GAO Departure from Accounting Spreadsheet

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Project Overview:

Accounting Data Modeling (3-Week Agile Sprint)

Client:

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Design Technology Used

Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Keynote, Sketch, Design Thinking Session, & Atlassian Jira Agile Project Management

Release Date:

Pending project definition status

Project Overview:

This project began as an exercise in Excel spreadsheets pivot tables where accounting maintained all of their data records. The complexity of cross-referencing data across multiple tables was not feasible or useful to employees. An alternate approach utilizing data visualization was necessary to improve work performance.

Problem/Challenge:

As with any system that is outdated with today’s technology, a solution was required to bring end-user issues to the forefront via user-centered-design techniques. The challenge was to define features that enhanced performance as an alternative to Excel pivot tables.

Solution/Results:

A third-party usability firm conducted extensive employee survey analysis of metrics that provided insightful performance issues. The process illuminated the desire for using systematic reasoning and intuition to explore ideal state software development within the GAO. Those success metrics were established with grid mapping performance features, satisfaction drivers, quadrant opportunity grids, and frequency curves. The desired results from these datapoints provided a solution for dashboard views that were flexible in content display along with views of pertinent data. However, it should be mentioned surveys cannot answer all research questions. They are good at helping capture attitudinal data, but not behavioral data. Given the contract obligations some user interviews were conducted to better understand employee dynamic situations.

Typography & Visual Design:

Total Unduplicated Reach & Frequency (TURF):

The TURF metrics is shown below outlining the potential offering of features that were defined as performance enhancements reached maximum in the 75% to 82% range. This was a clear indication that Excel pivot table provided all the functionality required to complete tasks; however, to reach beyond that subset of information points was limiting to users. It was revealed that tasks grouped together around a unit of work produced better acceptance among employees. The third-party that conducted the user research relied on survey methodology to analyze the GAO user behavior.