Every business owner wants to create a successful and sustainable enterprise that delivers value to their customers, employees, and stakeholders. Imagine a platform that can support and accelerate the entire software development lifecycle, from ideation to deployment. That’s what platform engineering is all about creating and managing platforms that enable the delivery of high-quality software products and services.

In this blog post, we will introduce you to the four universal ways that together constitute how platforms can ultimately create value. By understanding and applying these elements to your platform, you will be able to enrich your enterprise with greater intention and focus on what matters most, the customer. For platform managers, it’s all about whether the platform creates value for its user base. Read on to learn more about these four elements and how they can help you transform your business for better value creation.

1. Origination
   Origination is a type of work that generates value from something new. Origination work is what sets you apart from your competitors and gives you an edge in the market. It is the work that generates value from something new, whether it is a new product, service, solution, or idea. One example of origination work that uses AI and technology is generative AI. Generative AI is a branch of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as images, text, music, or code, based on some input or data. Generative AI can help you with origination work by providing you with inspiration, suggestions, feedback, or even complete solutions. Generative AI can also help you to optimize your origination work by testing different variations, improving quality, or reducing costs. By doing origination work with generative AI, you can create value for your customers, your employees, and your business.
   
   
2. Execution
   Execution enables a business owner to create value from the products or services offered, differentiate from competitors, and achieve sustainable growth and profitability. It means delivering value to your business by taking action, making smart choices, and overcoming challenges. As a business owner, you can use technology and AI to boost your execution power. Technology and AI can help you automate workflows, streamline operations, delight customers, and uncover new opportunities. But technology and AI are not magic bullets; they need to be aligned with your business goals, culture, and customer expectations. That’s why execution also requires strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and innovation skills.
   
   
3. Correction
   Correction is a type of work that generates value from something improved. For example, a business owner can use technology and AI to correct errors in their data, products, or services. By doing so, they can increase the quality, accuracy, and reliability of their offerings, which can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Correction can also help a business owner identify and fix problems before they escalate or cause damage. Correction is essential work for any business that wants to maintain or enhance its competitive edge in the market.
   
   
4. Application
   
   Application means any work that generates value from something used. For example, AI and technology can be used to automate customer service with intelligent chatbots. This can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty while reducing human labor costs. AI and technology can also be used to code and create content for websites. This can improve online visibility and conversion rates while optimizing time and resources. Application means the act of applying something, such as applying for grants or applying a new strategy to business operations.
   

It borrows from the book The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore and is put into context for a business owner who wants to create value on their platforms using technology. Platform engineering is not just a buzzword, but a strategic approach to building scalable, reliable, and innovative solutions that create value for customers, developers, and the business. By following the four universal ways to create value – origination, execution, correction, and application you can transform your platform into a powerful asset that drives growth and innovation.