Many of today’s successful business models are the result of a world in which technical excellence, economies of scale, cost leadership, and international presence were sufficient to secure competitive advantages. It is precisely this logic that is coming under increasing pressure. Technological leaps, fragmented markets, and rising customer expectations mean that size alone is no longer a protective shield. According to a recent study (PwC 2025), nearly half of CEOs expect they will have to fundamentally adapt their business model within the next ten years. This is less an expression of a drive for innovation than of a structural need for adaptation.
Technology is not the core – it shifts the rules of the game
Artificial intelligence, IoT and cloud applications are not new. What is new, however, is how consistently they decouple value creation from product and manufacturing, recombining it with new elements. Value is no longer created primarily by controlling individual process steps, but by orchestrating data, partners, and customer interactions across national borders. Digital platforms and ecosystems are replacing linear value chains – making entry barriers more permeable than ever before.
At the same time, ambivalence is growing on the customer side: on the one hand, there is a growing desire for individualization, speed, and seamless digital experiences. On the other hand, customers expect global consistency, reliability, and price transparency. Digital business models must resolve this conflict of objectives – not abstractly, but operationally.
From product sales to responsibility for results
The decisive break with traditional models lies in the shift in value proposition. Instead of selling products, companies are increasingly taking responsibility for usage, availability, or results. XaaS and outcome-based models are not just a sales variant, but fundamentally change risk allocation, revenue logic, and customer relationships.
This is particularly evident in the after-market and in subscription-based services: gross margins up to two and a half times higher than in the traditional product business are no coincidence. They are a result of recurring revenues, better data utilization, and higher customer loyalty. However, the price is high: companies must invest in digital platforms, open interfaces, and new organizational models. And they need to accept that value creation is increasingly generated jointly with customers and partners.
Think globally, act locally – an unresolved tension
Global digital business models require both scale and proximity to the market. Many companies are responding to this by expanding global business services into centers of excellence and centrally bundling core digital capabilities, while adapting customer-centric services locally. These hybrid models increase resilience but are complex to manage.
In the short term, issues such as supply chain stability and efficiency programs dominate. In the long term, however, something else determines competitiveness: the ability to continuously develop digital business models, consciously manage conflicting goals, and deliver real, measurable customer value. Technology is not the bottleneck – strategic clarity and implementation discipline are.
Schlegel und Partner regularly assesses chances and potential of digital business models, digital maturity and customer requirements in B2B and B2C markets, as well as opportunities for cooperation and partnership. Let’s discuss which approaches promise success in your market.
Dr. Helmut Weldle
+49 6201 9915 52
Helmut.Weldle@SchlegelundPartner.de
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