Treffer: The Distributed Common Ground System-Army User Interface

The Distributed Common Ground System--Army (DCGS-A) is an intelligence system that was designed for intelligence analysts to access full-spectrum intelligence and produce analytical intelligence products. In recent years, the system has received scrutiny from members of the United States Congress due to its perceived lack of effectiveness. Popular opinion of the DCGS-A user interface within the military is it is unfriendly to use and not intuitive. This study focuses on the DCGS-A user interface to determine if an intuitive user interface will improve ease-of-use and functionality. The literature review covers a study of the characteristics software failures, select case studies to illustrate real-world applications of software development, an introduction to software design models, and an overview of the of the DCGS-A training design. This study used a survey methodology the researcher applied to an online survey to facilitate questions about the DCGS-A user interface. A group of respondents from the Command and General Staff Officers' Course furnished both qualitative and quantitative data. Three key conclusions indicated some hardware and bandwidth issues associated with DCGS-A, the system is not easy to use, and the training program is robust, but training alone does not make the system easier to use. ; The original document contains color images.