transport). Mr. Pankert
has consulted with clients on fixed-mobile convergence strategies projects, including
mobile-entry strategies, convergence go-to-market strategies, improvement of three-play
strategies, fixed-mobile synergies assessment, partnership strategy for radio access
network sharing, acquisitions, etc. In addition to network-related projects, he has led company transformation
programs, helping clients define disruptive business models and strategies and translate those into practice in
terms of governance and organization redesign, post-merger integration, performance management, and change
management. Mr. Pankert has helped clients with acquiring and managing content rights and related advertising
revenues, and with diversification and smart-home solutions. He can be reached at consulting@cutter.com.
Florence Carlot is a Principal at Arthur D. Little (ADL), based in Brussels, Belgium, and
a member of ADL s Strateg & Organi ation practice. Ms. Carlot has o er 10 ears
experience in the European energy and utilities sector. She has worked with several
leading energy companies and utilities in both the UK and mainland Europe, enabling
large operational and strategic change initiatives in the wholesale, network, and retail
areas of business. Ms. Carlot s e perience comes from a ariet of roles in in estment
opportunities assessment and transactions, market-entry strategy, business optimi-
zation, and project management. She has developed a strong understanding of the
strategic challenges and decision-making processes energy companies face along their entire value chain (gen-
eration, transmission, distribution, and retail). Ms. Carlot is an experienced consultant used to balancing high-level
shaping with detailed analysis to find and deliver pragmatic solutions to problems on numerous topics. Prior to
joining ADL, she worked for other consultancies, mainly in the utility and energy industry. Ms. Carlot holds a
master s degree in a commercial sciences from the ICHEC Brussels Management School, Belgium. She can be
reached at consulting@cutter.com.
Rafael Martínez is a Senior Advisor in telecoms and strategy at Arthur D. Little (ADL),
based in Madrid, Spain, specializing in strategic senior management and business
change. He is Professor of Strategic Management at IE Business School, Spain; an
executive, personal, and team coach; and a certified coach mentor. Previously, Mr.
Martínez was Corporate Strategy Office Director at Telefónica. He is also a member
of the executive board of Club of Friends of the Information Society, member of the
Advisory Council for Business Studies of the European University, responsible for strategy
workshops, and author of the award-winning The Handbook of the Strategist. Mr.
Martínez earned an MBA from IE Business School, Spain. He can be reached at consulting@cutter.com.
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