Lead the orchestra: The design of supply chain finance platform ecosystems

In Supply Chain Finance (SCF), both scholars and practitioners have increasingly recognized the role of digital platforms in enabling ecosystems in which multiple actors jointly deliver SCF solutions. Yet, how platform providers design these ecosystems, and how contextual factors shape the design and adoption of different ecosystem configurations, remain unclear. Drawing on the ecosystem-as-structure perspective and eight case studies of SCF platform providers, this study identifies five SCF ecosystem configurations that differ in actor constellations, activity allocations, contractual links, and receivables and payment flow handovers. The study further shows that these configurations are shaped by a set of contextual factors: regulatory frameworks and user-related operational and reputational factors. These factors affect ecosystem design, the configurations that platform providers can offer in specific contexts, and the configurations that ecosystem participants consider suitable. Based on these findings, the study develops a set of propositions and a framework explaining why similar SCF value propositions can be delivered through different ecosystem configurations. The study contributes to SCF research by shifting attention from the selection of SCF solutions alone to the selection of the ecosystem configurations through which these solutions are delivered. It also contributes to ecosystem design theory by showing how contextual factors shape the design of actors, activities, positions, and links in regulated platform-based ecosystems. Practically, the framework supports platform providers in designing SCF ecosystems across regulatory contexts and helps buyers and fund providers assess which configuration best fits their requirements.