When Less is More in Case of Enterprise Applications
Enterprise Applications (Especially ERP packages) are meant to be rich in functionality and address a wide range of business processes addressing multiple business needs across an organization. The user set typically includes a core group of key users having a wide span of influence as well as control. In addition, there are a large number of end users whose span of reference to the enterprise application is generally limited to their specific area of responsibility.
The overall appeal of the rich features and depth in functionality typically impresses the IT team as well as the core group of key users who would eventually have a view into the full system. On the other hand, for users at the other end of the spectrum like for example a warehouse receiver, the new system just means a change in the way he goes about doing his routine job of receiving shipments. From his perspective, does it make sense to be exposed to the actual package?
Going by Pareto principle, majority of the features/functionalities of the application would end up being used by just a bunch of people. Taking the application of this principle even further with respect to enterprise applications, majority of the daily transactions would be usually enabled by just using a limited set of features in an implemented package solution.
In light of this, in my opinion, it sometimes makes a lot of sense to restrict the view that an end user has to the system he is using. If the UI layer can be tweaked / recreated to enable only the user relevant features on a simple web page, the acceptance of the system can go up considerably and so would the productivity.
I have seen this approach being used in some recent implementations and it does make the change management simpler. For example, in case of Microsoft Dynamics AX, the client is very easy to navigate and rich in functionality. But for the uninformed novice business user, this means that he can navigate to multiple areas and add to the confusion. Moreover, for completing a transaction also, there are multiple permutations that are possible.To some extent, this can be restricted by access controls, but still, the feature list accessible is considerable.
For achieving the same transaction, the selected set of Fields for which the data needs to be captured real time during the transaction can be exposed on a simple UI. All other mandatory data elements which typically remain constant for a particular end user can be programmatically updated. So in effect, for the Application nothing changes but the overall experience becomes way more comfortable for the end user. Enterprise Portal, Business connector and the AIF framework are great enablers in case of Dynamics AX to align a solution to this approach of specific limited feature UIs for the end users. This sounds simpler than it actually is, but I believe this does add a lot of value to the overall usability of the application.
Other applications also do have technology enablers available to approach a solution on these lines. Such approach basically gives the end user a Cloud like experience without him being bothered on what is actually going behind the scenes in terms of the system used, its physical location etc. This in a way resonates the idea that less is actually more for an end user of Enterprise Applications,
Not only does this simplify the job of the end user, it also considerably reduces the on boarding/training time and effort needed to enable these users on the system. I had some thoughts on similar lines in one of my older blog entry Can ERP be a “Plug and Play” Replaceable Engine?
If you have any thoughts around this, I would look forward to hearing back from you.
Comments
Restricting the view, the end user has to the system does seem to provide lesser worries about the scale of the enterprise wide applications, but if the user interface can be worked around keeping the larger picture in mind and at the same time providing focus at the minimal view with regard to both data and operations, then it does serve as a handy package.
Moreover, if majority of the functionalities of the system are to be used for a few bunch of people, then would it not be appropriate to provide personalized enterprise solutions suiting the needs of the enterprise users?
Also, as the critics would argue: providing definite and crystallized forms of user interfaces would lead to lack of consistency across enterprise wide user experience; what they need to keep in mind is the use of the system to the worth what the stakeholders would relish their stakes at!
Posted by: Ankit Dangi | March 4, 2010 8:10 PM