A process for mobile service analysis and design

Next we describe a process for the analysis and design of mobile services according to the User-Service-Technology method. The process begins with the analysis of the elements in the User Domain (activities, tasks, context and value), proceeds to the description of the service and ends with the analysis of the elements in the technological domain (mobile apps, mobile devices and technological context). In detail, the method contains the following steps (figure 6.3):

1. Analysis of user activities.

2. Analysis of user tasks related to the activities.

3. Analysis of the user context that affects user tasks and the use of mobile services.

4. Analysis of mobile services that can be used to support the tasks.

5. Analysis of service value.

6. Analysis of the mobile apps that provide the mobile services.

7. Analysis of the devises that are used for the delivery of the mobile services.

8. Analysis of the technologies that are used for the delivery of the mobile services.

Figure 6.3: The process of mobile service analysis and design

The analysis proceeds in a step-by-step way, with the possibility of iterative steps as new information is included. The analysis of service value (step 5) can take place in the middle of the process, if value refers to expected, foreseen or designed value, or at the end, if value refers to perceived or actualized value.

As the user’s perspective emphasizes on the use of mobile services in the real life practices, it is necessary to capture and analyze the real life practices of the users. Scenario analysis is a prominent way for this, with scenarios representing simplified versions of people’s real life. Scenarios are widely used in the analysis and design of information systems (e.g. use cases in UML).

We demonstrate the application of User-Service-Technology method with the use of use a hypothetical scenario about a tourist who decides for his activities of day. In this scenario we assume the tourist sees the weather forecast for the rest of the day. As rain is forecasted, he modifies the tour plans stored in his personal trip planner (app) and decides to visit an indoor attraction instead (e.g.

a museum). He collects information about the location of the museum and the route to get there by public transport. He goes to the nearest bus station and looks for information about the right ticket and the time of arrival of the next bus.

In the museum, he rents an audio guide. He takes photos of the exhibits and shares a couple of them on his social media. Table 6.3 describes the activities, tasks, mobile services and mobile apps for this scenario.

Table 6.3: Activities, tasks, mobile services and mobile apps for the tourist scenario

ACTIVITIES TASKS MOBILE SERVICES MOBILE APPS

Decide for Overview trip plan Organize trip activities

and content

Trip Planner Modify trip plan Organize trip activities

and content Trip Planner

Guide to destination Navigation Buy ticket Provide information

about tickets Local Transport Company Wait for the next bus Provide information

about next bus arrival Local Transport Company

Share experience Social Media

Take a photo Take a photo Photographic

Share a photo Share experience Social Media

Step 1: Analysis of user activities. The analysis begins with the identification of the user activities. We single out four basic activities: a) decide for the tourist activity of the day, b) go to the museum, and c) visit the museum.

Step 2: Analysis of user tasks. Next we analyze the specific tasks that are required for each activity. For example, in order to decide for the tourist activities of the day, the tourist consults the weather forecast and reviews his trip plan. As the weather is forecasted rainy for the current day, the tourist decides to modify his plans and visit an indoor attraction, a museum. In order to go to the museum, the tourist searches for its location on the map, finds the route to go there, goes to the nearest bust station, buys a ticket and waits for the next bus to arrive.

Step 3: Analysis of the user context. It is important to analyze the user context because it affects or even determines the services that are required for the execution of user’s tasks. The importance of the user context is even greater for the provision of mobile services, that can take advantage of the contextual attributes to provider in order to provide better adapted services to the

idiosyncratic needs and the situation of the user. This scenario describes a simplified variant of the tourist’s context that takes into account basically the location and the time frame of the different activities, especially when they refer to planning the next activities and transportation. The decision of the daily activities is also affected by physical conditions (e.g. weather conditions). The mood of the user is taken into account for the selection of a substitute tourist activity. Notice the mood of the user affects in a multiple way his decisions, but the mental processes of the user cannot be easily modeled in the analysis mobile services. Social influences could be included if the user consulted social media and forums or if expresses his own opinion. Finally we do not include personal traits and preferences of the user (e.g. activities that are friendly for the elderly or pets, etc.).

Step 4: Analysis of the mobile services. Mobile services are used to support the execution of the tasks of the tourist. In most cases a mobile service is used to support the execution of a specific task, such as in the case of looking for the weather forecast, that makes the tourist aware of the weather conditions of the day. In other cases a task can be supported by many services, such as in the case of going to the nearest bus stop, which is supported by a route finding service and a navigation to destination service. In certain cases a mobile service can be used to support different tasks of the user, such as in the case of sharing experiences on social media, that is used to notify the social network the user has visited the museum and also to share photos.

