Descriptive Research in End User Computing: Embracing the “D Word” to Understand End User Innovation

Although end user computing appears to be enormously widespread and important, we do not have a detailed, data-grounded understanding of who end users are or how they use computers to innovate. To develop that understanding, we need to do detailed descriptive research. We need to understand the ways in which corporations are structured and ways to segment the end user community into groups that are likely to have different needs and different paths to innovation. In marketing, we say that the customer is “the familiar unknown.” Although businesses think about customers all the time, marketers know that they cannot understand customers unless they do broad research on them. The same need exists in end user computing research. This paper discusses statistical data on occupational employment to give a broad picture of the diversity that exists among end users. It then discusses why we must reconceptualize organizational structure before we can understand the diversity of end users. Finally, the paper discusses a research project design to develop an understanding of organizational structure and of end user issues and innovations in a professional services organization

Verification of business process workflows

Modeling of Business processes is essential in many areas. Workflows represent the Business processes. It is possible to identify potential problems while performing verification of workflows. One of the objectives of the verification is to assure reachability. This includes analysis of the deadlock and tempo blocking freeness properties. The paper presents verification approach based on using an adjacency matrix. Spreadsheets are used as a verification tool. The approach is illustrated by the examples which justify the importance of verification in workflow processes

How Spreadsheets Get Us to Mars and Beyond

Spreadsheets, spreadsheets everywhere and nary a page of documentation. JPL is NASA's prime center for deep space missions. In all of our missions, spreadsheets have played a major role in managing parts lists, managing requirements, monitoring progress, planning budgets, developing the initial concept designs, and providing the backbone of our infrastructure. In this paper we will share our lessons learned in building various spreadsheet intensive systems and applications. Based on our experience in developing and using these various systems we will propose a number of exploratory ideas as to the dimensions of spreadsheet system complexity. In addition, we will share our approaches to documentation, review, and verification of these types of systems