Assima recognized in the very early stages that an ePSS is part of the global solution geared towards end user performance. Our Training Suite is based on an architecture made of information and objects that can be immediately converted into Performance Systems.
ePSS: end-user support at the moment of need
End users performance is key to any business. One would think that performance is strongly linked to training, but more and more, there is this perception of an imbalance between training and user performance.
Many past studies have stressed the poor retention of information passed through passive training, and electronic Performance Support Systems (ePSS) are filling the gap.
There are basically very few characteristics for an ePSS to be optimal, although these may not be simple to get. The ideal system need to be immediate, contextual and relevant. The problem is that if an ePSS does not implement these characteristics or implements them to a lesser degree of user satisfaction, then it is just not going to be used. Take it from an end user perspective, and remember the user is at work with a possible stress level, and not attending a training course.
1. Immediate: I do not want to have to wait for several minutes to get an answer. I have a problem, and I want a solution within the next five seconds or I am not going to use this system again.
2. Contextual: I want help based on what I am doing. I do not want to have to explain what I am looking for, or to have to synchronize myself with a piece of seemingly relevant information. If the help I get within five seconds is not embedded in my workflow, then I am not going to use this system again.
3. relevant: The piece of information I receive instantaneously and contextually needs to be useful / helpful to me.
Assima's in-application Performance System
Assima’s in-application Performance System is functionally split on several levels. Each level is self sufficient and
addresses different forms of support. The product is available for 2 architectures: Web and Windows. All features are available in
both architectures, albeit with small differences:
- In-application Help addresses the contextual link between the application and some help or training content. It basically features 3 levels:
- Manual query: ability to retrieve performance support content previously indexed. This is an equivalent of doing a Google search on the target content.
- Automatic query: rerouting the F1 key, and sending an automatic query pre-filled with all texts captured on the real application's interface (the application context).
- Contextual query: a query at an application's UI object level, which can appear as a form of tooltip.
- In-application Guidance addresses the step by step process guidance in the original application, by drawing the attention of the user to the key operations to be carried out for such process:
- Guidance: it first relies on In-application Help (generally level 2) to synchronize content with the application automatically. Once content is synchronized, the end user can choose from the list of suggested “best match” of synopsis (each matching a process in the application). From there, the synopsis takes control over the application and highlights, underline or points to (laser beam) objects in the application, where end user attention is needed for the process: edit fields to fill-in, button to click on, etc…
- In-application Self-Support addresses the need for end user support that is not contained in previous Help or Guidance levels. It is acting as a personal knowledge database that can also be shared among peers.
- Self Support: The role of the In-application Self Support is to allow the end user to annotate the processes with post-it like components, which will contain relevant personal information. It can then be used as reminders, helpers, communication, or other form of information.
- In-application Performance addresses the overall user's performance and efficiency on applications, and acts also as a wrapper for the three previous in-app levels.
- Macros: a macro can be recorded live on the real application, and then be stored in a self support component (post-it). It can then be recalled in the context of the application to help the end user speed up daily repetitive tasks.
- Timely Assistance: In-application help (level 2) can automatically and immediately determine where the user is located in the process (the context), and also automatically find “best matches” according to this (the relevant content). In-application guidance stores which part of the relevant content (generally specific synopsis) are mostly used in this context, and synchronizes automatically the user's current task with a particular step of the synopsis which in turn maps a particular process. When the time allocated for this step is exceeded (by what ever defined margin), then the automatic help pops-up and triggers a request to start automatic guidance.
See a live demonstration of an ePSS generated by Assima
We have used our own product to feature an ePSS (in-app Help and in-app Guidance) on the following registration page.
Requirements: Internet Explorer 6.0 or above