Here are some quick rules that I apply to determine whether a solution fits our criteria for simplicity for the end user:
- Is the application functionality described using programming concepts, e.g. objects, methods, inheritance etc. (HUH!??) that are unfamiliar to the typical business user?
- Does the company expect the business user to know how to create Excel macros (I don't even know how to create one)?
- Is "scripting" part of the core capability to create the application? "scripting" = programming
- Does the user have to "compile" the application before it can run? This is another code word for complex.
- Does the application "generate" code to be deployed? Generating code often means learning programming to understand why it doesn't work when trying to install.
- Do you have to create table definitions in a database, or specify relationships between tables, or foreign keys etc.? All buzzwords for complex.
I will keep adding to this list as I uncover more. In the meantime, remember these rules when researching solutions out there.
