Despite the potential of augmented reality (AR) to support and guide complex industrial tasks, the technology is still not broadly applied. One possible reason for this is that the creation of AR content is highly complex and requires programming skills and deep spatial knowledge. AR authoring tools can help address this complexity by enabling non-developers to create self-sufficient AR content. Therefore, this paper proposes a theory-driven design for AR authoring tools that allows non-developers to create self-sufficient AR-based instructions to support complex tasks. Based on ten interviews with experts working with AR authoring tools and a following focus group with eight participants, we propose three design principles for future AR authoring tools in the engineering context. These design principles are instantiated in two prototypes of different richness and evaluated in an experiment with 23 students. Our study shows that the cognitive load is slightly increased when using the extensive AR authoring tool, but it also shows that significantly better results can be achieved with the extensive AR authoring tool. We contribute by providing design principles for AR authoring tools for creating AR-based instructions, which extend the existing AR authoring research in the industrial context.

Despite the potential of augmented reality (AR) to support and guide complex industrial tasks, the technology is still not broadly applied. One possible reason for this is that the creation of AR content is highly complex and requires programming skills and deep spatial knowledge. AR authoring tools can help address this complexity by enabling non-developers to create self-sufficient AR content. Therefore, this paper proposes a theory-driven design for AR authoring tools that allows non-developers to create self-sufficient AR-based instructions to support complex tasks. Based on ten interviews with experts working with AR authoring tools and a following focus group with eight participants, we propose three design principles for future AR authoring tools in the engineering context. These design principles are instantiated in two prototypes of different richness and evaluated in an experiment with 23 students. Our study shows that the cognitive load is slightly increased when using the extensive AR authoring tool, but it also shows that significantly better results can be achieved with the extensive AR authoring tool. We contribute by providing design principles for AR authoring tools for creating AR-based instructions, which extend the existing AR authoring research in the industrial context.

Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been widely investigated to support various navigation tasks, including initial approaches that suggest its potential use on ships. For maritime navigation, skippers use a variety of information displayed on a ship’s bridge. However, the constant shift of focus between this information and the outside view of the ship might pose cognitive as well as safety challenges. Here, AR could facilitate the navigation of ships by overlaying the real-world view with spatially anchored visual navigation aids. Despite this potential, previous work mainly presents conceptual approaches, technical tests, or user studies performed in ship simulators only.In this paper, we evaluate an AR-based assistance system in the actual real-world water environment, where technical issues and varying physical conditions could influence the system’s usability. In collaboration with hydrographic experts following a user-centered design approach, a functional AR system was developed that virtually displays navigation aids on the water surface. In a field study, ten skippers used the system to navigate a ship along a path through a port area. We assessed the accuracy, perceived workload, and user experience of participants. In addition, qualitative feedback was thematically analyzed to retrieve insights about the skippers’ attitude regarding using AR on actual ships. We report lessons learned about aspects such as ergonomics, perceived safety challenges, as well as envisioned further use cases and extended data integration.

Grounded on an experimental study with 18 participants, we derive 15 design principles for no-code AR authoring tools in an organizational setting. The study consists of two distinct treatments that aim to augment lightweight processes with AR. The outcomes are two interactive tutorials utilizing AR instructions. Following the no-code approach, the participants were empowered to create relevant AR content using a reduced interface and no need for advanced configurations or coding. The study thus combines two research streams with the aim of better understanding mechanisms for AR use in a professional context. As prior work has shown, despite the potential benefits, the adoption of AR authoring tools is limited because ramping up AR to productive use is heavily dependent on consulting and custom software solutions. Our novel approach bears the potential to broaden application domains and empower professionals to apply AR.

The adoption of augmented reality (AR) has been one of the defining technological trends of the past decade. While AR has experienced significant growth in consumer electronics, its potential for professional use still needs to be explored. Despite the growing interest in AR, determining its feasibility and potential to satisfy business needs remains challenging. To address this gap, we used a mixedmethod research approach to create a guiding framework called the process augmentability canvas. Drawing on a comprehensive case study of a major European maintenance, repair, and overhaul service provider, as well as state-of-the literature, we present a canvas that allows scholars and practitioners to evaluate AR’s applicability for a given process thoroughly. By providing a structured approach to analyzing AR solutions, the process augmentability canvas contributes to a better understanding of how AR can be used efficiently in organizational settings.

Augmented reality (AR) is widely acknowledged to be beneficial for services with exceptionally high requirements regarding knowledge and simultaneous tasks to be performed and are safety-critical. This study explores the user-centered requirements for an AR cognitive assistant in the operations of a large European maritime logistics hub. Specifically, it deals with the safety-critical service process of soil sounding. Based on fourteen think-aloud sessions during service delivery, two expert interviews, and two expert workshops, five core requirements for AR cognitive assistants in soil sounding are derived, namely (1) real-time overlay, (2) variety in displaying information, (3) multi-dimensional tracking, (4) collaboration, and (5) interaction. The study is the first one on the applicability and feasibility of AR in the maritime industry and identifies requirements that impact further research on AR use in safety-critical environments.

