Digital Service: Technological Agency in Service Systems

Abstract

This paper defines digital service in the context of technologically enhanced value co-creation between service system entities. Progress in digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasing the relative share of technologically enhanced value co-creation between service system entities (e.g., people, companies, nations). Highly automated technical systems increasingly act as autonomous agents, on behalf of service providers, in value co-creation interactions with the system users. Sufficient conceptualization, abstractions and modeling paradigms for research and development of this type of value co-creation are absent from the literature and introduced in this paper. The main contribution of the paper is introduction and definition of digital service and digital service membrane as fundamental concepts in service science and service systems, with directions for future research on the topic.

How Well Do Service Concepts Apply to Digital Services and Service Digitalization?

“…A frequently cited definition is "configurations of people, technology and other resources interacting via value propositions to create mutual value." [14,15]. That definition is difficult to apply to examples shown later, where value propositions and mutual value are elusive, especially where value propositions are unstated and where stakeholder interests conflict.…”

“…A different HICSS 2019 paper [14] defined a DS as "a service executed in full by a technical system, when a user invokes a digital Information, Computing, Communication and Automation Technology (ICCAT) based system that (co-)creates the desired outcome. … [in a DS] the assistance or benefit is mediated by means of ICCAT system between the service provider and service user roles.…”

“…DSs often serve as components in a hierarchy of interacting DSs which may play digital agent roles in sociotechnical systems. ICCATs [14] serve as DSs that coordinate other DSs to produce results for human or automated customers. DSs serving as digital agents may be triggered by human requests, by messages (DOs) sent from other digital agents (such as ICCATs), or by clock time or other conditions.…”

An Experimental Case Study on Edge Computing Based Cyber-Physical Digital Service Provisioning with Mobile Robotics

“…A recent paper [19] conceptualized and proposed definition for digital service in context of service science and service systems, where digital service was defined as an autonomous technical system-of-systems, which represent technological agency of the service provider in value co-creation interaction with service user/customer. This viewpoint on digital service, defining it as a technical system-of-systems of Information, Communication, Computing and Automation Technologies (ICCAT) artefact, covers also IoT and CPS type of systems as enabling technical subsystem types for realization of digital service.…”

“…This viewpoint on digital service, defining it as a technical system-of-systems of Information, Communication, Computing and Automation Technologies (ICCAT) artefact, covers also IoT and CPS type of systems as enabling technical subsystem types for realization of digital service. For avoidance of doubt, the term digital service in this paper is to be understood as defined in [19].…”