Many of the most successful companies today are a result of platform-based models. In a competitive landscape, as more businesses re-think their business models, how can professionals equip themselves to adapt and drive the change?
Architecting Platforms as a Business (APAB) is an advanced programme for experienced product managers, technical architects, and strategists who want to evolve their business into a platform-based business model.
Over the span of 4 weeks, this 4-day programme will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to create a new or transform their current business model to leverage the ecosystem into a dynamic, agile, and value-adding platform model that captures new opportunities.
Understand the role of platforms and the challenges involved in building a platform
Design a business platform and support business practices
Define the technical architecture to support the platform
Defining key enablers for the platform, namely Governance, Trust, Brand
Demonstrate understanding and skills acquired through the design of a platform for business and to present to a panel for assessment
The programme will take you through design phases with practical hands-on activities. You are expected to do some pre-reading to be up to speed. Case-based discussions, and industry practitioners sharing will be used to augment learning.
Who Should Attend
Please refer to the job role section.
Managers, strategists, technical architects and business professionals operating in the digital product space with 3-5 years of functional experience, who need to have a practice-based course to conceptualise and design a platform for business growth.
Professionals who are transitioning to a larger digital role who would benefit from insights into technology architecture and its integration in supporting the business.
Participants are expected to interact to share views and experiences while working in their respective teams.
Prerequisites
Participants should ideally have 3 to 5 years of working experience in product management, business or technology. Participants should also have a strong interest in developing a digital platform business and how products and services enhance business competitiveness.
Participants who are new to product management are strongly encouraged to attend the Managing Digital Products to enhance their learning experience for APAB. NUS-ISS also offers a range of other programmes in product management and design thinking for participants new to digital space.
This is an intensive, fully hands-on programme, and participants are expected to do prior readings, class preparation and project work outside of in-class sessions over the 4-week period.
If you are new to product management, you are strongly encouraged to attend Managing Digital Products to enhance your learning experience for APAB.
Programme Structure
This programme will cover the following topics:
Platform Business
Types of Platform Models
Impact on business
Role of ecosystems in the platform
Phases of platform design
Ecosystem Analysis and Profiling
Entities, roles and platform participants
Platform modelling
Workshop on ecosystem profiling
The Two Engines of Platform Design
Design considerations for the transaction and learning engines
Value Capture, pricing and monetisation
Workshop on transaction identification for value exchange and promotion of platform usage
Metrics and Platform Enablers
What to measure and why
Enablers – Governance, Trust, Brand
Workshop to identify success metrics and KPIs and how to design enablers
Technology Architecture for the Platform
The Platform Technical Reference (PTR) model and the “to-be” building blocks and components for the Platform Strategy.
The principles, standards and best practices for technology decisions
The Gaps Analysis matrix between the “as-is” and the “to-be” Technology Architectures
The Minimum Viable Platform (MVP) for specific business products and services with a view to platform growth and sustainability
Design considerations for security, reliability, scalability, sustainability, maintainability, growth, comprehensiveness, and integration for business and market needs.
Workshop on technical platform challenges to enable business alignment
Architectural Challenges
Addressing architectural challenges in platform design
Addressing business decisions through the technical design
