Title: Dealing with technology and actor views in designing ICT service systems

Authors: H. Bouwman, M. Janssen

Addresses: TU Delft Jaffalaan 5 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands. ' TU Delft Jaffalaan 5 2628 BX Delft, The Netherlands

Abstract: One of the key characteristics of the ICT industry is convergence, which has to do with bringing together system technologies and actors from different industries. Components provided by various actors are integrated to create end-user services. The design of these service systems requires the collaboration of these actors in what are known as value webs or eco-systems. Attention has to be paid to the interrelatedness and co-evolution of the technological systems and the organisational domains. In this paper, two cases are presented to illustrate the interrelatedness of design-related choices in the systems and actor domain, showing the need to take both the technological systems design perspective and the actor design perspective into account. Furthermore, the need for a multi-theory and multi-method approach is illustrated. Next, the focus is on one of the core design challenges of ICT service systems, i.e., integrating systems components which are dealt with by using a layered design approach.

Keywords: design challenges; services; service systems; actors; value webs; information architecture; business process management; ICT; information technology; communications technology; design choices; systems design; technological systems; layered design.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2010.035677

Journal of Design Research, 2010 Vol.8 No.4, pp.359 - 374

Received: 06 Nov 2009
Accepted: 09 Nov 2009

Published online: 02 Oct 2010 *

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