Improving the quality and usability of everyday products: A case for report systems

Quality is "fit for purpose" and not a feature inherent to an entity. For p roducts designed for interactive use, the concept of usability has expanded the term quality in consideration of ergonomic features. The user perceive d quality (UPQ) of products represents one face of quality, the other face being the objective quality. Designing a product in consideration of UPQ re quires the translation of user centered criteria into product related. In determining UPQ, various reasons may exist for not being able to fully r ecognize users' needs. In addition, the vendor may fail in materializing re cognized needs of users. The "Survival Path Model for Undocumented Features " demonstrates that causes of failure introduced during the planning phase of a product can survive all phases of the life cycle and become efficient with the help of latent failures. These reasons suggest that installing a r eport system that conveys relevant information from the practice can be ben eficial. This article discusses the outcome of a successful simulation of a report s ystem and its contribution to the product quality of a well-designed printi ng unit. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.