Abstract

The likelihood of a newly completed software system bringing desired advantages to organizational work depends, in part, upon the ability of users to recognize the functions and capabilities contained in the software. A preliminary evaluation attempts to assess the degree of match between designer and user perspectives of the software. Such an evaluation takes place after standard debugging and other error-correction procedures arc complete, but before the product is distributed for widespread use. In this paper we expound a preliminary evaluation approach for a group decision support system (GDSS) with the objective of contributing to the development of a standard evaluative procedure. The proposed approach consists of identifying and evaluating the GDSS in terms of its (1) functional, (2) holistic, and (3) interface characteristics. Applying this approach to a meeting software system, we were able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the system independent of the task for which it was used. We believe the approach presented here provides a useful addition to the GDSS evaluation process and allows for a better understanding of why different software designs have certain effects on the decision makers who use them.

Citations