Author: Bryanne Van de Kant

The energy transition poses major challenges for grid operator TenneT. Data is crucial for enabling business units to work together more efficiently and to optimally respond to rapidly changing circumstances. The integration of data within TenneT is elaborated in the developed data strategy. Patrick Piepers, Head of Asset Data Management at TenneT, Marnick Huijsman, Lead Digital & Data (part of BTO, Business Technology Organisation) at TenneT, Robbert Petterson, and Stefan Wijers, both Management Consultants at Anderson MacGyver, explain more about the importance of data governance and the pursuit of a high-quality data flow throughout the organization.

‘Data is the new soil’

The energy transition impacts all parts of TenneT. “We need to significantly expand our network in a short time,” Marnick explains. “In addition, we’re dealing with the social consequences of grid congestion, which puts extra pressure on the organization to enable new developments faster. We can’t solve that just by working harder—we need to work smarter. Data often plays an explicit role in that.”

“Within the energy system, data has always been important, but it has become even more so,” Patrick adds. “That’s because we’ve transitioned to sustainable, renewable sources, which are much less controllable than fossil ones. We are also seeing a significant increase in the number of households that supply energy back to the grid. To keep that manageable, it must be governed by a lot of data that arrives at the right time in the right form. Instead of ‘data is the new oil,’ I prefer ‘data is the new soil.’ Decisions and insights are not the starting point—we focus on creating a landscape from which you can make those decisions.”

Data governance: essential in a dynamic digital environment

Every organization that uses data relies on data governance. It includes the rules, procedures, and guidelines an organization follows to ensure its data is secure, accurate, available, and usable. The goal is to ensure the quality, consistency, and reliability of data, enabling better decision-making. According to Patrick, it’s a theme that is indispensable to define what roles and responsibilities you have in a digital world. “If you truly value your data, you need to manage it. Don’t just talk about governance—see it as a medium of exchange. I give you insights, I help you create a landscape from which you can gain your own insights. If you want more of that, then you must adhere to the rules and responsibilities—because then we can achieve much more.”

Marnick also sees data governance more as a tool than as strict regulation. “We’re not implementing data governance—we’re solving business problems that are related to data, and we’re doing that in a structured way. That way is called data governance. We help you understand how to do it, but you have to take on that role yourself. Otherwise, we can’t ensure the data is easily accessible, nor can we adequately help improve data quality. To me, the essence must be truly focused on delivering added value.”

Governance as a result of the chosen data strategy

In the summer of 2023, the new data strategy was approved by TenneT’s executive board. “The developed data strategy showed that data governance was still one of the most important components we needed to improve,” Marnick explains. “The Digital & Data department is more on the IT side, while the Asset Management department had already invested significant effort for a long time in implementing strong data governance. From IT, there was a desire to roll it out across the entire organization, which required some simplification compared to what Asset Management had already done. That then needed to be brought together. The conclusion was that our departments had to take on that journey together, or we would maintain the silo structure and not help the organization move forward. Last summer, we really started working on this together with Anderson MacGyver.”

A practical model for data governance

Anderson MacGyver’s approach doesn’t rely on blueprints, but focuses on customization, analysis, and collaboration. “Data governance was never the starting point—more the question of how we would implement the developed data strategy together,” Stefan explains. “One of the main questions at the beginning of the process was what responsibilities fell under Asset Management and under BTO. Topics like data ownership and who was responsible for solving data quality issues were also key points of attention. At the end of the process, we formulated a number of recommendations—some of which could be implemented immediately, and others related to possible hierarchical changes and/or team shifts.”

“We conducted 27 interviews with various stakeholders to identify the main issues,” Robbert elaborates. “We analyzed them and validated that analysis in workshops with Asset Management and Digital & Data, both for the Netherlands and Germany. So, it wasn’t just about simplifying a data governance structure—it was also about whether people were able to take on a certain role and whether that role was clear enough. What I found very powerful was that we chose to work with use cases to make the dry subject matter of data governance and the design cycle much more concrete and tangible. I noticed a growing closeness in the group and a shared ambition to solve the issues together.”

“It really was the moment we started looking at how we were going to implement the strategy together,” Patrick adds. “To me, that meant broadening our perspective by concluding that we weren’t just doing this for Asset Management and Digital & Data, but also for all the other parts of the organization. A nice side effect of working together was that we learned a lot from the conversations with business stakeholders. It regularly became clear that we viewed things very differently—but that helped us move forward. It also ensured that all stakeholders wanted to participate in the use cases and, in general, showed up in large numbers.”

