This master’s thesis investigates the usability challenges in current booking systems and proposes a new design framework to address these challenges. The research encompasses an in-depth analysis of the usability issues associated with booking systems used to create the design guidelines for the framework. The framework is evaluated using a heuristic evaluation approach for evaluation. 25 individual booking systems were individually assessed by a single evaluator, with a focus on finding usability issues using the framework. The heuristic evaluation process took approximately 30 minutes to an hour per system evaluation, following the heuristic evaluation methodology. Identified issues and corresponding recommendations were compiled in a diagram, while the comprehensive testing document is included in the appendix of this paper. The heuristic evaluation revealed a total of 438 identified issues across the 25 booking systems, with the identified issues per system ranging from 3 to 9. The average number of issues identified using the new framework stood at 6.08.  The research answers the first research question: ”What are the key usability challenges in current booking systems?” by conducting an extensive literature review and creating a comprehensive list of 13 distinct usability challenges in booking systems. The amount of identified challenges demonstrates the necessity for a dedicated framework. The challenges encompass a wide spectrum, spanning from user adoption of the interface to practical aspects like booking cancellation and customer service.  Addressing the second research question, which describes the utilization of the new design framework to tackle usability challenges, the study employs the heuristic evaluation results to determine the efficacy of the framework. An average of 6.08 identified usability issues per system validates the framework’s usefulness for evaluators of booking systems. The discussion also underscores the potential for increased effectiveness with the recommended three to five evaluators.  Despite certain limitations, including the lack of detailed evaluation results due to confidentiality agreements, and the inability to complete booking procedures due to resource constraints, the framework’s effectiveness is established. The framework proves to be a valuable addition to existing design guidelines, serving as a comprehensive tool for evaluating booking systems. In conclusion, this master’s thesis completely addresses the research questions, underscoring the need for dedicated design guidelines for booking systems and demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed framework in enhancing usability. The study also identifies areas for future work and recommends enhancements for a more holistic evaluation of booking systems. / Denna masteruppsats undersöker användbarhetsutmaningarna i nuvarande bokningssystem och föreslår ett nytt designramverk för att bemöta dessa utmaningar. Forskningen omfattar en djupgående analys av nuvarande användbarhetsutmaningar hos bokningssystem vilka sedan används för att skapa designriktlinjer för ett nytt designramverk. Det nya designramverket för bokningssystem utvärderas sedan med hjälp av en heuristisk utvärderingsmetod. 25 individuella bokningssystem utvärderades individuellt av en utvärderare, med fokus på att hitta användbarhetsproblem med hjälp av ramverket. Den heuristiska utvärderingsprocessen tog cirka 30 minuter till en timme per systemutvärdering, utförda enligt den heuristiska utvärderingsmetoden. Identifierade problem och motsvarande rekommendationer sammanställdes i ett diagram, medan det omfattande testdokumentet finns med i bilagan till detta dokument. Den heuristiska utvärderingen resulterade i totalt 438 identifierade problem hos de 25 bokningssystemen, där identifierade problem per system varierade från 3 till 9. Det genomsnittliga antalet identifierade problem med hjäp av det nya ramverket var 6,08.  Den första forskningsfrågan: ”Vilka är de viktigaste användbarhetsutmaningarna i nuvarande bokningssystem?” besvarades genom en omfattande litteraturundersökning som resulterade i en lista innehållande 13 distinkta användarvänlighetsutmaningar hos bokningssystem. Mängden identifierade utmaningar visade på noödvändigheten av ett dedikerat ramverk för bokningssystem. Utmaningarna täcker ett brett spektrum, från att användaren använder gränssnittet till praktiska aspekter som avbokning och kundservice.  För att besvara den andra forskningsfrågan, som handlar om det nya designramverkets möjlighet att tackla användbarhetsutmaningar, användes en heuristisk utvärdering vars resultat fastställde ramverkets effektivitet. Det resulterade i genomsnitt av 6,08 identifierade användbarhetsproblem per system, vilket validerar ramverkets användbarhet för utvärderare av bokningssystem. Diskussionen understryker också potentialen för ökad effektivitet med de rekommenderade tre till fem utvärderarna istället för en.  Trots vissa begränsningar, såsom bristen på detaljerade utvärderingsresultat på grund av sekretessavtal och oförmågan att slutföra bokningsprocedurer på grund av resursbegränsningar, har ramverkets effektivitet fastställts. Ramverket visade sig vara en värdefull ersättning till befintliga designriktlinjer och fungerar som ett omfattande verktyg för att utvärdera bokningssystem. Sammanfattningsvis adresserar denna masteruppsats forskningsfrågorna och understryker behovet av dedikerade designriktlinjer för bokningssystem samt visar effektiviteten hos det föreslagna ramverket för att förbättra användbarheten. Studien identifierar också områden för framtida arbete och rekommenderar förbättringar för en mer holistisk utvärdering av bokningssystem.

