Abstract-Challengers-Carlson

= Challenges when digital services for sustainable everyday travel is innovated =

Raul Carlson 1, Anders Hjalmarsson 1,2 , Mikael Lind 1,2 , Daniel Rudmark 1,2 1 Viktoria Institute, Goteborg, Sweden 2 University of Borås, Sweden

A slideshow as guide for the presentation/discussion in the Virtual Workshop on November 12

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The demonstrator "TravelGreener" mentioned in the presentation/discussion illustrating a potential digital service that facilitate sustainable everyday travel

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Abstract
In 2020 according to Traffic Authorities, if all car commuters shift from using cars one day a week to use public transport the green-house reduction goals in Western Sweden in relation to transport will be met. A shift from cars to public ways of transport means a step towards the objective eco-effectiveness (Watson et. al. 2010) as commuters actively change their behavior and consume lesser natural resources to achieve the same travel goal. It is also a step towards eco-equity. By using means of commuter transport functions and services with better environmental performance (such as bicycle or public transport systems like bus, tram or train) each commuter consumes less resources which leaves more resources for future generations, and if the systems are well-trimmed it may even be made to balance with nature’s regeneration capability of energy resources. We argue that it is the responsibility of IS researchers to investigate and evaluate how IS/IT may improve the environmental performance of the systems they work with, and in particular if IT/IS may serve as a persuasive force to stimulate shifts towards more eco-friendly alternatives of transportation. For example, we consider it our responsibility to investigate how IS/IT may increase the eco-efficiency of transportation assets when the volume of travelers of shared resources increases as a consequence of such a shift. People should be able to plan their trip in a way suitable for them as individuals while at the same time being supported to choose sustainable alternatives. In practice they should be able to base decisions regarding trips on information about the reliability of transport services and traffic, on the price, and on the environmental performance, provided to them via digital context based information services. In order to succeed in innovation of new digital services for sustainable travel a number of challenges must be prevailed. These challenges can be related to consumers, service and transport suppliers and governmental authorities in the public transport context.

A first challenges concerns the availability of data. The challenge is not a lack of data, but rather to have accurate data for different usage situations. Public transport authorities, as well as other (private and public) actors, possess vast volumes of both static and real-time information about transport and traffic. Typically, only small portions of the data necessary are available, and when available this data is not properly designed for usage in emerging use contexts (such as smart phones and GPS navigators). Further, additional data sources, such as environmental data needed to design digital services enabling sustainable travel are missing. In sum, the supply of publically accessible data to build services must be enhanced and improved from authorities within the public transport context to digital service suppliers. Another challenge is related to digital service innovation. Suppliers of digital services have a number of ways to distribute digital services to users. The success of the iPhone, the Android, and the Symbian platforms have together with the introduction of the Smartphone created a situation in which travelers now are technologically capable to receive any information regarding a trip, in any form. The challenge is not the technological platform, instead it is to achieve impact and sustainable usage of digital services provided on these mobile platforms. There is also a challenge when it comes to enable sufficient access to the data possessed by the public transport authorities via open API's, the lack in knowledge about the eco-goals which should steer the innovation of digital services in order to facilitate a shift from car to public transport, and a lack in sufficient knowledge about the needs that different categories of consumers have when public transport is utilized in sustainable ways. Another challenge is the lack of different types of feedback channels between stakeholders in the public transport context. 1) Analog and digital feedback channels from users (consumers) to service providers (service suppliers) regarding usage of services. 2) The lack of feedback channels from users (consumers) to public transport authorities (information and transport suppliers) about usage of public transport assets as well as occurred changes in traveling behavior. 3.) The lack of digital feedback channels from service providers (service suppliers) to public transport authorities (information suppliers) in regard to provision of information. Finally 4) the lack of analog and digital feedback channels from the users (consumers), the service providers (service suppliers) and the public transport agencies (information and transport suppliers) to government agencies about the effects that new digital services for sustainable everyday travel have on eco-efficiency, eco-effectiveness and eco-equity.

The short paper will further elaborate on challenges when digital services for sustainable everyday travel is innovated, and introduce a design vision with reference to sources such the energy informatics model (Watson et. al. 2010), sustainable innovation (van Osch & Avital 2010) and persuasive technology (Fogg 2003). It address the discussed challenges with the aim to mobilize a force to enhance the innovation of persuasive digital services for sustainable travel and transport based on accessible public and private data and components of various sorts.

By participating in the activities connected to the SIGGreen 2010 initiative (virtual and physical meetings), our ambition is both to contribute to the dialogue in the SIG and use it as inspiration to rework the short paper into a full paper (March 31 2011).

A selection of references that are used in the short paper

Fogg, K., J., (2003): Persuasive Technology - Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do. Harcourt Publishers Ltd, San Francisco.

van Osch, W., Avital, M., (2010): From Green IT to Sustainable Innovation. AMCIS 2010 Proceedings. http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2010/490

Watson, R. T., Boudreau, M.-C., & Chen, A. J. (2010): Information Systems and Environmentally Sustainable Development: Energy Informatics and New Directions for the IS Community. MIS Quarterly, 34(1), 23-38