@article{65311, abstract = {{Information Systems (IS) is rooted in systems theory. Systems theory offers powerful concepts to address challenges of growing system complexity and non-systemic design approaches in information systems. Despite its systemic origins, systems theory remains a peripheral topic in IS. The study addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive framework of 52 systems-theoretical concepts to guide the design of complex IS artifacts. We synthesize scattered systems knowledge from diverse disciplines to provide a unified level of abstraction for complex information system design. We apply the framework to a use case of business reputation systems to show how the systems lens informs the design of a novel, complex information system. We make three key contributions to the literature. First, the framework provides a common ground for interdisciplinary research in information system design. Second, it offers a unified level of abstraction grounded in systems theory that serves as a coherent basis for artifact design. Third, it demonstrates the potential of systems theory as a foundational justificatory knowledge base. Furthermore, we provide guidance on applying the framework across multiple modes of reasoning, alongside further application guidelines. The study thus serves as a bridge between the body of systems knowledge and contextual design in IS.}}, author = {{Ibrahimli, Ulvi and Hemmrich, Simon and Winkelmann, Axel}}, journal = {{Communication of the Association for Information Systems}}, keywords = {{Information Systems Research, Systems Theory, System Complexity, System Design, Design Science}}, publisher = {{AIS}}, title = {{{Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems}}}, doi = {{https://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol58/iss1/37/}}, year = {{2026}}, } @inbook{65310, abstract = {{Trust between client and consultant is perhaps the most important asset in con-sulting, as this is a highly intangible knowledge-intensive business that concerns is-sues of outstanding strategic and operational importance for the customers. Cli-ents who have not worked with a particular consultancy face considerable risk when they place an order while lacking reliable information about the service quality they can expect. There is a strong link between trust and reputation, as the positive reputation of a consultancy can act as a substitute for a new client’s missing individual experience with the provider, fostering trust in the service quali-ty. Thus, creating, maintaining, and demonstrating a good reputation is of signifi-cant importance for consultancies in a very competitive industry. To facilitate trustworthy signals, we design and implement a novel reputation mechanism that carries a monetary weight stored on a blockchain network as an immutable, decentralized, and transparent ledger. Based on an implementation in the Ethereum network and subsequent evaluation, we conclude that the reputation mechanism can contribute to leveling information asymmetry and reducing risk while increasing reputation and trust. The mechanism lends itself to being used in other business-to-business scenarios that suffer from similar information asymmetries.}}, author = {{Hemmrich, Simon and Nissen, Volker}}, booktitle = {{ Advanced Studies in Consulting Research and Digitalization – A Scientific Update on the Digital Transformation of the Consulting Industry. Springer.}}, editor = {{Nissen, Volker}}, keywords = {{Reputation Systems, Consulting, Design Science Invention, Incentive, Blockchain, Monetary ratings, building trust, reduce information asymmetry consulting, B2B reputation system, consulting risk reduction, supplier evaluation system}}, title = {{{A blockchain-based reputation system for consulting}}}, year = {{2026}}, } @article{50649, abstract = {{The energy turnaround and the shift towards sustainable mobility threaten the stability of European energy distribution grids due to substantially increasing load fluctuations and power demand. These challenges can critically impact assets in the distribution grid—e.g., switchgears—intensifying the need to plan, conduct, and manage the maintenance of such assets. Predictive maintenance strategies that analyze assets' current and historical condition data have been discussed as promising approaches toward that end. However, the extant research focuses on designing and improving analytical algorithms or information technology (IT) artifacts while not considering how a maintenance service is cocreated by companies with IT. This research article posits that IT and service must be aligned closely, presenting an ensemble artifact comprising a digital industrial platform and a smart service system for predictive maintenance on the distribution grid. The artifact is evaluated by conducting a willingness-to-pay analysis with asset operators, documenting their demand for condition monitoring and predictive maintenance as an integrated solution, although they still struggle with even getting the condition data of their assets. Building on these results, we formalize the knowledge in the form of design principles and implications for managing the maintenance of critical assets in the distribution grid.