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END USER COMPUTING

Prof. Anil K Saini

6/2/2012

Introduction

Traditionally, the only people who had direct contact with computers were the systems professionals (programmers, systems analysts etc.). The introduction of personal computers, terminals, networks, user-friendly software, databases has altered the position dramatically and has led to the growth of end users. Earlier there was a clear distinction between end-user and the IT or information system professionals BUT with user-friendly, easy to

Introduction . Contd.

An End User is simply a person or user who uses the information technology or system to perform his work. End Users are the primary users of the information system. End User computing is defined as the use and/or development of information systems by the principal users of the systems outputs or by their staffs. End User Computing (EUC) is a group of approaches to computing that aim at better integrating end users into the computing environment or that attempt to realize the potential for high-end computing to perform in a trustworthy manner in problem solving of the highest order. (Wikipedia)

Introduction

Most people experience computers as "end-users" of packaged programs. Unfortunately the writers of these programs can't know the details of the job you are trying to do. Trying to meet the needs of diverse users, they bloat their programs with hundreds of features most people never use. Life (and programs) would be much simpler if each user could add the functions he/she wanted. Well-known examples include spreadsheets, the LOGO "turtle language" for children, and LABVIEW virtual instruments for laboratory automation Or when a faculty in a university develops its own system.

Definition
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General definition : the direct use of information technology by end users. Barker (1995) defines EUC as the application of computing resources for the purpose of producing information. Application development centric definition : EUC is the adoption and use of information systems by users outside the IS department to develop software applications to support organizational tasks and decision making
6/2/2012

EUC

"By 1998 it is predicted that 80% of systems development will be carried out by the users themselves, or by programmers under their control, and using tailorable packages and 4GLs [4th-Generation (programming) Languages]," according to Kit Grindley, in his book Managing I.T. at Board Level (FT Pitman Publishing, 1995).

Who is the end user

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End user is a user of an application program. Typically, the term means that the person is not a computer programmer End users are non-IS department individuals who directly use and/or develop computing technology and application systems in an organizational setting.

Thus, end users are direct (not indirect) IS users, using a variety
of technologies that include group support systems, decision support systems, executive information systems, and a host of

common software application systems such as word processing,

spreadsheets, and databases.

Examples include spreadsheet users who write formulas and 6/2/2012 macros.

Why are they end-users?

When the large data processing type applications (payroll, inventory etc.) had been developed on large machines, a demand arose for Management Information. The users were potentially sophisticated professionals. the traditional Information Systems (IS) department development time was too long, and there is a shortage of trained analysts and developers.

Customers Dissatisfaction with the performance delivered application systems

These systems often take so long to develop that organisational and/or market requirements have completely changed by the time they are made available to the users.

Even though significant care is taken by trained analysts to ensure that user requirements are well defined, it is often the case that misunderstandings occur. The traditional methodologies generally do not allow requirements to be changed during development, whereas in practice, the systems requirements are often unstable, requiring a flexible approach to analysis and design.

End-User Development (EUD)

The practical involvement of end-users in application development necessitates the easy access to computing facilities. This may be Timesharing on a centralised mainframe The use of stand alone personal computers The use of personal computers which are connected to local area networks and mainframes.

End-User Development (EUD) (Contd.)

In addition to being provided with hardware and software, extra facilities are a necessary condition of successful End user applications development. In particular:

Education and training on the use of software tools Assistance in the technical aspects of writing, testing, and debugging applications Availability of reference material Aid in accessing the corporate database

Why End User Computing?

Enhanced productivity of professional and whitecollar workers. Overcoming the shortage of Data Processing professionals. Provision of user-friendly and responsive systems. Overcoming the implementation problems by transferring this process to the user. System implementation has always been a major problem for developers. If users develop their own systems, clearly the implementation problem goes away.

Factors catalyzing the Growth of EUC Factors motivating the increased utilization of end user computing

are generally divided into three categories: Technological Factors A new generation of visual languages that are user friendly for end users to develop their own applications with minimal technical skills. Personal Productivity Software of personal computers has driven information services. For example- Visual Fox Pro, MS Office, Lotus Smartsuite, etc.

Organisational Factors Emphasis on decentralized or distributed processing is significantly encouraging effective use of information systems by the end users which has been missing in the centralised systems. Personnel Capabilities Increasing exposure and utilisation of IT in variou activities is making the users more sIT Savvy and friendly. The traditional compuerised systems are becoming commonplace and they are now trying to participate in end user computing activities.

End User Computing Trends

The EUC environment has following characterstics:

Advanced use of information system directly by End Users including Operations Development of specific applications by the end users assisted by IT/IS professionals.

Applications Suitable for Enduser Development

Applications suitable for end-user development can be grouped into the following 5 categories: One time enquiries Simple Reports Minor Changes to Reports or Enquiries Presentation of Data in Alternate Forms 'What if' Analyses

Applications not suitable for end-user development

data entry involving organization files and databases (where the data must be validated for accuracy and reliability) high volumes of transactions, requiring processing efficiency and multiple processing steps changing of data values in existing databases and files applications spanning several departments or divisions in the organization applications requiring formal documentation applications requiring a long development process applications requiring detailed formal specifications.

