The Era of the Customer: How QA Helps Users Fall in Love with Your B2B Software
Your feature-rich, functionally- and UI-perfect software won’t last if users’ minds go blank when using it.
Client expectations for UX have migrated from the B2C sector. Thus sparking enthusiasm around customer-centricity in the B2B field. Inherently complex, B2B projects’ CX scores are below average. And in 2023, 80% of consumers prioritize usability. So even intricate solutions, e.g., procurement software, ERPs, etc., must be intuitive, easy to use, and user-friendly.
Securing these three elements in your product means developing with consumers at the core of any action. You can’t make users your business’ CEOs. But you can boost the focus on clients and deal with challenges that come with it through QA.
Challenges in Balancing Complexity & Usability
SAP, a leader in ERP software, was known for many usability issues. In the 2010s, the company received regrettable consumer feedback. The senior director at Varian Medical Systems, SAP’s loyal customer, noted that the product did not deliver on the UX front. Thus, they began losing their users’ trust. At the time, multiple organizations started looking for alternatives.
Promptly, SAP capitalized on user experience. In 2013, it launched SAP Fiori that enabled consumer-grade UX. The firm continues to improve its products’ usability. And it keeps receiving critiques from its users. But such is software evolution. No project is ideal. The important thing is to define clients as a priority and continuously enhance your solutions.
Today, SAP remains among the top choices for businesses. Even though, like many others, it faces challenges while trying to achieve optimal UX.
- Balancing functionality with user-friendliness.
- Managing complexity and information overload.
- Adapting to diverse user needs and preferences.
- Listening to consumers while not overcomplicating the product.
- Avoiding steep learning curves for clients.
- Ensuring exhaustive testing for elaborate software.
For high-level systems, complexity concerns from consumers are natural. Infrastructures that manage firms’ workflows and processes are a priori difficult. And making them comfortable for users is indeed demanding. But for the product’s longevity, you should ensure it is not too much to handle usability-wise.
Impacts of Steep Learning Curves & Difficulty in Usage
Software that is easy to learn and use brings faster profit for your clients and business. Contrarily, when teams go “loading screen mode” when using it, they are to encounter some resultant troubles.
Increased Training Costs
Steep learning curves and difficult-to-use software increase coaching expenses and affect employee satisfaction. These can lead to extra costs when hiring additional IT support and holding broad training.
Reduced Productivity
Complex software platforms are usually tricky to learn and use. And growing frustration will result in reduced employee productivity. In turn, there may come inefficiencies that negatively influence business operations, e.g., longer lead times for procurement or delays in warehouse management.
Errors & Mistakes
As teams try to navigate the system while carrying out own duties, the likelihood of errors rises. In other words, the harder the software is to grasp, the more issues users will run into. And such doubling of human error can cause revenue loss and declining customer satisfaction.
Frail User Experience
Mastering difficult but critical software may induce frustration and discontent. And users might question whether you care about their comfort. Persistent struggle with “unwelcoming” systems increases turnover and hinders attracting and retaining talents.
Magnified Support Costs
Employees who strive to figure out difficult-to-use products may require assistance and troubleshooting. For businesses, this means expanding the budget to cover costs associated with hiring support staff or contracting outside consultants.
When such issues pile up, consumers will look for other options. And your product will be left with a damaged reputation and lowered adoption rates.
How QA Helps Build Easy-to-Learn & Use Platforms
But enough about the problems. Now, let’s talk solutions.
In contrast to the above, user-friendly software with a short learning cycle offers several advantages, including:
- Reduced training costs and time.
- Improved accuracy and reduced errors.
- Increased efficiency and productivity.
- And better user experience.
Thus happier employees and loyal customers. QA can help build the “customers first” mindset into the development process and maximize UX.
User-Centered Design & Usability Testing
By joining the SDLC early, QA specialists can collaborate with designers and developers to center on users from the get-go. This way, your teams can focus on creating a consumer-inspired product. As opposed to an engineering wonder that customers can’t fully appreciate from their perspective.
QA services prioritize quality for the user. Accordingly, they can secure your project’s intuitive, easy-to-navigate UI and run basic usability testing to identify areas of improvement.
Performance & Reliability Testing
Loading speed, response time, etc., are the first things a user notices. So for positive UX, evaluating how a complex system performs before deployment is essential. This includes assessing how it behaves under various conditions, e.g., when handling many concurrent users or processing complex data.
Software testing services can handle such intricate tests to ensure your project’s reliability and fast thinking. While other teams concentrate on critical tasks and work on further enhancing the product.
Early Identification of Bugs & Issues
The distinct benefit of early error identification is prompt resolution. Experienced QA professionals can rely on prior cases to center on high-risk areas. And an in-depth understanding of project specifics allows them to quickly pinpoint potential issues.
The speedy workflow between testing, locating bugs, and fixing them reduces SDLC time, effort, and costs.
Gathering Feedback from End-Users
QA experts working closely with support teams to gather user feedback leads to faster remedies and better issue prevention. Consumers may not formulate their concerns clearly enough or connect the problem to its actual cause. Putting QA teams on this task allows for a full grasp of errors and their precise amending.
End-user feedback helps drive ongoing development, identifying new opportunities for advancing UX. And QA specialists can help devise an enhancement strategy that goes beyond present critiques and exceeds consumer expectations.
Based on how you approach your collaboration with QA resources, they can do even more than discussed above. The sure thing is that involving quality assurance in development will always be worthwhile.
Best Practices for Ensuring User-Friendly Software
Creating user-friendly software is essential for delivering positive UX and ensuring your product’s success. Here are some insights to help make software that promotes user-centricity and continuous improvement.
Simplifying Complex Workflows & Processes
Users should not feel under pressure when interacting with your software. The features you bestow upon it should be pleasant to use. So, try to motivate your team to learn more about the product’s audience and understand how clients depend on it. Hence emphasizing making the process as enjoyable as possible.
Providing Clear & Intuitive User Interfaces
UX is often subjective. Some people may be used to working with the most challenging systems. Others may have a breakdown when trying to find the search field. Hence, the optimal decision is making the UI evident, structured, and logical for inexpert users. As even the most knowledgeable consumers will relish the friendliness of refined interfaces.
Incorporating User Feedback & Preferences
Users drive your system to its best version. Thus, listening to customers and addressing their worries/desires will strengthen your brand image and foster better client relationships. Yet, sometimes, consumers may not know what they really need. So it is crucial to learn from their feedback and find solutions that open new horizons for them.
Offering Personalized & Customizable Options
People want individualized approaches. Personalization makes them feel seen and valued. And it gives you a competitive advantage. When users can customize your product to fit their needs, they can maximize the profits for own companies. And have you to thank for that. This plays a substantial role in optimizing UX, advancing ROI, and establishing a loyal client base.
To Sum Up
The driving force behind any business is not innovation, competition, or trends. It’s the users that dictate your software’s future. And more and more consumers realize the benefits of personalized features, comfortable usage, and companies that truly care. Hence, to secure durability and prosperity, you should value your clients and do more for them.