}}, author = {{zur Heiden, Philipp and Priefer, Jennifer and Beverungen, Daniel}}, issn = {{0018-9391}}, journal = {{IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management}}, keywords = {{Design science research, digital platform, distribution grid, IS design, predictive maintenance, smart services}}, pages = {{3641--3655}}, publisher = {{Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)}}, title = {{{Predictive Maintenance on the Energy Distribution Grid—Design and Evaluation of a Digital Industrial Platform in the Context of a Smart Service System}}}, doi = {{10.1109/tem.2024.3352819}}, volume = {{71}}, year = {{2024}}, } @inproceedings{56918, abstract = {{Joint value creation of organizations in ecosystems have a high failure rate, stressing the need for tools that enable the alignment of business models through visual inquiry. However, existing visual inquiry tools rarely consider recent design knowledge or ecosystem understanding. This leads to dissatisfied users and impedes the full realization of ecosystems’ potential. This short paper proposes an archaeological design science approach for enhancing the design of visual inquiry tools (e.g., a canvas) for ecosystems. Preliminary findings reveal 24 relevant artifacts, and shortcomings in the creation of conceptual models and rigorous evaluations. The proposed research process aims to develop design principles for more effective tools to bridge the gap between visual inquiry tools and ecosystems. This research contributes to design science research by reutilizing design knowledge and further developing the archaeological design approach. It also offers valuable information to practitioners about existing business model tools for the creation of ecosystems.}}, author = {{Vorbohle, Christian}}, booktitle = {{Proceedings of the Thirty-Second European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2024)}}, keywords = {{Design Science Research, Design Archaeology, Canvas Analysis, Business Model Tools}}, location = {{Paphos, Cyprus}}, title = {{{Bridging Boundaries: Enhancing Visual Inquiry Tools for Ecosystems through Design Archaeology}}}, year = {{2024}}, } @inproceedings{21727, abstract = {{Platform-based business models underlie the success of many of today’s largest, fastest-growing, and most disruptive companies. Despite the success of prominent examples, such as Uber and Airbnb, creating a profitable platform ecosystem presents a key challenge for many companies across all industries. Although research provides knowledge about platforms’ different value drivers (e.g., network effects), companies that seek to transform their current business model into a platform-based one lack an artifact to reduce knowledge boundaries, collaborate effectively, and cope with the complexities and dynamics of platform ecosystems. We address this challenge by developing two artifacts and combining research from variability modeling, business model dependencies, and system dynamics. This paper presents a design science research approach to develop the platform ecosystem modeling language and the platform ecosystem development tool that support researcher and practitioner by visualizing and simulating platform ecosystems. }}, author = {{Vorbohle, Christian and Gottschalk, Sebastian}}, booktitle = {{Proceedings of the 29th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS)}}, keywords = {{Platform Ecosystems, Platform Ecosystem Modeling Language, Platform Ecosystem Development Tool, Business Models, Design Science}}, location = {{Virtual Conference/Workshop}}, publisher = {{AIS}}, title = {{{Towards Visualizing and Simulating Business Models in Dynamic Platform Ecosystems }}}, year = {{2021}}, } @inproceedings{17055, abstract = {{Understanding a new literature corpus can be a grueling experience for junior scholars. Nevertheless, corresponding guidelines have not been updated for decades. We contend that the traditional strategy of skimming all papers and reading selected papers afterwards needs to be revised. Therefore, we design a new strategy that guides the overall exploratory process by prioritizing influential papers for initial reading, followed by skimming the remaining papers. Consistent with schemata theory, starting with in-depth reading allows readers to acquire more substantial prior content schemata, which are representa-tive for the literature corpus and useful in the following skimming process. To this end, we develop a prototype that identifies the influential papers from a set of PDFs, which is illustrated in a case study in the IT business value domain. With the new strategy, we envision a more efficient process of exploring unknown literature corpora.