Benefits of End User Computing

Faster Development EUD takes place much faster than the development involving only the IT/IS professionals. A combination of the functional expertise of end users and the technological competence of the IT specialists may provide effective systems. The communication gap between user and the developer ceases to exist. Empowerment Users participation in the development of information system enhances end users work performance and gives them a sense of control over their working environment thereby empowering them. Result- their competence grows and become more effective.

Contd.

Prioritization of Information Needs Improved control over the environment enables users to set priorities and utilize resources in an optimal manner.

Specific Benefits to Users

Many applications, especially those that are retrieval and analysis oriented may readily be done by the users. Lead Time on development requests may be shorter when end users develop their own systems. End Users may have more control over both the initial development of an application and the on-going maintenance and use. Information System department procedures may not be appropriate for small applications. The IS deptt. may not be perceived as being concerned about user needs. End users may want to learn more about computing End users have better knowledge of business processes and needs. Costs may be lower when end users develop their own systems. The users do not have to explain their requirements to IS

Specific Benefits to IS department

The shortage of system development personnel can be handled/taken care of. This allows the IS executives to use their expensive human resources on larger, more technical development projects. If users know their requirements they can implement them directly into the system and thus avoid the time consuming and error prone process of communcating requirements to an outside developer. System implementation becomes the user responsibility. Their committed ownership of the system is thereby ensured and a major stumbling block to successful system implementation can be removed.

Risks in End User Computing

Organisational hardware, software and data are valuable resources that can be lost or diminished if they are not properly developed and protected. Since the EUC bypasses the monitoring and control mechanism built into the IS deptt. There is no formal check on user behaviour. Errors in analysis: Poorly trained End-users often are incapable of correctly analyzing data or systems .Resulting DS software is therefore often of questionable quality. Inadequate/Lack of documentation: Most End-users are not trained in formal techniques of analysis and design. Documentation is often inadequate or even non-existent, making maintenance difficult and expensive.

Faulty Model: Many Decision Support Systems (DSS) rely on corporate models developed by End-users for use with spreadsheets. Recent research has indicated that as many as 38% of these spreadsheets may contain errors. As these systems are used by senior executives as aids in strategic decision-making, the consequences are not difficult to asses. Poor Data, faulty backup procedures and lack of data security

IS Executive might argue that they should not be held accountable for end user mistakes and failures. SO top management looks to the IS deptt for leadership in computing and information systems, no matter who develops or uses the system.

Disadvantages of EUC
Although trends are favoring End User development, managers need to be aware of potential problems. End Users who develop applications may claim that they need more expensive hardware and additional software. They tend to exaggerate their requirements, some additional spending would be necessary. In addition to explicit costs, end user developers can also incur hidden costs. Although the end user is already on the units payroll, developing systems takes time away from other responsibilities. Development of localized systems and databases may conflict with organizational goals for increased data sharing among operating units. Managers outside the IS area generally have limited technical skills, which makes it difficult for them to evaluate end user development activities.

End User Computing Tools

Application Packages These are pre-written software packages that are marketed commercially. They are available to support common business functions such as payroll, purchase ledger, sales ledger, production scheduling, inventory control etc. Many of the packages allow for some customization through specification of key parameters (e.g. discount % for prompt payment). Fourth Generation Programming Languages These languages allow users to develop their own computer programs and even link a series of them together to form a small system. These languages can be run on most types of computer. There are many classes of fourth generation languages: query language/report writers graphics languages statistical analysis packages decision support/financial modeling tools

Implications of EUC

Levels of end users in terms of capabilities

menu-level end users command-level end users end-user programmers

functional support personnel EUC application considerations shifts workload so that end-users and information specialists talents are better used reduces communications gap

About End User Computing

End-user computing (EUC) refers to direct interaction with application software by managerial, professional, and operating level personnel in user departments

User Programming Environments

Examples of User programming environments are spreadsheets, the Metaphor Capsule, New Wave, fourth generation database management systems, style sheets in word processing programs, and statistical packages such as SPSS and SAS.

Spread Sheets

Spreadsheets provide a concrete, visible representation of data values, immediate feedback to the user, and powerful features such as applying formulas to blocks of cells The spreadsheet formula language is characterized by High-level, task-specific functions Very simple control constructs

Example

The user writes a simple formula that specifies the sum operation and the cells that contain the values to be summed. The cell range is specified compactly by its first and last cell; e.g., SUM(C1:C8) sums cells 1 8 in Column C

Advantage of spreadsheets

The spreadsheet provides an overall organizing framework of rows, columns and cells within which users organize the parameters, variables, formulas A spreadsheet can be modularized i.e segment spreadsheets by such criteria as years, months, geographic regions, companies, and departments Spreadsheets relieve users of the necessity of inventing their own modeling frameworks Spreadsheets succeed because they combine an expressive high level programming language with a powerful visual format to organize and display data

Examples of End User Computing

Decision support systems and artificial intelligence techniques are two examples of end user computing that becoming popular with managers DSS and artificial intelligence offer managers the ability to receive filtered, condensed, and analyzed information that can enhance their job performance

End-User Systems Tools

Text and multimedia handling tools word processing, desk-top publishing, web-publishing, presentation software, document management systems, work-flow management systems; Data handling tools spreadsheets, statistical packages, decision support systems, databases; Communication tools electronic mail, voice over IP, fax, WAP, pagers; Office automation tools diary management, electronic notebooks, directories, project management tools, personal digital assistants, bluetooth; Group systems / computer supported collaborative work teleconferencing; Graphic design graphic software, computer aided design; Knowledge management expert systems, data mining, information retrieval, intelligent agents.

