A platform business operates as a tool for consumers, providing a fair, transparent market while creating shared value for suppliers. Platform businesses facilitate exchanges between two or more interdependent groups, typically consumers and producers. By creating large, scalable networks of users and resources that can be accessed on demand, platforms create communities and markets with network effects that allow users to interact and transact more productively. The competitiveness of a platform business is dependent on maximizing efficiency by minimizing transaction costs, reducing marginal costs, and adopting an asset-light business model. Platforms focus on growth strategies for scaling up, increasing coverage, and opening to more users.

In Asia, platform businesses have evolved into super apps that provide various services. This is largely driven by market competition and the unique characteristics of the region.

Course Objectives

The main objectives of this course are:

• Understand the concept of platform business models to create value by facilitating exchanges between two or more interdependent groups
• Explore the strategies, benefits, and challenges of operating a platform business in the service sector
• Analyze the legal and regulatory requirements as well as best practices associated with running a platform business in the service sector.

Course Modules

This e-learning course will cover the following modules:
Module 1: Introduction to platform business and its role in the service sector 
-          Understand the definition and role of platform businesses in the service sector and the characteristics of a two-sided market  
Module 2: Platform business strategies including super apps  
-          Understand network effects of platform businesses and analyze their growth strategies 
-          Understand the definition and characteristics of super apps 
Module 3: Platforms in emerging Asia and successful case studies 
-          Show how platform business works in Asia using case studies 
-          Analyze growth strategies and roles of Southeast Asian home-grown super apps 
Module 4: Issues and challenges of platform business models 
-          Explore growth and profitability issues of platform businesses in competitive markets 
-          Understand challenges platform businesses face in further growth  
Module 5: Legal, ethical, and regulatory considerations for platform businesses in the service sector 
-          Examine problems from the viewpoint of big platform monopolies and antitrust policies on big tech companies
-          Examine the contributions of super apps in the Asia-Pacific

Important Notes:

1. Participants who register to take this course and pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher will be eligible to receive the APO certificate. Please note that the final examination can be taken only once. Therefore, the most appropriate time to take the examination should be chosen carefully. The self-assessment quizzes are for personal evaluation only and are not related to the final examination results.
2. Participants who perform well in this course and receive the APO certificate will be given preference, on a merit basis, for selection to attend follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects on similar topics, when nominated by their NPOs and if slots are available.
3. Notes 1 and 2 are applicable only to participants from APO member countries. Participants from nonmember countries are welcome to take the course for self-improvement, although they will not have an opportunity to attend the follow-up face-to-face multicountry APO projects.
4. Each module is in a prerecorded video format in which the expert delivers presentations by explaining each slide. Participants can access the video by clicking on the link provided under the title of each module.