Experiences with a Business Evaluation Model for

Mobile Commerce Services

Thomas Flor

, Walter Niess

, Gabriel Vögler

DaimlerChrysler AG, Research Information and Communication

Software Architectures (RIC/SA), P.O. Box 23 60

89013 Ulm, Germany

Abstract. If business processes (business cases) for mobile applications (perva-

sive computing) are to be evaluated, it is necessary to arrange a portfolio of

application scenarios. For this a methodical procedure is defined, which helps

to receive a prioritized overview over possible business cases as well as further

details regarding organizational and technical aspects. Due to certain criteria

application scenarios can be selected, which are used for the evaluation. For

these a detailed questionnaire is developed, which serves as decision basis for

the realization of the business cases.

1 Introduction to mobile services

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) find ever larger spreading. If they first were used

only as electronic alternative of a paper-based time schedule system for storing

personal data, like calendar, contacts and notes, thus so-called PIM (Personal

Information Management) data, today also more efficient applications such as word

processing and spreadsheet can be run on them.

Also in enterprises PDAs find increasingly wider fields of application. They are

not only applicable as single or off-line device, but are more and more integrated as

clients in the distributed enterprise network. It is possible and in individual cases also

advisable to execute larger applications on them and to access resources in the

enterprise network. So not only the classical PIM data on mobile devices is available,

but basically all information available in the enterprise network, e.g. files on file

servers, contents of database servers and also dynamically provided data from

application or portal servers.

In order to be able to make these information available for mobile devices, techni-

cal and organizational measures are necessary, e.g. the definition of appropriate

architectures and providing several services, e.g. dial-in for mobile devices or

synchronization services. In order to accomplish all these tasks, it is necessary to

compile a prioritized overview over relevant mobile applications and business

processes. The environment for pervasive computing must be evaluated before

startup. For that it is helpful to categorize the applications according to a defined

pattern in order to be able to judge the entire application field and the technical and

economical success of the individual business cases in detail.

Flor T., Niess W. and Vögler G. (2004).

Experiences with a Business Evaluation Model for Mobile Commerce Services.

In Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Wireless Information Systems, pages 111-118

DOI: 10.5220/0002651701110118

 SciTePress

2 Architectural overview

All applications are to be rated by a certain schema with the same questions. Thus

they are comparable with each other.

For the evaluation of the infrastructure a portfolio with test cases can be arranged.

It should contain as many as possible different test cases, so that all functions of the

infrastructure to be tested are evaluated. The evaluation phase has not to cause much

expenditure. Therefore the evaluation portfolio should contain applications, which can

be implemented without much technical expenditure, for which however a high

economic success (business impact) is expected.

Thus it should be possible to identify business cases by a schematic procedure with

which all functions of pervasive computing can be evaluated, both the infrastructure

on the mobile client side as well as the server side and the connecting network.

2.1 Applications and service blocks

In order to determine the functionality needed by a business process, first of all the

professional requirements (business view) must be analyzed. Based onto that the

technical requirements at their implementation (technical view) are identified. Finally

the needed technical functionality can be combined into architecture components

(service blocks), in order to provide a uniform architecture for pervasive computing

for all business processes according to the requirements (see figure 1).

Fig. 1. Business view, technical view and derived service blocks

The identified architecture components make thus available all functions defined in

the technical view. With their assistance all professional requirements determined in

the business view can be realized.

This correlation is important for the evaluation: In order to evaluate service blocks,

business cases are used, that use the cross-section functions of these service blocks,

e.g. administration, synchronization, transcoding, etc. The business cases of a

portfolio have to be selected in such a way that functions described in the technical

views of the business cases cover all the functions of the service blocks which have to

be evaluated.

Business

View

Technical

View

Service

Blocks

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3 Analysis of Pervasive Computing Business Cases

Mobile applications can be judged on the basis of questionnaires. Depending upon

which aspects of applications are to be judged, the list of questions can be more or

less extensive. So applications can be regarded e.g. only from the professional view or

also their technical implementation.

3.1 Professional Requirements

The professional requirements of a business case can be determined with the

following questions:

- Who? Which circle of users uses the application? Are further persons affected

through the operation of the application, e.g. administrators or data suppliers?

