The next generation workforce that enters the
organisations, come from a world of funky and cool mobile apps and gaming
interface users. As this workforce starts interacting with the enterprise
apps, comparisons will start being drawn. Two aspects will stand-out as sticky
sore points:
- The user interface and information arrangement on the screen
- The lack of asynchronous approach to processes
Most of us know how screens of enterprise systems look like. Even though access to corporate digital assets are aligned to the needs of the role and the type of responsibilities employees carry, the screens typically display the master-detail relationship of data with very little effort spent on the GUI design to highlight focus on the few data items that would be responsible for initiating the next set of actions or have a significant role in the decisions that need to be made.
Most enterprise systems are hardwired on context definition and this comes across when we view the screens against the backdrop of changing context on the same shop-floor. The issue repeats itself with enterprise processes. The approach to architecture design around the context - process - screen design relationship, reflects organisational preference of operating in the manageable environment of the synchronous, and the sequential, delivering on the first time right paradigm. Having said this, there is a huge management thrust towards getting people to multi-task, be asynchronous, take risks and be flexible on sequencing events and actions in a process to stay relevant in a world of changing contexts. This is the only way organisations maximise efficiency and quality on a fixed cost base.
This is a great paradox enterprises live in. Once this paradox manifests itself on a large scale and starts affecting relevance of delivery to the end consumer, IT systems get labelled as inflexible, rigid and legacy. In the real world, the word legacy has such a positive connotation to it. We all want to leave a legacy behind that we would be remembered for long after we have gone. Legacy however is an uncharitable word when used around IT system! That however is a topic for a different blog post.
Enterprises will find personal devices increasing their
sphere of influence in the domain where enterprises will see individuals in
employee role, traversing down a path where enterprise
data access only on enterprise devices policy will be a hinderance in
delivering results. Class of devices will expand beyond smartphones and tablets
as we know it today. Multiple devices that are personal, public and enterprise
assets will come into play as internet of things expands to consume every thing
that has a potential to store, compute, persist, connect and digitally perish.
The GUI of this world will dictate the tastes and preferences of the users and
will drive behaviour. GUIs of enterprise IT systems will need to align to avoid
high training costs and larger learning TATs to get Gen-Next employees effective
and productive.
When I take a look at the Metro framework, at a very high level, I see a lot of thought that
has been put in to :
•
create
a digital UI fashion trend - and an infectious one
•
chart
a path forward for enterprise IT systems as they undertake a journey to
manifest themselves on the list mile on personal consumer devices.
Metro
stands out on the following aspects:
1) Its a scalable framework (
tempted to say standard, qualifies in my book to evolve as a standard) that
could become a standard as it gets device agnostic and OS agnostic. At this
moment the framework for mobile smartphones is different from that of
tablets. Metro defines, usable and unusable screen areas assuming the world
needs only 16:9 surfaces and hence the different framework for smartphones.
2) Framework has provision to
represent master-detail relationships and has guidelines that drive programming
behaviour around handling data that is multi row - column tables and scroll. Best practises and the right model to manage activity needed NOW to move forward a process on the timeline in a contextualized environment.
3) Nudges developers to make
asynchrony as the underlying to define behaviour that is responsive to now and always ready for the next. The nature of next
being that no one can foresee the future and hence a tight synchronous process is not the way to build on personal devices. Asynchrony is central
to engage, based on decisions and choices consumer make to progress ahead on the timeline.
4) Guidelines around content being front and
central to enable readability puts the consumer instead of enterprise (process
,data and events) in the the centre.
5) Framework to Win As One that keeps you firmly rooted
in the present for you to decide on the next moment, enabling developers to
stitch the data of events, relationships, communication threads, facts and status all in a grid format on one screen. Imagine your grid shows the meeting
that comes up in the next 5 mins where the agenda is discussion around
performance management. One square shows calendar data (just the meeting name
and time). Next square shows discussion threats from email around appraisals,
one that matter for this meeting. A third square shows the bell curve of your
team. a couple of grids displays pictures of your top 5% of your team with
rating. This picture is not complete without that one red grid that shows payroll
budget over-run telling you that you cannot have a top 5% but a top 3% of your
team as high performers! Its your choice if you want developers to write code,
that makes this choice!!
The dilemma I have in my head is that Enterprise IT systems
are stitched for rigidity and robustness. Hence the processes are sequential.
Any data entering thru points of integration, will necessarily have to go thru
a synchronous, end-to-end experience.
Last mile architected around asynchrony integrating into a central
system architected around sequential end-to-end process thread, are like chalk
and cheese. Some thought will need to be given to Enterprise IT Architecture to
make this work.
