The Platform Business Model Canvas a Proposition in a Design Science Approach

Literature research has shown that there is no proven business model canvas for platforms. Such a canvas would be a vital tool that provides added value to companies and innovators for various purposes: sharing, communication (internal and external), description, analysis, management, planning and partnering. In addition, a platform business model canvas helps follow a systematic but also pragmatic approach with regards to the transformation of a pipeline business to a platform business, the task to design a new platform or to describe an existing platform business model. The goal of this research is therefore to create a platform business model canvas that is easy to use and helps capture platform business models in a comprehensive and effective way following the Design Science Approach. The basic components/building blocks and the necessary perspectives for the platform business model canvas, are derived from literature. The need for three or more perspectives, is furtherly discussed on basis of Osterwalder’s business model canvas by outsourcing dimensions of control. Components and perspectives are subsequently verified through a qualitative analysis of the about-us-pages of 32 platform websites. The components/building blocks and perspectives are then put together to form a platform business model canvas, which is then evaluated through an illustrative case study explaining the platform business model of eBay.