IdentifyingERPUsabilityIssuesERPResearchWorkshopBentleyCollegeOctober15,2004WendyLucasTamaraBabaianHeikkiTopiIdentifyingUsabilityIssuesAnecdotalevidenceHardtogetdataintoERPsystemMismatchbetweenERPterminologyandbusinesspracticesEvenhardertogetinformationout!ExportdatatoExcel,AccesstoperformanalysisForresterResearchevaluation*TasksrequireinordinatepatienceandexpertisetocompleteUsersshoulddemandbetterusability*[Chew,Orlov,&Herbert,2003]ResearchQuestionsWhichcharacteristicsoflarge-scaleenterprisesystemshaveanegativeimpactontheirusability?Howshouldthesecharacteristicsbecategorized?CancollaborationtheorybeusedasaframeworkforidentifyingERPusabilityproblemsanddesigningsystemswithimprovedusability?Multi-MethodStudyFieldstudytoidentifyusabilityproblemsDevelopmentofatheoreticalmodeltoprovideastrongfoundationforenterprisesystemusabilitydesignandevaluationDevelopmentofaprototypeExperimentalanalysisOrganizationalContextforFieldStudyDivisionofaverylargediversifiedFortune500corporationBusiness:maintenanceofcomplexengineeringartifactsAlldatacollectedfromasinglefacilityMethodandInformantsDatacollectionthroughsemi-structuredinterviewsAtthisstage,10interviewslastingonaverageanhoureachAlargevarietyoforganizationalrolesrepresentingshopfloortechniciansupthroughuppermiddlemanagementAllinformants(exceptone)usersofthesamelarge-scaleintegratedERPsystemIdentifiedProblemCategoriesIdentificationofandaccesstothecorrectfunctionalityTransactionexecutionsupportSystemoutputlimitationsSupportinerrorsituationsTerminologyproblemsOverallsystemcomplexityIdentifyingandFinding

CorrectFunctionalityNavigationproblems“Ormaybewehavesomemenus,butpresentlyitmaytakeusfour,fiveorsixroutestogetustobasicallyonescreen.Idon’talwaysseethelinks.”Difficultiesinunderstandingthedependenciesbetweenthemodules“They're[warehouse,inventory]twoseparatemodulesthatdon'ttalktooneanother.So,thatcreatesthatverysituation,wheresomebodycangoonthewarehousingside,andcancelatransferorder,buttheydon'tknowtogolookonthematerialssideofthemodule,toseewhatthatresultedin.”LackingTransaction

ExecutionSupportUndulycomplextransactionsNeedtoenterdatarepetitively“…whydoIhavetokeepenteringthesamedataoverandover?”Inconsistentbehavior“Well,Imean,we'resousedtocopyingandpasting.…Insomecases,itremembersandwillcarryovertosomeofthescreens,butnotinallcases.”LackingTransaction

