Assessing the Potential of E‐Mail for Engineers: Case Study

Abstract

Thirty‐five engineers participated in a study on the potential impact of electronic mail on their work situation. The methodology was designed to collect information from the user group. More specifically, comments were elicited in response to questions about which aspects of their communication could be replaced by e‐mail, which could not, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of e‐mail, anticipated problems or concerns, and useful electronic‐mail features that should be incorporated in the system design. E‐mail experts judged the engineers' comments to accurately reflect information that should be considered for the design of the system. In addition, the methodology provided an environment of user involvement that eased the implementation of the e‐mail system. The paper concluded that this methodology can be used to elicit information that is instrumental to successful design and implementation of new technology.