Chapter 24

Layer Player

Benefiting from specialised know-how

Two factories on a four-lane track. The factory behind appears to be on its way to where the factory ahead has reached. The factory ahead is at a turning point of the track with two options of a left and a right.

The pattern

A company applying the Layer Player pattern usually focuses on one or just a few activities within a value chain (HOW?). Such a company serves a number of market segments of several industries (WHAT?). Its typical customer will be an Orchestrator (#34) who outsources the majority of value chain activities to specialised service providers. As a Layer Player, the company benefits from its ability to specialise both in terms of efficiency gains and multiplying know-how and intellectual property rights. As such, it is often able to influence and develop standards within ...

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