Volatile. Complex. Fast. That’s life in a world gone digital. Market lifecycles have shrunk from years… to days. And contestable markets see traditional players go head-to-head with upstarts…with dominance totally up for grabs.

To compete to win, companies need to fire on all cylinders to achieve “the triple A advantage”: Agility, Adaptability, and Alignment.

Agility. You have to have a flexible operating model and keep costs down. That means less bureaucracy to drive more innovation.

Adaptability. The ability to adapt has never been more important. Competitors can now be partners. Rivals might be collaborators. Outside industries could be critical links. The goal: an ecosystem engineered to drive collaboration-and value-wherever possible.

Alignment. Digital has placed companies under incredible levels of scrutiny. You have to now consider the expectations of customers, stakeholders and society at large. Everything is transparent. Traceable. Companies that “walk the walk” of ethical business practices—when it concerns people, profit or the planet—can use it as a differentiator. At stake: meaningful differentiation that leads to real competitive advantage.

Summing-up: Staying competitive in today’s digital world means companies need to become much more agile, adaptive and aligned.