Services Overview

InfoPoint works with clients that are trying to do business in new ways using the Internet. This means that often we develop services for our clients that are completely new. Sometimes a service that seems familiar is done in a different way.

The amount of experience most people have buying software is limited. Most people have been exposed to Windows based programs that are aimed at capturing the largest possible market. This means that one often buys programs that have many features that are not needed and are missing features that are. Often it takes extra steps to do the job and kludged up systems are hard to teach to others and are error prone.

If a user of a computer system saves 5 minutes per hour, that is a month per year. If a company uses a computer system and errors occur in the process that are discovered by customers (the wrong thing delivered, delivered late, wrong information, and so on), the cost to the company is enormous because of the number of people that need to be involved fixing things and the emotional energy that is lost.

InfoPoint can use the Web to glue together applications and create a system that does what a user needs it to do. We work to reduce the time a user spends using it and to reduce errors in the process. In short, the InfoPoint design process is as follows:

• Figure out the business purpose.
• Create a design, with workflow and other usability issues.
• Create a prototype.
• Observe the use of the prototype and fix problems.
• Create the final system.
• Test the final system.
• Manage the system over time, including enhancing it and supporting it.

Figure out the business purpose

Ultimately, the Web site will be used by people to do their job better. We sit down with the customer and discuss how the group that will be using the Web site will use it and what the benefits will be.

For instance, one customer provides medical supplies to home health care agencies. The problem that needed to be solved was that their customers did not have accurate, real-time information about what supplies were being purchased. This is because the clients and the nurses that service the clients were geographically dispersed. We developed a system based on the old forms that they used and processes with which people were familiar so there was no learning curve. The system has virtually no marginal cost, adding a user can cost nothing.

Create a design with workflow and other usability issues

Our belief is that computers are only valuable to the extent that they help people do things that people need to do. Just writing a program and hoping it will be useful usually won't work. Computers are useful if they help people do what they do better. To do a good job at this we have to look at how people plan to use it and what kinds of things they expect when they use the program.

A good design includes visual elements, logical flow through the site, speed of access and more.

Create a prototype

According to the MITSloan Management Review, Winter 2001 "there is proof that the evolutionary approach to software development results in a speedier process and higher-quality products."

The prototype is a first version of the program that we can look at to see what was forgotten. We can see if there are any areas that cause confusion and create problems for the users.

Create the final system

We take what we have learned and integrate it into a final product.

Test the final system

We test it. The best way to test it is to have a small group of people use it and make sure that they do not have any problems.

Manage the system over time, including enhancing it and supporting it

A Web site is never really finished. Technology changes, tastes change, and your business changes. Unlike a brochure, which you are stuck with, your Web site can change with you.