The Business-Oriented Extension of the Sustainability Awareness Framework—A Design Science Study

This Design Science Research outlines a systematic extension of the Sustainability Awareness Framework (SusAF) that was created by scientists worldwide to identify and consider potential sustainability impacts of their software systems during the design phase. The artifact, the business-oriented extension of the SusAF, includes the industrial needs, such as corporate structure and commercial criteria, for designing sustainable software products and services. Using Design Science Research, our artifact provides a guideline that shows that profitability and sustainability are not only not mutually exclusive but can go hand in hand. While the current SusAF is often addressed directly to software and requirements engineers, we recommend someone with an interface position, such as the product manager, to organize and conduct the workshop. In order to do justice to the complexity of sustainability, we advocate the involvement of external stakeholders in a participatory approach. Business-related points, such as a time frame, cost-effectiveness, and transfer to the financial plan, should also be taken into account. Industrial aspects have not yet been sufficiently explored in the scientific literature. Our work contributes to bridging the gap between academic theory and industrial practice.