- Email: [email protected]
Service Systems Engineering: Emerging Skills and Tools
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Procedia Computer Science 00 (2012) 000–000
Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
Procedia Computer Science
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
New Challenges in Systems Engineering and Architecting Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER) 2012 – St. Louis, MO Cihan H. Dagli, Editor in Chief Organized by Missouri University of Science and Technology
Service Systems Engineering: Emerging Skills and Tools Ricardo Pineda*, Amit Lopes, Bill Tseng, Oscar H. Salcedo Research Institute for Manufacturing and Engineering Systems (RIMES) The University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract We are living in a global service economy in which services now make up more than 78% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This growth in Service has also become a global phenomenon and this has brought much needed attention to Service Science and Service Systems Engineering (SSE). As part of these efforts, this paper proposes the enhancement of existing architectural frameworks for Service Systems. We readily concede that IT is at the heart of Service Systems but we argue existing frameworks need to be expanded to address service systems governance and insertion of technology breakthroughs. A modified NIST framework is illustrated, that includes an Enterprise/Service Management plane to analyze energy Smart Grids as an end-to-end service provider. We also realized the need for integration of tools for the real-time dynamic analysis of ever-changing requirements within a Service System. This concept is illustrated in the form of an internet manufacturing laboratory where design, fabrication, IT, and other supporting tools are integrated to rapidly fabricate complex 3D prototype models. Finally, we discuss issues which need to be addressed for the creation of curricula and professional degree programs in Service Systems Engineering at the graduate level. As a result, we propose a plan for including a Service Systems Engineering specialization track within traditional Systems Engineering programs.
© 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection Keywords: Service Systems Engineering, Emerging Skills, MBSE, Dynamic Modeling
1.
Introduction:
Much needed attention is currently being given to Service Science and Service Systems Engineering (SSE) due to the growth of Services in an evolving global economy. We are living in a service oriented economy in which Services now make up more than 78% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. This growth in Service has become a global phenomenon which requires trans-disciplinary collaborations between society, science, enterprises, and engineering. Several researchers are currently investigating end-user (customer) interactions with enterprises from a socio-economic and technological perspective by developing formal methodologies for value co-creation and productivity improvements. Service transactions are customized and personalized to meet the particular customer need, this takes a disciplined a Ricardo Pineda. Tel.: 001-915-747-6971; fax: 001-915-747-7871. E-mail address: [email protected].
1877-0509 © 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.procs.2012.01.081
Lopes et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Ricardo Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
and systemic approach among different stakeholders and resources to take an end-user (service oriented customer-centric) approach in the design and delivery of the service [2, 3, 4, 5]. Services are activities that cause a transformation of the state of an entity (people, product, business, and region or nation) by mutually agreed terms between the service provider and the customer. Individual services are relatively simple, although they may require customization and significant backstage support (e.g., database, knowledge management, analysis, forecasting, etc.) to assure quality and timely delivery. In Service Systems practice, we describe the service value chain in terms of links among system entities; value is then co-created and delivered [6]. A Service System is thus defined by its value co-creation chain in which stakeholders work in open collaboration to deliver consistently high quality service according to the business goals, service goals, and customer goals. Traditionally, Product Businesses and Service Businesses have closely guarded SSE as a Proprietary Process for their competitive advantage. SSE practices have been applied mainly by Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) service providers [7, 8, 9, 10]. However, the explosive growth of the World Wide Web and advances in computer science, ICT, and Business Processes Management (BPM) through “social networking” has mandated the transition to closely inter-related and integrated Service Systems to narrow the Product and Service business gaps. 2.
Service Systems Engineering Approach:
In today’s global economy, Enterprises need to plan, develop, and manage the enhancements of their infrastructure, products, and services, including marketing strategies for product and service offerings based on new, unexplored, or unforeseen customer needs with clearly differentiated value propositions. As a result, the Service Systems Engineering methodology addresses the service-oriented, customercentric, holistic systems view to create, select and combine Service System entities. The SSE approach helps define, and discover relationships among Service System entities, in order to plan, design, adapt or self-adapt to co-create value. Thus the SSE approach identifies linkages, relationships, constraints, challenges/problems, new technologies, interoperability standards, interface agreements or process development requirements among service entities to deliver planned service or for addressing potential future services [4, 6, 11]. SSE mandates participation from engineering, business, operations and customers within different scientific domains such as Management Science, Behavioral Science, Social Science, Systems Science, Network Science, Computer Science, Decision Informatics, etc [3]. The Service Development Process (SDP) for new services is triggered by the market concept of the intended service including considerations such as the stakeholder(s), service value chain(s), target market(s), target customer(s), demand forecast, pricing strategy, customer access privileges, etc. which together comprise the Service strategy. The SDP process then adapts the Traditional Systems Engineering (TSE) as a Life Cycle Approach (Concept/Definition, Design/Development, Deployment/Transition, Operations, Lifecycle Management/Utilization/Continuous Service Improvement (CSI) and Retirement) [6]. Implementation of SSE has some major challenges, including, the dynamic nature of continuously evolving Service Systems which need to adapt to constantly changing operations and/or business environments, the need to overcome silos of knowledge, and enable interoperability of Service System entities through interface agreements. Accounting for the above challenges must be at the forefront of the Service Systems Engineering design process for the harmonization of Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning (OAM&P) procedures of the individual Service System entities [6]. 3.
