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Data and Digital Platform

Companies can build a data and digital platform that delivers three to five times the value in half the time and at half the cost. Our digital platform consultants help clients enable new digital services and upgrade their core IT.

A digital transformation is a journey—and a prerequisite to modernizing IT. But that doesn’t mean you need to revamp your entire IT architecture to generate meaningful value. There’s a smarter way.

What Is a Digital Platform?

To implement a digital platform, first you must understand what a digital platform is. The characteristics of digital platforms include:

  • Data can be liberated from old, inflexible legacy core systems.
  • Data can be owned by the business, not IT, which is critical to prioritizing and driving business use cases.
  • The business side can roll out new use cases independent of IT’s decisions about how and at what pace to upgrade the core.
  • New digital services can be delivered every few weeks, powered by artificial intelligence and leveraging open-source software and cloud services.
  • Differentiating engineering capabilities can be re-shored and built in-house, improving time to value.

Our Approach to Data and Digital Platform

It has only recently become feasible to build the digital platform and smart business layers separately from the existing core, thanks to multiple advances in SaaS, PaaS, cloud computing, low code platforms, and the open-source community.

We bring unique capabilities and deep expertise to data and digital platform strategy and development. Our data and digital platform consultants—including IT architects, data integration and migration experts, and technology and cloud specialists—work with clients on:

  • Data Strategy. Developing a structured and substantiated view of the value that data can generate for the company—and a roadmap to achieve it. 
  • Data Governance. Creating a target operating model for data management and analytics, tailored to the needs and culture of the organization. 
  • Legacy ERP. Migrating away from legacy ERP platforms—and building next-generation data and digital platforms. 

Our Solutions for Digital Platforms:

BCG’s proprietary digital maturity assessments enable companies to benchmark against peers and develop a rock-solid data and digital platform strategy.

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BCG’s Digital Acceleration Index enables companies to conduct a quick, objective, outside-in assessment of their current digital maturity compared with peers.

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BCG’s data capability maturity survey assesses seven data capabilities to help companies design better digital strategies and compete more effectively as data-driven organizations.

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BCG’s rapid assessment of data and digital platform architecture offers a high-impact, two-week exercise to identify technology gaps that must be addressed to achieve data and digital platform excellence.

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BCG’s data governance maturity assessment informs actions and priorities to further mature data governance capabilities.

Our Work with Clients on Data and Digital Platforms

We have helped many of our clients build and realize the benefits of digital platforms as part of their digital transformations. Examples include:

BCG X and Orange Built a Customer-Centric Marketing Ecosystem

Replace product-centric marketing with an AI-driven, personalized strategy to reach the right customer with the right offer at the right time, no matter the channel.

How Citizens Is Competing—and Winning—Against Fintechs

Michael Ruttledge, CIO of Citizens, explains how a digital transformation has allowed the company to compete against fast-moving startups.

Becoming a Digital Leader in Insurance: Generali Italia's Digital Transformation

Generali Italia, a leading insurance company, launched a digital transformation that lowered response time by 50%, reduced down time by 80%, and slashed its defect rate by a factor of ten.

Sustaining Innovation in Animal Health: Zoetis's Digital Transformation

BCG supported Zoetis in implementing its data and digital platform across the continuum of care, a key enabler in the company’s data and analytics strategy.


Meet Our Data and Digital Platform Consulting Team

Our data and digital platform consultants and industry experts help clients create the foundation for a successful digital transformation. Here are some of our experts on the topic.


Our Insights on Digital Platforms

Digital Transformation, Demystified

Too many digital transformation programs don't deliver the hoped-for strategic value—especially stronger resilience amid relentless disruption. To beat those odds, companies must view their technology through a decidedly different lens. Here's how.

Data and Digital Platform: Double Your Digital Transformation Power

Now is the time to let go of common assumptions around digital transformation. Replace these five common myths to unlock value from your digital transformation.

Is Your Company Gaining Momentum in Data?
Slideshow

Is Your Company Gaining Momentum in Data?

Data is increasingly valuable, yet some organizations lack the capabilities to capitalize on it. A key first step is setting realistic ambitions to improve data maturity.

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Tech + Us: Monthly insights for harnessing the full potential of AI and tech.

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