ExecutionSupportPoorsupportforexceptionsituationsleadstosystemavoidance“Like[aspecifictask],nobodywantstodo[it]inthesystem.…Youknow,they’reusedtojustgoingandget[ting]thepartandmanuallydoingthepaperworkandjusttakingthepartandjusttellingthebuyer-plannerlateraboutit.“SystemOutputLimitationsInabilitytogetrequiredoutput“It[theERP]doesn'tgiveyoutheinformationyouneed,anditjustmakesyou[r]workmoredifficult––Ifounditnoteasytouse,nottherightinformation,didn'tupdatecorrectly,didn'thavealotofflexibility.”Needtouseexternaltoolstoprocessthedatafurther“AndunlessIexportthatdowninto[an]Excelfileorsomething,thesystem[isnot]capableofcompressingthat[data],tominimizeit,reduceit.””CognitivecomplexityofquerytoolsIt'sjustthatyouneedtobeabrainsurgeontoactuallygooutand…………produceyourown[queries].SupportinErrorSituationsIncorrectorinsufficienterrormessages“You’’vegottogoseesomebodyabouthowcomeit’’sred.Butthat’’safteryourtransactioniscompleted.……Itjustsaystransactionfailedorsomethinglikethat.”Lackofspecificity“Wehaveascreenwherewetryandreturnpartstothewarehouseandifthat'salreadybeendone,thetransactionhasalreadybeendone,itsays‘‘1045error’’onthebottomofthescreen.What[expletive]doesthatmeantoanybody?””Missingerrormessages“Wehadthecustomizedfront-endandwehadtohittwobuttonstoexecuteatransaction.Butthesystemwillallowyoujusttohitone.Sotheguyswouldhitoneandeverythingwouldbegreen,hey,Imustbeokay,buttheynevercreatedtheotherrequirementsthatwerenecessaryto[completethetransaction].””TerminologyProblemsUnfamiliarsystemlanguage“The‘‘Help’’isworthlessbecauseit'sdefinitelyprogrammer’slanguagebased.Sohavingthe‘‘Help’customizedforbusinessprocesseswouldbe[an]importantpiece.““Well,itwaslikethespaceshiphadlanded,andtheseouterspacecreatures[trainers]gotoff,andstartedtalkingtousabouthowweweregoingtodoourjob,becausenobodyunderstoodwhattheyweresaying.””Needforaglossary“Iputtogetheraglossaryofhowthevocabularychangedfrompre-[ERP]topost,becausepeopledidn'tunderstandtheterms.””O(jiān)verallSystemComplexityGeneralfeelingofoverwhelmingcomplexityleadingtofeelingsoffear“It'saveryintimidatingsystem.“““…h(huán)ewaslikeadeer;itwaslikehegotsoupsetbecauseitwassooutofhiskingdom,sooutofhisnormal--heshutdownonme.““[reactionwhenexplaininghowtoenterawell-understoodprocesstotheERPsystem]OtherObservationsHavingresourcestocustomizeisvitallyimportantSignificantamountoftimeandeffortspentonthedevelopmentofinformaldocumentationFormaldocumentationisseldomusedPowerusersplayaverysignificantroleNon-powerusersaremuchlesslikelytoexplorethesystem’’spotentialLearningtoperformanewtaskisadifficultprocessbasedontrialanderror,evenforexperiencedandmotivatedusersDespitethesedifficulties,givenenoughtimeandeffort,usersdolearnhowtocompletetheirrequiredtasksMajorbenefitscomefromintegrated,consistentdataOtherObservationsApproachBasedonCollaborationTheoryAllusabilityproblemsdiscussedareexamplesofnon-collaborativebehaviorbythesystemRecognizesthejointnatureoftheactivityViewssystemasapartnerincollaborationViewingtheSystemAsaPartnerIneedthosesuppliesbyJanuary23,2005Idon’tunderstandwhatyoumeanbyJanuary23,2005Dateperiodisnotvalid.Tryagain…CollaborationTheory*CommitmenttomutualsupportrequiresRecognitionofthecontextinwhichtheactivityoccursCommunicationtocreatecoordinated,althoughindependent,subplansfortheactivityMutualresponsivenessrequiresbothpartiestosharerelevantknowledgeandadapttheirbehaviorformutualsupportIfyou’rehavingaproblemwithasubtask,andIcanhelpbyprovidinginformationorperforminganaction,Imustofferhelp.*[Bratman,1992;Grosz&Kraus,1996]Example:PurchaseRequisitionTask:CreateaPurchaseRequisition(PR)foranewpart.ProblemsencounteredbyPat,theuser:StartnewPR-partnotinMaterialMaster–scrapthePR,addpartMenupathforaddinganewpartishardtolocateifusedonlyoccasionallyStartnewPR–entertheplant,butforgotthepartnumberLookupthepartnumber––screenchangescompletely-about12differentlookupoptionsdisplayed–whichtochoose?Finallyenteredalldatashehas––butmanyPRformfieldsarestillempty–isshedone?CollaborativeCritiqueInsteadofhavingtoscrappurchaseorderduetomissingpartLinktotheAddNewPartoptionisreadilyavailablefromthesamescreenProblems1and2arepreventedInsteadofrequiringPattorememberthepartnumberSystemremembersthenumberofthenewlyaddedpartProvidesanoptionofenteringitautomaticallyAlsoprovidesaccesstoallpartsforthatplantToletPatknowwhentheprocessiscompleteOptionalfieldsareclearlydistinguishablefromtherequiredonesUsingCollaborationTheoryFrameworkfordesignandevaluationforusabilityRealignsresponsibilitiesbetweentheuserandthesystemaccordingtotheirrolesandnaturalstrengths,e.g.Userrequiredtoknowwhat’sthenextstepversusSystemguidingtheuserthroughthestepsofthebusinessprocessCollaborativeapproachtoERPdesignAdjustable/business-basedsystemvocabularyGuidancethroughstepsofbusinessprocessVisibleaccesstorelatedtasksCommunicationofprogressmadeafterperforminganactionInformationonimportantramificationsofuseractionsbeyondtheobviousSupportforuserinerrorsituation:offeradiagnosis/fixand/oranalternativecourseofactionintermsfamiliartotheuserUsingPrinciplesofCollaborationinInterfaceDesign:aPrototy