The world moves too fast to assume your organisation has all the answers or best ideas. Customer demands are too complex and ever-changing. Rapid scale may be required. Different ways of thinking. Agility is critical – and this is the enemy of the transactional way many companies deal with their supply chain and customers.

The right way to tackle these challenges may be to actively develop and lead an ecosystem. This can change the way you approach your market in fundamental ways, allowing you to harness the ideas, capabilities and resources of many other organisations and people. But it requires careful thought and a deliberate strategy. It may involve cultural and behavioural change focused on collaboration, not control.

This is an evolution that can bring radical benefits. It can also be the wrong choice – and that’s why you need to carefully think this through.