Your Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) is a piece of art. Truly. I have seen many of the IWMS’s out there, and they offer a lot of features in a wide variety of areas. Many of those features solve business problems on a daily basis, and help organizations to structure their facility management & real estate support processes.
But, not all features have been designed with the end-user in mind, which might cause usability problems. Therefore, I have put together of 8 Usability Improvements That Will Make Users Love Your IWMS. (I know there are many more usability improvements, but these are the most important to me.)
1. Consistency
Although it might seem boring, consistency in your application is extremely important. Not only will it help users understand the system faster (learnability), it also provides the basic mental framework for users to understand new features, or functionality.
The basic screen layout should be the same for all screens but popups, wizards and error messages. (These can be different but should be consistent as well 😉
2. Predictability
A predictable IWMS is a blessing for users. Of course they need to learn the fundamentals, but when they have mastered those, they can work with your IWMS.
The better users can predict what they can do in a specific screen, and where to go next to perform a certain task, with specific controls, the more they will love the IWMS. Predictability helps users reduce uncertainty.
3. User Guidance
Let’s face it. Some features in your IWMS are hard to master despite your IWMS being consistent, and predictable. And that’s okay.
Some features simply require more than those prerequisites. No matter what, you don’t want to lose the user. The only way to improve your ROI, is to allow your users to actually use the IWMS as intended. Therefore, your job is to guide them through the workflow, and help them advance to the next stage in the process. You can do so by clearly indicating where they are, and what is to expected next.
4. Feedback
Application feedback is usually the first to be postponed when a release date approaches. In most releases features are considered more important than application feedback. To me, a lack of feedback is just as bad as not guiding users through your IWMS.
Providing consistent, high quality feedback to a user can help reduce user uncertainty significantly. Good feedback helps users to learn from their mistakes, and more important create behavior as intended.
5. Default values
Nothing is more frustrating for IWMS users than completing information that the IWMS already contains. Therefore, as a rule of thumb:
Any field that CAN be prepopulated by the system, NEEDS to be prepopulated.
It reduces entry time which in itself can already save a lot of money. What’s more it really makes your IWMS user friendly.
6. Undo / Redo
Users will always make mistakes. This is part of being human. Although the software will do the right thing (presumably) once instructed correctly, humans do not. Therefore, Undo-Redo features are absolutely imperative for your IWMS.
Imagine you have added a very complicated lease contract to the IWMS, or a CAD drawing which screws up your IWMS, it is very likely that you would like to push the UNDO button.
7. Aesthetic and minimalist design
Your Graphical User Interface (GUI) should be aesthetically designed however still minimalistic. Don’t confuse, or bother users with information, options, and icons they do not absolutely need in a particular process.
All possible options are more of a burden than an option. Make it simple for the end-user, and keep your screen clean. Remove all the unnecessary. Your users will thank you for it.
8. Help
Although all the above measures improve the usability your IWMS, some users will still will be experiencing problems.
They need your support to help them figuring out what to do next. Therefore a good help / support system is imperative. When you provide high-quality help wherever they need it, users will value that.
Final Thoughts
There you go; here’s the list of Eight Usability Improvements That Will Make Users Love Your IWMS. I’m really looking forward to your usability improvements that you want to share with our community. Please use the comment field below to list your usability improvements.
IWMS, Usability