Step 5: Analysis of service value for the user. Service value depends on the service use and the mentality/ logic of the user, as it is phenomenologically determined by the user. While the use of service can be tracked or observed by the analyst, the characterization of service value can derive only by asking the user about it. Hence, the analysis of service value by the user is difficult to be obtained. In this scenario we assume the service value for the user for certain tasks (F for functional, E for emotional, K for epistemic, S for social, and C for conditional).

Step 6: Analysis of the mobile apps. Mobile services are provided by mobile apps. An app can provide many services, such as in the case of the app of the Local Transport Company, which can provide information about routes, tickets and schedules.

Step 7: Analysis of the mobile devices. We make the assumption that the standard device is the smart phone and it is used in most cases, especially in outdoor activities. We assume also a GPS device is used for receiving route tracking and navigation services and an audio device guide is used for the visit in the museum.

We do not analyze the technological context for mobile service provision for the tourist activities because it pertains to the provider’s concerns for service development and provision. The technological context determines the available mobile services and the service provision methods. But while it supports the mobile service user, it cannot be affected by the user. The analysis in the technological domain can be pursued with the use of several methods for the modeling of business processes (e.g. BPMN) and information systems (e.g.

UML).

Figure 6.4 provides a graphical representation of the use of the User-Service-Technology method. The horizontal timeline shows the use of service in people’s life. Service is embedded into the fabric of the daily activities of the individual and, hence, it is related to the timeline of other activities and other services. The different sub-domains of analysis are separated by horizontal lines/ swimlanes, as in most analysis and design approaches. Vertical lines are used to delineate the boundaries between activities and between tasks.

Figure 6.4: Representation of the analysis and design of the tourist scenario

6.3 Discussion

The User-Service-Technology method suggests service is naturally embedded in the life practices of the user and aims at analyzing the structural fit between service (in the Service Domain) and the user’s life practices (in the User Domain). The analysis in the User Domain is the starting point and the core part of the analytical process and allows understanding how users live their lives.

The analysis of the activities indicates the life practices of the user, while the analysis of the tasks relates to the services that are used to support the life practices of the user. The analysis takes place in the multidimensional context of the user, which includes personal variables and environmental coordinates.

Service usage is conceptually developed in the interaction between the user and the service offering and refers to a particular use of a service offering in a specific task of the user. Therefore, the understanding of the service usage can be more inspiring than the analysis of the attributes of the service offering (from the provider’s point of view), as it can reveal the customer logic and delineate service usage patterns. The utility or service value refers to the benefit the user gains as a result of the use of the service. Service value for the user is difficult to be precisely described, analyzed and assessed, but it is extremely useful to be

taken into account in order to gain better understanding of the customer logic in service usage.

The method introduces the Customer Dominant logic (Heinonen and Strandvik, 2015) in the analysis and design of services. The literature of service information systems –particularly the literature of service science– highlights mostly the use of Service Dominant logic (Vargo and Lusch, 2008; 2016) for the introduction of concepts from the service management literature. As noticed in the state of the art analysis, Service Dominant logic puts emphasis on actor-to-actor interactions that co-create value in service ecosystems (Vargo and Lusch, 2016). We suggest the ecosystemic perspective cannot provide design guidelines and implications because it is abstract and increases the complexity of the analysis and design task. On the contrary, Customer Dominant logic emphasizes on the concerns and the processes of the customer and can provide the right conceptual background for the development of the user’s perspective in service analysis and design.

Previous approaches and methods for the analysis and design of services adopted a system-oriented approach that emphasizes on service interactions/

exchanges and service processes. The proposed methods is different from previous approaches and methods in two main points: it emphasizes on service usage as a part of the interaction between the user and the service, rather than on service exchange between the provider and the customer, and it is driven by the analysis of the user’s functions that take place in the user domain, rather than the analysis of the provider’s processes for service development.

The previous methods in service analysis and design take into account principally the roles and the actions of the customer and the provider in service systems. Hence, the interest is in the interaction between the customer and the provider for the provision (e.g. Bitner, Ostrom and Morgan, 2008) or the co-creation of service and service value (e.g. Alter, 2010). In this method, the interaction is not between the customer and the provider, directly, but between the user and the service. Hence, the interest lies in the use of the service in the everyday activities of the user, rather than in the interactions for the co-creation or the acquisition of the service. In addition, previous methods in service analysis and design stressed the analysis of the business processes and the interface between the customer and the service system, with the customer being put at the edge of the analytical process, either as recipient of the service offering or as contributor to the service process. In this method we underscore the role of the user. The User Domain includes the analysis of the user activities, tasks, context and the value, which have not been studied in previous works.