- What? Which data is the user supposed to work on with the mobile business case?

Which information must be accessed from mobile devices? Which data will be

modified or created and possibly must be synchronized with a central data server?

- When? When will the mobile application be used? At which time of day is

information with mobile devices processed? Is this limited to certain times or is it

necessary to make the data access possible all around the clock?

- Where? In which geographical range is the mobile application supposed to be

used? Does it have to be available only on the ground of the own enterprise or also

outside? Is an availability in areas with cellular phone network sufficient?

Through clarification of these questions the application is examined better. The

business view of the application is determined. On this basis the technical view can be

worked out.

3.2 Business case classification template

In order to be able to select business cases for a portfolio, it is beside the business

view also necessary to receive information about the possible technical realization. It

is recommended to collect all information, relevant for the selection task, in form of a

template. Such a template for the classification of individual business cases contains

therefore apart from the questions concerning the business view, in particular aspects

of a possible technical implementation (see figure 2).

A more detailed description of the implementation is not necessary in this stage of the

business case analysis. If necessary, the templates can be refined iteratively for

defining a suitable architecture.

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No.

Synchronous Data Flow Asynchronous Data Flow Annotations

always-on connections

offering immediate access to

information, may increase

actual costs

connections built on

demand, are removed if all

information has been

transmitted successfully

Push Data Flow Pull Data Flow

information (or part of it) are

delivered directly to the user

(e.g. SMS)

user checks for new

information

general description of the

specific business case

including the advantages

of a pervasive solution

Performance Requirements

To what extend will the network and infrastructure be

loaded?

When

(time + availability requirements):

When and how often may the system be used?

Where

(location):

Where can the technology be used? Are there any constraints?

Who

(people):

Who could make use of the business case?

Feasibility Requirements

How much effort has to be put into the realization of

the business case?

Business Impact

(when mobile devices are used

additionally):

What kind of advantages can be expected from the

realization of the business case?

Type of the Business Case

Name of Business Case

Description

Distinctive Features:

e.g.: minimizes delay, increases mobility, simplifies process

Device Support

supported mobile

devices

Data Security Requirements

Will security relevant data be transmitted? If so, to what

extend and how can the data be protected?

What

(information + average amount of data per transaction):

What amount of data will presumably be transmitted? (estimated values)

annotations specific for

the particular business

case

Bandwith Required

e.g. GSM, GPRS, UMTS,

WL AN

Fig. 2. Classification template for pervasive computing business cases

3.3 Business case portfolio

The portfolio for evaluation and prioritization of the most important business cases is

constructed according to criteria specified before. The selection process is not trivial,

since several assessment aspects are relevant usually. In order to simplify the

selection of business cases, graphical representations can be used.

If for example in an evaluation phase the business cases relevant for the enterprise

are to be realized with little expenditure, then a portfolio can be arranged after the

following criteria:

- It must be possible to evaluate all functions which must be tested with the business

cases, i.e. the business cases are supposed to use a possibly high portion of cross-

section functions (service blocks).

- The business cases have to be implemented without much expenditure.

- The business cases must have a business impact as high as possible.

The criteria can vary depending upon the evaluation to be practiced and must be

specified on an individual basis.

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With a two-dimensional portfolio (representation of essential evaluation parame-

ters of a business process in relation to each other, see figure 3) the selection of the

business cases can be simplified. In order to determine e.g. business cases at high

business impact and small implementation expenditure, these two parameters should

be represented.

Implementation Expenditure

Low High

Business Impact

HighLow

Portfolio Business Cases

Business Case

Fig. 3. Portfolio with implementation expenditure and business impact

Since usually not only two parameters are relevant for the selection, such a two-

dimensional representation can only be an assistance for the selection task. Alter-

natively to multidimensional portfolios several portfolios can be provided in rela-

tionship to each other.

4 Analysis of technical requirements

For implementing the selected business cases of the portfolio additional information is

needed. In order to determine these, a detailed and uniform questionnaire is compiled

for each business case that has to be implemented. On basis of the templates it forms a

strongly refined decision basis for the selection of architecture components and

technologies to be used for realization.

