Software Usability in Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Germany: An Empirical Study
Usability has become a competitive factor in the software industry. Specifically, the software industry in the United States has recognized this important factor and successfully leverages it for achieving competitive advantage. Compared to this fast deve
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Abstract
Usability has become a competitive factor in the software industry. Specifically, the software industry in the United States has recognized this important factor and successfully leverages it for achieving competitive advantage. Compared to this fast development in the US, it seems questionable whether this view is also widespread among small and medium sized software producing and client companies in Germany and whether they direct sufficient attention to usability. This article presents the results of an empirical study exploring the status quo of the importance, the knowledge and the actual use of usability concepts among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany. Following an organizational field perspective, we investigate how interactions between actors in the software field influence the usability awareness as well as the knowledge and
F. Scheiber • D. Wruk • A. Oberg • M. Woywode University of Mannheim - Chair of SMEs and Entrepreneurship, Mannheim, Germany e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] J. Britsch CAS Software AG, Karlsruhe, Germany e-mail: [email protected] A. Maedche • F. Kahrau • H. Meth University of Mannheim - Chair of Information Systems IV, Mannheim, Germany e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] D. Wallach University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern, Germany e-mail: [email protected] M. Plach ERGOSIGN GmbH, Saarbr€ ucken, Germany e-mail: [email protected] A. Maedche et al. (eds.), Software for People, Management for Professionals, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-31371-4_3, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
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actual use of usability concepts. Based on the results of our study, we provide recommendations on how to increase awareness and maturity of software usability in SMEs in Germany.
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Introduction
Leveraging the potential of information technology (IT) has become increasingly important for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, software packages such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) have been intensively adopted by SMEs in the recent decade. The main reasons for this development are the achievement of business objectives such as improving productivity, quality and customer satisfaction and the fulfillment of industry-specific standards for documentation and traceability of the company’s activities. In parallel, large enterprises as well as SMEs are currently recognizing a change in expectations and behavior of their employees when using information technology in the business environment. This change is mainly driven by the growing intensity of IT consumption in private life in the form of Web applications such as Facebook.com and smartphones such as the iPhone. While technical decision criteria and functional aspects in the selection of software products used to be the top priorities, these criteria are no longer clear-cut due to a
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