Effective Electronic Systems: Qualitative Analysis

Subject: Tech & Engineering
Pages: 5
Words: 1355
Reading time:
5 min
Study level: Master

Introduction

To collect data on the topic of effective electronic systems, interviews with four participants were conducted. Each interview consisted of five questions associated with respondents’ perceptions of the use of electronic systems in the workplace. Questions that the participants were asked aimed to answer the following research questions:

  1. What are the qualities of an excellent electronic system requirement?
  2. What are the conditions of complex electronic systems?
  3. What actions should be implemented to achieve successful electronic systems?

Participants’ Work Experiences

For the purpose of answering the identified research questions, it was important for the scholar to interview participants with some experience working in IT. It was revealed that one participant had a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and one majored in Computer Science. One respondent was a Microsoft Certified Professional, and one was operating in the Management of Networking and Communications. Two interviewees had eight years of experience in the field, on had three years, and one had six years of experience. These findings showed that the further exploration of the research questions was conducted by relying on the experiences of skilled and dedicated workers who have had enough experience in the field.

Challenges Associated with Communication System Application

In order to reveal the qualities of functional electronic system requirements, the researcher needed to determine the obstacles that limit the application of administrative communication systems. These challenges were discussed from the perspective of employees because they are the ones who are influenced by systems limitations the most. For example, one interviewee indicated that all employees positively accepted the system and that the critical challenge was associated with the resistance to changes in the user interface. Similar to this, another participant indicated that it was difficult for workers to adjust to new systems without any training.

It was also mentioned that the imposition of the solution from the upper management. One interviewee mentioned that it was difficult to implement the system because it involved too many steps, which implied longer adjustment times and additional training. Another respondent said that the system was well-accepted. The main challenge, however, was linked to the imposition of restrictions and regulations. For example, users were not allowed to delete entire documents or their sections after sending them to other departments.

Users’ Role in Systems Issues

When problems within electronic systems take place, it is imperative to understand what role whether users contribute to their occurrence. One respondent indicated that users could often influence the emergence of system problems within the security perspective. For example, they shared user credentials and documents within the system, which is a problem when it comes to safeguarding data. Another interviewee stated that users cause some issues, but this was normal since many of them were only learning and needed time to adjust. The same opinion was held by the third respondent, who mentioned that system problems increased when users did not receive enough training.

User Complaints

As the work of the interviewees was directly associated with electronic systems, they were asked whether they had to collect and analyse the complaints of users. One respondent mentioned that they received feedback regarding watermarks, deleting documents, and comments made on documents. Another interviewee said that they also gathered information from system users. An example of this was the distribution of a written questionnaire as well as face-to-face interviews. The third participant also mentioned collecting data from users, with a specific focus placed on improving systems to make them more user-friendly.

The last respondent also said that they often received complains and requests for technical support from end-users. It was mentioned that their feedback was essential to make relevant system chances and resolve any bugs.

Factors Contributing to Administrative System Application Success

The final question that the respondents were asked pertains to the exploration of various factors that make the application of administrative systems successful and productive. One interviewee mentioned that in order to be effective, regulatory systems had to consider user experiences, the integrations of native (Arabic) language, electronic signatures, document editing, and user roles. Another respondent said that it was necessary to choose a suitable system, offer reliable equipment, provide training, test the system, integrate technical support, and develop backup plans.

One interviewee mentioned that administrative communication systems had to be automated. Also, electronic signatures were needed to contribute to the overall decrease of paper-based documentation. The last respondent also shared the need to lower the transfer of paper documents and encouraged the integration of increased system automation, document search, instant document capturing, and enhanced data protection efforts. In addition, it is imperative to note that one of the participants worked with the Laserfiche and IODocs System. The interviewee mentioned that the system with which he worked allowed the organisation to create, archive, and share documents between users, which made it easier for workers to be effective in their collaborative efforts

Summary of Findings

Based on the thematic analysis of interviews conducted with four respondents, it can be concluded that good electronic systems are, first of all, user-friendly. During the interviews, the respondents indicated that too many system issues were occurring when workers did not know how to use systems effectively. Training represents the key to the success of electronic systems because it ensures that users know how they can operate within them without causing any disruptions. This common theme points to the fact that any organisation should pay more attention to how well-educated are workers when it comes to using electronic systems. While security was a concern, it could be enhanced through more effective training.

Such aspects of systems as electronic signatures were shown to contribute to the optimisation of user experiences. Therefore, interviewees shared the opinion that companies needed to reduce the number of paper-based documents and integrate their sharing within electronic systems. This point is also related to improved user experiences because workers are offered opportunities to reduce the time spent on documentation processing. Overall, directions for future research are vast, with electronic systems being expanded and improved to fit users’ needs. In the last section of the current analysis, a thematic interpretation of interviews is presented in the form of a table.

Thematic Analysis Table

Categories Themes Examples Rules of Coding
1. Challenges using electronic systems.
  1. Lack of training;
  2. Resistance to updates;
  3. Too many steps;
  4. Policies and restrictions.
  • R1: “The main challenge is the resistance of updates, especially in the user interface.”
  • R2: “The most difficulties were associated with the employees accepting to train on the use of the system.”
  • R3: “There are a lot of steps to create a process.”
  • R4: “Sometimes, users’ complaint about certain policies and restrictions we imposed.”
Respondents list the range of aspects that limit the use of electronic systems from the perspective of users.
2. Users play a role in system disruptions.
  1. Contribute to security issues;
  2. Interruptions are normal;
  3. Training issues.
  • R1: “Especially in security respective.”
  • R2: “This is normal for any system to apply in the first time.”
  • R3: “Sometimes, especially who do not have enough training.”
Interviewees provide examples of disruptions that limit the effectiveness of electronic systems.
3. Reports of users’ complaints on system performance.
  1. Document management;
  2. Analysis of feedback through questionnaires;
  3. User-friendliness;
  4. Any feedback is welcomed.
  • R1: “Yes, regarding the structure of departments.”
  • R2: “Yes, that through the questionnaire distributed among users, and a verbal questionnaire and interviews.”
  • R3: “Yes, as the developer was improving some of the sections to be suitable for users.”
  • R4: “We are always listening to our users, from their feedback and comments sometimes we make the required changes in the system.”
Participants provide an overview of their experiences getting complaints about the effectiveness of electronic systems.
4. Factors improving electronic systems.
  1. Electronic signatures;
  2. Increased automation;
  3. Language integration;
  4. Training.
  • R1: “Arabic Language.”
  • R2: “Provide training in a workshop for all users, taking into consideration the previous reports and detect the new errors and problems.”
  • R3: “And create electronic signatures instead of print and sign the papers.”
  • R4: “With digital automation and workflow, our users are easily able to automatically route documents to the right people at the right time.”
Respondents offer a perspective on how electronic systems can be enhanced. A user perspective is provided.