• Understand, reflect upon, and contrast different business model approaches
• Understand different types of digital business models (open innovation, user-generated content, IoT, sharing economy models, social commerce, etc.)
• Identify, design, plan, and assess innovative business models in digitally enabled environments (i.e., for new digital platforms and for existing firms)
• Understand and use digital business models frameworks to align a company’s offering across multiple channels and platforms (customer journey management)
• Apply the theoretical knowledge on business modeling to practical business cases
• Follow academic conventions in your written presentation

The course supports students in understanding the “business model” concept for ecosystems and in developing the ability to assess, design, and update business models and customer journeys in digitally enabled customer environments. The Internet-of-Things and digital platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Google) allow for many new and innovative business model opportunities. The goal of this course is to equip students with relevant knowledge for contributing to the academic discourse on customer and business development and for pursuing a career as “state of the art” digital marketing expert.
 

This course confronts students with and prepares them for a complex digitally enabled ecosystem reality in which the concept of “business model” can have many meanings. Business models are valuable resources in a competitive environment, be it for goods suppliers, system integrators, information and technology companies, or customers. More and more the ecosystem (instead of the firm) becomes the level where value is created and appropriated. Therefore, it becomes more complex and challenging for focal firms to develop business models that help them to create and appropriate value.

In this course, students will be confronted with the most renowned theoretical business modelling approaches and will learn how business models ought to be identified, designed, and assessed depending on the value creation approach of focal firm in the business ecosystem.

The theoretical discussion will be complemented with input from business modeling academics and practitioners as well as with hands-on applications of different business modeling approaches to actual business model cases,

The course will prepare students who want to work with business models in different digital contexts in their future career. It provides the basis for development of knowledge and understanding of how business models are created and maintained in relation to multiple stakeholders in dynamic environments and prepares the student for a challenging career in digitally enabled business environments.

Content
The course uses blended learning: that is, we combine online material and lectures with in-class discussions and workshops. Blended learning (the mix of online and offline platforms) creates a powerful leaning environment for students, which we intend to use to its fullest potential. The course consists of online lectures and materials, case discussions, and online/offline case-based and general discussions, and online peer graded assignments. The class is highly interactive both online and offline with a corresponding expectation that students engage in these interactions.