‘Publication is only the start of implementation’

Based on the workshops and several use cases, a high-level design was created by the end of 2024. On one hand, it includes a collaboration model, where you follow a data flow and data is handed over to different parties. But also a governance model, where if something doesn’t work at the operational level, it can be escalated to a tactical or strategic level. This model is now being tested with selected use cases—some from the workshops, some newly selected.

Patrick sees a clear break with the past in this process. “I think that in recent years we’ve focused a lot on setting rules and defining roles when it comes to data governance. We held on to the belief that ‘publication equals implementation.’ Once it’s published, we’re done and move on to the next thing. But I believe publication is only the beginning of implementation. That means hard work, trying things, facing setbacks. The better you’re able to empathize with the end user, the greater the chance you’ll get everyone on board with the process.”

“Where we are now is preparing conversations with end users, in which we want to discuss what someone’s role is and what it will look like in the future. It’s important to explain why we are changing things if, in practice, it doesn’t seem all that different. And if it is different, that they’re supported through that. That’s very different from simply saying, ‘it’s published, so that’s how it is.’ The better we are at positioning ourselves as a teammate on the field, the more likely our stakeholders are to embrace the new data governance model.”

A collaboration for the future

Marnick believes Anderson MacGyver is the right partner to shape data governance within TenneT. “I find it a pleasant collaboration. I’ve also worked with consultants who are very blueprint-minded. If you ask a question, they already have the solution in their back pocket. But at the same time, they’re not able to deliver customized solutions, which is exactly what Anderson MacGyver focuses on. I also notice that Anderson MacGyver is strongly implementation-oriented—constantly focused on what you as a company can do yourself to initiate lasting change. And that’s exactly what we want to achieve at TenneT.”

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What does a porcupine have to do with Anderson MacGyver?

More than you think.
Anderson MacGyver is on BNR News radio with a campaign about digital transformation. But not with a typical consultancy story. No — we introduce: the Brazilian tree porcupine.

Why this animal? Because it perfectly symbolizes what we believe in:

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Meet Pico, our prickly mascot

Pico is the tree porcupine from our radio spot. He lives high up in the trees of the South American rainforest, climbs to new heights with his prehensile tail, and always knows where he’s going — just like organizations with a clear digital strategy.

Listen to the Dutch BNR Newsradio spot below!

Digital transformation requires sharp choices, smart systems, and a human touch. At Anderson MacGyver, we help organizations align technology, data, and strategy. From now on, you can also hear us on BNR Radio – joined by Pico, the Brazilian porcupine that symbolizes our way of working: sharp, rare, and effective at just the right moment.

What do you already now about the Brazilian tree porcupine and Pico?

Digital transformation – smart, sharp, and human-centered

Digital transformation is more than just IT or innovation. It’s a fundamental shift in how you create value, make decisions, and harness technology (such as data & AI). As a consultancy firm, we support organizations in gaining control over their digital future – through strategy and structure.

Our approach:

📊 Strategy and execution – no isolated advice
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🧭 Navigating complexity, with clarity and direction

Who is Pico – and why a Brazilian porcupine?

Pico is our new mascot on BNR Nieuwsradio. And it’s no random choice: the Brazilian porcupine represents how we approach consultancy:

Pico stands for…	What that says about Anderson MacGyver
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Curious what digital transformation could mean for your organization? We’re happy to help with questions like:

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Operating within dynamic business ecosystems has become the norm. But do you remain part of someone else’s network, or should you build your own? Lauri Koop chose the latter. As former CEO of DPG Media Online Services and of Aimwel – a company that automates marketing campaigns for the recruitment sector – he decided not to follow the dominance of the American tech giants and instead built a successful advertising ecosystem himself.

Originally from Finland and Estonia, Koop worked for German media giant Axel Springer and Monster before joining DPG Media. “I had the privilege of working for major companies, which naturally places you in ecosystems of significant scale and influence.” As a senior executive in the advertising and media industry, he frequently dealt with some of the largest and most powerful companies in the world.

Today, American tech giants like Google, X, and Meta dominate the headlines. But interesting developments are also taking place closer to home. “Northern Europe, where I come from, leads Europe in IPOs. Stockholm alone has more than Germany, the Netherlands, and France combined. Estonia produces six to seven times more unicorns (startups valued at over a billion dollars) per capita than the European average.”

Why is this relevant? Because networked collaboration is the key to overcoming the huge disadvantage Nordic companies face. Estonia only has 1.3 million inhabitants. Like other Scandinavian countries, the domestic market is small. “If you have an idea or ambition in that environment, you’re forced to think internationally from day one. From the start, you consider your role in the broader ecosystem you aim to be part of.”