Tools in Service Systems Engineering:
3.1. Architectural Frameworks: For several years traditional service providers (Telecommunications, Information Technology, Business Reengineering, Web Services, etc.) have addressed the importance of service-oriented customercentric design through the creation of Process Driven Architectural Frameworks. Standards bodies and/or private enterprises, who recognized the advantage of having standard processes that integrate the business strategic processes and operations with the Information Technology and technology infrastructure, have
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defined several useful architectural frameworks (ITIL [12], e-TOM [13], TOGAF [14], NIST [15] etc.). However, architectural frameworks model different scopes and levels of detail of business strategies, product and service offerings, business operations, organizational aspects, etc., and currently there is no unifying framework that captures all aspects required to model Service Systems. Thus an integrated universal architectural framework is required to create the enterprise Service System model. As part of this effort, we analyzed an enterprise providing smart-grid services as an end-to-end Service System. Figure 1 illustrates an end-to-end service view of a smart grid using an integrated e-TOM and NIST framework. The inclusion of and enterprise/service management plane within a standard NIST framework helps analyze the business as an enterprise. This analysis takes into account the interoperability and harmonization requirements in the NIST reference model and helps maximize effectiveness and efficiency of the business processes in Smart Grid business operations [16].
Figure 1. Enterprise Architectural approach for Smart Grids [16] In addition to architectural frameworks, Business Process Management (BPM) provides several process management scenarios to coordinate people and systems including: sequential workflow, straight through processing, case management, content lifecycle management, collaborative process work and value chain participation. [17] 3.2. SSE Tools: Tools and Technologies from a broad spectrum of fields must be used for the development of the Hardware, Software, Information Systems and Technology Infrastructure components during the different stages of Service Systems Engineering. Furthermore, modeling, definition, and design of the organization, processes and data structures are required for the end-to-end view of the Service System. Commonly used tools for logical (functional), behavioral (operational) and physical design of the Information Technology and Technologies include Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model Driven Architectures (MDA), Model Oriented Systems Engineering (MOSES), etc. Additionally, UML, UML2.0 and SysML are extensively used to describe operational scenarios, modes of operations use cases and entity relationships through Requirement, Structural, Behavior, and Parametric diagrams. For an extensive review of MBSE, MDA and MOSES the reader is referred to [18, 19, 20, 21, 22]. An example of Modeling and Simulation is a smart-grid operational concept developed using SysML as shown below. Figure 2 illustrates the main Use Case of a typical Smart Grid that generates energy using a renewable system and is also interconnected to the public utility provider for possible exchange of energy services under different modes of operation. [16]
Lopes et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Ricardo Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
Figure 2. Behavior of a typical Smart Grid [16] Although there are a variety of tools avalilable in Traditional Systems Engineering, in order to effectively utilize them in Service Systems Engienering, we need to effectively integrate the available tools. Consider the example of a digital manufacturing system. Traditionally, digital manufacturing involved the use of several technologies, including, design software, fabrication systems, image processing tools, etc. In order to fully utilize the potential of digital manufacturing systems, there is a need to integrate the various traditional tools with technological enhancement (virtual simulators, network based manufacturing) [23]. Tseng et al. [23] propose a virtual platform that integrates various technologies available within layered manufacturing to develop a Internet Based Enterprise (IBE) wide end-to-end digital manufacturing laboratory (See Figure 3).
