hci 445 – analysis and design for hci timekeeper.com montida apithanakoon elizabeth gruenther...

HCI 445 – Analysis and Design for HCI

TimeKeeper.com

Montida ApithanakoonElizabeth Gruenther

Mindi LevineJim Williams

Justin Mandell


The Need for TimeKeeper

• Manager pain points in current scenario:– Too much time spent

preparing/revising the weekly schedule

– Human errors in schedule preparation

– Lost or illegible schedule requests

– Schedule misunderstandings linked to employee absenteeism, lowered morale and turn-over


The Need for TimeKeeper

• Employee pain points in current scenario:– Need to travel to work to

retrieve schedule– Loss of shift due to

schedule misunderstandings

– Not working requested hours

– No control over scheduling process


Current Conceptual Model

• Process is disorganized and decentralized


Part 1: Identifying and Understanding Our Users


Business Case

• Address business needs– Reduce absenteeism due to schedule

misunderstandings and mistakes– Reduce time consumed by scheduling

process– Increase communication among managers

and employees


Business Case

• Target Customers– Retail Store Franchise Corporations– Restaurant Franchise Corporations

• Cost Savings– Store franchises can save upwards of

$44,000 in one year


Primary User Constituents

• Store/Restaurant Managers

• Employees with Internet Access

• Employees without Internet Access


User Goals: Managers

• Personal Goals:– Decrease time spent preparing weekly schedule– Decrease time spent notifying employees of weekly

schedule– Simplify scheduling process– Organize scheduling process

• Practical Goals:– Decrease employee absenteeism– Decrease miscommunication regarding employee

scheduling


User Goals: Employees

• Personal Goals:– Work desired hours– Eliminate having to travel to work to retrieve

schedule

• Practical Goals:– Have access to employee contact information

for shift change needs– Have more control and input over scheduling

process


User/Task Matrix

Tasks Employees Managers

Send preferred hours (hours the employee wishes to work) and weekly requests

Send long term schedule requests (i.e. when employee needs time off) and other special requests

Obtain other employee contact information

View the weekly work schedule

View schedule after schedule change/update

View entered employee scheduling preferences

View/change account information (personal contact information and password change)

View weekly announcements or notices

View help documents on how to use the system

Print the schedule(s)

View company scheduling policies

Send out notices, special requests, and announcements

View schedule submission lists sent by employees

Edit/update notices, special requests, and announcements

Compile possible schedules

Send schedule notification emails

Input employee information/hours

Edit chosen schedule

Finalize chosen schedule

View preferred schedule online

Edit/update company scheduling policies

Search for employee availability (based on set parameters)

Check which employees have viewed/received schedule


Manager Assumptions

• Current scheduling process dissatisfactory• Current scheduling process too time-

consuming• Electronic system preferable to current system• Managers are computer literate• Managers have access to computers/the

Internet in store

We made 11 manager assumptions, some ofwhich included:


Employee Assumptions

• Web-based schedule submission is desirable, convenient and efficient

• Schedule misunderstandings contribute to employee absenteeism

• Current schedule retrieval method inconvenient and time-consuming

• Employees are computer literate• A majority of employees have access to a

computer/the Internet

We made 12 employee assumptions, some of which included:


Part II: Testing and Validating Our Assumptions


Research Methods Selected

• Demographic Questionnaires– We developed one questionnaire for both

mangers and employees– Questionnaires designed to gather purely

demographic data such as stage of computer use, frequency of computer use, access to computers, etc.

• Surveys– We developed two separate surveys—one

for employees and one for managers– Question formats included yes/no, free

response, and attitude measures using Likert scales


Research Methods Selected

• Interviews– We developed two sets of scripted, in-depth interview

questions—one each for employees and managers

• Contextual Inquiry– Our contextual inquiry focused on managers– The inquiry session was based on the interview

questions, but allowed for more accurate responses

• LogBook– Developed as a contingency measure for use if

manager did not have time for a contextual inquiry


Research Results

• Demographic Questionnaires– 6 from store managers– 14 from employees

• Surveys– 6 manager surveys– 9 employee surveys

• Interviews– 2 manager interviews– 8 employee interviews

• Contextual Inquiry– 1 manager contextual

inquiry• LogBook

– 1 manager logbook

We gathered user data at six separate locations:


Assumption Validation: Managers

Manager Assumptions Match Non-Match

Current scheduling process is dissatisfactory.

An electronic scheduling system would work more efficiently than a paper system.

Three schedule possibilities are adequate.

Managers create the schedule in isolation in their offices.

Schedule creation involves researching past sales history.

Managers have to approve employee shift changes.

Managers have to find replacements when an employee calls in sick.

Managers are computer literate—advanced beginner to expert.

Managers have a solid understanding of store policies/practices.

Managers have access to computers, printers, and the Internet.

Schedule creation takes day/time/seasonal concerns into account.


Assumption Validation: Employees

Employee Assumptions Match Non-Match

Employees would use an electronic, web-based schedule submission system. Employees dislike the current scheduling process. Employees don’t like driving or calling in to get retrieve their scheduled hours. Employees submit long-term requests separately from special requests. Employees must find other employees to cover last-minute shift replacements. Employees understand the store’s rules and scheduling practices. 24 hours is adequate time for employees to notify managers of employee-arranged shift changes.

Different staff groups submit schedule requests in different manners. Schedule misunderstandings contribute to employee absenteeism. Employees are basic computer users. The majority of employees have Internet access. The employees are literate and speak English.


Design Implications for theTimeKeeper Interface

Finding Interface

Managers need access to the current schedule at all times.

The current schedule should be displayed automatically when managers log in to the system.

Managers need flexibility to edit and re-generate schedules based on updated employee input.