In a time when more people, systems, and businesses are digitally connected than ever, your focus can’t just be on the product or service you offer. The value you create for consumers, end users, and all other ecosystem participants becomes fundamental.

The Role of Technology

“Technology is at the heart of how modern ecosystems serve customers,” Lauri Koop continues. “And every major company either wants or already has its own ecosystem.” He cites Uber with Uber Eats, Airbnb offering insurance and other services, and Spotify with its podcasts. Amazon’s ecosystem spans Alexa, Prime, Payments, Music, the AWS cloud, and services in healthcare, marketing, and logistics.

The benefits of ecosystems are broad. They unlock new revenue streams and business models, accelerate tech adoption, lower costs, and improve efficiency. And perhaps most importantly: they give their owners power and control. “Once you have or are an ecosystem, others can’t just push you aside. Five of the world’s seven largest companies are either digital ecosystems or own one.” Even Nvidia is pivoting from GPU/chipmaking to building AI Robotics Ecosystem – an ecosystem with massively larger revenue opportunity than only providing the chips that power AI platforms.

“It’s also clear that the Americans have mastered this dynamic. Europe, so far, has not kept pace. China may catch up in time. We must admit: the U.S. is doing something right here.” Still, Koop believes it’s essential to consider your own position and opportunities. He shares three examples from his own experience: an SEO ecosystem, an app store, and an alternative advertising platform.

Flywheels for Growth

First, an observation. “In the U.S., just 16 major media companies dominate Google’s top organic (non-paid) search results. That is because they host a vast amount of highly authoritative, search-optimized content. They also own many web domains that extensively interlink. For example, Hearst’s Cosmopolitan links to sister brand Marie Claire.”

This makes it nearly impossible for an ordinary company to break through. To claim and maintain that kind of presence in Europe, Koop quickly formed centralized search engine optimization (SEO) teams at each media group he joined, essentially copying the American playbook. “Media groups that build internal SEO ecosystems can gain a significant competitive edge by leveraging all their resources effectively,” he says.

They can also use targeted content and affiliate partnerships to continuously match supply and demand for people, products, and services. Koop introduced an app store for publishers where third parties could offer their own developed apps. “For example, a widget that offers insurance options on automotive websites, or one that links clothing, shoes, and accessories in images directly to stores selling them. This too creates a flywheel effect – as success grows, so do both widgets and advertisers.”

Advertising Ecosystem

Finally, there is the paid advertising market, where Google plays a dominant intermediary role between advertisers and media companies. Ads from companies like Albert Heijn or MediaMarkt often appear on platforms like DPG, Mediahuis, and Talpa – typically through Google and a web of supporting players: media agencies, analytics providers, data vendors, social platforms, and so on. “All those middlemen together take about half of every advertising euro. Plus, they set the rules, and their services keep getting more expensive.”

This is why it makes sense for media companies to take control. “At DPG Media, we have around 100 brands. In principle, we only need one user consent to carry out commercial actions, giving us a strong position in our own local market. By developing our own ad tech, we were able to work directly with advertisers and agencies.”

According to Koop, this is how several ‘local heroes’ are emerging: ecosystem-style platforms like Funda.nl and Bol.com, which are successful on their own terms. “Even though their market values are no match for the American giants, you can still build a local ecosystem that delivers real value.” Open ecosystems tend to be more successful, he adds, because they offer more value to the end user.

Clearing the Way for Impact

A few key takeaways for anyone looking to claim a leading role in a digital ecosystem: understand what your users want and how you can deliver value. Don’t do what’s easy or comfortable – always act strategically. Work with the right strategic network partners. Clear the path for impact. Building value in one area may mean making sacrifices in another.

“You need a strong team to make all this happen,” Lauri Koop concludes. “Made up of people with an open mindset, able to think beyond existing business models and build something new. And one final note: when building your ecosystem, make sure you get advice from a partner who has the strategic, organizational, and technical expertise to bring it all together – like Anderson MacGyver.”

By Robbert Petterson

In a digital network economy, everything revolves around creating and delivering added value. To remain relevant, one must not only master technology but also understand how to collaborate with others. Robbert Petterson, Management Consultant and Product Lead Digital Business Research at Anderson MacGyver, uses current examples to show how organizations can strengthen their position in an increasingly complex playing field.

That your value within an ecosystem can change rapidly is evident from the impact of Elon Musk’s controversial actions and positions regarding fake news (alleged or not) on his X platform, his open support for Trump, and his interference in European politics. The result is a dramatic decline in demand for Tesla. While the need for electric cars remains undiminished. Competitors are gratefully capitalizing on this.

