Are you consolidating disparate applications or attempting to integrate systems from an acquisition into other legacy systems? Are you interested in re-engineering one or more of your business processes or considering outsourcing some or all of your development work but have heard horror stories? Getting the system definition right is key and you can only do that by understanding how the users of those systems perform their work. With that understanding you can design new business processes, define system requirements and with Contextual Design manage re-design and outsource development in a successful manner with structured tools and user data to guide you in all decision making.
If you understand how people work — and what technology and process re-design can do to change it — you can reinvent the way you do business.
System consolidation and integration of system applications. Don't let paralysis set in as different groups lobby and fight for their special interests. Contextual Inquiry will set the stage by modeling how various user communities perform their work related to the systems and where disconnects are impacting productivity and what issues need to be addressed with the re-designed system. We're not integrating from the technical point of view; instead, we focus on the employee experience and work practice. From that understanding we can deliver design specifications, user interface mockups and even the system specification if you desire.
Re-design the work and new system vision in one step. With knowledge of employee experience and work practice captured in structured models we can vision and design new systems and business processes which better support user's getting the job done. Systems always introduce new ways of working. Use our field data and work models to drive a new way to work, supported by technology and automation.
Outsource development work. With newly designed systems and processes fully validated with users you can hand off well documented requirements definition and/or specifications to outsourcers and get far better results.
Ensure end-user adoption. We start by understanding your business goals and how you are planning to re-design your business process and technologies. But then we drive our recommendations from rich user data, ensuring that our recommendations deliver something that works for people and makes the business more efficient. Your employees are involved throughout the process as participants, creating buy-in and the right user experience.
Pick the right technology. Let our user-centered design and work flow scenarios, tested with users, drive requirements for technology. Give our design requirements to vendors to prove their platforms can work for the right design.
