Skip to main content
Completed 0%
0 / 22
You are currently viewing this course as Guest. Please log in to check how to enrol into the course and get full access.

Learn how to think through platforms, using data as the innovation trigger to exploit value in the digital world.

Platform Thinking series

This a four-MOOCs series on Platform Thinking, the first “Platform Thinking: What’s beyond Uber” aims to set the baselines of what platforms are and how they work, the second – “Platform Thinking: designing a platform” - deals with the creation and launch of platform, the third - “Platform Thinking: exploiting data through platforms” – explores the role of big data in the platform world and the fourth - “Platform Thinking for the Metaverse” - provides some insight for managing future disruptive technologies through platform models . These four courses are four independent modules, but this is the order we suggest if you plan to follow all of them.

See the full series

Course description

(Digital) data are often considered the new oil. Companies often exploit them building platforms, involving different sets of users that generate data – for example, enjoying a digital service through a mobile app – and other organizations that see value in those data and wish to leverage them. This module of the “Platform Thinking” series aims to assess the role of data in digital platforms. We are talking about companies – like social networks – that exploit data to offer personalized advertising or personalized experiences – in services like Netflix or Spotify – but even companies that offer data to external partners for other purposes, like fitness apps that share data with pharmaceutical companies or other health companies. This is a widely intriguing but also a slippery topic, given the amount of data-related scandals we lived over the last few years. Therefore, this course aims to assess the strategies and tactics to exploit data through platforms, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of creating and managing data-driven opportunities. In doing so, we will consider the ethical and policy implications – and related opportunities – to have a transparent and trustable relationship with the end-users. Finally, we will position the data within the platform thinking process.

The course is structured into 3 Modules:

  • Module 1 – Strategies to exploit data
  • Module 2 - Generating platforms through data
  • Module 3 - Implications of data exploitation

The modules have different lessons within them, consisting of texts, videos, quizzes and individual self-reflection exercises. We advise you to follow the pathway linearly: even if all the lectures should be self-contained, they often build on concepts introduced in depth in previous videos. It is important that you keep your own pace: the length indications are a rough estimate, but your pace should guide you at best for the enjoyment and the individual reflection on the topics covered.

Total workload of the course: 8 hours

This MOOC is provided by Politecnico di Milano.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By actively participating in this MOOC, you will achieve different intended learning outcomes (ILOs).

  1. To understand the role of data in the sustainability of digital business models,
    ESCO: interpret current data
  2. To assess the various strategies to capture value from data,
    ESCO: interpret current data
  3. To analyze the business environment around you to identify potentialities for a platform revolution based on data,
    ESCO: think creatively
  4. To analyze the available data to apply platform thinking.
    ESCO: innovation process

Prerequisites

No prerequisite knowledge is required.

Activities

Over and above consulting the content, in the form of videos and other web-based resources, you will have the opportunity to discuss course topics and to share ideas with your peers in the Forum of this MOOC.

Topic outline

  • Week 0 - Introduction to the course

    Not available unless: You are a(n) Student
  • Exploiting data through platforms

    Not available unless: You are a(n) Student
  • Additional Resources

Assessment

Your final grade for the course will be based on the results of your answers to the graded quizzes. You have unlimited attempts at each quiz, but you must wait 5 minutes before you can try again. You will have successfully completed the course if you achieve 60% (or more) of the total course score. The maximum score possible for each quiz is given at the top of the quiz. You can see your score in the quiz on your last attempt or on the 'Grades' page.

Certificate of accomplishment

You must be registered in POK through Politecnico di Milano personal account to obtain the Certificate of Accomplishment. It will be released to anyone who successfully completed the course by achieving at least 60% of the total score in the graded quizzes and filling the final survey. 

You will be able to download the Certificate of Accomplishment directly from Politecnico di Milano web services.

The Certificate of Accomplishment does not confer any academic credit, grade or degree.

Information about fees and access to materials

You can access the course completely online and absolutely free of charge.

Course faculty

Daniel Trabucchi

Daniel Trabucchi

Teacher

Daniel Trabucchi is Assistant Professor at the School of Management, Politecnico di Milano, where he also serves as a senior researcher in the LEADIN’Lab, the Laboratory for LEAdership, Design and INnovation. He works on Innovation Management, he teaches and studies the fields of Platform Thinking, Agile Project Management and the Human side of Innovation (with a strong focus on engagement within the research platform IDeaLs). He co-founded Symplatform, the symposium on digital platforms that aims to foster a constructive discussions among scholars and practitioners.

Tommaso Buganza

Tommaso Buganza

Teacher

Tommaso Buganza is Associate Professor of Leadership and Innovation at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano where he also is co-founder of LEADIN'Lab, the Laboratory for Leadership, Design and Innovation. He is a lecturer in Innovation Management and Project Management, responsible for the Project Management Academy and coordinator of the innovation and training area at MIP (Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business). He is scientific director of IDeaLs the global research platform of Politecnico di Milano that pioneers new ways to engage people to make innovation happen with companies. He co-founded Symplatform, the symposium on digital platforms that aims to foster a constructive discussions among scholars and practitioners.

Contact details

If you have any enquiries about the course or if you need technical assistance please contact pok@polimi.it. For further information, see FAQ page.