The company Ehandelslösningar works within web development, primarily with e-commerce where they have both individuals and companies as their customers. Some of these companies offer services of their own and as a result, these companies have their own customers whom they have to meet and interact with on a daily basis. This led to Ehandelslösningar wanting their own calendar system, so that these companies could then use it to set up appointments. The requirement was that the developed calendar system had to be user-friendly, contain necessary functionality, and that it had to be implemented as a WordPress plugin. The project was therefore divided into two parts, the first centering on how to design a calendar system, and the second being the development and implementation of the calendar system as a WordPress plugin. The project began with a literary study of the different aspects that make up this project, such as calendars and WordPress, as well as user-friendly design and plugin security. Existing WordPress calendar plugins and other online calendar systems were chosen for analysis. The analysis was done in order to identify strengths and flaws in the design of calendar systems, which in turn would help the development of the WordPress plugin. Based on the analysis, features were selected and then implemented into the developed WordPress plugin, which is named EHLCalendar. The admin of a WordPress website can create time slots, practitioners and services once they have activated EHLCalendar. Visitors select a service, the practitioner they want, and a date in order to see the available time slots and book an appointment. / Företaget Ehandelslösningar arbetar inom webbutveckling, främst med e-handel där de har både privatpersoner och företag som sina kunder. Vissa av dessa företag erbjuder tjänster, vilket innebär att företagen möter och interagerar med sina egna kunder dagligen. På grund av detta så vill Ehandelslösningar ha sitt eget kalendersystem som dessa företag kan använda för att hantera tidsbokningar med sina kunder. Kraven var att kalendersystemet som utvecklas ska vara användarvänligt, innehålla nödvändig funktionalitet samt vara implementerad som ett plugin för WordPress. Projektet är därför uppdelat i två delar. Det första gäller designen av ett kalendersystem, och det andra gäller utvecklingen och implementationen av kalendersystemet som ett WordPress plugin. Projektet började med en literaturstudie av de olika aspekterna som projektet består av, så som kalender och WordPress, samt användarvänligt design och plugin säkerhet. Existerande kalender plugin för WordPress och andra online kalendersystem blev valda för analys. Analysen utfördes för att kunna identifiera styrkor och svagheter i designen av ett kalendersystem. Kunskapen från analysen hjälper sedan utvecklingen av WordPress pluginet. Efter analysen valdes funktioner som sedan blev implementerade i den utvecklade WordPress pluginet, nämd EHLCalendar. Genom att aktivera EHLCalendar så kan en administratör skapa tillgängliga tider, praktiker och tjänster i sin WordPress webbsida. En användare som besöker sidan behöver sedan välja en tjänst, den praktiker de vill ha, och ett datum för att se dem tillgängliga tiderna som kan bokas.

