Comparison of Two Value-Modeling Methods: e3 value and SEAM

In the last few decades, several value-modeling methods have emerged in requirements engineering for IS research. We compare two value-modeling methods, e3value and SEAM. We illustrate their use with an example of the exchange of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on music. In the process, we propose a comparison framework. The results of our study show that e3value and SEAM are similar value-modeling techniques: both model services in networked systems and focus on value exchanges. They differ, however, in the way value is conceptualized: the market viability of the service system in e3value versus the subjective value and lack of market profitability analysis in SEAM. e3value shows how value flows from one actor to another, whereas SEAM shows the relative importance of different value propositions and how they are constructed by the service network. These results can be used by modelers to select a value-modeling method for their purposes by proposing explicit selection criteria. The comparison framework, which is in its early stages of development, can be used to compare other modeling methods.