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Machining Process CAM Software
VMC
Design Process DES B
A B
Assembly & Inspection
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Handling Robot
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Parts
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CAD Software DES C
Parts
DES D
Rapid Prototyping
A B
Assembly Robot Final Product
PLC Inspection Robot
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Slicing Software
RP machine
D
Figure 3. Internet Based Manufacturing Laboratory [18] Since services exhibit a significant level of randomness, statistical analysis, demand forecasting, multi-objective optimization, queuing theory, stochastic optimization methodologies, and decision support systems are tools that are used to model and simulate the Service Systems’ behavior. Resource allocation, number of facilities and facilities geographical locations, fleet routing and optimization, Service Systems reliability and prognosis, network optimization, etc. are some diverse decision making areas that are supported by the above methodologies. A good overview of these methodologies can be found in Daskin [24] and Pineda [6]. It is also important to plan for the implementation and insertion of technologies and tools throughout the SDP for the continuous improvement of the service. Some of the commonly used methodologies for service evaluation and continuous improvement include Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Swim Lanes, Balanced Scoreboard, Benchmarking, Gap Analysis, etc. Systems Engineering processes that help in coordinating and synchronizing all the Service Systems engineering processes are implemented and managed using well establshed standards (IEEE 1220) leading to improved organizational collaboration and improved service delivery. 4.
Curriculum and Skills
The technology and globalization forces of the industrial world are transforming the way companies conduct business. Universities have been slow in aligning the curriculum to meet the changing needs of employers [25, 26]. Why are the skills needed for SSE different from those skills in traditional disciplines such as Industrial Engineering? As compared to Industrial Engineering, Service Systems Engineering focuses much more on the following areas [27]: • Co-creation • People and agents • Knowledge management and deployment • Interdisciplinary integration of engineering and business • Social/cognitive science • Business processes • Social and networking media Because of this misalignment between needs and curriculum, companies are finding it difficult to fill positions with graduates skilled in applying the scientific and quantitative tools associated with service sector career employment opportunities. Present in all Service Systems is the process of co-creation, which is the coordination of transformational efforts between the service provider and the customer or
Lopes et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Ricardo Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
end-user. Because there is co-creation and since tangible products play only an incidental role, each customer is looking to obtain simultaneous “value” from the service chain. Indeed, these transactions are immediate and customized to meet the differing needs of the customer. As with any provider, the service provider needs to balance the level and value of the services offered with the ability to generate sustainable revenue and profits. Several traditional operations management performance measures like productivity and efficiency now take on a different emphasis and are also more difficult to quantify. Not too long ago standardization and “sameness” of a company’s offerings contributed greatly to its profit and growth. Today, these same attributes can cost a company its existence in the market place, because customization instead of standardization is dominant. [2] Service System engineers fit the T-shaped professionals [4] which must have a deeply developed specialty area as well as a broad set of skills and capabilities. Chang has identified some key skills for service system engineers which can be categorized under four general headings: 1. Skills to manage the system, the business, the market, the knowledge, and finance 2. Operations and service processes skills 3. Analytical and people skills 4. Innovation, ethics, and global perspective For an in-depth discussion of these Service System skills, see Chang 2010 [28]. Table 1. A Curriculum for Service Systems Engineering [29] Category Analytical Skills
Interpersonal Issues
Business Management Services Processes Operation of Service Systems
Management of Service Systems
Characteristics Problem Solving Economic Decision Analysis Risk Analysis Cost Estimating Probability and Statistics Professional Responsibility Verbal Skills Leadership Technical Writing Facilitator Skills Team Building Project Costing Business Planning Change Management Performance Measurement Flowcharting Work Task Breakdown Process Evaluation and Improvement Quality Improvement Customer Relations Risk Management Scheduling Budgeting MIS
Based on their Delphi Study in 2003, Sorby et al. [29] have proposed the following objectives for any Service Systems Engineering curriculum: 1. A sound technical foundation with a Service Systems Engineering focus and the flexibility to pursue professional interests in areas outside of engineering that could lead to a wide variety of career paths. 2. In-depth technical preparation in Service Systems Engineering that could serve as a springboard to professional degree programs such as the Master of Service System Engineering. 3. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to facilitate a lifetime of professional success. These attributes would include excellent communication skills, an understanding of ethical and global issues, and a commitment to life-long earning and professional development.
