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Revisiting the Digital Plumber: Modifying the Installation Process of an Established Commercial IoT Alarm System
Teresa Castle-Green1, Stuart Reeves1, Joel E Fischer1
1Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Computer Supported Cooperative Work : CSCW : an International Journal
|June 26, 2023
Summary
Commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions require long-term maintenance, extending the role of the "digital plumber." This study reveals that effective digital plumbing involves reporting failures and facilitating change, crucial for robust IoT infrastructure.
Area of Science:
- Ubiquitous Computing (Ubicomp)
- Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
- Sociotechnical Systems Design
Background:
- Commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions possess a long-term, sociotechnical infrastructural nature.
- The installation and maintenance of IoT devices, termed 'digital plumbing,' present significant, often underestimated, complexities.
- Existing research on digital plumbing and infrastructuring needs to account for the practical demands of commercial IoT deployments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the sociotechnical practices involved in the installation and maintenance of commercial IoT alarm systems.
- To critically reflect on concepts of infrastructuring within a commercial context.
- To extend the understanding of the 'digital plumber' role by identifying additional responsibilities in commercial settings.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of video recordings documenting the work of a digital plumbing representative and software development team.
- Observation of changes made to the installation process and supporting technology.
- Qualitative reflection on infrastructuring concepts and digital plumbing practices.
Main Results:
- The team methodically foregrounded hidden infrastructure elements to address a critical failure point during field trials.
- Notions of 'elemental states' were used to support design reasoning by assessing tensions at points of failure.
- The study identified 'reporting failure' and 'facilitation of change' as integral responsibilities of professional digital plumbers.
Conclusions:
- Commercial digital plumbing extends beyond installation to include crucial failure reporting and change facilitation.
- Effective IoT infrastructure requires collaborative troubleshooting, design sessions, and strong communication channels.
- The concept of digital plumbing should be expanded to encompass these extended responsibilities for successful commercial IoT deployment.