}}, author = {{Wagner, Gerit and Empl, Philipp and Schryen, Guido}}, booktitle = {{28th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2020)}}, keywords = {{Reading and skimming, Exploring literature, Review methodology, Design science research, Schemata theory}}, location = {{Marrakesh, Morocco}}, title = {{{Designing a Novel Strategy for Exploring Literature Corpora}}}, year = {{2020}}, } @inproceedings{16285, abstract = {{To decide in which part of town to open stores, high street retailers consult statistical data on customers and cities, but they cannot analyze their customers’ shopping behavior and geospatial features of a city due to missing data. While previous research has proposed recommendation systems and decision aids that address this type of decision problem – including factory location and assortment planning – there currently is no design knowledge available to prescribe the design of city center area recommendation systems (CCARS). We set out to design a software prototype considering local customers’ shopping interests and geospatial data on their shopping trips for retail site selection. With real data on 500 customers and 1,100 shopping trips, we demonstrate and evaluate our IT artifact. Our results illustrate how retailers and public town center managers can use CCARS for spatial location selection, growing retailers’ profits and a city center’s attractiveness for its citizens.}}, author = {{zur Heiden, Philipp and Berendes, Carsten Ingo and Beverungen, Daniel}}, booktitle = {{Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik}}, keywords = {{Town Center Management, High Street Retail, Recommender Systems, Geospatial Recommendations, Design Science Research}}, location = {{Potsdam}}, title = {{{Designing City Center Area Recommendation Systems }}}, doi = {{doi.org/10.30844/wi_2020_e1-heiden}}, year = {{2020}}, } @article{4516, abstract = {{Although many methods have been proposed for engineering service systems and customer solutions, most of these approaches give little consideration to recombinant service innovation. Recombinant innovation refers to reusing and integrating resources that were previously unconnected. In an age of networked products and data, we can expect that many service innovations will be based on adding, dissociating, and associating existing value propositions by accessing internal and external resources instead of designing them from scratch. The purpose of this paper is to identify if current service engineering approaches account for the mechanisms of recombinant innovation and to design a method for recombinant service systems engineering. In a conceptual analysis of 24 service engineering methods, the study identified that most methods (1) focus on designing value propositions instead of service systems, (2) view service independent of physical goods, (3) are either linear or iterative instead of agile, and (4) do not sufficiently address the mechanisms of recombinant innovation. The paper discusses how these deficiencies can be remedied and designs a revised service systems engineering approach that reorganizes service engineering processes according to four design principles. The method is demonstrated with the recombinant design of a service system for predictive maintenance of agricultural machines.}}, author = {{Beverungen, Daniel and Lüttenberg, Hedda and Wolf, Verena}}, issn = {{2363-7005}}, journal = {{Business & Information Systems Engineering}}, keywords = {{Service engineering, Recombinant innovation, (Product-)service system, Design science research, New service development}}, number = {{5}}, pages = {{377--391}}, publisher = {{SpringerNature}}, title = {{{Recombinant Service Systems Engineering}}}, doi = {{10.1007/s12599-018-0526-4}}, volume = {{60}}, year = {{2018}}, } @article{5614, abstract = {{Natural disasters, including earthquakes, Tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions, have caused tremendous harm and continue to threaten millions of humans and various infrastructure capabilities each year. In their efforts to take countermeasures against the threats posed by future natural disasters, the United Nations formulated the ?Hyogo Framework for Action?, which aims at assessing and reducing risk. This framework and a global review of disaster reduction initiatives of the United Nations acknowledge the need for information systems research contributions in addressing major challenges of natural disaster management. In this paper, we provide a review of the literature with regard to how information systems research has addressed risk assessment and reduction in natural disaster management. Based on the review we identify research gaps that are centered around the need for acquiring general knowledge on how to design IS artifacts for risk assessment and reduction. In order to close these gaps in further research, we develop a research agenda that follows the IS design science paradigm.}}, author = {{Schryen, Guido and Wex, Felix}}, journal = {{International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (IJISCRAM)}}, keywords = {{Natural Disaster Management, Risk Reduction, Hyogo Framework, IS Design Science, Literature review}}, number = {{1}}, title = {{{Risk Reduction in Natural Disaster Management Through Information Systems: A Literature review and an IS design science research agenda}}}, volume = {{6}}, year = {{2014}}, } @inproceedings{4698, author = {{Gregor, Shirley and Müller, Oliver and Seidel, Stefan}}, booktitle = {{European Conference on Information Systems}}, keywords = {{Abstraction, Affordances, Design Science Research, Design Theory, Information Systems Development, Reflection, Theorizing}}, title = {{{Reflection, abstraction and theorizing in design and development research}}}, year = {{2013}}, }