Late booking is associated with high perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) recommends that pregnant women should book for ANC full first before 12 weeks of gestation. The aim of the study was to explore and describe factors contributing to late antenatal care booking at public health facilities of Mopani District. A qualitative approach was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty one pregnant women who booked after twelve weeks of gestation and agreed to participate in the study. The study was conducted at four selected public health care facilities rendering maternal health services in Mopani district. Data was collected through in-depth interview with the aid of an interview guide. The analysis of data was done manually using a coding system to develop themes. The results revealed that there are personal and provider factors contributing to late antenatal care booking in Mopani district. Personal factors contributing to late antenatal care booking were unplanned and unaccepted pregnancy, lack of support, late recognition of pregnancy, cultural and religious beliefs, ignorance of the importance of antenatal care and fear. System or provider factors contributing to late booking were long waiting time, midwives’ attitude and lack of resources. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Ett affärskoncept har tagits fram och resulterat i en marknadsplats. Marknadsplatsen är en webbsida och mobil applikation vars syfte är att skapa värde av resursers bokningsbara tider som idag har generellt låg beläggning hos aktivitetsanläggningar inom sport, kultur och nöje. Marknadsplatsen är tänkt att samla ett brett utbud av lågbeläggningstider inom olika aktivitetstyper som är typiska vardagsaktiviteter som vänner gör tillsammans. Tanken är att bygga ett starkt varumärke för marknadsplatsen med det tydliga budskapet att "marknadsplatsen tillhandahåller ett brett utbud av prisvärda erbjudanden inom sport- och nöjesaktiviteter, om du väljer att anpassa ditt schema utifrån anläggningarnas lågbeläggningstider". Dessutom är det tänkt att marknadsplatsen ska ha funktionalitet som gör det enklare för användare att boka en tid via marknadsplatsen, genom att synkronisera de olika alternativ av aktiviteter och tider som personer inom en grupp av vänner är intresserade av. Marknadsplatsen är tänkt att riktas till målgrupper med personer som har flexibla scheman, framförallt egenföretagare, studenter och pensionärer. Det finns en god potential för en tredjepart att driva en marknadsplats som specialiserar sig på att skapa värde av lågbeläggningstider. Affärskonceptet hindrar inte anläggningarna från att själva göra ansträngningar för att höja beläggningen på dessa tider, och de kan använda marknadsplatsen som komplement till deras befintliga bokningssystem. Utifrån de anläggningar som har undersökts finns det en god potential för att öka en anläggnings omsättning med ungefär 330 000 kr per år. Affärskonceptet har tagits fram genom att göra en marknadsundersökning baserad på en teknisk produkt som initialt var utformad som ett bokningssystem med olika produktutvecklingsmöjligheter och olika tänkbara kundgrupper att adressera. Marknadsundersökningen gjordes iterativt utifrån projektledningsmetoden Lean Startup som kombinerats med kvalitativa marknadsundersökningstekniker från Innovation Games. / A business concept has been developed into a marketplace. The marketplace is a web and mobile application whose purpose is to create value out of resources' bookable time slots which today generally have low occupation rates at activity facilities within sports, culture and entertainment. The marketplace is intended to bring together a wide range of low occupation rate time slots for different activity types, with types of activities that friends typically do together an ordinary day. The idea is to build a strong brand for the marketplace with the clear message that "the marketplace provides a wide range of affordable offerings for sports and spare time activities, if you choose to adjust your schedule to fit the facilities' low occupation rate time slots". In addition, the marketplace should have functionality that makes it easier for end-users to find a time slot through the marketplace that fits everyone, by synchronizing the various options of activities and time slots preferences that people within a group of friends are interested in. The marketplace is supposed to be targeted to people with flexible schedules, especially self-employed, students and seniors. There is a good potential for a third party to run such a marketplace and specialize in creating value out of low occupation rate time slots. However, the business concept does not prevent the facilities themselves to make efforts which lead to increased occupation rates at time slots with low occupation rates. Furthermore, the facilities are rather supposed to use the marketplace as a complement to their existing booking systems. Based on the examined activity facilities, there is a good potential to increase a facility's turnover with approximately 330 000 SEK yearly. The business concept has been developed by doing a market research based on a technical product which initially was designed as a booking system with different product development opportunities and various potential customer segments to address. The market research was done iteratively by using the project management methodology Lean Startup combined with qualitative market research techniques from Innovation Games.