The user’s perspective in service analysis and design requires the user actively participates in the analysis and design process – or else the designer gains somehow a deep understanding of the way people live their lives and use services. Ethnographic research methods can be useful in this effort. Brenner et al. (2014) suggest ethnography (including focus groups, experiments and observations with user groups, living labs, video ethnography, etc.) is a prominent research method for addressing the challenges of the ‘user, use and utility’ research challenges. Other researchers suggest also ethnography as an appropriate method for the design of service systems (e.g. Glushko, 2010) and

mobile services (e.g. Champiri, Shahamiri and Salim, 2015; Oulasvirta, Rattenbury, Ma and Raita, 2012).

More importantly, mobile and other new technologies can support gaining understanding of the way people live their lives and use services as they have the capacity to keep track of the contextual parameters and the timeline of service use and, hence, extend the line of visibility beyond the direct interactions and usage of mobile services. Moreover, they enable the observation and measurement of human behavior, which can allow the analysis, modeling and experimentation with human behaviors, reveal behavioral patterns and support a dynamic adaptation of service provision.

In figure 6.4 we can see the complexities of the digitalization of life with regard to the use of mobile apps and devices. Even in this simple scenario the individual uses several different mobile apps and devices in order to receive services. The switching between mobile apps and devices can be time consuming, baffling and sometimes frustrating. The analysis can reveal common patterns in the use of mobile services and provide insights for the development of integrated or federated platforms for the common provision or access to relevant mobile services

The analysis in the technological domain can be pursued with the use of several methods for the modeling of business processes (e.g. BPMN) and information systems (e.g. UML). Future research can pursue the further development of the technological context in the analytical framework, with the integration of research methods for the analysis of the computing, hardware and network aspects of mobile service systems.

Chapter 7. Research outcomes, implications and insights

7.1 Research outcomes

The thesis takes into account the recent research challenges in the area of service research in information systems, especially with concern to the priorities of the ‘user, usage and utility’ research agenda (Brenner et al., 2014), from which emerge the key research topics of the thesis (i.e. the concept of service value, the role of the user in service processes and the user’s perspective in service analysis and design). The thesis aims at contribution to the development of interdisciplinary approaches for the study of service systems that combine the concerns of the providers about technologies and business operations/ models and the users about service usage and utility/ value. For this, it adopts an interdisciplinary, value-driven and user-centered approach for the study of service systems and proposes a research framework that integrates the technological, the business and the usage aspects of service systems. This framework provides the baseline for the study of the concept of value in service systems, the role of the user in service processes, and the user’s perspective in service analysis and design. In sum, the thesis produces the following research outcomes:

a) The three-domain framework for the study of service systems (in chapter 3).

b) Two conceptual models of service value that represent the ecosystemic/

global perspective and the user’s perspective on service value, respectively (in chapter 4).

c) A categorization of customer participation in joint value activities (in chapter 5).

d) The User-Service-Technology method for service analysis and design from the user’s perspective (in chapter 6).

We proposed at the beginning an interdisciplinary framework for the study of service systems that includes three domains of service research (i.e. ‘three-domain framework’): the Technology Domain, the Business Domain and the User Domain. The framework combines, hence, the different concerns of the technology providers, the service providers and the service users and provides a basis for the development of integrated approaches in service research in information systems that examine the different aspects of service provision and service usage – or even user-oriented research approaches that emphasize on the analytical perspective of the service user.

The three-domain framework employs service value as the underlying concept of service phenomena in the Technology, the Business and the User Domains and the integrative glue of the three domains. We argue the concept of value transcends the three domains of the framework, integrates the different priorities and concerns and can serve to the conceptual integration of technological architectures, business processes and model and service usage in the life practices of the user.

For the further analysis of the concept of service value we introduced two conceptual models that describe the key value concepts and relationships in service systems, in order to improve understanding and support the analysis and design of service systems. The first conceptual model takes a global view on the three-domain framework and portrays value-related concepts and relationship in service ecosystems, while the second conceptual model zooms in the User Domain and emphasizes on the user’s perspective in service value.

For the analysis of the role of the user in service processes, we emphasized on the participation of the user in joint value activities with the provider for the development of the service offering (i.e. co-production). We developed a categorization that spotlights on the Business Domain and the interaction between the Business Domain and the User Domain. The proposed categorization of customer participation highlights joint value activities for the design of the service offering through customization and personalization, the co-production of the service offering through self-service platforms and do-it-yourself configurations, and the development of service innovations through feedback provision and open innovation processes.

The user’s perspective in service analysis and design takes into account the meaning of service for the user and examines how the user integrates and uses services in his daily life practices in order to create value. Hence, it draws the attention to the use of services in the daily activities of the user, rather than to the processes of the providers and the technologies they use. For the

The user’s perspective in service analysis and design takes into account the meaning of service for the user and examines how the user integrates and uses services in his daily life practices in order to create value. Hence, it draws the attention to the use of services in the daily activities of the user, rather than to the processes of the providers and the technologies they use. For the