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Faisal Iqbal

July 3, 2011 1 minute read

Do end users need to consider processing / technical part of an overall system?

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Why this blog?

Last week my notebook crashed just an hour before I had to go to airport for a long travel. I had a stopover of about 5 hours and I had thought to finalize my blog on SAP StreamWork but with the system crash I lost my earlier work. During that time I felt I needed a computer, any computer, without considering its technical specifications which could help me in utilizing my time better. How I spent my time, it’s not a place to mention, however, the thought it gave me is my current blog’s title; I considered the practical aspect of system, not the technical. And I started to think as an end user “how this machine can help me with my task?”

Do end users need to consider processing / technical part of an overall system?

Certainly no!

Scenario

In a scenario where an end user feeds the system with certain data and after some processing an output is generated, 3 major elements of a system can be determined; Input, Processing and Output.

Important Elements for End-User

For an end-user Inputs and Outputs are more important than the processing aspect no matter how complex is the processing.

Well, it’s understood a customer buys a system to meet his requirements and expectations, not for the technical complexity. If a system can’t generate an output in required format, for customer, it’s useless.

Some of us, as SAP Consultants, sometimes try to convince our end-users with the complexity of system and expect them to consider our limitations in delivering certain solution. When an end user refuses to accept our ‘valid’ reasons, we may consider him as a tough customer. True, technical side of system is sometime, rather quite often, complex but a customer is buying our solution to meet his requirements we should always recognize.

Suggestion

Instead of expecting an end user / customer to consider our part, we have to make sure that we deliver a solution which captures the required inputs and processes these into desired output. Yes, there is a possibility of having inputs and outputs in little different format than the one an end-user was accustomed to earlier. For instance, prior to SAP HR system, an end-user might be maintaining employee master data differently than he has to maintain now. Similarly the reports he was generating in legacy system could be little different in terms of format in SAP reports. A rational end-user would definitely consider the change in design so it’s better to work on this aspect and not to confuse him with the complexity of design / processing.

For Instance

My recent experience still fits-in in this scenario: during travel I could have accepted any computer as far as it could help me in spending my time better, without any need of ‘Change Management’ 🙂

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Former Member

July 5, 2011 at 7:17 am

The ultimate decision of what will be delivered to customer also involves the consideration of the complexity of solution. Complexity is a contributing factor in the decision making process of project (assignment) cost and schedule. When the end user is presented with these numbers, then sometimes he/she reevaluates his/her priorities and give a hard look to find what is really important to business and what is nice to have. As a consultant, it is our responsibility to present various alternatives to end user so that he/she can make an informed decision.
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- Faisal Iqbal Post author
  
  July 17, 2011 at 4:49 am
  
  True. My point here, however, was little different. What I meant was the importance of the elements of an overall design from end-user perspective. Just as in my scenario where I was left with no option and I was looking for a computer, regardless of its technical specifications, which could help me with the “inputs and outputs” i needed, similarly an end-user need to get his job done.
  
  You’re right in terms of the project, where you’ve time, cost and various other factors to deliver a project and complexity of course is one of important factors which drive the decisions. However, when we present an end user with alternatives, we also have to demonstrate how each of these solutions can meet his requirements (again the inputs and outputs).
  
  Thanks for the comment and sorry for getting late to respond as I’m on vacation these days 🙂
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