Posted on behalf of Wai On Lee [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
Creating and Managing User Partnership Programs
CHI 2005, Portland, Oregon USA April 2-7, 2005, http://www.chi2005.org/
Workshop date: April 4th, 2005
INTRODUCTION
This one day workshop is aimed at providing usability professionals a
forum to discuss issues related to creating and managing "User
Partnership Programs" (UPP) for large scale enterprise software
development and deployment. The goal is to share best practices and
develop a framework for creating and managing a UPP in this context.
BACKGROUND
The diversity of business processes, the scale and complexity of
technology infrastructures, and the scope of enterprise software in
large organizations pose many challenges in engineering highly usable
products as prescribed by the typically User Centered Design process.
To overcome these challenges, some groups are implementing "User
Partnership Programs" (UPP) to supplement the traditional user research
and usability engineering activities. These programs seek to create a
setting where users from customer and vendor organizations get together
on a regular basis to share, shape, and to inform each other about a
wide range of issues. For example, usability problems with current
deployment, changing business conditions, evolving user requirements,
future product directions. However, as many have found, creating and
sustaining these programs pose their own challenges. For example, vendor
companies typically have multiple touch points with customers (Sales,
Marketing, Alliance, etc.), many of whom may be concerned that their
efforts may be jeopardize or diluted as a result. Similarly, customer
companies have many business and user stake holders, including internal
User Experience groups, that may want to have a stronger say in the
direction of the system to be implemented. Navigating the political and
organizational landscape of different companies as well as pulling
disparate organizations together is an enormous challenge even for the
savviest of usability professionals.
This workshop aims to provide a forum for practitioners to learn from
each other's experience. Discussions will be structured around case
studies of UPP, successful or otherwise, to allow experienced usability
professionals to share their experiences, their lessons learnt, and
share recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of creating and
managing a UPP.
SUBMISSIONS
This workshop will be limited to about 10 participants. Participants
should submit a position paper (between three to five pages long)
describing a UPP in their organization, lessons learned, and
recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of creating and
sustaining a UPP.
Selection criteria will be based on depth of experience with UPP,
diversity of program and viewpoints, and insights into the factors that
influence the success and failure of their program.
PARTICIPATION
The workshop will be held on Monday, April 4th.2005. Circulations of
successful submissions will be made to participants prior to the
workshop. The workshop is divided into two parts. Part one consists of a
presentation of UPP case studies. Participants will be asked to give a
short presentation of their program and the lessons learned. Part two
will focus on the construction of recommendations and a general
framework for the successful introduction and management of a UPP.
ORGANIZERS
Wai On Lee, Siebel Systems Inc.
Sol Solorzano, Siebel Systems, Inc.
Charles Harrison, Microsoft Corp.
CONTACT
Please send submission and questions to [log in to unmask] by January
3, 2005.
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