I thought I would frame this thought as a law, just for fun, and because it sounds like one. Viveks blog entry got me thinking about why useability is often left behind. This is based on observation, experience, and too much wasted breath trying to convince people to spend money on user experience. I don't particularly like the reality it depicts but I do believe it to be true. Test your project with this logic and let me know if it holds.
If a company does not need to compete for business through external use of a particular software system, and if the users of the system are from different companies that will profit from the use of the system, then no more than a minimum amount will be spent on the user interface and useability. The users of this system are 'captive' users and will generally have to choose between using the system and not accepting business.
This situation commonly occurs where a large corporation has outsourced a non-core component of their business. A smaller company services this large corporation, and the large corporation builds the software used in their business interaction. Essentially the customer is building a system for the service provider, so the customer will build what they like. After all they are always right.
The converse to this law also holds, as with any respectable law :-)
If a company competes by attracting business through user interaction with a software system, then money will be spent on the user interface and useability. The amount spent will be the amount required to surpass competition.
Why is this? Well, from a financial perspective, only invest in something that will generate a return. If the captive users want a better UI, then let them build their own, integrate B2B and assume the cost of ownership for the user interface system. The people who commission us to build their software, will always use the ROI yard stick to measure the value of an activity. So before you try to change their perception of how the user should interact with the system, take a careful look the underlying financial drivers behind the development of the system. It will save you some breath, and maybe reduce your user experience evangelist status a little :-)