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4. The ability to function on multidisciplinary teams that extend the traditional boundaries of engineering. 5. The ability to design and improve systems and processes that provide services by applying a systems perspective coupled with a thorough understanding of the customer. We fully endorse and advocate such a curriculum and its objectives in part because we have implemented many aspects of this curriculum when we designed and launched our own systems engineering program here at the University of Texas at El Paso four years ago. Through the efforts of the Research Institute for Manufacturing and Engineering Systems (RIMES) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), an academic model fostering systems thinking through experiential or practice-based education by allowing team work on application of principles being learned has been developed [30, 31]. When research, technology development, and academic programs are brought together to foster multidisciplinary work and end-to-end systems thinking, it closes the gap between engineering education, academic research, and industry applied research needs. As a continued development towards a 21st century curriculum, the incorporation of a Service Systems Engineering specialization track within existing Systems Engineering programs will help address the challenges in the realization of Service Systems. This specialization track would require students to take three Service Systems Engineering courses such as Service Oriented Architectures, Strategic and Decision Support Systems, Multivariate Multi-objective Optimization, Service Management, etc. Furthermore, the students would be encouraged to participate in internships that require the design and implementation of Service Systems. 5.
Conclusions
These are exciting times for Service Systems research. With services approaching 80% of national output, and services jobs outpacing manufacturing jobs, it is not too surprising to see that ongoing research into Service Systems is robust and growing. We have covered a lot of ground, but there is still much more to do. We can see that the vision and skills needed to conceptualize and develop Service Systems are very different and need to be much more focused on people skills, interdisciplinary approaches, and able to harness the emerging power of social media. Any proposed curriculum and program must focus on these critical skills. The enabling frameworks for Service Systems need to be enhanced to address Service Systems governance and technology in a way that encourage an end-to-end view of the Service System enterprise. Finally, following the old adage that the tools make the craftsman, we propose to integrate the Service Systems toolbox to allow for the dynamic analysis of interactions between service entities as they constitute and continually reconstitute to co-create value in real-time. 6. [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5]. [6]. [7].
References Moran, M. 2006. Servicizing Solar Panels. LUMES Department Industry Course Report. Lund University, Sweden. Tien, J,M. and Berg, D. 2003. A Case for Service Systems Engineering. Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering 12 (1): 13-38. Hipel, K.W., Jamshidi, M.M., Tien, J.M., and White, C.C. 2007. The Future of Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Application Domains and research Methods. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics-Part C: Applications and Reviews 37 (5): 726-743. Maglio P. and Spohrer, J. 2008. Fundamentals of Service Science. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 36 (1): 18-20. DOI: 10.1007/s11747-007-0058-9. Vargo, S.L. and Akaka, M.A. 2009. Service-Dominant Logic as a Foundation for Service Science: Clarifications. Service Science 1 (1): 32-41. Pineda, R. 2011. Service Systems Engineering. Systems Engineering Book of Knowledge. http://www.bkcasewiki.org/index.php/Service_Systems_Engineering. AT&T SRP. 2008. Technical Approach to Service Delivery. General Services Administration, AT&T Bridge Contract No. GS00Q09NSD0003, http://www.corp.att.com/gov/contracts/fts_bridge/technical/07_vol_I_section _1.pdf. accessed on June 1st 2011.
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[8]. [9]. [10]. [11]. [12]. [13]. [14]. [15]. [16]. [17]. [18]. [19]. [20]. [21]. [22]. [23]. [24]. [25]. [26]. [27]. [28]. [29].
[30]. [31].
Eppinger, S. 2001. Innovation at the Speed of Information. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Freeman, R.L. 2004. Telecommunication Systems Engineering. Wiley-Interscience. 4 edition. ISBN-10: 0471451339; ISBN-13: 978-0471451334. Whitten, J. and Bentley, L. 2007. Systems Analysis and Design Methods. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 13:978-0-07-305233-5. Lefever, B. 2005. SeSCE Methodology Overview. Service Centric Systems Engineering. ITIL V3. 2007. ITIL Lifecycle Publication Suite Books. The Stationery Office. ISBN: 9780113310500. e-TOM. 2009. Telecommunications Management Forum, Business Process Framework. www.tmforum.org/BusinessProcessFramework/1647/home.html. accessed on May 30, 2011. TOGAF 9. The Open Group Architecture Framework. www.opengroup.org/togaf. accessed on May 30, 2011. NIST. 2010. National Institute of Standard and Technology. “NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Release 1.0”, Office of the National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability, Department of Commerce. Lopes, A. J., Lezama, R., and Pineda, R. 2011. Model Based Systems Engineering for Smart Grids as Systems of Systems. Complex Adaptive Systems, Volume 1. To appear OASIS. 