Wrench in the System: What's Sabotaging Your Business Software and How You Can Release the Power to Innovate
272
Wrench in the System: What's Sabotaging Your Business Software and How You Can Release the Power to Innovate
272Hardcover
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Overview
Why business software doesn't work—and how to fix it
Every year, businesses waste billions of dollars on information technology that doesn't communicate clearly with the people who use it. This fundamental flaw causes errors and delays, lowers profits, and can even endanger lives.
In this groundbreaking book, technology designer Harold Hambrose shows executives and managers how to turn underperforming digital assets into powerhouse systems—how to specify small changes that dramatically boost productivity, how to reduce training costs, and how to ask vendors the right questions.
Wrench in the System reveals:
- Why so many of our essential software systems are needlessly confusing
- How to make low-cost changes that provide direct, measurable benefits
- The hidden costs of forcing people to adapt to clumsy electronic tools
- The secrets of matching software to the needs of the company
- How to leverage the power of technology for innovation
Information technology is still in its adolescence, and Hambrose explains that because the industry has grown so quickly, it's still in an awkward phase. Software manufacturers have been in such a rush to add new features that they haven't paid enough attention to the human beings who use their products. Most software systems are built to fulfill business requirements and technical specifications, but often they fail to meet expectations because they aren't designed to anticipate human needs. As a result, much of our most powerful business software is ineffective and underutilized.
With compelling case histories and an engaging narrative, Hambrose exposes popular nonsense about software systems and shows how to evaluate them and measure their performance just as we do every other product.
This timely book by an industry insider tells decision makers what they need to know to un-lock the full potential of one of their biggest business investments.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780470413432 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 08/07/2009 |
| Pages: | 272 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.30(w) x 9.28(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Electronic Ink is based in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Raleigh-Durham, and London.
Read an Excerpt
Table of Contents
Foreword Dan Boyarski xiPreface the Invisible Edge xv
Acknowledgments xxiii
One IT’S JUST A PRODUCT! 1
The World’s Biggest Lemons 2
The Checklist 4
Failure to Communicate 5
Behind the Hype 9
The Wrench on the Front Seat 11
Inventing an Experience 13
Designed to Disappear 18
Just What We Need 20
Two DESIGN TO DELIGHT 23
The Emperor’s New Enterprise System 25
Software’s Missing Feature 29
Who’s the Customer? 31
Security Solutions: A Better Set of Keys 33
Navigating Notre Dame 37
Communicating by Design 39
Teaching Etiquette to an ATM 44
The Human Factor 49
Form, Function, and Spirit 50
Three SPECIFY INNOVATION 53
Stranded at Heathrow 53
Don’t Blame Technology 54
The Transparent Dashboard 57
When Green Means STOP 59
Listening to the Receiver 60
“People Are Different” 62
Removing Roadblocks 64
Easy as Pie: The Tale of a Tool 66
What We Need to Know 69
Four CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES 71
Lessons from the Underground 72
The Workaround Wizard 75
Continuous Education 77
Building on Assumptions 81
Sprinting toward Second-Rate 86
Automating the Status Quo 90
Frozen in the ICU 92
Five THE RIGHT TEAM 97
Designing a New Experience 99
The Science of Common Sense 102
A Tendency to Crash 104
Designers and the Art of Interpretation 106
Looking at a Project from Every Angle 108
The Other Customers 112
Analyzing the Workflow 116
What Your Staff Won’t Tell You 118
A Powerful Partnership 120
Six FIND OUT WHAT YOU REALLY NEED 121
The Correct Definition 123
Missed Information and Lost Limbs 126
Beyond Technology 127
Meaningful Information 131
A Shortcut through the Warehouse 135
A Common Language 137
Hobos and Hieroglyphs 138
An Accurate Translation 140
Beautiful Data 141
What Business Hasn’t Even Thought Of 142
Channeling Rivers of Energy 146
Seven BELIEVE IT WHEN YOU SEE IT 149
When Prototype Becomes Product 151
Envisioning the Chrysler Building 152
The Hidden Costs of Guesswork 156
Charting a New Course 159
Breaking the Cycle of Failure 160
Leave Nothing to Interpretation 165
Rethinking and Redrawing 170
Survey the Landscape 172
Picture It! 176
Showing Why 178
Eight REFRESH THE SYSTEM 179
Find Out How They Really Feel 180
Check for Physical Evidence 183
Make Sure That “Help” Is Helpful 184
Watch Your Language 186
Rethink the Form 187
Eliminate Clutter 187
Consider the Context 189
Take the Measure of the Problem 189
Define Your Priorities 191
Get an Outside Opinion 192
Nine YOUR NEXT SYSTEM 193
What Is This Thing? 194
Is This What We Really Need? 194
A $100 Million Guinea Pig? 197
Will the Basic Model Do the Job? 199
Who Will Be Using It? 200
What’s It Like to Use? 203
Are the Information Displays Informative? 205
How Clearly Does It Communicate? 205
How Forgiving Is It? 206
How Will It Support Our Brand? 207
Is This Product Truly Innovative? 208
What Do Training and Change Management Really Mean? 211
What Real Information Does the Manufacturer Have about User Adoption and Effectiveness? 213
What about Those Service Contracts and Future Upgrades? 214
Appendix A Maximizing Your Design Resources 215
Appendix B Tough Questions for Consultants 219
Notes 223
Illustration Credits 229
Index 233