With this questionnaire the functional requirements are regarded apart from more

detailed business aspects, as well as technical boundary conditions and organizational

aspects:

Business aspects: Through analysis of further business aspects the economic

background can be better understood. Thus it is guaranteed that during the design of

the technical solution the economical aspects are always the center of attention.

- First of all, the mission is described, which is pursued with realization of the

business case. To reasons belong why the targeted mobile solution is needed and

what is to be aimed with it.

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- Furthermore the desired goals are discussed. For controlling the achievement of

objectives measurable criteria must be defined, e.g. specific financial changes or

measurable improvements of the satisfaction of users or customers in relation to

possibly an already existing stationary solution.

- In addition all involved persons should be determined, thus beside users also

administrators, data supplier, etc. Since possibly not only advantages are expected

with a mobile solution, it should be determined whether the persons profit from the

solution or whether disadvantages result. Such disadvantages can be e.g. a higher

administration or data maintenance expenditure.

- It is important to clarify which changes are expected in defined process flows, if

the business processes are mobilized.

Functional requirements: The functional requirements are refined with the

background of the determined business aspects. They serve as basis for the draft of

the technical solution and determine the architecture components relevant for

implementation. Furthermore a first overview of the information processed in the

system and necessary data flows results.

- The tasks to be done with the application are determined. For each task the user

group is recorded that has to do the task. Beside the end-users also system users

etc. are regarded.

- For each work routine the single steps are represented.

- Also an overview of the necessary data results from that. It is shown, who or which

technical component processes which data and where the data comes from.

Interfaces to external systems with which data is exchanged, result from that.

- Further the importance of certain system properties can be estimated, e.g.

performance, security or service availability.

Technical boundary conditions: All boundary conditions to be kept according to

possibly already existing technical infrastructures (concerns both server side and

mobile client side and existing network) or architecture specifications are

documented. Appertaining to that:

- the existing infrastructure, like system environments, operating system platforms,

middleware systems and test environments

- enterprise standards, e.g. system management and operational concepts of

applications

- network access and dial-in knots

- security standards

Organizational aspects: Certain organizational aspects are associated with the

introduction of mobile business processes, like e.g..

- planning, operation and process of rollouts.

The above list shows only an overview with the most important aspects of the

compiled questionnaire. It analyzes the business view and the technical view very

detailed. With these informations the evaluation and prioritization of the business

cases in the portfolio can be revised in an iterative process on the one hand and on the

other hand the planned realization of the business cases can be executed more

purposefully.

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5 Pervasive Computing Service Blocks

After having analyzed the business cases, the functions needed to implement them,

can be determined. The functions can be grouped to service blocks by the field of

application. For applications of a pervasive computing environment, the service

blocks could be (see figure 4):

Fig. 4. Pervasive computing layer on top of other architecture layers

- location services: They are used to locate a mobile device, e.g. to offer location

based services

- activity services: They are used to get information if a mobile device is active and

connected

- voice services: They are used to access applications by voice

- transcoding services: They are used to transcode contents for the specific demands

of different devices

- synchronization services: They are used to synchronize contents, e.g. for mail

synchronization

- identification services: The are used to identify the user and the mobile device

- administration services: They are used to administrate the other services

- security services: They are used to transport data in a secure way to and from the

mobile devices

The mobile services use the existing services of the applications to offer their contents

to mobile devices. So they build an additional layer on top of the other architecture

layers

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6 Summary

If a portfolio must be defined for the evaluation and prioritization of pervasive

computing business cases, then first the evaluation criteria relevant for the selection

has to be determined systematically. Apart from essential aspects, like small

implementation expenditure or high business impact, the coverage of the functions

which have to be evaluated by the individual business case, belongs to this criteria. A

systematic procedure is guaranteed by deriving the technical view from the business

view and by the following alignment with the functions of the necessary service

blocks. All evaluation criteria, relevant for the composition of the portfolio, is

registered in template.

For the execution of the evaluation further details of the business processes are

necessary, which are answered in a refined question catalog.

Through this iterative top-down procedure the information needed for the

respective step of implementation of a pervasive computing business case is

purposefully developed and analyzed also under economical points of view.

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