Software users and developers; how to improve software by finding solutions to problems

How can problems with software be improved and efficient solutions be found? In order to achieve this, it is essential that users and developers stick to their roles and do not exchange roles.  This is because if the users urge the technicians to incorporate all the functionalities they want, the systems will soon fill up with superfluous and useless elements which only serve to complicate the product. To keep things running smoothly, it must be the professionals who establish which features the programs should have.

Of course it is always positive to receive constructive feedback from the public, but this is certainly more useful if statistics are collected: if for example, several people notify the developers of the same problem and provide concrete examples, the chances of this being dealt with by the person in charge of the system will grow exponentially. This means that simple requests are much less efficient than concrete data and feedback from different sources.

If the technicians then transform themselves into clients in order to find solutions, the advantage will usually be when the technicians are effectively users of the product in question. This hypothesis is often true and must be considered the only condition in which the person who produced the software can put themselves in the shoes of the person using it. In that case the professionals who notice something is wrong can see if other users have said the same thing, so as to find out how to make improvements.

In addition, it should be specified that resolving the developers’ problems with solutions not designed for users, as well as causing further complications, will not be of any benefit to those who actually operate the product in question. Although this may seem a favourable solution to a technician, who can say that they have improved procedures, if these are of no help to the majority of users then they are useless.

To clarify the points mentioned above, we can summarise the above as follows:

• Only consumers can say what is not working with a software;
• And only technicians can intervene in order to guarantee improvements.

Of course, the two sides must communicate and collaborate together, combining their efforts to ensure the optimal performance of the systems used. If things are not done in this way, there is a risk of a detrimental effect on the functioning of the programs.

Translated by Joanne Beckwith