Service Systems Engineering

TLDR

Service systems engineering (SSE) systematically designs and develops complex socio‑technical service systems guided by a value proposition that enables value co‑creation through actors, resources, and technology, and information systems research can play a leading role in understanding and advancing these systems. The paper seeks to produce actionable design theories, methods, and approaches for systematically designing, developing, and piloting service systems, positioning information systems as uniquely equipped to advance their architecture, interaction, and resource base with evidence‑based design. Assessing SSE models, methods, or artifacts requires embedded research within existing or novel service systems, making piloting IT‑based innovations, design research, or action research the most promising approaches. Three major challenges were identified—engineering service architectures, engineering service interactions, and engineering resource mobilization (including extending resource access via IT)—and the study notes that researching SSE is inherently challenging.

Abstract

Service systems engineering (SSE) focuses on the systematic design and development of service systems. Guided by a value proposition, service systems enable value co-creation through a configuration of actors and resources (often including a service architecture, technology, information, and physical artifacts), therefore constituting complex socio-technical systems. IS research can play a leading role in understanding and developing service systems. SSE calls for research leading to actionable design theories, methods and approaches for systematically designing, developing and piloting service systems, based upon understanding the underlying principles of service systems. Three major challenges have been identified: engineering service architectures, engineering service systems interactions, and engineering resource mobilization, i.e. extending the access to and use of resources by means of IT. Researching SSE is challenging. Assessing the models, methods, or artifacts of SSE often requires embedded research within existing or even novel service systems. Consequently, approaches such as piloting IT-based innovations, design research or action research are the most promising for SSE research. As an integrative discipline, IS is in a unique position to spearhead the efforts in advancing the architecture, interaction, and resource base of service systems with evidence-based design.