An Architecture Framework for Facilitating Sustainability in Open Service Ecosystems

The passage from monolithic, product driven business models to networked and service-based business has given raise to the emergence of service ecosystems. A service ecosystem is a socio-technical complex system that enables service-based collaboration between entities such as enterprises, institutions or individuals. Contemporary service ecosystems are established and managed typically in an ad~hoc -- manner and are lacking in support for ecosystem sustainability. This paper presents the Service Ecosystem Architecture Framework which facilitates sustainability of service ecosystems by supporting activities and addressing concerns of ecosystem stakeholders. The framework provides means for design and analysis of service ecosystems. Conceptual completeness of the architecture framework is validated by modelling a modern open service ecosystem. Applicability of the architecture framework is demonstrated with respect to service ecosystem concerns.