Re: [soa-rm-ra] 'Consumer'

[Rex Brooks <rex.brooks@ncoic.org>]

Hi Peter,

Since the DoD, DoJ et al already use consumer pretty much as we have defined it, I think its best to continue onward. Frankly this is the first time that "consumer" has been brought to my attention as implying a choice of providers within a "market" per se, but it would be better if it was, IMHO. In IT it seems to be usually taken as being more synonymous with "user" than with "customer," though it is also used in the latter sense quite often, too. Though the notion of "procurement" as a SOA Ecosystem tickles me, I wouldn't want present it to the folks who steadfastly support the the various inspectors general who really want to believe their system is both fair and impartial. I'd have to keep from chuckling and I doubt that would win my case any support. So in the spirit of maintaining a friendly fiction, I'd leave that stone unturned.

Cheers,
Rex

On 11/11/11 12:27 PM, Peter F Brown wrote:

Over at the OASIS “Transformational Government Framework” TC, we are looking at aligning key terminology in our deliverables with the SOA-RM and RAF. We are already comfortable with Ecosystem, Stakeholder, Actor, Service Provider but we are a bit stuck with Service Consumer.

Consumer would seem to imply a service market in which consumers can pick and choose their providers from competing or complementary offers. In the context of government/public service delivered services, can we really talk about “consumers”, given that they do not have alternative providers of, for example, tax filing, driver license or ID, social security, etc.? Also, the term ‘consumer’ comes over as very ‘passive’ and doesn’t reflect the reality that – at least in terms of many newer-generation government services, the ‘consumer’ is actually promoted as an active stakeholder in the design and delivery of the service.

We are currently using the term “Customer” to embrace all citizen and business interactions with government services because of those reservations about ‘consumer’.

Any thoughts from the SOA community?

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

Peter F Brown

Independent Consultant

Using Information Technologies to Empower and Transform

www.peterfbrown.com

P.O. Box 49719, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA

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