2007. Web Services Business Process Execution Language Version 2.0. Organization for Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) Standard. Technical Report. Friedenthal, S. 1998. Object Oriented System Engineering: Process Integration for 2000 and beyond. System Engineering & Software Symposium, New Orleans, LA. Lockheed Martin Corporation. Estefan, J.A. 2007. Survey of Model-Based Systems Engineering Methodologies. MBSE Focus Group Report. Pezuela, C., 2005. Collection of Existing Service Centric Prototypes. Andrikopoulos, V., Bucchiarone, A., Di Nitto, E., Kazhamiakin, R., Lane, S., Mazza, V., and Richardson, I. 2010. Service Engineering. S-CUBE Book 2010: 271-337. Hybertson, D.W. 2009. Model-Oriented Systems Engineering Science: A Unifying Framework for Traditional and Complex Systems, Auerbach Publications. ISBN # 978-1-4200-7251-8. Tseng, B., Wicker, R. Pan, R. and Awalt, C. 2010. Enhancement of Internet Based Layer Manufacturing for Engineering Education. Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education 2010 Conference. Louisville, KY. Daskin, M.S. 2010. Service Science. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-0-470-52588-3. Spohrer, J. and Kwan, S.K. 2009. Service Science, Management, Engineering, and Design (SSMED): An Emerging Discipline-Outline & References. International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector 1(3). Spohrer, J.C. 2011. Service Science: Progress & Directions. International Joint Conference on Service Science. Taipei, Taiwan. Johnson, D., Bohmann, L.J., Mattila, K., Sutherland, J. Onder, N., R. and Sorby, S.A. Meeting the needs of the Industry: Service Systems Engineering Curriculum. http://sampson.byu.edu/dsimini/proc/docs/6-4150.pdf, Michigan Technical University. Chang, C.M. 2010. Service Systems Management and Engineering, Creating Strategic Differentiation and Operational Excellence. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 978-0-470-42332-5. Sorby, S.A., Bohmann, L.J., Drummer, T., Frendewey, J., Johnson, D., Mattila, K., Sutherland, J. and Warrington, R. Defining a Curriculum for Service Systems Michigan Engineering. http://www.almaden.ibm.com/asr/summit/papers/mtusorby.pdf, Technological University Pineda, R., Weaver, J., Salcedo, O., and Falliner, J. 2011. An Educational Systems Engineering Model for Leadership Engineering. 118th ASEE Annual Conference &. Exposition. Vancouver, CAN. Schoephoerster, R. T, Choudhuri, A., Pineda, R., and Wicker, R. 2011. “Integrating Professional Practice into the Engineering Curriculum: A proposed Model and Prototype Case with an Industry Partner”, ASEE Conference, Vancouver, University of Texas at El Paso, College of Engineering.
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Procedia Computer Science 00 (2012) 000–000
Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
Procedia Computer Science
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
New Challenges in Systems Engineering and Architecting Conference on Systems Engineering Research (CSER) 2012 – St. Louis, MO Cihan H. Dagli, Editor in Chief Organized by Missouri University of Science and Technology
Service Systems Engineering: Emerging Skills and Tools Ricardo Pineda*, Amit Lopes, Bill Tseng, Oscar H. Salcedo Research Institute for Manufacturing and Engineering Systems (RIMES) The University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract We are living in a global service economy in which services now make up more than 78% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This growth in Service has also become a global phenomenon and this has brought much needed attention to Service Science and Service Systems Engineering (SSE). As part of these efforts, this paper proposes the enhancement of existing architectural frameworks for Service Systems. We readily concede that IT is at the heart of Service Systems but we argue existing frameworks need to be expanded to address service systems governance and insertion of technology breakthroughs. A modified NIST framework is illustrated, that includes an Enterprise/Service Management plane to analyze energy Smart Grids as an end-to-end service provider. We also realized the need for integration of tools for the real-time dynamic analysis of ever-changing requirements within a Service System. This concept is illustrated in the form of an internet manufacturing laboratory where design, fabrication, IT, and other supporting tools are integrated to rapidly fabricate complex 3D prototype models. Finally, we discuss issues which need to be addressed for the creation of curricula and professional degree programs in Service Systems Engineering at the graduate level. As a result, we propose a plan for including a Service Systems Engineering specialization track within traditional Systems Engineering programs.
© 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection Keywords: Service Systems Engineering, Emerging Skills, MBSE, Dynamic Modeling
1.
