The Next Generation – Design and Implementation of a Smart Glasses-based Modelling System

Abstract

Technical services in innovative business models are becoming increasingly complex. Thus, comprehensive IT-support is crucial for service delivery. Content for those IT-support systems is captured by modelling relevant service processes. Aside the intangibility and integrativity, services are characterized by the complexity of their structure. So, the traditional modelling approaches executed by modelling experts are challenging. To overcome those challenges, we developed a concept to model service processes at the point-of-service while executing the service itself. The process executer (e. g. the technician) is empowered by smart glasses that do not limit his scope of actions. Additionally, the glasses guide through the (runtime) modelling and allow easy capturing of service processes during the execution. We followed a design science-oriented approach. First, we identified relevant process blocks from literature for runtime modelling (analysis). Afterwards, we built related software components for the process blocks (design). We do so by proposing an implementation and an architecture for a smart glasses-based modelling system. Finally, we evaluated the concept by prototyping and demonstrating the system by means of a real-world service process (evaluation). Our approach tackles challenges on how new technology can enhance the modelling at the point-of-service, which process blocks are relevant and how domain experts can be integrated into the modelling process itself. The practical implications are towards new chances of capturing processes.