A Conceptual Model for User-system Collaboration: Enhancing Usability of Complex Information Systems

A variety of organizations around the world use complex information systems (e.g., enterprise resource planning and supply chain management systems). However, poor usability caused by system complexity continues to frustrate users and damage the reputation of these systems. In this study, we address usability issues with complex information systems from the human-computer collaboration perspective by modeling user-system interaction as a joint activity between the system and its users. We propose a conceptual model for user-system collaboration, elaborate on the components in the model and the relationships between the components, derive the required capabilities for collaborative information systems, and establish conceptual relationships between system collaborative behaviors and usability. We use empirical evidence gathered from a qualitative field study on ERP systems to illustrate the model and the possible impact of system collaborativeness (i.e., the presence or absence of collaborative capabilities) on usability. We do so to provide a strong conceptual foundation for modeling user-system collaboration and to encourage designers to employ the collaboration metaphor during system design and, thus, help them develop future complex information systems with better usability

A QFD framework for quality, innovation and high-tech product development dynamics

The customer mostly chooses a product on the base of its quality, which therefore arises as the main cause of its commercial success. In a nearly axiomatic drawing, it follows that the effect of innovation is the improvement of quality, which itself becomes the aim of innovation. Even though the previous statement relates quality and innovation, it still does not explain their dynamics. To stress them, the ‘quality' concept must be analyzed in more detail. In fact, in addition to the ‘perceived quality', the quality ensured through `design, manufacturing and marketing' combined domains should be dealt with. This paper enhances this issue taking advantage of principles and models made available by control theory schemes coupled with quality function development (QFD) and best practice software modeling based on unified modeling language (UML

ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks: a literature review

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation is a complex and vibrant process, one that involves a combination of technological and organizational interactions. Often an ERP implementation project is the single largest IT project that an organization has ever launched and requires a mutual fit of system and organization. Also the concept of an ERP implementation supporting business processes across many different departments is not a generic, rigid and uniform concept and depends on variety of factors. As a result, the issues addressing the ERP implementation process have been one of the major concerns in industry. Therefore ERP implementation receives attention from practitioners and scholars and both, business as well as academic literature is abundant and not always very conclusive or coherent. However, research on ERP systems so far has been mainly focused on diffusion, use and impact issues. Less attention has been given to the methods used during the configuration and the implementation of ERP systems, even though they are commonly used in practice, they still remain largely unexplored and undocumented in Information Systems research. So, the academic relevance of this research is the contribution to the existing body of scientific knowledge. An annotated brief literature review is done in order to evaluate the current state of the existing academic literature. The purpose is to present a systematic overview of relevant ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks as a desire for achieving a better taxonomy of ERP implementation methodologies. This paper is useful to researchers who are interested in ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Results will serve as an input for a classification of the existing ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks. Also, this paper aims also at the professional ERP community involved in the process of ERP implementation by promoting a better understanding of ERP implementation methodologies and frameworks, its variety and history

A Systematic Review of User Mental Models on Applications Sustainability

In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), a user’s mental model affects application sustainability. This study's goal is to find and assess previous work in the area of user mental models and how it relates to the sustainability of application. Thus, a systematic review process was used to identify 641 initial articles, which were then screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. According to the review, it has been observed that the mental model of a user has an impact on the creation of applications not only within the domain of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), but also in other domains such as Enterprise Innovation Ecology, Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), Information Systems (IS), and various others. The examined articles discussed company managers' difficulties in prioritising innovation and ecology, and the necessity to understand users' mental models to build and evaluate intelligent systems. The reviewed articles mostly used experimental, questionnaire, observation, and interviews, by applying either qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method methodologies. This study highlights the importance of user mental models in application sustainability, where developers may create apps that suit user demands, fit with cognitive psychology principles, and improve human-AI collaboration by understanding user mental models. This study also emphasises the importance of user mental models in the long-term viability and sustainability of applications, and provides significant insights for application developers and researchers in building more user-centric and sustainable applications

Several New Metrics for Evaluation of Expert Systems Based on Service-Oriented Architecture

Modern expert systems have some limitations such as vulnerabilities, the unity of solution strategy, development problems, repair and maintenance. These limitations could be covered by Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), due to the advantages and various applications of this architecture and its combination to expert systems. The main purpose of this paper is to survey service-oriented architecture to provide solutions for using this style in order to eliminate the short comings and optimize services in expert systems. In this paper, several metrics for evaluating expert systems based on service-oriented architecture are presented. These metrics are in six branches: agility, integrity, usability and reusability, business objectives, accessibility, offering new and applied services. For each metric some properties are presented which the expert systems show more powerful in evaluation.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v3i5.403

How gamification influences employees to be more productive: a meta-analysis

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementIn an increasingly competitive environment, companies are seeking to find competitive advantages, through new ways of working. Gamification has showed some proofs that can have an impact in performance in enterprise information systems context. Especially after a pandemic context and during a global crisis, finding motivation and engagement, when people find themselves apart from each other, can be a true challenge. The purpose of this work is to analyse the gamification impact on employees’ performance and productivity, relating employees’ motivation and engagement with the gamification implementation in enterprises. A meta-analysis was performed from previous quantitative studies connected to gamification implementation in enterprises. A total of 20 articles from the last 7 years were used as input for the meta-analysis. Strong constructs were found: behavioural intention, engagement, gamification consent, intrinsic motivation, enjoyment, performance. A motivated and satisfied employee is more productive in the workplace, therefore the research carried out provides a model that supports its main purpose: gamification influences employees’ engagement and performance

Designing Process-based Chatbots in Enterprises: The Case of Business Travel Organization Considering the Users’ Perspective and Business Value

Chatbots have attracted much research attention in recent years, and organizations have increasingly begun applying them in everyday working life. However, researchers have rarely investigated how chatbots can support everyday tasks in enterprises. As such, we lack design knowledge for chatbots that support internal business processes since research has mostly examined customer-facing use cases. Notably, researchers have rarely considered chatbots’ economic and user-related effects, which, thus, remain unknown. To address this gap, we conducted a design science research study to survey a process-based chatbot application for business processes. From examining the scenario, we deduced design principles and implemented a software artifact. We evaluated the concept with 69 participants and surveyed the users’ perspective in terms of design and acceptance and the organizational perspective in terms of process efficiency and quality. In doing so, 1) we derived six design principles for process-based chatbots and implemented a respective chatbot, which enabled a user-adapted process and provided situational-dependent input options and support; 2) we found that users had a positive attitude towards using chatbots for business processes in terms of user experience and acceptance; and 3) the process performed at an economically efficient level that compared well with existing solutions and that IT affinity and prior experience had no influence on performance. Furthermore, our solution improved the process quality compared to the existing solution