This thread is interesting from a process/quality improvement perspective, because it is a sort of, or partial, log of process errors.
@mouser: Just out of interest, do you have any idea of the statistics:
(a) Total number of licence key registrations to date.
(b) Total number of failed registrations
complained about.
(c) Estimated number of failed registrations
not complained about.
If you could calculate: (b)+(c) as a percentage of (a)+(b)+(c)
- then you could use that as the result of human error (assuming that human error is the sole cause).
You might then take a look at the
process for issuing/registering licence keys and see if there is any way you might be able to change/improve it to reduce the statistical incidence of human error.
If you cannot see any way to improve the process to achieve that, then a common and effective approach is to
automate the process still further.
For example, when I was registering my GOTD PhotoStitcher yesterday, I noticed that:
The download included only 3 files:
- Activate.exe
- readme.txt
- Setup.exe
I opened the
readme, ran the
Setup, and, whilst PhotoStitcher was still running, I then ran the
Activate.
It was all pretty well automated and the registration took place entirely automatically and seemed quite smooth, and afforded little room for human error.
