Digital Partnerships

In the Way of DAU it was mentioned that most Digital Businesses need to develop partnering as a key capability and competence. In fact part of the underlying modus operandi of digital is that an enterprise is building on an industry ecosystem of partnerships which deliver highly commodotised digital components which can be used to construct the technical aspects of a digital business. 

Recently Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced digital partnerships with 4 public sector bodies as part of its "digital innovation blueprint" initiative. The partners include National University of Singapore (NUS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Economic Development Board (EDB) and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). This ups SIA's game in what is already a well weaponised area of digital business, the air travel business. SIA seeks to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness, as well as gain better insight into customer behaviour and tune its marketing appropriately.

PWC has published its thoughts about how to approach building a digital partnership. Key features include:

• Clarity about shared goals;
• Agreeing mutual plans for time frames, milestones and outputs;
• Cultural alignment and trust building;
• Definition of essential service or success criteria;
• Agreeing mutual conventions around data ownership, privacy, protection and hosting locations;
• Shared partnership management and governance frameworks;
• Building Agility into exploitation of mutually developed capabilities, products and services.

Interestingly enough, as pointed out in a recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, cities are getting in on the act, partnering to provide the best digital business environment and infrastructure. Ratings by local business leaders have established some interesting global leaders and laggards with Bangalore and San Franciso topping the list. London, Madrid and New York are neck and neck sitting at 9th, 10th and 11th in the survey's league table, with Berlin lagging at the bottom in 45th place. Paris, which has been setting itself up to rival London post Brexit sits at 20th.