Info Systems Week 7

Usability

• Usability means making sure something works well, and that a person of average ability or experience can use it for its intended purpose without getting hopelessly frustrated.

  • The less usable something is, the less likely it will be used

Key Components of Usability:

1. Effectiveness: The ability of users to achieve specific goals accurately and completely.

   1. In healthcare - Ensuring patients and clinicians can achieve desired outcomes using eHealth tools (eg., accurate diagnosis, effective treatment planning).

      1. Can we use this correctly? Without many errors?

2. Efficiency: The resources expended to achieve these goals, including time and effort.

   1. In healthcare - Streamlining processes to reduce time and effort for both patients and clinicians (eg,. Faster access to medical records, simplified user interfaces).

      1. Can I do things efficiently? How many resources do I need for this? Does this make my process easier?

3. Satisfaction: The comfort and acceptability of the system to its users.

   1. In healthcare - Creating an engaging and stress-free experience for users, enhancing overall satisfaction with the eHealth system (eg., intuitive design, personalized features).

      1. Is this hopelessly frustrating? Do users feel comfortable using it? 

The Value Of Usability:

1. Enhancing Patient Experience:

2. Improving Clinical Efficiency:

3. Fostering Adoption and Sustainability:

4. Supporting Better Health Outcomes:

Usability definition

The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which specified users achieve specified goals in particular environments

Effectiveness

• the accuracy and completeness with which specified users can achieve specific goals in particular environments 

  • Measured through “did they do it right”?

Efficiency

• he resources expended in relation to the accuracy and completeness of goals achieved 

  • Measured through how long the tasks take

Satisfaction

• The comfort and acceptability of the work system to its users and other people affected by its use 

  • This can be measured through a survey

Usability testing

• One user at a time is shown something (prototype, website, paper design concepts) and is asked to figure out what it is or try to use it to do a typical task

  • The idea is to do a live test and ask them how they would do a representative task 

  • Normally we want to hear the test users “think aloud” so that we can measure effectiveness and efficiency 

    • We also normally have another group that watches or listens to this useability test (often the rest of the team that is working on this application) 

Assessing Usability

• Testing one user is 100% better than testing none

• Testing one user early in the project is better than testing 50 near the end

• Make sure the people who are testing are representative of your end users 

  • They do not necessarily need to be end users (anyone can notice problems) 

• Testing is an iterative process

  • Testing should happen all through the development process 

• Nothing beats a live audience reaction

• DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FANCY AND EXPENSIVE

Traditional Testing

off-site, full day, big report, as many problems identified as possible, $5k-$10k

Do-it-yourself

half day, 1-2 page email, entire dev team and stakeholders meet to discuss, identifies most serious prob, few 100 or less

Usability Lab at RJC (4th floor):

• McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre

Project management is relevant for ISM because:

• It brings clarity to planning 

• It can be used as a problem-solving tool to address goals or problems 

• Technology implementation is very closely related to project management

project

A temporary endeavour was undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result

Operational work

ongoing, supports the business and systems of the organization

• E.g. McMaster’s operational work is education, financial aid, and student services. Project work would be the new building, research project, making a new program, implementing info systems 

Project Characteristics

• A specific objective to be completed within specifications

• Defined start and end dates

• Funding limits (if applicable)

• Consume human and nonhuman resources

• Multifunctional teams → Unique context of work

“iron triangle”

Time, Cost and Scope, constraints are dependant on eachother

Project Success Basics: 

1. Time

2. Cost

3. Scope

4. Quality

What else should be considered in terms of project success?

The end user, customers, the value of the project

What is Project Management?

• The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements. (PMI PMBOK)

• A results-oriented management style

Five Project Management Process Groups:

1. Project Initiation

   1. Getting things set up and defined 

2. Project Planning

3. Project Execution

   1. Performing the work of the project 

4. Project Monitoring and Control

   1. Performing the work of the project 

5. Project Closure

Traditional PM Approach

predictable, known and stable tech and project scope suitable, more physical

Agile PM Approach

• Agile is not better than traditional and vice versa 

  • It is just about what fits best for the project 

Best for uncertain projects

Often software or app development requires an agile approach, less physical (more software)

 in agile we need to do work and then check-ins over the course of the project

• Uses iterations (“time boxes”) to develop a workable product that satisfies the customer and other key stakeholders.

  • Usually, each iteration takes a few weeks 

  • At the end of the iteration, we want something that users can test 

  • After they test it, we come up with new tasks we want to do/improve in the next iteration 

    • In traditional, we know how much work we need, in agile, we have no idea how many iterations we need to be successful 

• Stakeholders and customers review progress and re-evaluate priorities to ensure alignment with customer needs and company goals.

