Developing a usability method for assessment of M-Commerce systems : a case study at Ericsson

Context. Usability work in software engineering is a measure of quality and it contributes to the overall acceptability of systems. However it is also the most neglected process in the software industry. While there are established guidelines and methods in usability, they are not used in the industry to the full extent. Objectives. In this case study I examine the level of usability and usability issues with the context of use in an M-Commerce solution. Also, I address the distance between development and the current and potential expert users of the wallet platform solution. Methods. In this exploratory research, a number of article sources such as IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Springer Link are used. Studies are selected after reading titles, abstracts and keywords, then chosen if relevant to the subject. The methods used in this study were literature review, case study and experiment. Results. A usability test was performed on a specific user interface, in order to detect potential usability issues that might have been overlooked in the development cycle. As an experiment, the test was performed with proxy users and verified with the actual users. A recommendation list based on the test results was produced for possible improvements in the interface. Conclusions. As a conclusion, a modified usability testing method is proposed. Also I conclude that performing usability testing based on the context of use and the ISO 9241-11 standard, brings value to Ericsson’s current and potential customers as well as to the solution itself. The results from the two groups used for testing were very similar and the proxy user group is thus a good alternative to actual users. With the engagement of a team that is working with the customers dispersed over the world, the context of use can be brought to the development department