Introduction:
Much needed attention is currently being given to Service Science and Service Systems Engineering (SSE) due to the growth of Services in an evolving global economy. We are living in a service oriented economy in which Services now make up more than 78% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. This growth in Service has become a global phenomenon which requires trans-disciplinary collaborations between society, science, enterprises, and engineering. Several researchers are currently investigating end-user (customer) interactions with enterprises from a socio-economic and technological perspective by developing formal methodologies for value co-creation and productivity improvements. Service transactions are customized and personalized to meet the particular customer need, this takes a disciplined a Ricardo Pineda. Tel.: 001-915-747-6971; fax: 001-915-747-7871. E-mail address: [email protected].
1877-0509 © 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.procs.2012.01.081
Lopes et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Ricardo Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
and systemic approach among different stakeholders and resources to take an end-user (service oriented customer-centric) approach in the design and delivery of the service [2, 3, 4, 5]. Services are activities that cause a transformation of the state of an entity (people, product, business, and region or nation) by mutually agreed terms between the service provider and the customer. Individual services are relatively simple, although they may require customization and significant backstage support (e.g., database, knowledge management, analysis, forecasting, etc.) to assure quality and timely delivery. In Service Systems practice, we describe the service value chain in terms of links among system entities; value is then co-created and delivered [6]. A Service System is thus defined by its value co-creation chain in which stakeholders work in open collaboration to deliver consistently high quality service according to the business goals, service goals, and customer goals. Traditionally, Product Businesses and Service Businesses have closely guarded SSE as a Proprietary Process for their competitive advantage. SSE practices have been applied mainly by Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) service providers [7, 8, 9, 10]. However, the explosive growth of the World Wide Web and advances in computer science, ICT, and Business Processes Management (BPM) through “social networking” has mandated the transition to closely inter-related and integrated Service Systems to narrow the Product and Service business gaps. 2.
Service Systems Engineering Approach:
In today’s global economy, Enterprises need to plan, develop, and manage the enhancements of their infrastructure, products, and services, including marketing strategies for product and service offerings based on new, unexplored, or unforeseen customer needs with clearly differentiated value propositions. As a result, the Service Systems Engineering methodology addresses the service-oriented, customercentric, holistic systems view to create, select and combine Service System entities. The SSE approach helps define, and discover relationships among Service System entities, in order to plan, design, adapt or self-adapt to co-create value. Thus the SSE approach identifies linkages, relationships, constraints, challenges/problems, new technologies, interoperability standards, interface agreements or process development requirements among service entities to deliver planned service or for addressing potential future services [4, 6, 11]. SSE mandates participation from engineering, business, operations and customers within different scientific domains such as Management Science, Behavioral Science, Social Science, Systems Science, Network Science, Computer Science, Decision Informatics, etc [3]. The Service Development Process (SDP) for new services is triggered by the market concept of the intended service including considerations such as the stakeholder(s), service value chain(s), target market(s), target customer(s), demand forecast, pricing strategy, customer access privileges, etc. which together comprise the Service strategy. The SDP process then adapts the Traditional Systems Engineering (TSE) as a Life Cycle Approach (Concept/Definition, Design/Development, Deployment/Transition, Operations, Lifecycle Management/Utilization/Continuous Service Improvement (CSI) and Retirement) [6]. Implementation of SSE has some major challenges, including, the dynamic nature of continuously evolving Service Systems which need to adapt to constantly changing operations and/or business environments, the need to overcome silos of knowledge, and enable interoperability of Service System entities through interface agreements. Accounting for the above challenges must be at the forefront of the Service Systems Engineering design process for the harmonization of Operations, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning (OAM&P) procedures of the individual Service System entities [6]. 3.
Tools in Service Systems Engineering:
3.1. Architectural Frameworks: For several years traditional service providers (Telecommunications, Information Technology, Business Reengineering, Web Services, etc.) have addressed the importance of service-oriented customercentric design through the creation of Process Driven Architectural Frameworks. Standards bodies and/or private enterprises, who recognized the advantage of having standard processes that integrate the business strategic processes and operations with the Information Technology and technology infrastructure, have
421
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Lopes Ricardo et. al/ ProcediaComputer ScienceComputer 00 (2012)Science 000–000 Pineda et al. / Procedia 8 (2012) 420 – 427
defined several useful architectural frameworks (ITIL [12], e-TOM [13], TOGAF [14], NIST [15] etc.). However, architectural frameworks model different scopes and levels of detail of business strategies, product and service offerings, business operations, organizational aspects, etc., and currently there is no unifying framework that captures all aspects required to model Service Systems. Thus an integrated universal architectural framework is required to create the enterprise Service System model. As part of this effort, we analyzed an enterprise providing smart-grid services as an end-to-end Service System. Figure 1 illustrates an end-to-end service view of a smart grid using an integrated e-TOM and NIST framework. The inclusion of and enterprise/service management plane within a standard NIST framework helps analyze the business as an enterprise. This analysis takes into account the interoperability and harmonization requirements in the NIST reference model and helps maximize effectiveness and efficiency of the business processes in Smart Grid business operations [16].
