3.3.1.5 Evaluation. Flashcards
Outline the criteria to evaluate a computer system.
- End user needs.
- Functionality.
- Performance.
- Ease of use.
- Compatibility with existing data.
- Compatibility with existing hardware.
- Robustness.
- Cost.
- Support.
- Customisation.
Define end user needs.
What does the user of the software want to do, what are their present skills and how do they intend to use the software? It is important to be very clear about the problem that is to be tackled by the software.
Define functionality.
Does the software perform the functions required?
Define Performance.
How well does the software work?
Define ease of use.
How easy is the software to use? Is there built-in help?
Define compatibility with existing data.
Will the new software be able to read any data that is already in use, e.g.in a different format or file type? If not, is it easy to convert existing files to a readable format?
Define compatibility with existing hardware.
Software is written to run on a specific operating system, eg Windows, OSX (Macs) or Linux. It is sometimes written to run on and take advantage of specific hardware too. The new software needs to be compatible with the existing operating system and hardware.
Define robustness.
How does the software handle problems? Robust software works well in combination with different hardware and software without crashing.
Define Cost.
Costs have to be weighed against the benefits that the software will bring. These may be about making more money or doing something quickly or with fewer staff hours involved. Price doesn’t always dictate the best piece of software for the job,.
Define Support.
The level of support when using the software can be crucial to making it a success or failure. Is a telephone or web based helpdesk available for the software? Are there any tutorials or training courses available?
Define customisation.
Will the software allow users to change the look and feel so that it does exactly what they need? If so, is this easy to do?
