Empowering Technical Customer Services with Intelligent Mobile Applications: A Contingency Theory-Based Approach

Nadine Blinn Hamburg University, Germany

Markus Nüttgens Hamburg University, Germany

Abstract
In order to improve the efficiency of technical customer services (TCS) business processes, we propose to focus on this information and its provision to service technicians. Based on contingency theory, we suggest increasing the information processing capacities of service technicians. Up to now, methodical and technical support is missing for providing the relevant information to service technicians and for improving their information processing capacities. Consequently we propose an approach for leveraging productivity of TCS by empowering the service technicians. Following a design science approach, we develop a mobile assistant system in order to support an intelligent, mobile access to needed information and an integrated feedback functionality. Furthermore, we suggest that this empowerment based on intelligent mobile applications leads to continuous information management. Our approach supports an empowerment of individual service technicians, leads to an improvement of business culture, and leverages employees’ motivation and skills.

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Reference:	Blinn, N., Nüttgens, M. (2010). "Empowering Technical Customer Services with Intelligent Mobile Applications: A Contingency Theory-Based Approach," Proceedings > Proceedings of IFIP 8.2/Organizations and Society in Information Systems (OASIS) . Sprouts: Working Papers on Information Systems, 10(107). http://sprouts.aisnet.org/10-107
Keywords:	Technical customer services, empowerment, intelligent mobile applications, contingency theory
Item Type:	Article - Volume 10 Article 107 (2010)
Language:	English
Email:	Nadine Blinn (nadine.blinn@wiso.uni-hamburg.de) Markus Nüttgens (markus.nuettgens@wiso.uni-hamburg.de)

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