Figure 1. Enterprise Architectural approach for Smart Grids [16] In addition to architectural frameworks, Business Process Management (BPM) provides several process management scenarios to coordinate people and systems including: sequential workflow, straight through processing, case management, content lifecycle management, collaborative process work and value chain participation. [17] 3.2. SSE Tools: Tools and Technologies from a broad spectrum of fields must be used for the development of the Hardware, Software, Information Systems and Technology Infrastructure components during the different stages of Service Systems Engineering. Furthermore, modeling, definition, and design of the organization, processes and data structures are required for the end-to-end view of the Service System. Commonly used tools for logical (functional), behavioral (operational) and physical design of the Information Technology and Technologies include Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Model Driven Architectures (MDA), Model Oriented Systems Engineering (MOSES), etc. Additionally, UML, UML2.0 and SysML are extensively used to describe operational scenarios, modes of operations use cases and entity relationships through Requirement, Structural, Behavior, and Parametric diagrams. For an extensive review of MBSE, MDA and MOSES the reader is referred to [18, 19, 20, 21, 22]. An example of Modeling and Simulation is a smart-grid operational concept developed using SysML as shown below. Figure 2 illustrates the main Use Case of a typical Smart Grid that generates energy using a renewable system and is also interconnected to the public utility provider for possible exchange of energy services under different modes of operation. [16]
Lopes et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Ricardo Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
Figure 2. Behavior of a typical Smart Grid [16] Although there are a variety of tools avalilable in Traditional Systems Engineering, in order to effectively utilize them in Service Systems Engienering, we need to effectively integrate the available tools. Consider the example of a digital manufacturing system. Traditionally, digital manufacturing involved the use of several technologies, including, design software, fabrication systems, image processing tools, etc. In order to fully utilize the potential of digital manufacturing systems, there is a need to integrate the various traditional tools with technological enhancement (virtual simulators, network based manufacturing) [23]. Tseng et al. [23] propose a virtual platform that integrates various technologies available within layered manufacturing to develop a Internet Based Enterprise (IBE) wide end-to-end digital manufacturing laboratory (See Figure 3).
423
LopesRicardo et. al/ ProcediaComputer Science 00 (2012) 000–000 Pineda et al. / Procedia Computer Science 8 (2012) 420 – 427
424
Machining Process CAM Software
VMC
Design Process DES B
A B
Assembly & Inspection
C
Handling Robot
D
CMM
DES A
Parts
RCDS
CAD Software DES C
Parts
DES D
Rapid Prototyping
A B
Assembly Robot Final Product
PLC Inspection Robot
C
Slicing Software
RP machine
D
Figure 3. Internet Based Manufacturing Laboratory [18] Since services exhibit a significant level of randomness, statistical analysis, demand forecasting, multi-objective optimization, queuing theory, stochastic optimization methodologies, and decision support systems are tools that are used to model and simulate the Service Systems’ behavior. Resource allocation, number of facilities and facilities geographical locations, fleet routing and optimization, Service Systems reliability and prognosis, network optimization, etc. are some diverse decision making areas that are supported by the above methodologies. A good overview of these methodologies can be found in Daskin [24] and Pineda [6]. It is also important to plan for the implementation and insertion of technologies and tools throughout the SDP for the continuous improvement of the service. Some of the commonly used methodologies for service evaluation and continuous improvement include Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Swim Lanes, Balanced Scoreboard, Benchmarking, Gap Analysis, etc. Systems Engineering processes that help in coordinating and synchronizing all the Service Systems engineering processes are implemented and managed using well establshed standards (IEEE 1220) leading to improved organizational collaboration and improved service delivery. 4.