The message here is: never underestimate the role of consumers and citizens. It is crucial to know what they find important and valuable. And that value is generally not delivered alone, certainly not in a world of increasing digital networking. You therefore need a good understanding of the ecosystem in which you operate. To make this easier, we at Anderson MacGyver have developed the so-called ValueWeb, which provides insight into all actors and their mutual relationships.

The various players within this ValueWeb are characterized by specific activities, which—combined with the activities of others—are offered as a product or service to the consumer and end user. This results in an increasingly digital and dynamic ecosystem of customers, partners, and diverse economic and societal stakeholders.

To participate adequately in such a collaboration, it is essential to build what is known as a Digital Enterprise. Five essential and closely interconnected building blocks shape such a modern organization: a distinctive customer experience, a stable and efficient operational backbone, an adequate digital infrastructure, shared data, and digital intelligence. Everything must align with your role and position within your digital ecosystem. This is not only about the right technology but also about the right skills, the right leadership, and the right governance. This makes building a Digital Enterprise a strategic issue.

Better Customer Experience

Three examples show how each time one of the five building blocks serves as the springboard to success. Which component of the Digital Enterprise you choose depends on the specific context and ambitions. For example, a specialist in solar panel mounting materials wanted to improve the experience and connection with customers to support its European growth ambitions.

It operates within an ecosystem that includes the parent company, financial service providers, regulatory authorities, and distributors who in turn serve the market of homeowners and real estate parties through installers. By visualizing this ecosystem, the company discovered that the installer is actually the key actor and that a long-term relationship must be established there.

A well-thought-out digital ‘installers journey,’ based on customer knowledge and flexible front-end technologies, makes it possible to bypass the traditional distribution network. This places the specialist much closer to the end customer – which can be very important within the dynamics of the ecosystem.

Integrated Backbone

A globally operating leasing company is taking a different strategic approach. The company wants to become the first fully digital ‘Car as a Service’ provider in a transforming automotive sector. In doing so, it responds to the trend from ownership to consumption. To realize this, the entire, heavily outdated core application had to be overhauled.

The company operates in a complex ecosystem with fuel and charging card providers, the ECB as a regulatory authority, maintenance and repair services, car brands, and consumers. As a spider in this automotive web, data exchange must be in order. Good direct contact with the consumer is impossible without the right customer experience. For all this, a scalable, fully integrated backbone was built. This all-encompassing platform is unique in the world and can be marketed ‘white label.’

Such a step requires strong leadership because with every innovation of processes and systems, you are faced with choices: where do you opt for market solutions, and where do you want to differentiate as a company? Moreover, you must decide where to grant local markets the necessary autonomy and where everyone must conform to the global standard.

Energy Transition

A local European grid operator faces the ongoing challenge of maintaining the balance between electricity supply and demand. In a reality where more and more energy is generated decentrally—among other things by the user—and where greater reliance is placed on sustainable but uncertain sources like sun and wind. Meanwhile, electricity demand is rapidly increasing. The current high-voltage grid, consisting of various assets, is therefore reaching its limits.

By preparing the grid with data and intelligence for the energy transition, a leap forward is made. From the ecosystem of construction and maintenance partners, energy producers, regional network providers, and large industrial consumers, large amounts of asset data are collected. This makes it possible to better predict energy demand, as well as maintenance of assets. Better choices can be made. For example, supplying a bit more electricity on cold days, because physical network components are less likely to overheat.

In addition to a modern data platform and an AI Competence Center, effective data governance is essential. Data from relevant sources is delivered to business users as an information product via dedicated Product Teams. Enabled by data-related Centers of Excellence and Platform Teams. This way, the balance between generation and consumption can still be guaranteed, even in increasingly complex dynamics.

Key Roles

To take the right steps as an organization and leader within a digital ecosystem, a good understanding of the desires and interests of all other stakeholders is fundamental. Consumers, citizens, and end users, in particular, play a key role. Therefore, research how you can best connect with them. Keep the most important stakeholders close, and thereby strengthen your position as a digital enterprise within this dynamic interplay of actors. This is how you build an organization that not only participates in the digital ecosystem but also helps shape it.

TenneT has a key role in the energy transition. To address the growing energy demand and complexity of the energy system, TenneT is investing not only in physical infrastructure but also in smarter ways of working. Data plays a crucial role in this. John Simons, Head of Digital & Data at TenneT, and Tim Beswick, Management Consultant at Anderson MacGyver, discuss how they laid the foundation for the company’s current data strategy. 

