Evaluation for Evaluation: Usability Work during Tendering Process

Abstract

<p> In large-scale IT implementations the iterative system development and system tailoring to organization-specific needs begins after a tendering process is over. In the tendering process a procuring organization defines usability requirements, evaluation procedures and selection criteria, while IT vendors try and build and propose solutions that best fulfill these requirements. Existing usability research has instructed the procuring organizations on how usability should be included in the request for proposals, in order to ensure the usability of the selected system. However, the IT vendor perspective on request for proposals and related usability work during the tendering process remain unexplored. This paper grasps the issue with an empirical study on large-scale IT procurement. The preliminary findings give practical advice to vendors planning usability work and buyers writing request for proposals.</p>