Decision support Systems

Its an interactive computer system that is easily accessible to, and operated by those who are not computer specialists to assist them in planning and decision making functions DSS is an outgrowth of the MIS An 'MIS' is a planned system of the collecting, processing, storing and disseminating data in the form of information needed to carry out the functions of management.

Using DSS Example of End User

At Pet Foods in St. Louis the sales forecasting department performs a large percentage of its own data processing tasks Using DSS applications software, users can project sales demand by units per territory and region and translate that information into a financial forecast Through this process, the department can determine the effects of closing a particular warehouse in a matter of days

Comparison
Advantages

Disadvantages

Systems tailored to users Generates competitive advantage Overcomes backlog by providing systems that IS could not get round to doing

Produces inappropriate systems Causes duplication Takes users away from their real job Ignores long range and technical issues

End User Computing Practices

Dell Experience Dell has a range of offerings that includes end user infrastructure planning, migration, deployment and on-going management across distributed, mobile and virtual flexible computing platforms, that helps simplify our customers' client infrastructure. Dell believes organizations should implement optimized client deployment policies and procedures in order to reduce time, costs and resource drain associated with client refreshes and migrations, specific focus should be applied to:

Image management tools and process. Client build tools and processes. Client delivery tools, logistics and processes. Client infrastructure readiness.

Dell Infrastructure Consulting can help organizations optimize their client side architectures for: Total Cost of Ownership, Security, Productivity, Efficiency and Compliance. In order to deliver optimized architectures to users and business units, Work style Management / Workforce Segmentation should be utilized as the start point for client-side architecture optimization.Dell can also help organizations increase their green credentials outside of the data-centre by implementing clientside power management and reporting, and by utilizing appropriate asset recovery services during hardware refreshes. Our End-User Computing Practice has developed a range of service offerings that includes end user infrastructure planning,migration, deployment and on-going management across distributed mobile and virtual flexible computing platforms to help simplify "client infrastructure".

End User Practices Contd.

Accenture has the skills and experience to help clients achieve high performance through more reliable, less expensive and more secure end-user computing solutions. Accenture works closely with organizations to provide the methods, tools and tactics to achieve high performance through a transformed end-user computing environmentall at lower cost and with greater business payback. Our integrated suite of offerings helps organizations from all industries to design and deploy solutions that minimize system downtime, nearly eliminate productivity loss during implementation and improve post-deployment operations.

End User Computing at HCL

End User Computing Services includes Enterprise Service Desk, Centralized Desktop Management, PC Standardization, Application Packaging & Distribution, Desktop Applications Support and Desk side Break-fix. Today we support more than 10 million devices and respond to 6 million trouble tickets per annum (voice and web) and have over 10 years of implementation experience running help desk tools. Our approach to the Transformed Service Desk has been built around the fundamental premise that the role of Enterprise Helpdesk is not only to log and resolve end-user issues but more importantly that of the Nerve-Center for Business IT. Helpdesk plays a critical role in ensuring reliability, availability and continuity of IT services, and a consistent set of Tools, Processes & Deliverables form a key component providing efficient & cost effective IT Services. HCL has a diverse experience in transitioning customers from different helpdesk to a unified central helpdesk. Implementing a Centralized Helpdesk and ensuring a common set of processes, deliverables & service levels while continuing to maintain high levels of Cost & Operational Efficiency for the client is our key Objective.

Other EUC Experiences

At Gillette, all aspects of end user computing are under the direction of one senior manager in IS. Policies, guidelines, and strategic directions are well thought through and advertised. Experts are available from this central staff to consult about timesharing products, personal computers, and office systems. However, end users are busy people. To most effectively support them, the support person must be local, physically close by, available, and g able to speak the users' language about their business needs. At Owens-Corning Fiberglas, Paul Daverio, vice president for information systems, has transferred special IS personnel into the staff departments responsible for finance, personnel, etc. This was done to provide end user consulting onsite.

Contd..

At Texas Instruments, end users in each department or division can make use of three levels of support. First, and most effective, are the home-grown functional specialists in the department. These are finance, marketing or other users who have become the local, very available computing experts. They, in turn, are supported by IS computing consultants who have more overall computing knowledge and a set of guidelines as to the attributes of applications which should be executed either via - 21 - personal computers, timesharing, or office systems hardware and software. Referrals can be made, if necessary, to the appropriate specialty hardware or software experts. What is more, with a single IS person as a focal point for all the user specialists, knowledge about the entire end user environment in each organization can be more effectively consolidated for shaping the evolving end user computing strategy.