Is your ERP Software User Friendly? 10 Ways to Evaluate ERP Software Usability

When you purchased your ERP software, your vendor undoubtedly told you it was user friendly.  They might have even given you testimonials from other customers who lauded its user-friendly features.  All vendors have a commercial interest in portraying their products in the best possible light, so you should not expect them to show you negative reviews or failed usability tests.  For that you will need to do your own research and possibly your own testing.

The following are ten points you should consider when evaluating the usability of an ERP product.

1. Documentation – How easy is it to understand the documentation?  Does it include enough information on the topics you need?  How easy is it to navigate?  Is it in print or electronic form?

2. Number of clicks – One common usability test is to count the number of clicks it takes to get to a given feature.  If you find yourself getting frustrated during a test like this, just imagine how employees at your company will feel when faced with daily, routine, monotonous clicking.

3. Search interface – Searching is very important with a software package this size.  If it is easy to search and find documents, it will be easier to make transactions, enter data, and get work done.

4. Entering, correcting, and voiding transactions – The whole point of your ERP software is to make your accounting and other tasks easier.  If simply filling out a form takes longer than it would to open a notebook, write it all down, file it, and move on to the next form, it defeats the purpose of using technology.

5. Process flow – How are menus, tabs, and windows organized?  Does it flow nicely and make it easy to get around the system?  Can you customize it according to your actual workflow?

6. User interface – Shiny is good, but clean and simple is better.  If you can get both for the money, you will keep everyone happy.  Your interface should not be cluttered and should have a logical and precise organization.

7. Customization – This is so critical with software as robust as ERP.  You need the flexibility to customize your system to meet the particular needs of your business.  Software such as Microsoft Dynamics GP accomplishes this very well, but not all ERP systems do.

8. Functionality – Your ERP system needs to do what it says it can do with as little trouble as possible.  You should not have to dig through five menus to get to a function you use 50 times a day.  Test the menus, buttons, tables, shortcuts, forms, and any other functionality aspects.

9. Queries – ERP users do a lot of searching, sorting, and organizing.  Just as your accounting should be simpler than a pen and log book, your organization should not make a room filled with file cabinets look appealing.  Good software will allow you to save search queries and sorting functions for later use.

10. Accessibility – Most operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows 7, have built-in accessibility features, but that does not mean the software you use on them supports all of those features.  The worst thing you can do is assume you do not need accessibility now, and then later hire people who require it, only to find out your software will not accommodate them.

One reason businesses do not conduct usability tests is that they imagine them to be horribly expensive.  In truth you can run tests even with a few employees from various departments, just to get a feel for the software and how it works.  It may not pass the rigorous scrutiny of academic research, but the point is to do what is best for your business.  For that, any level of usability testing is better than none.

by ERP Software Blog Editors, Find a Local Microsoft Dynamics ERP Expert