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Rahul Mainkar
Flex Developer and Usability Analyst
L&T Infotech |
Improving the SAP user experience
by Christine Schrum
"Never, ever forget your end users," says Rahul Mainkar. "They're the main people who are going to use your software. If they're not happy because you're not giving them what they need, then whatever you're designing is all in vain. That's the bottom line."
Mainkar should know. As Flex Developer and Usability Analyst for L&T Infotech, he's responsible for keeping thousands of users a day happy.
L&T Infotech is an India-based global IT services and solutions provider, offering business-to-IT consulting and implementation services. Its wide range of clients includes Fortune 500 companies such as Chevron, Freescale, Hitachi, Sanyo and Lafarge. L&T Infotech has offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
| "Never, ever forget your end users. They're the main people who are going to use your software. If they're not happy because you're not giving them what they need, then whatever you're designing is all in vain. That's the bottom line." |
At the heart of L&T Infotech is the company's SAP business unit, where Mainkar works as the chief usability specialist. Mainkar and his team use SAP software to provide clients a comprehensive range of everyday applications like accounting and inventory management. As a pivotal member of this unit, Mainkar is responsible for researching cutting-edge technologies and project implementation standards to serve "the all-important end user" better.
"The sad part is that we never tried to make SAP products more exciting for the users," says Mainkar. "That's where knowledge of usability comes into the picture. I was sent to take HFI's Certified Usability Analyst™ (CUA) training so I could learn all the nuances of usability and implement them in our projects." According to Rahul, before he took HFI's training, L&T Infotech clients often reported that while the SAP systems were effective, their user interfaces could have been more interesting
"One part we always overlooked was usability," says Mainkar. "SAP products have a robust architecture and cutting-edge functionality, but we wanted to offer our users something more in terms of user experience."
Mainkar took the CUA training at HFI's Mumbai office in July 2007. "From that moment," he says, "I was 100% dedicated to it." He credits the training with giving him the tools he needed to help L&T Infotech offer SAP solutions that not only feature better functionality, but also a better user experience.
The results have proven extremely successful. L&T Infotech's clients are taking notice – and so is SAP's headquarters in Waldorf, Germany.
"A few of our prototypes have been recognized by SAP and are slated to have the honor of being showcased for SAP," says Mainkar. SAP is the largest software enterprise in Europe, and the third largest in the world.
Based on Mainkar's success, L&T Infotech is moving to institutionalize usability across the SAP business unit and throughout the company. Many SAP unit team members have taken HFI's CUA training and Mainkar himself now trains others.
"We use all HFI's data-gathering techniques like surveys and one-on-one interviews," says Mainkar. "JADs [Joint Application Development teams] have been implemented in some projects. Many projects also have a usability analyst who has responsibilities of finalizing the navigation structure, screen simplification, usability testing and following HFI's user-centered design approach during the initial phases of project life cycle."
Mainkar says that while he had some understanding of usability principles before the CUA training, HFI's courses greatly expanded his knowledge base – and also lent him more confidence and credibility.
"Now that I have HFI's CUA certification I have more credibility as a usability analyst," he says. "No one questions my knowledge in the area. When I see we should do things a certain way, people really listen to me. It's always user analysis first, then get back to design and coding."
Mainkar is also an avid blogger, and his posts cover a wide range of tech topics, from website design to software tools and programming. These days, he's been writing a lot about usability – and HFI's CUA certification.
"If you have a project but you don't know about usability, you'll probably design something that you like – but that's not the correct way to go," explains Rahul. "Get yourself trained, understand the nuances of usability, then come back and execute your projects. Whatever you create will be in much better shape."
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