Getting it right
The inability to accurately communicate requirements is probably the biggest cause of IT failure -- either the project is rejected by users, or it goes through endless iterations before it's right. Or, it's canned altogether because the technology can't deliver what's required.
As far as the end user is concerned, the user interface is the application. The technology department and business need to make a fundamental shift in how they view the role of the user interface in software development. It's not good enough to say -we'll train them", or -they'll get used to it". These are the mind-shifts necessary:
So what are the steps in getting the requirements right? Here is what I consider to be the critical set of activities for any enterprise-level application -- activities that should occur in parallel with business analysis and be conducted by usability and design experts:
With such a precise document (a blueprint) there is no need for vendors to add a 50-100 percent contingency for all the iterations they know they're going to go through because the business can't make its mind up. Think of the potential cost savings and the market advantage of getting it right the first time.
biography
Psychologist Craig Errey is managing director of PTG Global, which builds and tests online interfaces for intuitiveness and usability.
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