Design without End User

Manager knows best

During one of my earlier contracts, a manager requested a customized front-end into an ERP system. So we had a few meetings where he told me exactly what he needed, and the kind of interface required by the end-users.  I designed the new tables and fields, coded the screens and interfaced the new information into the ERP system.  The manager and I went through some testing cycles. Finally, he asked me to show it to the end-users.

Needless to say the end-users were less than impressed.  The functionality did not work with the way the end users handled day to day workflow. Sure, the functionality was nice, but not the way it was achieved. Thankfully, the data model worked and so did the integration. All I had to change where the workflow input screens, and some of the reports.

Lessons Learned:

  • Managers sometimes don’t know how exactly day to day work staff work
  • Engage end users as soon as possible with something to look at and try out
  • Specs will change once the end-users have a look at the product

100 pages of detailed specs

  • I was hired to code according to specs
  • Specs consisted of 100+ pages of detailed specification
  • Users see the finished app
  • User reaction. “This is useless”
  • Analysts: “but you signed the specs”.
  • Users: “But we did not read them”

Lessons learned:

  • Nobody reads and understands 100 pages of specs
  • Go Agile

Design vs Reality

The Company needed a system to handle commissions. Currently that where handled via spreadsheets. There were sales reps, various levels of managers as well as support engineers who were assigned commissions. The main problem was, that if there where adjustments to the sale of a sales rep, the spreadsheets of all other people who got part of the commission, had to be changed.

Management and Business Analysts came up with a model for compensation for each person in the sales staff (direct sales rep, manager, etc.). We discussed the requirements, and off I went to design the database, and code the system.

As soon as, the 1st prototype was done, I went to the users. Reality bit. The actual plans for the sales reps and managers did not fit any of the categories proposed by management.

Lessons anticipated:

  • As soon as you have something to show the end-users, get them involved
  • Issues found early can be dealt with early