Avoiding the mistake of cloning: a case for user-centered design methods to reengineer documents

In this case study, we demonstrate how user-centered design techniques can enhance the introduction of documents into electronic commerce. A finance company, in order to compete on value rather than rate, sought to develop an electronic system for automobile financing. User-centered design principles and techniques were used to separate the fundamental business process from the supporting information process. Rather than simply reproducing the associated paper documents in the new information process, these techniques enabled us to craft electronic documents that achieved the customer's goals, while still meeting legal and business process requirements. We also employed the power of electronic documents to significantly increase accuracy and completeness.