Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring the Role of Usability in the Software Process:
A Study of Irish Software SMEs
Rory V. O'Connor
School of Computing, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
and Lero, The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre
roconnor@computing.dcu.ie
Abstract.
This paper explores the software processes and usability techniques
used by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that develop web applications.
The significance of this research is that it looks at development processes used
by SMEs in order to assess to what degree usability is integrated into the proc-
ess. This study seeks to gain an understanding into the level of awareness of
usability within SMEs today and their commitment to usability in practice. The
motivation for this research is to explore the current development processes
used by SMEs in developing web applications and to understand how usability
is represented in those processes. The background for this research is provided
by the growth of the web application industry beyond informational web sites to
more sophisticated applications delivering a broad range of functionality. This
paper presents an analysis of the practices of several Irish SMEs that develop
web applications through a series of case studies. With the focus on SMEs that
develop web applications as Management Information Systems and not E-
Commerce sites, informational sites, online communities or web portals. This
study gathered data about the usability techniques practiced by these companies
and their awareness of usability in the context of the software process in those
SMEs. The contribution of this study is to further the understanding of the cur-
rent role of usability within the software development processes of SMEs that
develop web applications.
Keywords:
Software process improvement, Software process, Usability, SME.
1 Introduction
Since the introduction of the Internet, web applications have moved beyond information
sharing to a point where most traditional standalone applications have a web-enabled
version [1]. Today the term web applications represent anything from information por-
tals to online communities. This study focuses on web applications as Management
Information Systems (MIS) accessed via a web browser with a central database
backend. It focuses on the following definition of a web application proposed by [2]:
“
These new web applications blend navigation and browsing capabilities, common to
hypermedia, with 'classical' operations (or transactions), common to traditional infor-
mation systems
”. This study does not consider in its scope E-Commerce sites, informa-
tional sites, online communities or web portals.
