PS3 – A Domain-Specific Modeling Language for Platform-Based Smart Service Systems

Through progressive technological advancements, the importance and relevance of platform-based business models are proliferating. On the one hand, in the context of the internet of things, platforms enable the interactions between smart products and service providers and offer basic functionality to develop data-based smart service applications. On the other hand, multi-sided platforms efficiently network different groups of actors—for example, providers and consumers of smart service applications. In both cases, companies face the challenge of developing a complex socio-technical smart service system (SSS) comprising networked actors, smart products, and IT infrastructures, such as digital platforms. Conceptual models are established artifacts to facilitate efficient and unambiguous communication and support the development and integration of technical systems. The purpose of this paper is to design, demonstrate, and evaluate a domain-specific modeling language for the conceptual design of platform-based SSS. The presented modeling language is the first one to integrate hitherto separate research streams on SSS and digital platforms. It is demonstrated with the real case of a mechanical engineering company and evaluated conceptually.