Benefits from Enabling End User Programming

My research is to test an approach of using digital technology, to make software and modelling development easier for computer literate end users. This would then enable them to solve problems to help their, and their teams’ work to be more productive. The current problem is that the communication and translation steps required between users, and software developers, and help desk are too many, and too varied, this results in cost, uncertainty, delays, confusion, and confrontation. The solution is for software developers to develop more customisable software that can be customised by end-users.

An example is user’s development of spreadsheets, this indicates user’s willingness to use and develop software to meet their needs, but productivity in spreadsheet development can be poor, as they are difficult to track, and share. More advanced software tools are often not available to users, or take too long to learn. Semantic Web technologies can provide a solution to this by provision of free and customisable, shareable, and fully visualised applications for use in particular sectors. Development of such applications, and their use in industry would be proof of this.