Objectives: Office automation systems are essential for optimizing administrative processes, reducing human errors, and improving organizational efficiency. However, their effectiveness depends on usability and the quality of user interaction. This study assesses the usability of the Chargoon office automation system at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences using a mixed-methods approach, addressing gaps in prior evaluations of similar systems in Iranian academic settings.
Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed, with the quantitative component using the standardized System Usability Scale (SUS) and the qualitative component involving heuristic evaluation based on Nielsen's 10 principles, conducted by 5 UX experts. A total of 240 employees and faculty members were selected through simple random sampling. Performance data, including task completion time and error rates for six frequent tasks, were collected and analyzed using ANOVA and Pearson correlation in SPSS software (version 26).
Results: The mean SUS score was 64.83 (±12.84), indicating acceptable usability with room for improvement. The task “sending a letter to multiple recipients” had the highest error rate (15.2%) and the longest completion time (57.3 seconds). Heuristic evaluation identified 99 issues, primarily in system feedback (25%) and error prevention (20%).
Conclusion: The Chargoon system demonstrates moderate usability but requires targeted improvements in interface design, feedback mechanisms, and error prevention to reduce cognitive load and operational costs in academic settings.