Developing Quality through Measuring Usability--The UTUM Test Package

This paper presents a tool for building quality of use into the software and software process, in the form of a test package for mass market devices. It is developed for measuring user experience, which is seen as a more encompassing term than usability. The test package, which is under constant development, is the result of a long term cooperation between industry and academia, and is in use in indutrial development projects. It shows usability through the use of metrics, for efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction, supported by qualitative judgements made by a test leader/usability expert. It gives a clear demonstration of quality, from the customer and end-user point of view. The case presented here, where the test has been performed concurrently in two countries, has been a quality assurance of the test package, which has been found to work efficiently and flexibly in a complex industrial environment, with complicated relationships between customers, partners and end-users.