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(3) to register service cases in a service database,
(4) to search in the service database, and
(5) to reuse a service model data stored in the service database.
Required specifications and implemented specifications in details are as follows.
(1) To allow a user to input and edit a service model
This is the most fundamental function of Service Explorer. In order to acquire the knowledge of
service cases for service design efficiently, an easy graphical interface to describe a service model is
needed. A service model is described as a graph structure consisting of nodes and arcs.

(2) To display component elements that designers focus on
The system has to be able to (or not to) display component elements selectively depending on
designers' demands so that they can understand the structure of the service efficiently. To do so,
Service Explorer provides a function to display the function topology and the parameter structure.
(3) To register service models in the service database
It is desirable that the service database can store service cases independently of the specific
OS/application. For this purpose, Service Explorer employs XML as the database description
language.

(4) To search in the service database
Service Explorer is equipped with a search function to look up the service database depending on
designers' requests. On the current Service Explorer, designers can search for service models with
keywords contained in the composition elements (RSP, FN, FP, FT, and Entity).
(5) To reuse a service model data stored in the service database
This is the function to reuse composition elements or structure of a service model stored in the service
database, when designers inputs and edits a service model.

The Implementation of the Prototype
Based on the above-mentioned functional specifications, Service Explorer was developed in Java
SDK 1.4.1 and XML version 1.0. The MVC model (Krasner (1988)), which has been used widely in
general GUI applications, was adopted as basic architecture of Service Explorer. By applying the
MVC model, high flexibility and reusability of Service Explorer, and robustness of the service model
data are achieved.
Below how Service Explorer works is explained using screenshots of a design case of hotel service.
Figure 2 shows the user interface to input and edit a flow model, which expresses a service as a chain
of agents, depicting a design case of hotel service. Concepts such as "Hotel," "Customer," "Linen
company," "Clean company," and "Tenant" are arranged as agents which participate in the service.
Multiple scope models which represent provision/receipt relationships among them are defined in this
flow model. Furthermore, the interface shown on Figure 2 allows designers to set up RSPs contained
in the scope model.

Figure 3 shows the user interface to input and edit a view model for each RSP in the scope model
defined on the flow model. Figure 3 depicts a view model about "Light" RSP in the scope model
between a hotel and a customer. The RSP is closely related to the customer's demand on brightness.
In the view model, "Light" is described as a root element and "Provide Light" is described as a root
function to change the RSP. Then, the function is detailed into "Provide artificial light" and "Provide
natural light". By detailing gradually the functional structure which realizes the change of the RSP,