Projects

A mixed methodical and iterative analysis of the effects of digitalization on review processes in literature and visual arts as elements of cultural learning and education processes based on mass data and single case data (RezAtKultur)

It is beyond dispute that education in general and arts education in particular are influenced and challenged by digitalization. However, research on the actual impact of digitalization on cultural learning and education processes is scarce, mainly as a result from a lack of empirical data and thus the absence of well-founded hypotheses. Targeted desiderata not only have to address the result perspective (What skills and competences are formed in cultural learning and education processes? What knowledge is gained from these processes? What is the impact for the development of future offers of arts education and for the research in this domain?), but also need to examine the process perspective (How are digital review processes and production processes in literature and visual arts affecting arts education? How do human beings become protagonists of cultural practice?).The research project Rez@Kultur intends to close this gap by relying on an empirical analysis of review processes of cultural artifacts in literature and visual arts, which form the meeting point of cultural practitioners and their reviewers. For both, artifacts in literature and visual arts, web portals have emerged over the last years. These portals not only publish the artifacts, but also provide functionalities for public comments, ratings, reviews or even for the participative further development (co-creation). The intended empirical analysis relies on these portals and similar examples.

FOKUS:SE - Researcher Network Service Engineering

Services are highly relevant to the economy and the society. The market success and quality of services depend on their concept and design. The DFG-sponsered research network "FOKUS:SE" connects different German research institutions, which are doing theoretical and practical research on service engineering.

Joint Research Project: Perceptible Integration of Products and Services as necessary for the requirements-oriented Coordination of Product Service System Networks

End-Of-Life Solutions for eCar-Batteries – Development of Product-Service-Systems and Information Systems for Decision Support

An immature battery technology appears to be a crucial obstacle to impede a quick diffusion of electric mobility in Germany. One core factor are the high initial costs of traction batteries. To improve the total cost of ownership an electric vehicle, depleted batteries could be repurposed after their automotive use. Depending on the technical properties of a battery, different second-life scenarios can be realized (e.g., to propel smaller vehicles or to store green energy in stationary applications). The EOL-IS project's goal is the development of services (e.g., pay-per-use business models, engineering services, maintenance services, refurbishment) for the second-life of eCar batteries that can be offered with the battery as a product-service system. Based on the chemical and technical features of individual batteries, the battery's use history, and its condition, a custom-fit product-service system is configured in order to enable the re-use of the battery.

Perceptible Integration of Products and Services as necessary for the requirements-oriented Coordination of Product Service System Networks

In product service system networks manufacturers and service organizations collaborate for providing customers with individualized solutions. Cooperation Experience focuses on developing a methodology that allows to conceptualize these networks, with a special focus on the required coordination between the participating actors’ tasks. With this method and a supporting test environment, the collaboration between the actors is visualized and the impacts and requirements for inter-organizational information flows and document exchanges are explicated. For supporting the application of the method, reference contents are generated and integrated into the supporting prototypical tools. Within this project, the University of Muenster is responsible for the design and implementation of these software prototypes.

End-Of-Life Solutions for eCar-Batteries – Development of Product-Service-Systems and Information Systems for Decision Support

The EOL-IS project’s goal is the development of service innovations for the phase after the eCar batteries’ EOL, based on the chemical and technical features of eCar batteries. A further object is to find the best Second-Life concept for each single battery as well as to conduct the application concept with accurately fitting hybrid bundles of services (HLB). Thereby the physical and chemical features and the battery’s history of usage, its condition and further economic, ecological and judicial information will be considered, as well.

Flexible Information Systems Architectures for Service Networks (FlexNet)

Service networks made up of manufacturers and service firms to satisfy complex customer needs are proliferating. By exploiting their complementary competencies, such service networks enable their members to provide innovative and integrated solutions that could not be offered by any of the firms alone. A specific challenge is to enable networks of companies to quickly adapt their business models to dynamic changes in their environment. In the research project FlexNet we have designed methods, electronic documents, software tools, and other solutions that enable companies to network their business processes and information systems with other companies in order to design, offer, and deliver complex value propositions to their clients collaboratively. Drawing on existing works on boundary objects and service blueprinting, we have developed a new method for diagnosing boundary spanning processes and identifying candidates for IT-based boundary objects that integrate the sub-processes of manufacturing companies and service companies. As boundary objects we have designed and standardized a set of electronic documents and interaction routines that companies can re-use and adapt in order to integrate with the partners. All methods and tools are provided in the integrated software tool FlexNet Architect. The FlexNet Architect is a planning and modeling tool for integrating business processes and information systems in service networks, based on planning workshops conducted with the involved stakeholders. In addition to these core results of the research project we have designed and implemented a research map that depicts and categorizes contributions of the international service research discipline and that is made available through a web portal.