What Are The Different Categories Of Peopleware?

Computer technology is a combination of three core aspects, or concepts, namely:

1. Hardware
2. Software
3. Peopleware

The terms hardware and software speak for themselves, and therefore require no further explanation.

Peopleware, however, does tend to raise a huge question mark in most people's minds. This term could have been placed either into the first or the final position within the above list, as it is concerned with the role people play in both the development and the use of hardware and software systems. This includes a range of issues, or categories, including:

• Organizational factors
• Project Management
• Group Dynamics
• Teamwork
• Developer Productivity
• The Psychology of Programming
• Human-Machine Interaction
• Human Interface Design

Peopleware is used to describe the human factor within computer technology; from development through manufacture to use. It refers to the effect of people and human limitations on and in relation to machines, operational systems and software, as well as the operation thereof. Viewed purely from the perspective of the software community, the aspects covered by the concept of peopleware are focused on:

• Organizational Learning
• Organizational Culture
• Modeling of Human Competency
• Development of Productive Individuals
• Development of Productive Teams
• People Management

Here the focus is on the limits placed upon software functions by human competency, or more precisely, the lack of. The idea is to create ways in which man and machine can be combined in order to achieve the most effective and productive results, both as individuals and as a team. A software program, for instance, may be tested for so-called user friendliness by observation of how a selection of individuals of varying abilities react to it. This includes, among other factors, the ability to understand and respond to instructions and error messages. The more user friendly a software program is, the more likely it is to integrate successfully into a working environment.