It was universally agreed that the current
systems offering was unacceptable and that
academics and administrative staff had low
satisfaction levels with the systems they used.
Indeed, none indicated that they were satisfied
with their research system provision; academics
in particular were unhappy. Most institutions
interviewed were reviewing the systems
used to manage one or more elements of the
research cycle (pre-award including costing,
pricing and negotiation; post award including
invoicing, reporting, intellectual property and
publications management). A major challenge
identified was usability. Many systems had
poor user interfaces that were reluctantly
accepted by administrative staff, but those who
used them less frequently, such as academics,
found them harder to use. This had consequences
for the extent to which academics
would champion the development of new systems
or engage with existing systems. There
was a feeling that usability was key to getting
academics involved in systems, and that it was
important that academics be consulted early
in the process when specifying and designing
new systems.
“There is a culture of not involving academics
in the specification of systems which serve
both academic and administrative needs;
the compromise between the two often suits
neither well.”
“Too much emphasis is placed on the system
and on functionality rather than user experience.”