Structured support for advanced end-user prototyping

Prior to end-user computing, information systems professionals used to assume full responsibility for system development. Today advanced end-users contribute to system development and reduce the infamous backlogs; some develop small applications, while others prototype interface requirements for larger systems. As opposed to professional analysts and designers, advanced end-users are usually untrained in data processing techniques and methods. Thus, applications developed by them are commonly deficient in terms of structure and documentation and their potential impact on system development is not fully realized. We propose to enhance the contribution of advanced end-users to system development by training them to employ a structured support framework. Within this framework, advanced end-users conduct functional analysis, design the user interface-including the inputs and the outputs-and produce the interface prototype. Depending on system size and complexity, these user contributions may either lead to a fully structured user-developed application, or be incorporated in structured system development by data processing professionals. The benefits - better systems and a more productive human resource management - are expected to exceed the extra costs of user training and their time expenditures.