The Concepts of Modularization in ICT Service Modeling

The use of architectures and modularity are key theoretical concepts helping to manage the design of complex products. We propose that those theoretical concepts can also be applied to information and communication technology (ICT) service modeling. Conceptual service models represent how we understand an ICT service's structure, definition, and scope. As service modeling demonstrates resource requirements for ICT service operations, a conceptual model is a prerequisite for knowledge management and competitive advantage, according to the resource-based view of the firm. This explorative case study investigates how the concepts of modularization are represented in conceptual ICT models. We found that ICT service modeling makes use of basic modularity principles such as the modularization of the service components. Without the representation of interfaces, practitioners and researchers may not be able to leverage the suggested benefits of modularity.