Mobil 50+

The German society will undergo a dramatic shift over the course of the next decades. In 2050, people over 65 will most likely account for more than 30% of the German population. Therefore, challenges such as limited mobility or age-related health problems will increase, with considerable consequences for regional employers and service providers. Yet, the demographic shift also enables the development of new service markets, since the financial strength of the generation 50+ is well above average income levels, offering new possibilities for service creation and service markets. Possibilities can emerge in areas such as improvement of quality of life for the elderly or in IT-based services for cooperation between the generations. However, since the demographic segment 50+ is intrinsically heterogenic, services for this target group are highly personal, and knowledge-based. Problems and deficiencies in current service offerings exist primarily in the early stages of the supply chain, such as creation, development, and initiation of services, as well as in supporting functions like management, organization and administration during service provision. Elderly people have a demand for different kinds of services. Due to the heterogeneity of the target group in education, interests, income and health, it is also difficult for service providers to properly identify customer needs and create appropriate services.

The demographic shift is a promising area of application for the creation and development of new forms of IT-enabled services. By addressing the demands and requirements of diverse demographic groups and integrating them into the society, the service industry can be strengthened and the demand for service offerings increased.

The objective of the research project Mobil50+ is to support the systematic development, marketing and usage of IT-supported services, tailored to the needs of the generation 50+, through the integration of mobile and IT-solutions, and to foster the demand of services in social communities. The use of innovative, mobile technologies such as Near Field Communication enables cost-efficient service implementations, combined with high usability.

The Mobil50+ project supports the development, marketing and use of needs-based services for the 50+ generation using NFC-supported and mobile services and promotes the demand for services in a social community. The aim is to enable service providers to develop new, needs-based solutions, strengthen the sale of services and make their provision more efficient. The use of innovative, mobile technologies such as near-field communication enables very cost-effective implementation with a high level of user-friendliness.

The project uses NFC-supported and mobile services to bring customers and providers together. Based on Near-Field-Communication (NFC), mobile communication and internet services, service providers in conjunction with newly developed processes and structures are enabled to recognize the needs of the 50+ target group and to redesign, optimize and adapt offers. Customers will have easy access to services tailored to their needs. This results in opportunities for growth and employment, as more services can be used thanks to the needs-based design. The use of community functions further strengthens the shared use of services and cross-generational interaction.

Project Team:

• Chair for Information Systems (Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar) – TU München
• Chair for Information Systems (Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister) – Universität Kassel

Development:

• ITM Beratungsgesellschaft mbH

Field Test Partner:

• Generation Research Program (Prof. Dr. Ernst Pöppel) – LMU München

The project incorporates the development and piloting of a social commerce platform called “Bring Dich Ein” (BDE). The BDE-platform on the one hand fosters the interaction between generations and allows the collective consumption of services. It strengthens the demand for services and reduces access barriers. On the other hand it supports service providers in the elicitation of customer needs and requirements, the creation and development of new services and the easy and efficient offering and marketing of services. The BDE-platform will be piloted and tested in field studies. The findings of these field studies will be condensed and transferred to best practice guidelines for industry.

• Prof. Dr. Jan Marco Leimeister
• Philipp Menschner