Applications need to look good too

Well designed software and individualisation helps meet the demands of the ?i-generation? workforce and enhance personal productivity.

Embedded application search, integrated communities, enhanced navigation and individualisation options are just some of the design elements and functions that can help meet the demands of the i-generation workforce and enhance personal and organisational productivity, according to a recent survey by enterprise applications player IFS.

In a recent international survey of more than 1,000 business IT users, carried out on behalf of IFS, over a third of respondents identified the Web as providing the most intuitive user experience. Only 1 in 5 cited business applications used in the workplace as easy to use ? well behind the web and email applications (27%).

Respondents were asked to identify the top three causes of wasted time when using enterprise software. Top of the list was learning to use different modules and applications (20%), searching for relevant information held in the application (19%) came second and difficulties moving through business processes that are not grouped together or ordered in a logical way (14%) was third.

?One of the key reasons for installing enterprise software is to simplify the running of business processes so that decision making can be improved. Well-designed business applications that incorporate elements like search, networking, easy navigation and individualisation are what people are now demanding in the workplace ? based on their personal use of the web. Organisations who respond have the opportunity to remove frustrating time-wasters for staff involved at all stages, providing opportunities for them to be more productive both individually and collectively. Improved usability really can make a difference to the company?s revenue, making the employees more efficient and productive because it?s easier to do the job,? said Ian Fleming, Managing Director, IFS, Middle East, Africa & South Asia.

Respondents were also frustrated by the time wasted dealing with difficulties in transferring data between systems (13%) and navigating around and between different applications (11%).

?94%of the IT professionals surveyed readily identified areas where business applications take longer to perform specific tasks than they should. Bringing features and functions common in consumer websites into the business world was a way respondents identified as being able to save time. Business software buyers should be looking for applications that have incorporated such features into their application design now.?

?Just one example from IFS is the enterprise application search we have embedded at the heart of our systems. Our search capability, not only performs with the ease of a Web tool, but adds the business context to the data to make it more relevant to answer the question being posed ? be that a customer order inquiry, status report or request from the board,? Fleming said.

IFS Aurora interface

i-phone ERP?

The developments seen in the consumer sector are now more important than ever for enterprise software makers and users. Employees want the same usability they have in the latest cell phones, iPods and on the web, available to them in the office.

IFS?Aurora, an innovative enterprise application user experience is designed to adapt to users? needs and ways of working. Offered as a new ergonomic design, embedded enterprise application search and integrated rich media is aimed to dramatically improve user interaction with IFS Applications, significantly improving productivity. The Aurora user interface is available as an add-on to the IFS Applications 7.5.

The technology, according to the company is result of IFS? long-term focus on usability and productivity. Design and ergonomics are becoming key to increasing usability, which is essential in getting more from an enterprise software system.

?The bland look, feel and function of enterprise applications in the workplace is no longer acceptable,? Fleming said. ?The developments seen in the consumer sector mean that design in enterprise software is now more important than ever. Employees want the same usability they have in the latest cell phones, iPods and on the web, available to them in the office. Aurora delivers an intuitive interface that engages the user and allows them to work on their own terms.

?Independent studies show that ?difficulty to search for and find information? and ?poor navigation around and between applications? are among the top time wasters when using enterprise software. Aurora is built to address both of these with solutions. ?By embedding enterprise application search functionality into the business system itself, the search algorithms can take into account all the nuances of the data held in the application and deliver truly relevant results. Key information is found quicker and easier as a result,? he said.

Aurora is a Rich Internet Application; Web deployed using .Net and SOA technology. The interface uses a range of new navigation technologies such as adaptable link pages, contextual breadcrumb navigation, and visual recent screens. These combine to deliver a customisable working environment that encourages user collaboration. The interface also includes rich media notes, in-application document viewing for common file types such as PDF and Word and the ability to integrate web content into the work.