Statistical Evaluation of the Usability of Decision-Oriented Graphical Interfaces in Scheduling Applications

Abstract: In this paper, we present the results of a usability study in interface design for scheduling systems. We show that providing possibilities to interactively create schedules improves the quality of decision making. The considered ways of inter-action are tailored to the needs of human schedulers. They facilitate and optimize planning decisions at all stages of the scheduling procedure. Based on a study with 35 test subjects and overall 105 hours of usability testing we verify that the use of some features improves both quality and practicability of the produced schedules.