The role of data at TenneT 

The developments in the energy transition are happening rapidly. John Simons emphasizes that data is indispensable. “Data is key for managing the existing network infrastructure and new technologies more efficiently. With the rise of wind and solar energy, energy flows are less predictable than before. This calls for innovative data-driven solutions and improved data quality. Additionally, data not only helps to optimize existing assets but also accelerates network construction projects.” 

Tim Beswick, who has been involved in developing TenneT’s data strategy as a management consultant, recognized a lot of ambition when he started working with TenneT two years ago. “TenneT has a strong focus on utilizing the potential of data to accelerate the energy transition. From the start, the Digital & Data department had a clear vision of what the impact of data should be for TenneT. At the same time, there were still plenty of challenges within the organization to make that happen.” 

Challenges around the further development of data applications 

“TenneT is an organization where individual business units are very focused on a project or operation,” John explains. “Data flows across all these units. Due to constraints around the speed at which we were able to deliver data-driven solutions, the individual units pursued their own data initiatives. This resulted in fragmentation and a lack of cohesion. This makes data hard to access and use effectively. Technical complexity continued to increase. A lack of structure created a vicious cycle where data was not managed in a sufficiently uniform manner; impeding the accelerated delivery of smart data solutions that the units need.” 

“TenneT also faced limitations in the scalability of data technology. This resulted in the scarce capacity being utilized too much for enabling technology related tasks. This limited the ability to align capacity towards innovative value add projects. Without a more scalable data platform and more uniform data management and governance, it would remain difficult to realize data-driven innovations at scale,” Tim adds. 

The new data strategy 

“The main goal of our new data strategy was to anchor our approach to levering data to accelerate the energy transition at the highest level,” explains John. “We primarily wanted to create a common foundation, a starting point for working smarter with data to unlock business value. By engaging with key stakeholders within each business unit, we mapped out the value of data for that specific part of the company. Anderson MacGyver supported us in this process.” 

“We wanted to create a common foundation for smarter data management to unlock business value,” says John Simons, Head of Digital & Data at TenneT. 

“This approach resulted in agreeing on eight strategic themes,” Tim explains. “From making TenneT a great place to work for data talent to migrating to a scalable cloud-based platform. From clarifying, fine-tuning and operationalization of roles and responsibilities around data governance to extending the portfolio management process with a more long-term and more business value aligned perspective. For each theme, it was essential to find and activate an owner within John’s leadership team and develop a cohesive roadmap and detailed underlying plans.” 

Success factors for the data strategy 

The implementation of the data strategy had several success factors. “A business use case-based approach was essential,” says John. “By closely aligning with the reality of the business, data solutions can directly address real life business challenges. This ensures buy-in and engagement from the organization.” 

“It was also important to distinguish between enabling must do initiatives, the data foundation roadmap, and the specific needs of individual business units, the data value roadmaps,” adds Tim. “Additionally, now with the central Digital & Data team’s strengthened ability to fulfil business demand, we are more and more bridging business capabilities and data & technology capabilities.” 

Implementation and scaling of new data technology 

The focus in the upcoming period will be around further implementation of the data strategy and scaling of the cross-TenneT data capabilities. In the short term, a new cloud platform will be delivered. Additionally, we will migrate all legacy data environments to this one platform by the end of the year. This will be an important step for TenneT towards a more flexible and scalable data infrastructure. “With the new platform, we can scale our technology and people capacity to shape all sorts of fantastic ideas,” says John. “We can then implement the smart data-driven solutions that the business needs much faster. We want to as much as possible enable the business to create data-driven insights and solutions themselves. We are working towards ‘data at your fingertips.’ So that the business can quickly and easily access certified data they can trust. We are aiming to create a flywheel that can be used across the entire organization.” 

There is also significant work underway to streamline data governance and data management responsibilities and collaboration across the organization. “This should lead to a more efficient process where the right data is available at the right time for the right users,” Tim explains. “We are also strengthening the roadmaps, which is crucial for accelerating progress. More business value aligned and congruent roadmaps give us a clearer long-term perspective on how the business can use data to drive innovative solutions in the future and what needs doing to enable this. Based on this we know where to focus our resources and where to scale.” 

“The streamlining and operationalization of data governance and management responsibilities must lead to a more efficient process where the right data of the right quality is available at the right time for the right users,” says Tim Beswick, Management Consultant at Anderson MacGyver. 