The schedule generation function must contain as few clicks as possible, and must be very easy to operate.

Managers will need flexibility to customize the interface for their particular store/restaurant.

They must be able to define scheduling rules and employee classifications easily.

The current schedule submission process for employees is short.

TimeKeeper must allow employees to complete their schedule submissions as quickly as possible.

Employees disklike traveling to work to retreive their schedules.

Email schedule notifications must be robust and efficient.


Part III: Designing and Evaluating Our Interface


Key Interface Development Tools

• User Personas– Research uncovered

broad user categories– To help envision our

users as we developed the interface, we created three main personas on which to focus our designs


Key Interface Development Tools

• Workflow Diagrams– Created diagrams to

understand complicated use task-flows and decision making processes

– Mapped out the most critical system tasks

– Helped to determine the breadth of functionality for the system


Conceptual Model

• The ultimate goal of the TimeKeeper interface is to increase communication

• Scheduling process is now centralized and efficient

• Contrast with previous model


Creation of Lo-Fi Prototypes

Step 1:• Pencil and Paper

Prototypes– Created initial drafts of

interface together as a team

– Iterated through the pencil and paper prototypes several times, changing layout and terminology

Example of pencil and paper prototype


Creation of Lo-Fi Prototypes

Step 2:• Illustrator Wireframe

Prototypes– Once we were

satisfied with the pencil and paper interface designs, we created “clean” versions of the pencil and paper versions to test with users Example of wireframe prototype


Usability Testing Goals/Objectives

Will managers…• Be able to figure out how to edit current schedule information?• Be able to successfully generate a master schedule?• Understand the difference between long-term availability and special

requests?• Be satisfied with the format of the master schedule?• Be satisfied with their access to employee data when working in

TimeKeeper? • Find shift replacements easy to complete using TimeKeeper?• Be satisfied with the TimeKeeper system overall?• Trust the system to provide accurate data and comprehensive

schedules?

The goal of the manager usability tests were todetermine the following:


Usability Testing Goals/Objectives

Will employees…• Be able to interpret the online schedule format without help from the

Test Monitor?• Understand the difference between submitting their availability and

submitting a special request without help from the Test Monitor?• Be able to figure out the three-step process for finding a shift

replacement and submitting a shift change without help from the Test Monitor?

• Be satisfied with the TimeKeeper system overall?• Be satisfied with the format of the weekly schedule?• Be satisfied with the process of submitting their availability?• Be satisfied with the ease of the shift change process?• Be satisfied with the convenience of the shift change process?

The goal of the employee usability tests were todetermine the following:


Usability Testing Process

• Our team conducted formal, scripted usability tests to evaluate our product interfaces

• Testing team included Test Monitor, “Computer,” Data Logger and Observers

• Each participant asked to:– sign a consent form– complete a series of tasks using the appropriate

interface– complete a Post-Test Questionnaire as an

attitude measure after testing– participate in a team-led debriefing session


Evaluation Measures

• Data collected during the usability tests included the following:– Sequential actions the user performed– Number of errors in executing the task– If task was completed successfully– Time it took user to complete task– User comments, body language, etc.– User responses to post-test questionnaire


Results of User Testing

• Managers– Encountered only one major difficulty—finding

employee shift replacements– Added explanatory text to interface

• Employees– Encountered small difficulties that required

changes in the interface terminology– Major change involved the submission of

long-term availability; changed layout of interactive form for this task



Manager Responses to Post-Test Questionnaire % Agreement/Acceptance

It was easy to view and print the current weekly master schedule. 100%

The online schedule format was easy to understand. 80%

It was easy to create a master schedule using the system. 90%

It is a good idea to separate long-term schedule availability information from one-time special schedule requests. 90%

It was easy to approve/deny employee special schedule requests. 80%

It was easy to find shift replacements using the system. 60%

Using an automated scheduling tool would reduce scheduling errors. 90%

If TimeKeeper were implemented at my work, I would enjoy using it. 80%

The TimeKeeper website would provide a more effective method of creating/managing the weekly schedule than my current method. 90%

Overall, the TimeKeeper site was easy to use. 90%



Employee Responses to Post-Test Questionnaire % Agreement/Acceptance

It was easy to view and print my weekly schedule. 100%

The online schedule format was easy to understand. 90%

It was easy to submit my long-term schedule availability. 75%

It is a good idea to separate long-term schedule availability information from one-time special schedule requests. 95%

It was convenient to search online for an employee to cover my shift. 95%

It was easy to find another employee to cover my shift. 95%

I would prefer submitting my work schedule online, as opposed to my current method. 80%

If TimeKeeper were implemented at my work, I would enjoy using it. 80%

The TimeKeeper website would provide a more effective method of submitting/retrieving work schedule information than my current method.

90%

Overall, the TimeKeeper site was easy to use. 80%


Creation of Hi-Fi Prototypes

• Hi-Fi prototypes created in Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004

• All elements evaluated in lo-fi prototype implemented in hi-fi prototype

• All interactions simulated/hard coded to give the appearance of a fully functional website

• Color palette neutral, muted to allow for future customer customization

View Manager Version

View Employee Version


Next Steps

• Perform usability testing on hi-fi prototype

• Refine designs as needed

• Code fully functional interface

• Test/Debug functional interface

• Implement/customize interface for new TimeKeeper customers


Conclusions

• Our user research has demonstrated that TimeKeeper is– Innovative– Needed– Effective

• Both the concept of the system and the system itself tested well with users

• Managers and employees indicated they would be extremely interested in using a system such as TimeKeeper

• We are confident that TimeKeeper will yield a maximum return on investment


Questions?

hci 445 – analysis and design for hci timekeeper.com montida apithanakoon elizabeth gruenther...

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