Usability in ERP (Single and Multiple Document Interface) Application Environments

The usability of complex information systems, like enterprise resource planning (ERP), is the next frontier, as the trend becomes more and more adopted in the industrial working environment. In complex information systems, the traditional usability criteria of learnability, effectiveness and efficiency have never lost their importance, even though the focus of research appears to have shifted for the consumer product. This study based on 110 responses attempt to highlight the usability issues in ERP single document interface (SDI) and multiple document interface (MDI) application environments. It also investigates the effect of negative user experience, such as ‘confusion’, on learnability, effectiveness and efficiency. The results indicate that the SDI is better for providing end-user usability in ERP. The results suggested that in SDI application environments, end-user confusion with the ERP system directly affected learnability but not effectiveness and efficiency. In MDI application environments, the results suggested that end-user confusion with the ERP system directly affected learnability, effectiveness and efficiency.