Sallustius BritoCo-founder of Next4.pl
Throughout business history, with varying nuances over time, the focus has been on the consumer. What do they want? what do you want? where are they In recent decades, this relationship, called business-to-consumer (B2C) or direct-to-consumer, has been strongly leveraged by the digital revolution, especially electronic commerce. Along these lines, since 2010 platforms that promote commerce between consumers (C2C), also known as peer to peer (P2P).
But it is interesting to see how the rise of digital technologies in recent years has had a significant impact on B2B (business-to-business) interactions. Companies are taking advantage of digital platforms such as e-commerce marketplaces, and the B2B sharing economy revolution is also exploding strongly. It has allowed organizations to leverage their resources by sharing assets, equipment, or facilities with other organizations, accessing resources or services without requiring large initial investments, and maximizing the efficiency of their operations.
Sure, we know about the C2C or P2P shared economy, and it’s revolutionizing digital businesses (Uber, Airbnb, TaskRabbit, Eatwith, etc.) moving more than 300 billion, but this is only the tip of the shared economy iceberg.
In the B2B sharing economy revolution, valued at trillions of dollars in transactions, its business interactions and inter-enterprise transactions are creating networks and collaborative ecosystems, forming strategic partnerships and developing platforms that allow seamless communication, data sharing and collaborative innovation. These networks help drive operational efficiency, create new business opportunities and improve competitiveness.
Therefore, instead of buying or leasing expensive infrastructure or assets, companies can use shared platforms to access shared spaces, buildings, warehouses, trucks, stores, equipment, factories and inventory, mainly through payment or subscription. . This approach allows significant cost reduction, especially for small companies that do not have the financial resources to invest in expensive assets. In this way, traditional B2B models are being disrupted by subscription-based and as-a-service offerings that offer users greater flexibility, scalability, economy and value.
It is also important to note that this shared model promotes sustainability, promotes efficient use of resources and reduces waste. In addition, sharing economy platforms offer companies greener practices such as carpooling or using shared renewable energy sources, or leasing assets for on-demand storage rather than developing new warehouse centers.
Many startups focused on B2B sharing economy solutions, logistics and supply chain management will proliferate and grow significantly. Last-mile delivery services, logistics as a service (4PL), inventory management solutions, on-demand manufacturing, fulfillment as a service, retail as a service and ride-sharing services capitalize on the growing demand for efficient operations. In the supply chain. Examples of:
Also, in Latin America, Next4.pl, a logistics as a service company, has recently emerged, allowing companies to quickly scale up or scale down their operations based on demand, with easy access to additional resources or services without the constraints of traditional ownership. Long term obligations. Like its PalletParking business unit, the first shared on-demand storage company in Latin America, it has already been expanding into Mexico in recent months.
All of this means that by adopting sharing economy models and platforms, companies can unlock new opportunities, improve efficiency and drive growth in the evolving B2B landscape.