Lastly, TenneT is exploring the possibilities of generative AI. We do this through pilots and with a clear governance structure, so that the opportunities for AI to deliver value to the business can be leveraged without losing sight of the risks. Within Digital & Data, we now have a Competence Center that guides these developments. 

The Future: towards a data-driven TenneT 

The transformation of TenneT into a more data-driven organization is in full swing. Thanks to a thoughtful data strategy, strong collaboration with Anderson MacGyver, and a clear focus on creating business value though a joined-up approach to people, processes and technology, the organization is well on its way to using data more effectively to support the energy transition. 

John is pleased with the collaboration. “Anderson MacGyver is hands-on way and goes beyond PowerPoint. It is about understanding and adapting to what needs to be done to achieve actual change. This is crucial for TenneT. You need some external power for that, and Anderson MacGyver helps us with that.” 

“The best thing you can do is to step into the arena and get involved,” Tim says. “In the Anderson MacGyver approach, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people involved at TenneT. We do what needs to be done to get things moving, rather than trying to activate change on paper.” 

‘Know your role and value within the larger whole’

Modern business ecosystems are like digital jungles: complex, dynamic, and full of interdependencies. During the recent CIO Masterclass by Anderson MacGyver, leaders from the tech and business world got an in-depth look at how organizations can remain relevant within the networked economy and society. From Tesla shame to local heroes, the masterclass demonstrated that technology is only one part of the story…

As many people, I initially think of nature when I hear the word ecosystem,” said moderator Fiep Warmerdam in her opening speech. “For example, the ‘Circle of Life’ from The Lion King, where everything is connected and balanced: the lion hunts the gazelle but nourishes the grass on which herbivores graze after its death. A disruption in this balance, caused by greed or a lack of respect, ultimately leads to misery for all. A similar balance applies to most of our business ecosystems.”

The moderator herself once worked at an e-commerce platform that, to deliver value to customers, depended on the right partners within a broad and complex partnership. The company enables product suppliers to automate the management and publication of product data across various marketing and sales channels. Examples of platforms it integrates with include Zalando, eBay, Google Shopping, Amazon, Facebook, and Instagram. Additionally, it connects with price comparison websites.

“Many different partners, and therefore many integrations and data flows,” says the Anderson MacGyver consultant, who immediately highlights three fundamental features of digital ecosystems. It’s also important that the right players are involved. “For leading players, you’re only interesting once you work with other big names.” APIs and software as the backbone provide a high degree of agility, meaning it’s essential to continually add value and maintain your position within the ecosystem’s dynamics.

Tesla Shame

The speed at which your value within an ecosystem can change is illustrated by colleague Robbert Petterson with a current example. “Are there any Tesla drivers here? So few? Who’s too ashamed to admit it?” The consultant and researcher refers to Elon Musk’s controversial actions around fake news on his X platform, his open support for Trump, and his involvement in European politics. “The result is a dramatic drop in demand for his brand, while the demand for electric cars remains. Competitors are, of course, taking advantage of this.”

The message from Robbert Petterson is: never underestimate the role of consumers and citizens. “It’s crucial to know what they find important and value.” And you generally don’t deliver that value alone, especially in a world of increasing digital interconnectivity. “So, you need a clear understanding of the ecosystem in which you operate.” To make this easier, Anderson MacGyver has developed the ValueWeb, which visualizes all the actors and their relationships.

To effectively participate in such a partnership, the consultant argues, you need to build a Digital Enterprise. Five essential and closely interlinked building blocks shape a modern organization: a distinctive customer experience, a stable and efficient operational backbone, an adequate digital infrastructure, shared data, and digital intelligence. Everything must align with your position within your digital ecosystem. It’s not only about the right technology but also about the right skills, leadership, and governance. This makes building a Digital Enterprise a strategic issue.

Real-world Examples

He gives three examples where one of the five building blocks is the springboard to success. To grow, a specialist in mounting materials for solar panels worked on a digital ‘installers journey’ to improve relationships with the installers serving the end customer. A large leasing company wants to become the world’s first fully digital “Car as a Service” provider. Its new integrated and scalable backbone is unique globally and can be marketed as a “white label” platform. An energy grid operator is moving forward by using data and intelligence to prepare its high-voltage grid for the energy transition.

To take the right steps as your own Digital Enterprise, understanding the wishes and interests of other parties within the digital ecosystem is fundamental. “Keep a close eye on consumers and citizens,” concludes Robbert Petterson. “Investigate how you can best align with them and solidify your position within this dynamic interplay of actors as a digital company.”

