The Development of User Models for a Telecommunications Environment

Abstract

This paper examines a method for the development of user models for a telecommunication computer system used during service and sales negotiations. User models enhance the requirements gathering phase of system design by capturing the diversity of the user population and capitalizing on the variety of distinguishable and categorical strategies that affect performance. The CDM method (Categorizing, Describing, and Modeling method) was developed as a technique to generate user models. In the CDM method, the user population is first categorized into a reasonable number of groups. Next, the behaviors for each group are described and are then qualitatively and quantitatively modeled. These models are subsequently used during the system design and operational process to optimize performance for all users. This paper is the second in a series designed to apply the CDM method and focuses on the latter sections of the CDM method, namely describing and modeling groups of users.