One of the reasons I write so much about the user interface (UI), portals and SOA is that I believe HR technology’s future is very much about how we engage and increase end user adoption. In an increasingly dispersed global corporate environment, technology must be accessible, consolidated, and easy. These attributes will result in more employees and manager using the tools more often, which means increased productivity, better data and better conveyance of brand and employee engagement.
The truth of the matter is that in today’s large decentralized organizations we rely more on print/web communications and self service applications to affect the employee perception of our organizations than ever before. Poorly developed web brands convey disorganization and complexity no matter how cool the functionality is.
Regarding last week’s discussion on melting pots, salad bowls and UI, check out the Systematic Viewpoint’s corporate look at the reality of integrated UI.
We have almost 40 internally developed point solutions. A few of them are big-ticket global apps and many others are specialty items for a particular line of business’ unique needs. We just finished developing a set of interface and design standards for all of them… I want to get us completely away from application-centric thinking, but honestly nothing can support what I want to build yet. The vendors have to catch up to SOA and so do we with our internal apps. I know this is true because we are using services and SOAP for some of our integration functions. It’s still immature, and I fear that that our vendors worries disintermediation results in partial solutions for a while to come and a lot of custom work on our part. In the meantime, I hope we’re making it easier by going to standard interfaces where we can. ((Systematic Viewpoints, October 27, 2006. “Soup or Salad? How About An Appetizer Instead?” Retrieved from Systematic Viewpoints on October 27, 2006.))
Quoting Thomas Otter of Vendorprisey:
If anyone asks me for Netweaver-SOA impact evidence, the first thing I point to is the GUI. I have commented on Duet, AJAX and Adobe in an SAP context before. The decoupling of application logic and GUI layer has laid the groundwork for a lot of innovation and change in application presentation… I sense that we are moving to a world where the GUI will change often. As new UI concepts emerge, (often from the consumer space) then enterprise applications will adopt them, but without disrupting core application logic. I think we are seeing the start of this now. ((Otter, Thomas, October 23, 2006. “The Future of SAP GUI’s.” Retrieved from Vendorprisey on October 27, 2006.))
Thomas also points to an SAP whitepaper on the future of SAP UI and SOA development.
One response to “The Future of UI”
Long time no speak….
thanks for the link love. The UI space is changing rapidly, and with change comes confusion. This isnt good, and us vendors need to do a good job at informing about the pros con and options.
I sense the UI is fast becoming like fashion, with new revelations every season. Like fashion, you can become a slave to it, or adapt it to your advantage. At least today, we aren’t forcing everyone to wear a the same shade of grey.
I did look at some very early R/3 screens (2.1!) the other dayand I was struck by their simplicity. (dont tell anyone though)