This scale has evolved from the scale presented by Crosby in 1978
to represent general quality maturity, through the workings of the INUSE
project. It is presented here in a slightly modified form, with additional
explanations.
1. We don’t have problems with quality of use.
Organisations who are at this level actively deny that quality of use
has anything to do with their products or processes, and that anyway, their
products are so specialised or they know the market so well that quality
of use assessment (let alone measurement) is completely redundant to their
business. Some companies specialising in web site development currently
fall into this category.
2. What is ‘quality of use’ anyway?
Organisations at this level are aware of the need to check the quality
of their products, but are most probably not yet convinced of the need
to keep accurate records and measures. Quality of use for these organisations
is a problem without a solution. Very often, solutions proposed by other
companies and by consultants are viewed with suspicion because the cost
of introducing them to the organisation are difficult to estimate (and
are viewed as most probably high, anyway) and the benefit is difficult
to quantify (and is viewed as marginal at best, anyway). There may be one
or two individuals who have detailed and expert knowledge, but their voice
is not heard everywhere...
3. Do we always have to have problems with quality
of use?
By this stage, an organisation is feeling the pinch: they are aware
that they have a quality of use problem, they may have attempted to tackle
it piece-meal or in small sectors of their business, but the awareness
is growing that something effective can and should be done on a company-wide
basis. There is most probably an active group within the organisation who
is raising the issues, but they have not as yet convinced everybody that
they have the solution. ‘Quality of Use’ is becoming a buzz-word within
the organisation.
4. Through management commitment we are identifying
and resolving our problems.
Management decide to commit resources, even if these resources are
fairly limited to start with, may be on a pilot scheme or two, to show
what can be done. If there is a resource group within the organisation
with usability engineering know-how, this is their spring time. What is
important at this stage is not to ‘overheat’ the organisation with usability:
methods should be introduced which suit the current development and management
environments, an audit trail should be established. Technology transfer
throughout the organisation.
5. Engineering quality of use is a routine part
of our operation.
This is the top of the scale. The organisation is making use of the
methods adapted earlier throughout the company. The role of the ‘usability
engineering group’ begins to change. Once they carried out services to
the company; then they carried out technology transfer; now they are involved
in keeping a watching brief on the data arising from method usage, and
are keeping an eye out for the latest methods and whether these can be
introducted with benefit to the company as it evolves in its technological
maturity.
Adapted from:
Crosby, P.B. (1978) Quality is Free: the Art of Making Quality Certain.
New York, McGraw Hill.