Architectures of Value, a seminar by Dr Brice Dattée (EM Lyon Business School)

Architectures of Value

by Dr Brice Dattée

Abstract: 

We examine the operational frameworks of distinct value architectures and their strategic implications for firms managing demand heterogeneity. By addressing the tension between providing product variety to satisfy diverse customer preferences and achieving economies of scale, our proposed framework underscores two crucial firm-specific thresholds: the variety generation threshold, which reflects a firm's capacity to create coherent product offerings, and the variety integration threshold, beyond which customer needs may remain unmet. We illustrate how an ecosystem approach can externalize the development and management of product variety, while also highlighting the challenges related to customer selection and integration capabilities. Additionally, we offer strategic guidelines for managers to reassess their assumptions about demand characteristics and navigate the risks associated with ecosystem strategies, emphasizing the potential pitfalls of disintermediation and the necessity for firms to maintain control over customer relationships. Ultimately, we present the strategic selection of a value architecture as a dynamic capability essential for sustaining competitive advantage in evolving markets.

About the speaker:

Brice Dattée teaches Strategy and Innovation Management. His expertise focuses on competitive dynamics in business ecosystems, resource orchestration, and the temporality of strategic vision. His research, based on qualitative process analyses and conducted through close engagement with renowned companies in technology-based industries, has been published in leading international journals. He also advices entrepreneurs and boards of directors on their strategic thoughts.