Be intuitive, less manuals !

IN THE OLD DAYS...

We currently have a major paradigm shift in the process of developing new solutions for the corporate world. Until mid-2007, the solution creation model was divided into 3 main points: mapping the process in detail, developing the final product with as many options as possible, and creating the famous manual, which in some cases contained the maximum amount of technical expressions, as it was a way of valuing the final product: the more difficult it is, the more dependence and valuation of IT, that is, evaluation based on quantitative indicators, without measuring the value of the effort versus the contribution to the corporation's result.

CHALLENGE...

This changed radically when the concept of the iPhone was introduced to the market, a smartphone that simplified the way to use the technology, creating or strengthening the need for the concept of usability by the end user. In this new model, the user became the owner of his/her system/hardware, the personal daily life started to be integrated with several systems and technologies, and, even better, without any support from IT!! All easy and intuitive, and often without a manual.

This concept soon came to companies, confronting the model practiced by conservative IT, users were no longer the same, they already came with examples of how they wanted their requests, often showing the apps downloaded from the stores of their cellphone systems.

Today, anything that requires a lot of time to study before using it has become the villain of the productivity indicator, time is money, and always has been money! Training is expensive and labor intensive, especially for our new profile models, Y, X and Z generations, which don't stay long in their companies, causing a high level of turnover. On top of that, the board increasingly requires solutions that are in the “piece of cake” model. It's never been more important to understand the company's culture before implementing a new solution. The development of user friendly systems and smart workflows are one of the prerequisites to have the maximum adherence of the solution to the company's business.

An example that we can mention is the creation of a report for the financial area of a company. In the traditional model, the process starts with a good interview with the key user, where the options that the user needs to generate the report are raised. This is where the big mistake is made, as either the report becomes too difficult to use, or it creates an expectation beyond its capacity. Remember, report is not a BI??system!!! Each thing in the right place, this is the subject of another article... In the concept of usability, you must identify the user's need, analyze the usage history of this need, and create an intelligent report, with a maximum of two options such as period and cost center.

CONCEPT...

In his definition of values, Holbrook(1999) considers that consumer value involves the interrelationship of four dimensions of value: (i) interactivity, (ii) relativism, (iii) preference and (iv) consumption experience. I understand that the consumer experience must be something worked hard in any new development of improvements, as good experiences create positive images of IT throughout the corporation.

CHANGE...

This type of change is more cultural than technological, and the amazing thing is that this change must happen first in IT, where it is the origin of the biblical manuals that we still have in our corporations today. When we have this change in the corporate IT profile, the productivity gain is automatically noticed, as the reduction of the “rework” villain is positively felt by the board in the financial result, creating the concept of IT WITH + VALUE. And which CIO does not seek to have their area recognized as a source of products with + value?

So if the solution comes with a very complicated manual, it's wrong !!!!

Paulo Borba is a Senior Delivery Manager with over 18 years of experience driving business value through technology enablement using the best practices and market trends including experiences in program management discipline within system implementations and/or product development programs.?

A curious person and open to learn everyday new technologies and new ways to deliver a high standards and fast service, focusing to have happy and loyal customers.