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Self-Service
Overview
The Self-Service business pattern, also known as the User-to-Business or U2B pattern, captures the essence of direct interactions between interested parties and a business. Interested parties include customers, business partners, stakeholders, employees, and all other individuals with whom the business intends to interact. For simplicity, these interested parties are referred to as users. In this definition business represents various types of organizations including large enterprises, small and medium businesses, government agencies, and so on.
Self-Service Examples:
Insurance Industry
Locate a nearby office
Locate brokers or agents
Financial planner and insurance needs analysis tool
Portfolio summary
Policy summary and details
Claims submission and tracking
Online billing |
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Discount Brokerage
Portfolio summary
Detailed holdings
Buy and sell stocks
Transaction history
Quotes and news |
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Convenience Banking
View account balances
View recent transactions
Pay bills/ transfer funds
Stop payments
Manage bank card |
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Telecommunications and Wireless Industry
Review account statements
Paying bills online
Change personal profile
Add/change/ remove services (e.g. call waiting or caller ID)
Submitting service requests |
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Government
Submit tax returns
Renew automobile licenses
Download forms/ applications
Submit forms/ applications |
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Manufacturing
Review required parts/ services
Locate service centers
Register for training classes
Submit/ track orders |
What's Next
If you're not yet sure that your business problem can be solved by the functionality enabled through a Self-Service solution design, the Self-Service general guidelines page provides additional information on choosing this Business pattern. Business and IT drivers, the e-business context appropriate for this solution type, and additional solution details are discussed here.
If you've determined that the Self-Service business pattern can provide an appropriate solution design for your business need, the next step is to select an Application pattern. The Self-Service business pattern can be implemented using any one of seven different Application patterns, providing solution flexibility so that the determined Business pattern can address the specific needs of the business process being automated.
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Patterns for e-business naming conventions
The Patterns for e-business naming conventions can be seen here.
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Updated Self-Service pattern
Updated: 06-12-2006
Added new product mappings to the Directly Integrated Single Channel, Router and Decomposition application patterns
based on three SOA scenario redbooks.
Updated Self-Service pattern
Updated: 12-16-2005
Added SOA profiles to the Directly Integrated Single Channel, Router and Decomposition application patterns using WAS V6
as described in the new IBM Redbook Patterns: Implementing Self-Service in a SOA Environment (SG24-6680).
Updated Self-Service: :Decomposition and Agent application patterns
Updated: 09-30-2004
The Self-Service: :Decomposition and Agent application patterns have been updated using Process Choreography as described in the new IBM RedBook Patterns: Flexible Self-Service Applications Using Process Choreography (SG24-6322)
Updated Self-Service: :Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel application patterns
Updated: 02-25-2004
The Self-Service: :Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel application patterns have been updated using WebSphere Application Server V5.0 for z/OS and Linux for zSeries as described in the new IBM RedBook Patterns: Self-Service Application Solutions Using WebSphere for z/OS V5 (SG24-7092)
Updated Self-Service: :Router and Decomposition application patterns
Updated: 10-31-2003
The Self-Service: :Router and Decomposition application patterns have been updated using WebSphere Application Server V5.0 and IBM MQSeries Integrator as documented in the new IBM RedBook Self-Service Applications using IBM WebSphere V5.0 and IBM MQSeries Integrator (SG24-6875)
Updated iSeries Designs
Updated: 09-09-2003
The Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel application patterns have been updated with solution designs that document the use of iSeries in Self-Service Web applications, as documented in the new IBM Redpaper Patterns: Self-Service Application Solutions Using WebSphere V5.0 for iSeries (REDP3670)
Updated Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel patterns
Updated: 06-20-2003
The Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel application patterns have been updated with solution designs that feature the use of WebSphere Application Server V5.0, as documented in the new IBM Redbook Patterns: Self-Service Application Solutions Using WebSphere V5.0.
Updated zSeries Designs
Updated: 01-12-2003
The Stand-Alone Single Channel and Directly Integrated Single Channel application patterns have been updated with solution designs that document the use of z/OS in Self-Service Web applications.
Updated Directly Integrated Single Channel application pattern
Updated: 11-5-2002
The Self-Service::Directly Integrated Single Channel application pattern has been updated and now describes the use of JCA, JMS and Web services technology to link to the enterprise tier.
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Feasibility: This material will help you determine the high-level shape of a Self-Service system, and ensure your approach looks similar to other successful sites. Re-use of prior approaches can be an effective way to begin most major projects. Obviously, modifications will be needed for any unique requirements of a given site. This pattern provides a drill-down from high-level architecture to lower-level designs and guidance.
Risk: Basing new projects on prior designs and ideas helps to lower the risk of failure. Creating or inventing designs for each project tends to result in a lower success rate. Frequently, projects begun "from scratch" simply do not work and have major exposures in such areas as security, performance, availability, undefined requirements, and cost over-run.
Cost-benefit: By starting with reasonably complete architectures you save considerable development time and obtain assurance that the end solution will have a much higher chance of success. Actual savings will vary, but project teams have realized a 10% to 50% reduction of work effort in their design and architecture phases alone.
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