Service innovation in historical perspective The case of “platforming”

This viewpoint focuses on “platforming” as a major service innovation, which importance is now recognized in the organization of contemporary supply chains. On a technical level, “plat-forming” is based on the hub-and-spokes model, widely used in air transport, but also in retail logistics. Three historical examples show that the origins of “platforming” can be traced back to the often dramatic events that have marked the course of humanity, which puts the real originality of this service innovation into perspective.