Would you prefer to be part of someone else’s digital ecosystem, or would you want to create one yourself? This question is central to the presentation by Lauri Koop, former CEO of DPG Media Online Services and, until the end of the first quarter this year, the head of Aimwel: a DPG subsidiary that automates marketing campaigns for the recruitment sector. The Finnish-Estonian tech leader then gave a fascinating insight into the dynamics of online media, where one must deal with the dominance of American tech giants.

Technology as the Engine

Technology plays a central role in how modern ecosystems serve the customer. “Look at Uber, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and so on,” says Lauri Koop. “Every big company wants its own ecosystem.” The profit lies in several areas: new revenue streams and business models, accelerated adoption of new technologies, lower costs, and more efficient processes. And last but not least, they give the owner power and control.

“Once you have or are part of an ecosystem, others can’t easily push you out,” continues the Aimwel CEO. “At least five of the seven largest companies in the world have or are building a digital ecosystem.” Only oil company Aramco and chip maker Nvidia – which is working hard on an ecosystem with software companies – remain more traditional. It’s also clear that the Americans control this dynamic.

What does this mean for his own professional domain? The fact is that media companies are highly overrepresented in online search results because they share so much information and interlink search engine-friendly articles. They can also form the link to a range of affiliate partnerships and handy apps, bringing people, products, and services together. They must, however, be visible within the environments of tech giants like Meta and Google, who control much of the power.

Building Your Own Ecosystem

Teaming up with these big players costs a lot of money. “Almost half of every advertising euro ends up in the pockets of tech giants and smaller players in the ecosystem,” says Lauri. This makes it worthwhile for media companies to be in control of their own ecosystem.

This can be achieved by companies like DPG Media using one-time permission for commercial actions across all their titles and brands. This greatly expands their reach. Local heroes emerge as a result: successful ecosystem-like platforms, with examples such as Funda.nl and Bol.com. Open ecosystems, according to Lauri Koop, have the greatest chance of success because they provide more value to the end-user.

Lauri concludes with a summary of key points for anyone wanting to claim a leading position in a digital ecosystem: know what the user wants and what you can offer, work with the right strategic partners, and be aware of the potential impact of new activities. You don’t want success in one area to come at the expense of other valuable activities.

Search Engine Out of the Game?

Finally, during the interactive Q&A session, an interesting point was raised. One of the masterclass attendees mentioned no longer using search engines, instead navigating online via ChatGPT and other AI services. Lauri Koop confirmed that this is a visible trend. “Visitor flows are increasingly finding their way through new channels. It’s evident that business models will change.”

The rise of AI once again highlights the volatile online media dynamics, where things can suddenly take on a different perspective. According to Robbert Petterson, this is a good reason to keep a clear understanding of what value you are delivering with which partners to whom. “Get closer to the consumer, citizen, and end-user – stay with them, respect them, and maintain your role in the ecosystem.” And thus, the story, as in any living ecosystem, returns to its origin: the interdependence that keeps everything moving.

By Anton Bubberman

What is the essence of a true digital enterprise and what can you do as a company or leader to realize it? Anderson MacGyver’s Digital Enterprise model offers a solution. Anton Bubberman leads the Data Guild within the consultancy firm. He explains how his professional scope aligns with the digital ambitions of clients.

The Digital Enterprise model places the organization within the context of the market and business ecosystem, and then focuses on five essential building blocks: a strong customer experience, a robust operational backbone, a flexible digital infrastructure, shared data and digital smartness. In combination, these fundamental components ensure a culture of continuous improvement and agility, allowing the organization not only to respond to change, but also to predict and capitalize on it.

Data is at the core

Data is at the core of the digital enterprise. Combined with the digital infrastructure, it forms the basis for digital smartness, which extends to both the customer experience and the backbone. In addition to solving common data-related pain points such as quality, availability and security, the gains from good data management are particularly important in the pursuit of scalability and smartness. For an ultimate customer experience and optimal operational efficiency and optimal interoperability in the business ecosystem. 

At Anderson MacGyver we speak of Data to Value. This approach is based on three pillars: providing strategic direction, creating a technically sound data foundation, and doing what is necessary to deliver value on time at scale. All this must be tackled together. You can only work on data quality or technology if you can explain what concrete value will be delivered.

For example, in companies with a lot of legacy IT, the realization of a data platform is often on the priority list. But without a strategic vision or intended result you won’t get much further. The same applies to another one-sided approach or focus. Preferably start with cases designated as urgent by management – which can vary from advanced track & trace within a logistics company to relatively simple management dashboards. You then look at what is needed to realize such a valuable opportunity.

