login

The Organizational Interface: A Method for Supporting End Users of Packaged Software

MIS QuarterlyPublished 1 March 1992
Eileen M. Trauth, Elliot Cole
Citations44
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score4.49
SNIP2.65

TL;DR

The organizational interface provides IS and end-user managers with a means to consider alternative methods of providing support for systems based on purchased software with fixed user interfaces.

Abstract

The growth of end-user computing and the trend toward the use of packaged software have focused greater attention on issues related to user support. A varied user population is requiring more tailored support, yet vendor-supplied software with a generic interface is increasingly being used. Four case studies illustrate ways in which organizational forms of support can enhance or overcome the limitations of the software interface. A framework called the organizational interface incorporates these organizational mechanisms by integrating the computer-human interaction (CHI), management information systems (MIS), and end-user computing (EUC) approaches to user support. This framework can be used in the design of end-user systems developed with packaged software and for retrofitting outdated user interfaces for an end-user computing environment. The organizational interface provides IS and end-user managers with a means to consider alternative methods of providing support for systems based on purchased software with fixed user interfaces.

Keywords

Computer ScienceDecision Sciences