GOMS can be used both both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitatively, it gives good predictions of performance time and learning. If, for instance, you have to choose between two systems, say you must decide whether your company should buy this or that package of office automation tools, you can apply a GOMS model. To do this, build a GOMS model of Application A and A GOMS model of Application B, and examine the quantitative predictions. Perhaps Application A has a lower up-front capital cost, but will be slower to perform frequent tasks. Perhaps Application B will be faster to perform tasks, but has a longer learning time. With these quantitative predictions, you can examine such tradeoffs in the light of what is important to your company, and what is relevant to your user-group or task situation. This is exactly how NYNEX arrived at a choice of telephone-operator workstations.

Qualitatively, GOMS can be used to design training programs and help systems. The GOMS model is a careful description of the knowledge needed to perform a given task and thus it describes the content of task-oriented documentation. You only need to tell the new user what the goals are, what different methods could be used to achieve them, and when to use each method(selection rules). This approach has been shown to be an efficient way to organize help systems, tutorials, and training programs as well as user documentation.