The role of usability in the Web development process – an analysis of SMEs providing MIS applications for the web

The number, variety and complexity of Web applications is growing steadily and a large number of these applications are developed by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This growth creates a need for supporting development processes and usability standards that meet the unique needs of web application development. This study analyses the practices of several SMEs who develop web applications through a series of case studies. With the focus on SMEs who develop web applications as Management Information Systems and not ECommerce sites, informational sites, online communities or web portals. This study gathered data about the usability techniques practiced by these companies and their awareness of usability in the context of the software process in those SMEs. The contribution of this study is to further the understanding of the current role of usability within the software development processes of SMEs who develop web applications.