Connecting business models with service platform designs: Exploiting potential of scenario modeling

Heterogeneity of technical and business designs, complexity of business collaborations, diversity and fragmentation of business roles are just some of the consequences of service platform evolution that complicate their business analysis. Service-oriented business models are usually on a higher abstraction level than the underlying service platform designs. Business models require detailing prior to their financial analysis, in order to include a proper cost and revenue structure and a realistic risk picture in techno-economic analyses. Understanding well service platform business processes and scenarios is equally important for realistic modeling of service usage, delivery and provision. This work discusses a techno-business modeling approach for quantitative analysis of services and platforms (Zoric and Strasunskas, 2008; Zoric and Bræk, 2010; Zoric, 2008), which “reinterprets” the business models by service platforms’ technical and business entities, processes and scenarios. In such a way it describes the roles, responsibilities and incentives of collaborating business actors in service delivery and provision and uses them in business analyses and valuations. We explain the approach theoretically, illustrate its analytical potential and demonstrate its practical use on the proof-of-the-concept service platform.