Evaluation of usability of gas chromatography systems: Efficiency, Effectiveness and Satisfaction

Interface analysis methods are used to assess the man-machine interface of a particular system, product or device. Interface analysis methods can be used to assess a number of different aspects associated with a particular interface, including usability and user satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usability level of gas chromatographs that are being used in the laboratory of a petrochemical company. In this article, the usability of two gas chromatography systems was evaluated by laboratory experts who work with these devices and respect to ISO9241-11 in which the usability is considered along three dimensions: effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. The participant's satisfaction assessed using John Brooke's (1996) "System Usability Scale" questionnaire. SPSS 16.0 was used in the analysis of the data. The findings of this study demonstrated that both of the systems have acceptable levels of effectiveness and efficiency. Regarding the participant's satisfaction level, system 2 got higher score in compare with system 1. The results indicated that the participant's satisfaction scores are directly related to their work experiences with the systems. To assess the usability of a particular interface it is necessary to either make a comparison with another product or to define a target against which to make a judgment. The 10-item System Usability Scale (SUS) is a fast and reliable method to assess the usability.