Involving Non‐Technical Stakeholders in System Architecture Design; a Case‐Study on the Cleaning Industry

Abstract

AbstractThere exists a grey area between market‐pull and technology‐push markets, in which stakeholders are aware of an issue they want solved, yet do not have clear expectations on a solution. This paper presents a method to meaningfully include these stakeholders in a design process, especially if they come from a non‐technical background. A combination of Systems Engineering for indirect involvement and a Human Centered Design approach for direct involvement of stakeholders is proposed and evaluated for a case study on technological advancements in the cleaning industry. It was found that both approaches complement each other throughout the problem exploration phase of the design process. Furthermore, a toolbox that can be used with design specialists and other stakeholders alike is presented and evaluated. Recommendations for the use of specific tools and techniques in similar situations are presented based on communication styles and experiences.