Gestaltungsempfehlungen für webbasierte Produkt-Konfiguratoren im B2C-Bereich am Beispiel technischer Sonnenschutzsysteme

Abstract

Digitalisation and technological progress are increasingly shaping the dynamic market environment in which companies operate. Particularly in the business-to-consumer sector, the customer journey has gradually shifted to the online world. For this reason, companies need innovative approaches to support end customers in their information research and decisionmaking process. The provision of information through digital tools is therefore becoming increasingly relevant for companies. Product configurators are a key instrument for ensuring an advanced transfer of knowledge between companies and their customers. However, for firms in the capital goods industry, the products of which are characterised by a certain degree of complexity and a high need for explanation, this strategy poses challenges. In view of these factors and the diverse requirements of users, the design of these tools plays an essential role. The aim of this study is to analyse how web-based product configurators for technical sun shading systems, including online and offline interactions, can be designed according to established usability criteria and used by potential customers in the business-to-consumer sector. To this end, the topic of product configurators is initially introduced on the basis of literature research and analysis, whereby functionalities and key success factors are determined. The basics of usability and user experience are also assessed. This assessment is followed by a presentation of the findings gathered with regard to usability and user experience evaluation for product configurators. On this basis, the methodology for evaluating the usability of a product configurator is developed and the central criteria for designing those configurators are derived. This forms the foundation for the subsequent empirical analysis. In this context, the configurator of VALETTA Sonnenschutztechnik GmbH is analysed. A two-stage process is used for this purpose, with the first phase involving the examination of the configurator based on the design criteria. In the second phase, an in-depth analysis of the configurator is conducted using usability testing in combination with observation, the think-aloud method, a survey and subsequent interviews. In the course of this master’s thesis, the success of product configurators is found to be influenced by a variety of factors, including (1) information provision and communication, (2) functions of product configurators, (3) usability, (4) user experience and (5) external and internal factors. As a result of this work, a catalogue of recommendations for the design of product configurators in the business-to-consumer sector has been obtained based on the literature and empirical data. In addition, the possible integration of online and offline interactions and activities has been suggested.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	German (Austria)
Supervisor	Gerald Petz (Supervisor)