Microsoft Small Business Solutions - Task Analaysis (Excerpt)
(created while an employee of Ikonic) 
Task Breakdown
The Microsoft Office 97 team gave Ikonic a number of research documents, plus requirements and proposed solutions for the Web site. These documents describe that this site will offer:
· small business solutions for Office 97 users
· actual executables for Office 97, accessible by task (not by product)
· help and product support for Office 97
· product updates and other features

Ikonic has analyzed these documents and created a list of tasks and other components that can be used to build the site.

Note: Please regard this task breakdown as working notes. Ikonic will fully explain the process and decisions made to achieve the following breakdown during our meeting. The following tables serve to outline some of the challenges of the project.

Small Business Users (and other users) Tasks and Microsoft Solutions 
 
User  Tasks
  
Administration (Operations)  
· Manage Time/Productivity  
 · Time billing Application  
 · Time Management/Personal Information Manager  
 · Keep up with Administration Tasks  
 · Manage Records in a Paper-based Environment  
 · Process and Store Information  
 · Track Inventory  
 · Inventory Management Application  

Finance 
 · Monitor Cash Flow/Financials  
 · Cash Flow Analysis Application  
 · Lease vs. Buy Analysis  
 · Depreciation Schedules  
 · Expense Report Templates  
 · Industry Profit & Loss Percentages  
 · Handle Peaks and Valleys  
 · Handle the Cyclical Nature of Business  

Sales, Marketing & Communication 
 · Keep up with the Competition  
 · Market/Promote Business/Products  
 · Maintain Communication with Clients  
 · Identify Customer Needs  
 · Retain Customers  
 · Maintain Quality Customer Service  
 · Direct Mail Application  
 · Customer Management Application  
 · Database of Direct Mail Addresses  
 · Design and Printing Services  

Human Resources 
 · Find/Retain Employees  
 · Applicant Tracking Database  

Teamwork (Collaboration)  
· Communicate Internally/Externally  
 · Use Tools in Conjunction/Integrate  

Technology  
· Make Decisions about Technical Investment  
 · Help Desk Database Application  

Management/Executive
  · Maintain Quality in the Face of Growth  
 · Develop a Business Plan  
 · Allocate Resources  
 · Stay Abreast of [Government] Policies  
 · Obtain Competitive Information  
 · Reference Material for Industry  

Training 
 · On-line Training/Question Based Program  
 · Show Me How --Moving Cursors  
 · Certification  

Help 
 · On-line Experts  
 · Archived Chats  
 · Email /On-line Tech Support  
 · Archived Problem/Solution Database  

Business Services 
 · On-line Meeting Rooms  
 · Renting Server Space  

Technical Services  
· Send Print Jobs to Kinko’s Electronically  

Student 
 · How to Write a Killer Resume  
 · How to Write a Killer Application to College 
 
Basic Blocks of Web-Based Tasks

· Read
· Download
· Search
· Take/Score a Test
· Communicate with Other Humans
· Register
· Purchase
· Profile Yourself
· Flame
· Ask Question
· Post Solution
· Look Something Up


Component Buildup
Ikonic wants Microsoft’s web site users to know exactly why they’re coming to the site. Ikonic recommends that Microsoft use the site as the Office 97 Solutions focus site, and include solutions using Office 97 components as the main feature. Since Office 97 product executables will soon be run over the Internet, accessible on a by-task basis, focusing the site on Office 97 Solutions will provide one simple interface for users to negotiate. Help and software maintenance will play supporting roles on the site.
According to the research papers, Business News Service is an item that does not necessarily fall into an Office 97 Solution category, and is regarded as better when provided on a source site such as WSJ. Users prefer to keep a separate bookmark for their news source. Business Services is likewise not really an Office 97 Solution per se, but would still be a service that Microsoft or other Internet Service Providers could offer. If the Office 97 team decides to create such a site, it should be treated separately from this Office 97 Solutions site, described below.

Technical Services, however, are going to become part of the Office 97 suite of tools. Services such as electronic submission of print jobs to Kinko’s should be made a part of the Office 97 Solutions site, organized as a task just like all the other solutions.

When presenting the Office 97 Solutions offered by Microsoft, Ikonic suggests heavy emphasis on co-branding with Microsoft’s partners. Clients want to see that the solutions are valid and backed up by well-known business names. Ikonic suggests that within each single solution page, the partner’s logo be displayed immediately below the Microsoft logo. On each web page, there will only be Microsoft’s logo plus the one logo of the partner that helped prepare the solution. All the partners’ logos will never be displayed on a page simultaneously. For example, if Ernst & Young were to provide an Expert’s Article on writing a business plan, then the logo for Ernst & Young will be prominently displayed just below the Microsoft logo. Appropriate display of co-branding will foster belief and trust in Microsoft customers.

Note: Ikonic understands that this kind of recommendation must be approved by other branches within Microsoft before implementation.

Similarly, when data or solutions are localized to a specific geography or an industry niche, appropriate emphasis will encourage Microsoft customers to use the solution. Microsoft has presented Ikonic with an outline of how they would like to see Solutions organized by Department and by Industry. Ikonic has incorporated Microsoft’s suggestions into the structure presented in this task analysis.

Note: More extended research is needed to completely solve the challenge of localized Office 97 Solutions. Ikonic suggests that the Microsoft Office 97 team take a look at A Business Compass, www.abcompass.com, as a suggested three-part taxonomy for organizing Office 97 solutions.

 