Holistic view

A holistic view of availability, control and use enables you to get maximum value from data and realize digital smartness. A lot of attention is paid to realizing a company-wide data driven culture in which data is used as a solution for preventing risks or realizing opportunities.

In short: data is the foundation of digital smartness and the strength of the Digital Enterprise – making it one of the key assets. Click here to learn how to transform your organization into a Digital Enterprise and take the first step towards a successful future.

By Onno Wasser

What is the essence of true digital entrepreneurship and what can you do as a company or leader to realize such a digital enterprise? Anderson MacGyver’s Digital Enterprise model offers a solution. Onno Wasser leads the Technology Guild within the consultancy firm. He explains how he connects to the digital ambitions of clients from his profession.

The Digital Enterprise model places the company within the context of the market and business ecosystem and then focuses on five essential building blocks: a strong customer experience, a robust operational backbone, a scalable digital infrastructure, shared data and ‘digital smartness’. In combination, these core components ensure a culture of continuous improvement and agility, allowing the organization not only to respond to change, but also to predict and capitalize on them.

Different starting point

A ‘fit for purpose’ IT environment has always been important. However, with the pursuit of a Digital Enterprise, the starting point sometimes changes. Companies are still busy solving pain points such as outdated technology, poor integration, or excessively high IT costs. With digital ambitions, this goes hand in hand with an enticing perspective: realizing distinctive digital customer experiences, new business models, optimal processes and interoperability within chains and ecosystems.

The role of technology remains largely unchanged. Both at the customer- and employee-oriented front end and in the backbone, IT must fully align with the strategy, activities and objectives of the organization. With modernization, rationalization, and/or improvement, you still work on a suitable target landscape based on an architectural vision, strategic priorities, costs and business value. Selecting and implementing IT solutions is also part of this.

Maintaining control

Depending on the nature and objectives of the organization, you can opt for standard solutions, customization and/or sourcing at both the front and back end. In practice, more and more companies are obtaining capabilities from the market that they do not have or cannot realize themselves – the digital infrastructure in particular lends itself well to sourcing.

Regardless of what exactly you outsource, maintaining and arranging control is fundamental. The idea that an IT supplier will solve everything for you is a major pitfall. For digital transformations, as an organization, you ideally need to free up your best people.

Whether you are solving a pressing pain point or working on new digital possibilities, it often starts with getting the house in order. From a stable foundation, you can work on further developing customer experience, operational efficiency and digital intelligence. Incidentally, these are and will remain large and comprehensive transformations.

In short: appropriate solutions, enabling technology and a scalable and open digital infrastructure are crucial. Click here to learn how you can transform your organization into a Digital Enterprise and take the first step towards successful digital entrepreneurship.

By Josip Cicak

What is the essence of a true digital enterprise and what can you do as a company or leader to realize it? Anderson MacGyver’s Digital Enterprise model offers a solution. Josip Cicak leads the Strategy Guild within the consultancy firm. He explains how his professional focus on business strategies aligns with the digital ambitions of clients.

The Digital Enterprise model places the organization within the context of the market and business ecosystem, and then focuses on five essential building blocks: a strong customer experience, a robust operational backbone, a flexible digital infrastructure, shared data and digital smartness. In combination, these core components lay the foundation for a culture of continuous improvement and agility, allowing the organization not only to respond to change, but also to predict and capitalize on it.

Setting a goal

Strategy involves providing direction and taking actions to achieve a set goal. As a company, you cannot see this separately from your position and added value within the ecosystem in which you operate: partners, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders. When striving for a Digital Enterprise, strategic adjustments often need to be made on the five pillars mentioned. Preferably in coherence. 

Although digital propositions and customer experiences require a lot of attention, the operational backbone must also be in order. This means standardization, cost efficiency to unlock capital needed for improving products and services with smart solutions. Everything you do must be in line with your distinctive character within the context of the business ecosystem. In other words: what do you do as an organization, for whom and for what purpose?

Holistic approach

Strategy, technology and organization must be approached in congruence. This way you can find the most suitable IT for different activities. Standard platforms and market solutions for generic business actions, and more degrees of freedom in technology and data choices for differentiating business activities – or something in between. A critical look at business activities or customer experience can lead to a strategic or organizational recalibration. 

When shaping a digital enterprise, the role of leadership is crucial. As Anderson MacGyver we provide directors with all the necessary tools to tackle all strategic, technological and organizational challenges from a holistic perspective.

In short: the model provides board members with insights into the interrelated strategic building blocks. Learn how to transform your organization into a Digital Enterprise. Click here to download the whitepaper ‘How to become a Digital Enterprise’ and take the first step towards a successful future.