Mattress Software Requirements
My wife and I recently set up one of our spare bedrooms using a bed frame that had been handed down in my family. We didn't have a full size mattress to put in it, so I ended up shopping for a mattress last weekend. Mattress shopping was easy. Mattress buying - much more complicated, and an example of software gone wrong.
Sure enough, the sales process was rough. It needed my personal information in 2 places. We couldn't check on delivery dates until we'd finalized more of the sale. The sales person was visibly frustrated just trying to navigate the software.
Labels: software requirements
posted by Marc Talbot at 7/29/2008 09:30:00 AM
5 Comments:
Interesting post Marc. Of course, it should be noted that there may be times when the goals of a designer override the goals of the end user. In your example, the business may want to delay the checking of delivery availability until very late in the process to ensure that the customer is totally hooked in. If you spend 5 minutes helping the sales rep fill out a form you may be less likely to back out over a 2 day delivery wait then you would be if you heard that before you had jumped through all of the hoops.
Sounds like what was really missing was a nonfunctional requirement constraining the number of user gestures it takes to process a purchase.
Marc,
This raises an interesting question;
Who's requirements do you prioritise? The customer (aka sponsor) or the user?
Sadly, the unmanangable check-out procedures could come from a poorly designed software, or from lack of proper training on the new software. I have witnessed a business owner/manager purchase software because the management tools were fabulous---great advice on how to improve the business. Then the same owners/managers of the business didn't bother to invest a few dollars more to make sure that their employees knew how to use it, and that their customers contine to receive excellent customer service. Sadly, the business will probably never know that the problem exists, and customers who get fed up with the process will begin to shop elsewhere.
Hi Marc,
You have a thought provocing idea. Only the end users of a system can make the most useful remarks on the software. Thanks,
- T.Vincent
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