An empirical study on the usability and performance of the eCONDEV+ event management system

Automating event management tasks and processes in higher education institutions has become essential, as conferences, competitions, and collaborative initiatives and programmes increasingly rely on digital coordination. The eCONDEV+ event management system is a sophisticated web-based platform designed to assist with the planning, management, administration, and judging stages of Universiti Teknologi MARA’s flagship annual International e-Content Development Competition (eCONDEV). The eCONDEV+ platform effectively and reliably supported 260 participants, 75 juries, and 20 administrators in a real-world setting, demonstrating its operational reliability, robustness, and scalability. This study used a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire to empirically assess the system’s usability and performance, administered to 30 end users, including educators, juries, and participants. The evaluation process followed a usability-based analytical framework that combined the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Usability Heuristics. Descriptive statistics for both user satisfaction scores and system performance measurements show a high usability mean of M=4.79, SD=0.41. This indicates strong acceptance across ease of use, clarity, fairness, responsiveness, and stability. The findings suggest that eCONDEV+ delivers what users need and offers a theoretical and practical roadmap for designing future event-management systems focused on human-system interaction, interface optimisation, and adaptive automation. Finally, eCONDEV+ also aligns with broader digital transformation goals in higher education, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; and SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals).