User-Centred Requirements Handbook |
In this section, information is captured about the future social and organisational environment. This includes:
• General structure (hours of work, group working, job function, working practices, assistance, interruptions, management structure, communications structure).
• Attitudes/culture (IT policy, organisational aims, industrial relations).
• Job characteristics (job flexibility, performance monitoring and feedback, discretion, valued skills).
Note that this part is different from the specification of organisation and business requirements for the system but may be assisted by results from that analysis.
Process
To assist in capturing details about the organisational environment, Form 1.6 should be completed by carrying out the following steps:
1. Fill in name of system and user group at the top of the form.
2. Fill in the first column of the form, completing all relevant social and organisational characteristics.
3. Consider each of the characteristics in turn and write down any user-related implications for the design of the system in the second column. These will become provisional user requirements for the system.
4. Review each of the implications for design and assign a reference number to it. This will allow the information to be traced back to this original table. Where a characteristic has two or more user-related implications for the design, give each a separate reference number.
Examples of the factors to be considered are as follows:
Staff and management structure
• This aspect includes descriptions of organisational structures within the environment in which the system will operate. It should also include descriptions of people's roles so that new procedures associated with the system maintain levels of status and activity satisfaction.
Assistance available
• When a new system is implemented users often require support in learning how to use it and in overcoming problems. The possibility to offer support should be considered. Suitable support mechanisms should then become part of the user needs specification.
Interruptions, stressful conditions
• Interruptions to travellers and periods of high workload need to be recorded as part of the context in order that the system will be designed to cope with, and not contribute to, these conditions.
Communications structure
• The new system must be specified so that communications at least as effective as the current system are maintained.
Privacy
• Where privacy is a key issue, the new system should be specified so that existing privacy conventions are not compromised.
Performance feedback
• Users generally like to receive performance feedback, so if this is part of the current system, it should be maintained within the new system.
Job function
• Here the main roles of the users are listed to show the scope of there current jobs.
Safety and security
• An important user need is to feel safe and secure in performing their tasks. If the system does not give the impression of safety (avoidance of accidents) and security (protection against loss or injury) users will not perform well or will not use the system.
Form 1.6 - Social and Organisational environment (Example)
| 1.6 Social and Organisational Environment | ||
| System: Bank machine | Form completed for user groups selected in Form 1.2 | |
| User group: General public | ||
| Characteristics | Potential User Requirements | Ref. |
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Staff and Management structure Not relevant. |
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Communications structure Not relevant. |
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IT Policy All bank branches to have own bank machine and to encourage usage to reduce staff time. |
Staff should be prepared to give advice to the public on using Bank machines. Counter staff should always be available to handle similar transactions if person does not wish to use a bank machine. | 1.6.1 |
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Organisational aims Not relevant |
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Industrial Relations Not relevant |
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Performance monitoring The public will expect reasonably quick and consistent response times. |
Bank machines should be monitored for response speeds and number of transactions per day. | 1.6.2 |
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Performance feedback Bank staff will need to be able to check manually on machine performance, and current quantity of paper and money. |
Staff should be able to interrupt queue to perform a quick check if query arises about quality of output. | 1.6.3 |
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Group working User normally alone, sometimes with partner. |
Allow two users to view/access bank machine comfortably. | 1.6.4 |
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Assistance required or available Possibly available from bank staff or others in queue. Required by novice users or if system fails and card is lost. |
Assistance is not normally available at external bank machine. User needs way of registering problem and to request help soon afterwards. | 1.6.5 |
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Interruptions, stressful conditions Queues may build up during busy periods. |
Customer needs a way of abandoning transaction if they cannot proceed and feel under pressure. | 1.6.6 |
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Safety and Security Danger of theft and mugging particularly from external machines. |
Bank machine may provide an alarm bell to signal help required if theft takes place. | 1.6.7 |
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Privacy Danger of others seeing financial details of customer or learning PIN number. |
Bank machine should provide sufficient barriers to prevent others from seeing the transaction. | 1.6.8 |
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Job function Not applicable |
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Hours of work Not applicable |
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Job flexibility Not applicable |
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Valued skills Not applicable |
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Transfer to Form 3.9 Social and organisational environment
At this stage it may also be necessary to develop the organisational basis for the new system. This will show at a high level how the users will interact with the system and communicate with other people as part of the work process or operating environment. It will also show how information will flow through the system. The organisational design should be developed in collaboration with different user group representatives. Ideally this will be carried out using the methods of:
• 4.6 group discussion or
• 4.7 interviewing individuals (described in Part C).