Tips for User Task Analysis

Kishore C.S. (Jan 2000)

Typical user requirements are arrived in consultation with users. Users may not completely state their behavior during a task execution. Hence User Task Analysis approach suggests ‘User Observation’ as one of the steps.

The following are a few points to be kept in mind in User Observation.

User Tasks will have following variants: Repetitive Tasks, Low Priority Tasks, Normal Priority Tasks, High Priority Tasks. Ensure that you observe users in each situation.

Business Process followed will be different based on priority of the task.

Imagine a hospital scenario:

• You will have periodic checkup patients who come on a scheduled appointment
• You will have patients who come with minor ailments for consultation
• You have ill patients who need priority
• You will have Emergency Patients which will warrant highest priority

Normal Process of Hospital will be

Receiving a patient at reception, Sending the patient to a waiting room, Calling the patient on scheduled time and processing of his bill.

The process has to be altered based on priority of the task.

In case of emergency case some of the items in the process will be modified to handle the situation.

Taking the example into software scenario, the business process should be assumed to be constant. Though normal business process is identified any variants of the business process should be identified by need of the scenario.

User Observation activity should be carried out

• in low activity period
• medium activity period
• high activity period

This will enable understanding the process modification adopted by user based on scenario.

Routine tasks will be some system administration activities which user needs to perform. Don’t overlook them. How you handle the routine tasks is either going to excite or upset the user. These are the task that user is bored of and if the system enabled ease of use the user will be thrilled.

Understanding these variants of business processes will enable better.

A few more examples of business processes that will need this kind of handling are given below.

1. Typical Bank Transactions may have Counter – Account Officer Clearance – Final Payment

The same bank may also provide Teller Facility which merges all three functions into single function

2. ATM system provides options of using Select Withdrawal Option – enter Amount – Use other options OR Fast Cash Option which is a shortened process.

Recommendation

1. Adopt User observation method for better requirements
2. Identify Variants of a single process for different situation

They can also be different on size of the organization. In small organizations single person will plays multiple roles. In large organizations task demarcation will exist. This factors also should be taken into account while trying to build products that cater to multiple user groups.

Back