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2019 | Book

Introduction: Objective of this Research Read chapter Read first chapter

Engineering Service Systems in the Digital Age

Author: Benedikt S. Höckmayr

Publisher: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

Book Series : Markt- und Unternehmensentwicklung Markets and Organisations

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

Benedikt S. Höckmayr explores the unique characteristics of service systems in the digital age and provides generalizable guidelines for engineering these complex entities. The author contributes towards understanding the socio-technical mechanisms that lead to according novel digitally enabled service offerings, together with paving the way for the maturation of a body of design knowledge for their systematic and structured development. Grounded in the worldview of Design Science Research as a problem-solving paradigm, the knowledge contribution provides innovation and service managers with evidence-based design knowledge that is attuned to be applied in everyday business contexts.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Introduction: Objective of this Research
Abstract
Consider a manufacturing firm that has produced bearings and machine components for ages. Its customers traditionally demand for precision products with high quality standards and long lifetimes. To date, the firm used data generated in the course of internal test bench runs in order to further perfect their products and provide information concerning their capabilities to its customers.
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Research Background: Grounding of the Research
Abstract
Whereas most innovation throughout human civilization has captured natural phenomena to invent tangible product offerings, with the separation of information from matter and the rapid growth of global communications networks, more and more innovation will be intangible, digitally enabled, and created around social phenomena. Novel innovation opportunities thus encompass new combinations of digital and physical components to create novel market offerings and evolve from the joint action of a network of actors ranging from suppliers and partners to customers and independent inventors—that is, with a network-centric focus (Barrett et al., 2015; Lusch & Nambisan, 2015; Tilson et al., 2010; Yoo et al., 2010). Against this backdrop, applicable perspectives and approaches that support the development of according novel multifaceted offerings will be dealt with in the further course.
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Research Method: Consuming and Producing Knowledge
Abstract
In contrast to traditional research approaches that are used for exploring or confirming hypotheses, this dissertation follows a design science research (DSR) approach with the primary goal to develop novel artifacts from which generalizable prescriptive knowledge can be explicated (Gregor & Jones, 2007; Hevner et al., 2004). Reverting to its roots, Deng & J i (2018) refer to DSR as a problem-solving research paradigm (March & Storey, 2008). Its objective is to create and evaluate artifacts designed to solve identified organizational problems, thus enabling the transformation from the “present situation” to the “desired situation” (Hevner et al., 2004; March & Smith, 1995; March & Storey, 2008). In accordance with Simon (1996, p. 130), “everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.”
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Knowledge Creation: Advancing Design Knowledge
Abstract
Digitally enabled generativity leads to novel forms of resource integration, thus providing the foundation for innovative service systems that permeate our society in the digital age. Research on service systems engineering (SSE) fosters the systematic design and development of these complex systems and calls for design knowledge that stems from real-world applications. Promising knowledge contributions are rooted in interdisciplinary research fields, albeit exhibiting diverging conceptualizations of premises underlying the notions of SSE and digitally enabled generativity.
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Discussion: Shaping a Body of Design Knowledge
Abstract
Following Bem (2003), the discussion section goes back to the generalities imposed by the overarching research objective. In this vein, Gregor and Hevner (2013) suggest to delineate what has been learned throughout the preceding inquiries by expressing the respective design knowledge gained in terms of the design theory framework specified by Gregor and Jones (2007). A well-developed example for this approach is provided by Moody (2009).
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Conclusion: Reflections on the Research
Abstract
The objective of this research was to answer the research question of how design knowledge for engineering service systems in the digital age can be developed toward a consistent body of design knowledge. In order to address the underlying multifaceted nature of this overarching research question, the overall outline of the dissertation was attuned to the search process that ultimately lead to the emergence of a useful solution (Hevner et al., 2004; Simon, 1996). Against this backdrop, the constituents of this dissertation were comprised of six parts with each of them addressing a distinct task in the context of the overall research objective.
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Engineering Service Systems in the Digital Age
Author
Benedikt S. Höckmayr
Copyright Year
2019
Electronic ISBN
978-3-658-26203-7
Print ISBN
978-3-658-26202-0
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-26203-7