🎓Consumer Vendor Management Systems. Support for supplier and contract management through software and digitalisation

Due to the ongoing advance of digitalisation, it can generally be observed that all kinds of products are increasingly developing into services with fixed-term contracts (subscriptions). In this context, the term "Everything-as-a-Service" (XaaS) is often used. As a result, consumers are entering into more and more (fixed-term) contracts, which they need to keep track of (e.g. comparing, monitoring terms, etc.) and interact with providers (e.g. cancelling). To support this, there are already many apps, service providers and emerging start-ups. PhD student ERIK DETHIER is investigating how information technology can support consumers in managing their contracts, finances and thus their providers. Together with his colleagues from the Consumer Informatics Research Group, he is conducting research on consumers and their acceptance and integration of such IT into their everyday practices, as well as on the developers of such IT/apps.