Curriculum and Skills
The technology and globalization forces of the industrial world are transforming the way companies conduct business. Universities have been slow in aligning the curriculum to meet the changing needs of employers [25, 26]. Why are the skills needed for SSE different from those skills in traditional disciplines such as Industrial Engineering? As compared to Industrial Engineering, Service Systems Engineering focuses much more on the following areas [27]: • Co-creation • People and agents • Knowledge management and deployment • Interdisciplinary integration of engineering and business • Social/cognitive science • Business processes • Social and networking media Because of this misalignment between needs and curriculum, companies are finding it difficult to fill positions with graduates skilled in applying the scientific and quantitative tools associated with service sector career employment opportunities. Present in all Service Systems is the process of co-creation, which is the coordination of transformational efforts between the service provider and the customer or
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end-user. Because there is co-creation and since tangible products play only an incidental role, each customer is looking to obtain simultaneous “value” from the service chain. Indeed, these transactions are immediate and customized to meet the differing needs of the customer. As with any provider, the service provider needs to balance the level and value of the services offered with the ability to generate sustainable revenue and profits. Several traditional operations management performance measures like productivity and efficiency now take on a different emphasis and are also more difficult to quantify. Not too long ago standardization and “sameness” of a company’s offerings contributed greatly to its profit and growth. Today, these same attributes can cost a company its existence in the market place, because customization instead of standardization is dominant. [2] Service System engineers fit the T-shaped professionals [4] which must have a deeply developed specialty area as well as a broad set of skills and capabilities. Chang has identified some key skills for service system engineers which can be categorized under four general headings: 1. Skills to manage the system, the business, the market, the knowledge, and finance 2. Operations and service processes skills 3. Analytical and people skills 4. Innovation, ethics, and global perspective For an in-depth discussion of these Service System skills, see Chang 2010 [28]. Table 1. A Curriculum for Service Systems Engineering [29] Category Analytical Skills
Interpersonal Issues
Business Management Services Processes Operation of Service Systems
Management of Service Systems
Characteristics Problem Solving Economic Decision Analysis Risk Analysis Cost Estimating Probability and Statistics Professional Responsibility Verbal Skills Leadership Technical Writing Facilitator Skills Team Building Project Costing Business Planning Change Management Performance Measurement Flowcharting Work Task Breakdown Process Evaluation and Improvement Quality Improvement Customer Relations Risk Management Scheduling Budgeting MIS
Based on their Delphi Study in 2003, Sorby et al. [29] have proposed the following objectives for any Service Systems Engineering curriculum: 1. A sound technical foundation with a Service Systems Engineering focus and the flexibility to pursue professional interests in areas outside of engineering that could lead to a wide variety of career paths. 2. In-depth technical preparation in Service Systems Engineering that could serve as a springboard to professional degree programs such as the Master of Service System Engineering. 3. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to facilitate a lifetime of professional success. These attributes would include excellent communication skills, an understanding of ethical and global issues, and a commitment to life-long earning and professional development.
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4. The ability to function on multidisciplinary teams that extend the traditional boundaries of engineering. 5. The ability to design and improve systems and processes that provide services by applying a systems perspective coupled with a thorough understanding of the customer. We fully endorse and advocate such a curriculum and its objectives in part because we have implemented many aspects of this curriculum when we designed and launched our own systems engineering program here at the University of Texas at El Paso four years ago. Through the efforts of the Research Institute for Manufacturing and Engineering Systems (RIMES) at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), an academic model fostering systems thinking through experiential or practice-based education by allowing team work on application of principles being learned has been developed [30, 31]. When research, technology development, and academic programs are brought together to foster multidisciplinary work and end-to-end systems thinking, it closes the gap between engineering education, academic research, and industry applied research needs. As a continued development towards a 21st century curriculum, the incorporation of a Service Systems Engineering specialization track within existing Systems Engineering programs will help address the challenges in the realization of Service Systems. This specialization track would require students to take three Service Systems Engineering courses such as Service Oriented Architectures, Strategic and Decision Support Systems, Multivariate Multi-objective Optimization, Service Management, etc. Furthermore, the students would be encouraged to participate in internships that require the design and implementation of Service Systems. 5.
Conclusions
These are exciting times for Service Systems research. With services approaching 80% of national output, and services jobs outpacing manufacturing jobs, it is not too surprising to see that ongoing research into Service Systems is robust and growing. We have covered a lot of ground, but there is still much more to do. We can see that the vision and skills needed to conceptualize and develop Service Systems are very different and need to be much more focused on people skills, interdisciplinary approaches, and able to harness the emerging power of social media. Any proposed curriculum and program must focus on these critical skills. The enabling frameworks for Service Systems need to be enhanced to address Service Systems governance and technology in a way that encourage an end-to-end view of the Service System enterprise. Finally, following the old adage that the tools make the craftsman, we propose to integrate the Service Systems toolbox to allow for the dynamic analysis of interactions between service entities as they constitute and continually reconstitute to co-create value in real-time. 6. [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5]. [6]. [7].
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