Structuring dependable on-line
services: A case study using
internet grocery shopping
Gordon Baxter, Budi Arief, Shamus
Smith and Andrew Monk
Outline
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DIY internet grocery shopping
GSETDIFY internet grocery shopping
Net Neighbours scheme
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Structure and Dependability issues
Summary
Future work
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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DIY internet shopping HTA
1.
2.
Register with supermarket
Perform shopping
activities
2.1 Decide groceries
required
2.2 Select groceries (online)
2.3 Select delivery slot
(on-line)
2.4 Pay for groceries with
credit card (on-line)
15 March 2005
2.5 Be in to receive groceries
2.6 Check groceries and
return any unwanted
substitutions/error
2.7 Put away groceries
2.8 Check credit card
statement
Plan: 2.1 then 2.2 and 2.3 in any
order, then 2.4 – 2.8 in order
Plan: 1 only once then repeat 2
as necessary
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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DIY internet shopping diagram
Supermarket
On-line, credit card
Email or web confirmation
Goods delivery
Client
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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DIY, Possible Exceptions
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Problem in registering with supermarket
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Cannot understand purpose or jargon
No email account
No suitable delivery slot
No credit card for payment
Forget or unable to be in for delivery
Delivery does not arrive on time
Essential items are not delivered
Apparent error on credit card statement
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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GSETDIFY internet shopping
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Get Someone Else To Do It For You…
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No internet connection
Difficulty with interface
Slight modification to the DIY
approach…
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More stakeholders
More complex structure
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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GSETDIFY shopping diagram
Supermarket
On-line, credit card
Intermediary
Email or web confirmation
Goods delivery
Client
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours
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Based in York
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Providing social contact & shopping service
Stakeholders:
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Elderly people (clients)
Volunteers (intermediary)
Age Concern York (intermediary)
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Development Worker
Local Supermarkets
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours (contd.)
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Interactions
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Client – Volunteer: over the phone
Volunteer – Supermarket: on-line
Volunteer – Development Worker: over the
phone
Client – Development Worker: over the
phone and possibly face-to-face
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours HTA (1)
1. DW Register Volunteer
1.1 DW Get references
1.2 ACY Train volunteer to work with
older people
1.3 ACY Train volunteer to use service
2. DW Register client with supermarket
3. DW Match volunteer to client
4. DW, V, C Introduce Volunteer to Client
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours HTA (2)
5. V, C Perform shopping activities
5.1 C Decide groceries required
5.2 V, C Select groceries (on-line)
5.3 V, C Select delivery slot (on-line)
5.4 V Pay for groceries with credit
card (on-line)
5.5 V Send order details to DW
5.6 V, C Agree time for next call
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours HTA (3)
5.7 C Be in to receive groceries
5.8 C Check groceries and return
unwanted substitutions/error
5.9 C Put away groceries
5.10 C Send receipt and cheque to
ACY
5.11 ACY Arrange reimbursement for
volunteer
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours HTA (4)
5.12 V Check credit card statement
Plan: 5.1 then 5.2 and 5.3 in any order,
then 5.4 – 5.11 in that order, 5.12 when
available
6. ACY Audit payments and receipts
Plan: 1 – 4 only once then repeat 5 and 6 as
necessary
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Net Neighbours, simplified shopping diagram
Supermarket
Client
Volunteer
ACY
Phone call
On-line, credit card
Email or web confirmation
Goods delivery
Payment and reimbursement
Structure and Dependability
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Multiple stakeholders
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Separated in time and space
Each has different views
Extra communication
Trust issues and dependencies
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Possible exceptions: clients
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No suitable delivery slot
Forget or unable to be in for delivery
Delivery does not arrive on time
Essential items are not delivered
No bank account for payment to ACY
Volunteer does not ring as agreed
Insensitive volunteer upsets client
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Possible exceptions: volunteer
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No suitable time for next call
Delay in reimbursement from ACY
Apparent error on credit card statement
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Possible exceptions: ACY
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Volunteer does not ring as agreed
Essential items are not delivered
Client does not send payment and/or
receipt
Reimbursement error or delay causes
volunteer to resign
Insensitive volunteer upsets client
Apparent error in audit
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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More on Dependability
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ACY facilitates dependable service
Measures taken:
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Development worker to handle exceptions
Volunteers selection and training
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Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Summary
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DIY and GSETDIFY grocery shopping
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Stakeholders and structure issues
Dependability lies in the way the service is
administered
Benefits of Net Neighbours scheme:
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Grocery shopping for elderly people
Socialising medium
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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Future work
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Extending Net Neighbours scheme
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Other shopping purposes?
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Books, train timetables, etc.
More clients and volunteers
Adding another stakeholder
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friend or relative physically visits the client
15 March 2005
Edinburgh DIRCshop
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