Tackling the Granularity Problem in Service Modularization

In the last few years, the principle of modularity has been increasingly applied to services as service providers seek to reduce time and cost of delivering customized services. Theoretically, the modularization process of a complex service system can be divided into three core steps: Analysis, module design, and architecture design. Practically, this process is much more complex and highly influenced by the degree of granularity of the considered service system elements. Depending on this degree, different interdependencies between the elements can be considered resulting in different modules. Therefore, we argue that diverse design decisions across the modularization process have to be made upfront from the end of the overall design process to the beginning of the service system analysis. Following this, we tailor a formerly proposed framework for service modularization by adding a framework calibration phase

Improving Transfer-of-Training with Learning Management Systems: Where We Are and Where We Should Be

Because of increased job requirements, workforce flexibility and lifelong learning, corporate training services have grown into a key approach for improving organizational performance. Transfer-of-training is a key output of these services, defined as the application and generalization of new competences at work acquired in training._x000D_ Today corporate trainings focus on blended learning by combining learning technologies and face-to-face scenarios. Despite the growing prevalence of blended learning, the extent of transfer-of-training support by IT-based learning management system solutions has not yet been sufficiently addressed in research._x000D_ We first evaluate to which extent the leading learning management system solutions provide support for transfer-of-training. We do so by building on evaluation criteria that have been developed in a process of theory-driven design and industry requirements. Based on the findings we propose areas for future research and development opportunities where evidence based design knowledge is needed to extend the capabilities of learning management systems

Anticipating and considering customers ’ flexibility demands in is outsourcing relationships

Information systems (IS) outsourcing relationships are determined by uncertainties and changing business environments for both client and vendor over a long-term outsourcing lifecycle. Although IS outsourcing arrangements have been widely researched, little attention has been paid to how changing business circumstances and resulting customer demands can be systematically assessed, considered, and integrated in adapted service offerings. In this paper we argue that flexibility and agility are the key to handle uncertainty in IS outsourcing and to achieve a continuous fit in the outsourcing relationship. However, the later clients and vendors identify changing requirements the more expensive it generally becomes to provide the necessary flexibility in outsourcing arrangements. This paper proposes an assessment instrument for a systematic identification of changing customer demands on a business level and resulting flexibility requirements on an IT level that clients and vendors can utilize to structure their discussions in an early phase of an outsourcing relationship. Based on a thorough literature review and a requirements analysis with qualitative expert interviews, relevant dimensions and parameters of customers’ flexibility requirements are derived. These dimensions are involved in the design of the assessment instrument. Managerial implications and directions for future research, especially on the applicability and evaluation of the instrument are discussed

Towards Mass Customized IT Services: Assessing a Method for Identifying Reusable Service Modules and its Implication for IT Service Management

In response to declining prices IT service providers seek to reduce costs by achieving greater economies of scale. The divergent requirements of corporate customers, however, limit the opportunity to achieve scale economies through standardization of services. In response, some outsourcing vendors have embraced a strategy of employing reusable service modules match their clients\u27 needs. Reusable modules create room for standardization on the component level while maintaining the ability of the provider to tailor offerings to individual requirements. In this paper we introduce a method for identifying reusable service modules and demonstrate their application based on case study at a leading European IT Service Provider. The paper discusses the implications of embracing modularization for service offerings and service management

Avoiding the Hermit\u27s Way of Distance Learning: Augmenting Individual Learning With Synchronous Internet Based Seminars

Taking part in professional education is increasingly difficult for highly-skilled employees and executives because they cannot afford to be away from work for the time traditional face-to-face seminars demand. Individual, selfguided learning, on the other hand, lacks the benefits of direct interaction with people interested in the same subject. This calls for a combination of individual and collaborative learning in a virtual setting that preserves the flexibility of individual learning but augments it with virtual seminars that do not necessitate leaving work or travelling for extended periods. In this paper, we present a software environment for such virtual seminars built on widely available technology that provides tools to create a shared context of interaction among the participants and that enables a tutor to structure and facilitate virtual cooperation for learning. This environment was put into practice in an pilot course. Based on this evaluation we survey the fit of the software design for these situations of synchronous, dispersed group work. We particularly explore the role of a tutor or facilitator for successful virtual communication and cooperation. Furthermore, we present first insights into whether virtual seminars could help to improve isolated individual learning through a certain amount of scheduled events and motivating interaction with others. Finally, we describe the information systems community as an ideal test bed for such innovative ways of learning that could help to give IS research a greater bearing on the practice of the field

Increasing the Agility of IT Delivery: Five Types of Bimodal IT Organization

In the age of digital business transformation, enterprises seek to increase their agility and speed of IT delivery. To accomplish this, they change their existing control-driven IT organizational structures and processes and establish separate modes for business-oriented and traditional IT delivery (“bimodal IT”). Though the concept of bimodal IT has been discussed in practice, empirical research regarding the approaches employed to implement bimodal IT is scarce. This paper presents findings from a qualitative-empirical study on the bimodal IT implementation approaches of nine companies. It identifies five different types of bimodal IT in these enterprises and shows that specific mechanisms are applied to enhance the (business) IT alignment in the respective organizational settings of each type. On the basis of similarities and differences among the types, we develop propositions for future research on bimodal IT and derive implications for practice

FAMouS – Framework for Architecting Modular Services

The principle of modularity has been increasingly applied to services in recent years as service providers seek to reduce time and cost of delivering customized services. Numerous methods have been proposed and applied to services to design modular service architectures. However, these methods are insufficient for specific requirements of service modularization, such as the gradual refinement of the underlying complex service system or the integration of experts from different domains. Therefore, we propose a framework for service modularization that covers the phases of analysis, module and architecture design, implementation, and monitoring of a modular service architecture. This framework builds on a series of demonstrations in a complex service system and allows for a systematization of the required tasks, the refinement of gathered data, a structured exchange of information between all phases by the help of the Multiple Domain Matrix Method, and the integration of experts from different domains

Design and Evaluation of Transfer-Supporting IT Components for Corporate Training Services

Corporate training services have grown into a key approach for improving business performance and a substantial industry in recent years. Transfer-of-training is a key output of these services, defined as the application and generalization of new competences at work acquired in training. Researchers have shown that participants apply only few of their learnings at work following training. Thus, corporate trainings seem to suffer from low productivity. IT could be an enabler to embed transfer-related activities to transfer training contents to the work. However, IT support is missing to improve transfer-of-training output of corporate training services. Based on training research and inspired by service logic, the design science research paradigm is utilized to iteratively design transfer-supporting IT components which leverage IT to influence known determinants of transfer-of-training to improve the transfer-of-training output of corporate training services. The final naturalistic evaluation reveals that the components improve the transfer-of-training output of these services