Customized Life Cycle Costs of Consumer Goods via Mobile Phones

Abstract

This paper presents an information system that provides support for consumer decisions through calculating life cycle costs. The information system is accessed via a mobile phone that recognizes the product through taking a picture of its bar code. The first part of the paper explains the importance of providing such information for consumers and points out the advantages of providing the information electronically. The second part gives a brief description of the architecture and of the technologies used. Through this approach of providing information electronically, life cycle costs and sophisticated product evaluations can reach a very large number of consumers in a very wide range of decision making situations, thus potentially significantly influencing the market through consumers’ behaviour.