For the process of hydrographic surveying, the skipper of the survey vessel needs a variety of real-time navigational and hydrographic information to navigate the vessel safely and precisely. The survey data is typically displayed on several monitors on board. As part of a research project, we are exploring the potential of augmented reality – a technology that can extend reality by overlaying it with computer-generated visualizations – to assist the skipper in hydrographic surveys. We report an overview of the technology itself, our proof of concept and several challenges we focus on to create a usable and valuable prototype system.

The rapid evolution of augmented reality has resulted in an ever-increasing number of applications in a wide range of industries and services. Despite this progress, there is still a lack of conceptual understanding of AR interactions and the entire solution space. To bridge this gap, we conceptualize AR solution interactions and provide a comprehensive taxonomy. To represent the state-of-the-art, we build upon an extensive literature review. The resulting taxonomy consists of seven dimensions that encompass 29 characteristics. We contribute to the understanding of AR interactions and, as a result, the applicability of AR solutions in businesses by developing the taxonomy. Likewise, the taxonomy can guide the design of AR solutions as it convincingly describes the solution space.

Augmented reality is an increasingly widespread technology. However, the potentials in areas with extraordinarily high cognitive requirements in safety-critical environments have received little attention so far. Services that necessitate extensive expertise, are safety-critical, and require the completion of concurrent tasks can be supported using augmented reality. In such cases, augmented reality enables the augmentation of service provision by giving seamless integration of information directly into the field of view while permitting for hands-free interaction in the case of head-mounted displays. This research investigates the user-centered requirements for augmented reality solutions in a safety-critical area in the operations of a large European seaport. It specifically addresses the measurement of water depths throughout the entire port area for maintenance of port infrastructure. Based on eleven think-aloud sessions during the process of water depth management, two expert interviews and two expert workshops, five requirements for augmented reality were derived that solution should fulfil to support the service. As a result, we present the first study on the applicability and practicability of augmented reality in the marine industry and provide the foundation for future research on the use of augmented reality in safety-critical contexts.

For the process of hydrographic surveying, the skipper of the survey vessel needs a variety of real-time navigational and hydrographic information to navigate the vessel safely and precisely. The survey data is typically displayed on several monitors on board. As part of a research project, we are exploring the potential of augmented reality – a technology that can extend reality by overlaying it with computergenerated visualizations – to assist the skipper in hydrographic surveys. We report an overview of the technology itself, our proof of concept and several challenges we focus on to create a usable and valuable prototype system.

Process modeling is broadly agnostic concerning the technology used for inputs and outputs, despite the choice of technology significantly determines and influences processes. Given the maturation of augmented reality and its increasing application in services, we seek to explore whether business process modeling can support such emerging and immersive technologies. To determine if current process modeling approaches are suitable for this purpose, we conduct a criteria-based assessment of the literature based on a thorough literature review. As a result, we identified several shortcomings and propose a research agenda to guide further development of process modeling to cope with the increasing adoption of augmented reality for service design and service innovation in organizations. Thus, we contribute to the understanding of augmented reality as a matter of service design and increase the accessibility of augmented reality for small and medium enterprises

In Zeiten der Digitalisierung nimmt Informationstechnologie eine Schlüsselrolle im Modernisierungsprozess von Unternehmen ein. Zugleich bringt die Softwareeinführung das Risiko mit sich, den intendierten Nutzen nicht zu realisieren. Durch eine Dienstleistungssystem-Perspektive erscheint die Einbindung der Nutzer in die Softwareeinführung ein vielversprechender Ansatz. Das Ziel des Projektes ExTEND – Engineering von Dienstleistungssystemen für nutzergenerierte Dienstleistungen ist es daher, Nutzer in die Softwareeinführung nach dem Leitbild „Dienstleistungen von Nutzern für Nutzer“ zu befähigen, aktiv einen Beitrag zu der Gestaltung der Arbeitsumgebung zu leisten. Hieraus resultieren IT-gestützte Servicebausteine, in denen Nutzer sich gegenseitige Hilfestellungen geben und Handlungsalternativen in der Softwareeinführung aufzeigen. Durch ein Pilotierungsvorgehen werden die Servicebausteine in drei Anwendungsfeldern entwickelt und pilotiert. Hieraus resultiert evidenzbasiertes Gestaltungswissen für die Entwicklung von nutzergenerierten Dienstleistungen. Darüber hinaus wird ein Mehrebenenmodell für die Gestaltung von Dienstleistungssystemen vorgestellt, welches die Entwicklung von Dienstleistungssystemen unterstützt und über traditionelle Ansätze des Service Engineerings hinausgeht.