This study investigates what three large, multinational hospitality companies do in practice when evaluating and making IT investment decisions. This study was launched in an attempt to 1) learn more about how multinational hospitality companies evaluate, prioritize, and select IT investments in the context of hotel GDS; 2) call attention to an important and costly topic in hopes of improving current practices; and 3) fill a noticeable literary void so that future researchers on IT and hotel GDS would have a foundation and starting point. The perennial question of any business is "How does an organization add value?" Value can be defined from many different perspectives and may result from tangible and intangible factors. Principal stakeholders include shareholders (investors), customers, and employees. Shareholders typically measure value in terms of economic return on their investment based upon some level of perceived risk. For customers, value is assessed in terms of a price-value relationship; that is, how much they received in terms of product and services for the price they paid. For employees, value is measured by salary and by the intrinsic rewards of the job. Yet, one of the most elusive questions with respect to information technology is "How can value be measured?" Hospitality executives are being pressured daily to invest more in information technology (IT) - especially in the area of hotel global distribution systems (GDS), which have become the cornerstone of a hotel firm's IT infrastructure and portfolio. There are a number of sweeping changes on the horizon impacting hotel GDSs and requiring the development of a well-crafted strategy for global distribution systems. These broad changes include bypass theories to remove airline GDSs and travel agents, the introduction of new and emerging player, and innovative approaches to pricing and promotion. Many of these developments offer promise to hoteliers, but they also threaten their control over their customer relationships and their inventory and add to the complexity and cost of distribution. Selecting the appropriate distribution channels is paramount to success and important if hotel firms are to grow top-line revenue and control overhead; yet the number of choices facing hotel executives is overwhelming. They are also at a loss for measuring value derived from IT. One of the greatest issues plaguing the advancement of technology in the hospitality industry is the difficulty in calculating return on investment. Until recently, most technology investment decisions have been considered using a support or utility mentality that stems from a manufacturing paradigm. Under such thinking, business cases could be built around an application or technology's ability to reduce costs or create labor savings. However, management's attitudes towards technology have been shifting in recent years. The more technologically savvy hospitality companies are looking to IT to build strategic and competitive advantages. These types of investments yield results over time, and seldom in the short-run. This is problematic among owners and investors who demand more immediate results. Moreover, it is difficult to quantify and calculate the tangible benefits of technology when it is used for strategic purposes. Today's financial models are inadequate for estimating the financial benefits for most of the technology projects under consideration today. While the hospitality industry has disciplined models and sufficient history to determine the financial gains or success of opening a new property in a given city, it lacks the same rigorous models and historical data for technology, especially since each technology project is unique. Although this problem is not specific to the hospitality industry, it is particularly problematic since the industry tends to be technologically conservative and unwilling to adopt new technology applications based on the promises of its long-term merits if it cannot quantify the results and calculate a defined payback period. When uncertainty surrounds the investment, when the timing of the cash flows is unpredictable, and when the investment is perceived as risky, owners and investors will most likely channel their investment capital to projects with more certain returns and minimal risk. Thus, under this thinking, technology will always take a back seat to other organizational priorities and initiatives. Efforts must be made to change this thinking and to develop financial models that can accurately predict and capture the financial benefits derived from technology. Given the present predicament and difficulties surrounding the current tools, techniques, and measures, executives are faced with an important choice. They can 1) continue to use the present methods despite their shortcomings, 2) dispense with ROI, cost-benefit, and discounted cash flow analyses altogether for IT projects, or 3) develop new methods, tools, and measures that can accommodate the complexities of IT and quantify the intangibles. This study is a call to action in favor of the latter because the measures determine not only which projects will be accepted but also how their success will be evaluated. Having a rigid evaluation process forces executives to identify a project's potential contribution and align the project's objectives with the firm's strategic goals and objectives. Using the co-alignment principle as its theoretical underpinning, this study employs a multiple-case design to investigate the resource allocation processes used with respect to information technology and global distribution systems. It looks at how three leading, multinational hospitality firms address IT project/investment evaluation and decision-making, the measures they use, and the frustrations they encounter. These frustrations include problems that arise from a hotel firm's fragmented ownership as well as from hotel executives' inability to measure the results of IT through definitive cause-and-effect relationships. The results of the study provide affirmation of the co-alignment principle and document linkages and co-alignment between strategy and IT. Clearly, decisions involving IT and hotel GDSs require multivariate measures, multidimensional perspectives, and multidisciplinary involvement. However, research from the marketing discipline is noticeably absent in this area. This study concludes that because IT plays an important enabling role for marketing initiatives and is redefining the supply chain of a hotel firm, marketing researchers can no longer stand on the sidelines. This study also identifies three important constructs, or classes of variables (context, process, and project), the variables comprising each, and their influences on the evaluation and decision-making processes. These findings add to the understanding of IT evaluation, measurement, and decision-making in the context of hotel GDS. This study clarifies the intangible aspects in hopes that useful measures can be developed in subsequent research to quantify and evaluate these costs and benefits. Finally, this study provides a series of prescriptions or recommendations gleaned from the three companies that were the focus of this study in hopes that they will lead to the development of best practices in the hospitality industry. / Ph. D.