2. • Who is Digital Saber Solutions?
• Who is Roger Hutcheson?
• What is today’s topic?
• Using Contextual Inquiry
• Q&A
AGENDA
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BPA & Contextual Inquiry
4. Roger Hutcheson
Digital Saber Solutions
VP Client Strategy
980-202-1832
roger@digitalsaber.net
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In 1989 Roger started a successful 20 + year career in
Information Technology as a Computer Technician
installing turnkey networks from the ground up. As his
career progressed he gained knowledge and skill as a
Field Manager, Systems Engineer, IT Business Analyst,
Project Manager, Consultant and Business Development
professional. Evolving with the growth of technology
Roger moved into Customer Application Development
connecting users with the correct application to solve real
business issues. He enjoys the challenge of automating
existing manual process with the use of technology.
6. Two Questions??
1. How many times have you spent days/weeks/months
to have the entire project get cancelled or change?
2. What main step can you take to stop this problem?
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Know your USERS!!!!
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***User – Center Design (UCD)***
What is UCD, UXD, HCI, HCC, HCS, IXD (XD), IA, UX…?
• Usability?
• UXD?
• Human Computer Interaction?
• Human-Centered Computing?
• Human-Centered Systems
• Interaction Design
• Information Architecture
• User Experience
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What is Business Process Automation?
Business process automation (BPA) is defined as the automation of complex
business processes and functions beyond conventional data manipulation and
record-keeping activities, usually through the use of advanced technologies. It
focuses on “run the business” as opposed to “count the business” types of
automation efforts and often deals with event-driven, mission-critical, core
processes. BPA usually supports an enterprise’s knowledge workers in satisfying
the needs of its many constituencies. “ By Gartner”
IT’S ABOUT THE USERS!
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What is Contextual Inquiry?
Contextual Inquiry is an observation or interview method accomplished in the field
as opposed to in the lab or interview room. The intent is to allow designers to
ground their domain knowledge in how real users accomplished the tasks that the
product is supposed to support.
To automate a business process you need to fully understand the current process
defined by the business unit and then break it down to identify potential areas of
inefficiency. Contextual Inquiry is important because it gives a designer the ability
to observe and question the experts at the same time. This can identify
breakdowns in the current process as well as define a more effective and efficient
automated solution.
Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the
context of use, where users are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed
and questioned while they work in their own environments.
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Better Question!
Where did Contextual Inquiry evolve from?
Anthropology Sociology Ethnography
Contextual
Inquiry
12. Why use Contextual Inquiry?
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3 Main Contextual Inquiry Principles
• Context – Complete your study in the context in which the work actually
gets done.
• Memory is not our friend
• Social and Environmental Enhancements
• Relationship with the user needs to be clear
• Who is the expert?
• Focus – Set your primary goal and stick with it.
• Do not fish
• Watch and gain understanding
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Contextual Inquiry Steps
• Build Your Team
• At least 2 people 4 is best
• Developer’s (Typically Very Important)
• Designer’s
• Business Analyst’s
• Stakeholder’s
• Define the Problem
• Identify your Participants
• Choose sites to visit
• Understand the structure of the work
• Typically – 5 sites and 4 users at each
• Engage SME’s (Subject Matter Expert) first
• System Users
• Upstream Users (Information Flow)
• Downstream Users (Information Flow)
• Managers
• System Administrators
• Clients (results)
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Contextual Inquiry Steps (continued)
• Conduct Interviews
• Approximately a day per location
• 9:00 - 9:30 – Meet & Greet – Brief Presentation
• 9:30 – 12:00 – Contextual Interviews
• 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch with Everyone
• 1:00 – 3:00 More Interviews – Different Users
• 3:00 – 3:30 Interviewers do initial consolidation/review of findings
• 3:30 – 4:00 Meet with host for Q&A & quick results
• Do not for get the Thank You!
• Analysis of the Interviews (1.5 x Interview itself)
• Each Interview
• Compiled findings
• Affinity Diagraming Process
• Cluster Same or Similar
• Stabilize Clusters
• Categorize the Groupings into Hierarchical Sets
• Main Level
• No more than 6 sub groups
• Create Report
20. Interpretation Session
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Database
Contains all "observations, insights, design ideas, and questions" generated in the IS.
Context Model Graphically depicts the socio-cultural influences on a work role.
Physical Model Graphically shows the environmental context for the work.
Flow Model
Graphically represents the information producer/consumer relationship between the work
role being studied and those it interacts with.
Sequence Models Diagram the specific actions taken in time to accomplish a task.
Artifact Models
Representations of the artifacts the users were observed to use in carrying out their work
annotated with the significance of its features (make sure to call out the subtle ones).