Die DIN SPEC 33453 “Entwicklung digitaler Dienstleistungssysteme” beschreibt ein Vorgehensmodell zur agilen, flexiblen und schnellen Entwicklung von digitalen Dienstleistungssystemen im industriellen Kontext. Ausgehend von der konkreten Entwicklung einer Dienstleistung als Leistungsergebnis betrachtet das Vorgehensmodell die ganzheitliche Gestaltung digitaler Dienstleistungssysteme. Dabei werden aktualisierte Methoden aus dem Service Engineering sowie geeignete Methoden aus angrenzenden Bereichen wie Business Analytics und Softwareentwicklung vorgestellt, um Unternehmen dabei zu helfen, den Entwicklungsprozess für ihre eigenen Bedürfnisse zu strukturieren und ihn kundenorientiert, effizient und erfolgreich durchzuführen. Das Dienstleistungsmanagement ist nicht Gegenstand dieser DIN SPEC. Die auf die Implementierung folgende Vermarktung, Leistungskonfiguration, Erbringung, Überwachung und kontinuierliche Verbesserung des Dienstleistungssystems ist daher gesondert zu betrachten. Das Dienstleistungsmanagement kann so auch Anlass dazu geben, das Dienstleistungssystem im Rahmen eines erneuten Entwicklungszyklus neu zu gestalten beziehungsweise anzupassen.

Digital transformation is a main driver for change, evolution, and disruption in organizations. As digital transformation is not solely determined by technological advancements, public environments necessitate changes in organizational practice and culture alike. A mechanism that seeks to realize employee engagement to adopt innovative modes of problem-solving is internal crowdsourcing, which flips the mode of operation from top-down to bottom-up. This concept is thus disrupting public organizations, as it heavily builds on IT-enabled engagement platforms that overcome the barriers of functional expertise and routine processes. Within this paper, we reflect on two design science projects that were piloted for six months within public organizations. We derive insights on the sociotechnical effects of internal crowdsourcing on organizational culture, social control, individual resources, motivation, and empowerment. Furthermore, using social cognitive theory, we propose design propositions for internal crowdsourcing, that guide future research and practice-oriented approaches to enable innovation in public organizations.

In recent years the digitisation of healthcare has been moving forward. Emerging technologies, such as smart glasses, are being tested for allowing healthcare workers information access at the point of care, while being able to work hands-free. Yet it remains unclear how the use of smart glasses will affect the trust relationship between patients and caregivers. The patient is not an active user of the smart glasses but is nevertheless dependent on outcomes influenced by the smart glasses. The patient, therefore, becomes a passive trustor of this technology. Building up-on existing trust research literature, we present a research model and extend it by interviewing 20 patients about their experiences with caregivers and their perceptions regarding the use of smart glasses in healthcare. We find that communication with patients is a key driver of passive trust in technology and trust in caregivers. This research contributes to a better understanding of the trust relationship between patients and caregivers and provides insights into the construct of passive trust in technology. In order to extend the qualitative data analysis, future research should investigate the extent of the acceptance of smart glasses by patients within healthcare facilities.

Treatment of chronic wounds is a challenging task for health care professionals. When treating chronic wounds, accurate documentation of wound development via photos, measurements, and written descriptions are crucial for monitoring the healing progress over time and choosing the right wound treatment. Currently, however, wound documentation is often perceived as inaccurate and incomplete. In this research, we follow a user-centered design science approach to develop a smart glass-based wound documentation system to support healthcare workers. Through ethnographic fieldwork, interviews and prototype tests with focus groups, we find that smart glass applications hold potential for improving the wound documentation process because they allow for hands-free documentation at the point of care.

Abstract: Die Adoption von Innovationen in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) mit weniger als 250 Mitarbeitern ist im Vergleich zu Großunternehmen begrenzt. In dieser Studie ist es unser Ziel, Faktoren zu identifizieren, die die Adoption von Innovationen bei KMU behindern. Hierzu führen wir eine Fallstudie zur Nutzung von Mobilitätsinnovationen in 20 KMU durch. Wir finden sechs entscheidende Faktoren, die KMU bei der Einführung von Innovationen behindern: wahrgenommenes Ungleichgewicht von Risiken und Chancen, Kompatibilität mit dem täglichen Arbeitsablauf, fehlende Anpassung an individuelle Geschäftsprozesse, Komplexität bei Infrastrukturinvestitionen, IT-Wissen und Kosten für die Einrichtung. Unsere Studie erweitert das Verständnis der Theorie der Adoption von Innovationen bei KMU. Basierend auf den identifizierten Faktoren hilft diese Studie, Innovationen in die laufenden Geschäftsprozesse zu integrieren und die Adoption von Innovationen zu erhöhen.