Composing interface demonstrations automatically from usage logs

Abstract

The benefits of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for managing enterprise-wide processes and resources may be counterbalanced by the burdens placed on their users in learning to operate the system. In this paper, we present an approach to creating system tutorials in which the system itself produces interface demonstrations as dynamic visualizations of previously occurring system-user interactions. This approach is motivated by our observations of ERP users in the workplace in conjunction with theoretical accounts of system-user collaboration. The playback interface culls information from the usage log records of the data model, which was specifically designed to overcome the challenges of identifying and aggregating relevant process-related data. This approach is a less costly, more flexible alternative to pre-recorded tutorials and has far-reaching implications for assisting users in learning to navigate and use any complex or confusing interface.