End-User Efficiency

Definition

End-User Efficiency describes the degree of consideration for human factors and ease of use for the user of the application measured.

The on-line functions provided emphasize a design for user efficiency (human factor/user friendliness). The design includes:

  • Navigational aids (e.g., function keys, jumps, dynamically generated menus, hyper-links)
  • Menus
  • On-line help and documents
  • Automated cursor movement
  • Scrolling
  • Remote printing (via on-line transmissions)
  • Pre-assigned function keys (e.g., clear screen, request help, clone screen)
  • Batch jobs submitted from on-line transactions
  • Drop down List box
  • Heavy use of reverse video, highlighting, colors, underlining, and other indicators
  • Hard-copy documentation of on-line transactions (e.g., screen print)
  • Mouse interface
  • Pop-up windows
  • Templates and/or defaults
  • Bilingual support (supports two languages: count as four items)
  • Multi-lingual support (supports more than two languages: count as six items) January

Score

Score As Descriptions To Determine Degree of Influence
0 None of the above.
1 One to three of the above.
2 Four to five of the above.
3 Six or more of the above, but there are no specific user requirements related to efficiency.
4 Six or more of the above, and stated requirements for user efficiency are strong enough to require design tasks for human factors to be included.
5 Six or more of the above, and stated requirements for user efficiency are strong enough to require use of special tools and processes in order to demonstrate that the objectives have been achieved.

Hints

  • Use a convention of a score of 4 whenever the application is deployed in a GUI environment (unless it scores 5).
  • Usually only software environments that prepare applications for mass-market or non-technical users score 5, and only if they have ergonomics specialists and/or usability studies as part of their process.

Typically

  • Pure batch applications receive a score of 0
  • Character mode user interface receive a score of 1 or possibly a 2
  • GUI user interface to be used for low volume transactions receive a score of 3
  • GUI user interface to be used for high volume transactions and most Web Intranet user interfaces receive a score of 4 (requires design tasks for human factors)
  • Web Internet user interfaces receive a score of 5 (requires special tools and processes to demonstrate that the objectives have been achieved)