• Adjustments are made and a different iterative cycle begins that subsumes the work of the previous iterations and adds new capabilities to the evolving product.

Product Lifecycle

Defining, Planning, Executing (longest), Closure

Defining

Goals, specifications, tasks, responsibilities

Planning

schedules, budgets, resources, risks, staffing

Executing

Status reports changes, quality, forecasts

Closure

Train customer, transfer docs, release resources, eval, lessons learned

Project team

• Come from different areas in the org and carry out the project 

• They are not thinking about the project all the time (they still do other work in their functional role (this may conflict)) 

Executives

What is our strategic direction, and how much will be spent on this

Functional managers

• Managers of sections of the organization 

• They normally pick who will join the project team from their particular area 

• Only concerned with their functional area (don’t care about the project)

Project Defining/Initiating

• Identify need, problem, or opportunity

• Determine/select the project

• Develop project charter

  • Rationale

  • Project objective

  • Expected benefits

  • General requirements and conditions

    • We want a basis for agreement among our stakeholders so they know the value it will add 

• Decide if an RFP is needed

  • Do we do this work internally, or do we need other vendors involved? 

Scope Statement

• A clear definition of project scope, formally approved before work begins

• Clearly defines the deliverable(s) or main work items to be produced

  • Should also define what we will NOT be doing 

• Requirements should be gathered from key stakeholders

• Another way to think about scope:

  • Current State + Project Scope = Desired State

• Also need to ask, does this include training? Does it include outside materials that are needed (hardware), etc

Project Scope

• A definition of the end result or mission of the project

• We do this after we have talked to the stakeholders

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• A hierarchical decomposition of the work of the project

• The work of each parent node is broken down into two or more child nodes

  • It will look like an org chart, but it will break it down into deliverables and specific tasks 

  • How far we break it down depends on the size of the project 

• Estimating of costs and time takes place at the lowest (work package) level

  • We need to break down each individual cost in order to be able to calculate total cost 

  • We estimate at each work package (this is the last step in each breakdown of the WBS (the dark green squares) 

  • We break it down to show what is interdependent on each other 

• The number of levels depends on the complexity of the project and/or the level of detail chosen for the planning and management of the project

Woek packages

Project → Deliverables→Subdeliverable → Work package

Network Scheduling (project network)

• A flow chart that graphically depicts the sequence, interdependencies, and start and finish times of the project activities, highlighting the critical path through the network.

  • The critical path is the longest path in duration 

  • You need to pay attention to the critical path to make sure you are staying on track 

  • The critical path duration = project duration 

  • Paths that are shorter than the critical path have slack 

• Provides an estimate of the project’s duration.

• Identifies activities that are critical.

• Provides the basis for scheduling labour and equipment.

  • For each step (node) on the GANTT chant we can see the resources needed 

• Provides a basis for budgeting cash flow.

Detailed Scheduling

• The project network does not constitute a schedule until resources have been considered and assigned

  • Smooth utilization using Slack?

    • We may move around activities so that it fits for people’s schedules and constraints 

  • Resource-constrained?

Budget (time-phased):

• Once the detailed schedule is finalized, the timing of costs are known for project work

  • We want to know what the costs are throughout the lifetime of the project 

• The time-phased budget shows the planned spending per period on the project, including cumulative costs (or total budget)

• Shows when costs are needed during the project duration 

  • This can signal when we need to withdraw money to meet taks 

Project Execution

• Accomplish project objectives

  • Project manager leads

    • They don’t do the work themselves 

  • Project team completes the project

• Increased pace as more resources are added

• Monitor and control progress

• Take corrective action as needed

• Manage and control changes with sponsor approval

  • Just because we use a traditiaonl approach doesn’t mean change can’t happen with our project 

• Achieve customer satisfaction with acceptance of deliverables

Project Control

1. Regularly gathering data on project performance

2. comparing actual performance to planned performance

3. and taking corrective action immediately if actual performance is behind planned performance.

• A regular reporting period should be established that is appropriate for the project.

Scope Change

• Scope change is throught out, planned, and updated in the plan 

  • This is when the scope gets bigger, time gets bigger, costs get bigger 

Scope creep

not intentional and happens when do extra work without updating the plan

BAD
Scope gets bigger, but time and cost stay the same

• This leads to getting behind schedule, going over budget, and having a negative result 

• Number one reason for failure within project management 

Sources of Change

• Project scope changes

• Implementation of contingency plans

• Improvement changes

Project Closing:

• Collect and make final payments

• Recognize and evaluate staff

• Conduct post-project evaluation

• Document lessons learned

• Archive project documents

  • This can make future projects more efficient 

• Record lessons learned