ICT117 Week05 Data Gather Techniques S

Requirements Gathering Techniques
Chapter 4 Dennis, Wixom, Tegarden plus additional material
Data gathering techniques

Interviews Questionnaires Observation JAD sessions Sampling Previous project reports System documentation
17 March, 2011 ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design, Semester 1, 2011 Includes John Wiley& Sons Inc material 2
Interviews
generally the most important and widely-used method for data gathering may be formal and structured or informal and unstructured may be done with groups or individuals
17 March, 2011
ICT117 Systems Analysis & Design, Semester 1, 2011 Includes John Wiley& Sons Inc material
Interview advantages
Suitable for extensive and complex information Reveals insights, opinions, politics and informal procedures Allows for feedback on comments thus revealing attitudes of subjects Establishes rapport between analysts, subjects Veracity cues available from body language
Interview planning
Decide who to interview Get background information Plan your questions establish your objectives what do you expect them to know do you give the interviewee a copy of the questions?
Interview planning
Establish your objectives Identify the most appropriate subjects Get background information Plan your questions: question sequence funnel, pyramid question style open, closed, probe, mirror Send questions to subject in advance?
Useful interview heuristics

Ask about traffic volumes high, low, typical Triangulate the responses you receive Be prepared to accept inconsistencies - they do exist Always confirm that you have correctly interpreted what the interviewee said Immediately write up the interview report as a primary source document for analysis Use recording devices if possible, for accuracy
Obstacles to a good interview

Perceived threat to self image, status Emotional reactions to sensitive subjects Genuinely forgetting key facts Lying to hide key facts Mistaking inference for observation Rival demands for time (trivialisation) Unacknowledged bias
Disadvantages of interviews
Interviews take a lot of time both for interviewer and interviewee They are often difficult to organise Success is heavily dependent on the interpersonal skills of the interviewer a poorly conducted interview not only fails to get you the information you need, it can also make the person you interviewed antagonistic to you and to the whole project
Post-Interview write-up
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Questionnaires
A number of written questions are sent to the participants for a written response The questionnaire responses can take many forms:
write specific comments about a situation select from a list of provided responses (multi-choice) fill in the blank indicate response on a Likert scale (rating scale)
Permit quantitative and qualitative answers May lack credibility due to its impersonal nature Typically suffer from low response rates
Good questionnaires
have: validity reliability face validity a design which caters for the way you will analyse them easy administration and scoring and are ALWAYS piloted
Questions should be:

Appropriate for the respondents Worded precisely and accurately Designed for easy scoring Grouped for similarity of information content
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Questionnaire advantages
An economical method for gathering data from large numbers of people Fast and easy to implement and administer with minimal logistical problems Results can be tabulated rapidly and analysed readily Allow respondents to be anonymous, therefore more likely to be truthful (?) Gives respondents time to consider their answers
Questionnaire disadvantages
Effective questionnaires are difficult to construct They produce only specific and limited amounts of information Frequently suffer from low return rates leading to possible statistical bias Provide no opportunity to clarify vague or incomplete answers or misinterpreted questions Lack non-verbal cues to communication
Observation
Information gathering by watching or following the actual processes of a system Data are gathered, then the observer's report is written based on what is actually seen No interaction with the people in the system is permitted (interaction introduces bias)
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Observation: Advantages
Analyst can see exactly how the work is done Provides specific details of processes in a way that no other data gathering method can emulate Requires no direct input from participants: is therefore often cheap and easy to arrange Enables precise measurement of aspects of work
Observation: Disadvantages
Can only show current processes Time-dependence of some tasks can give misleading ideas about some aspects of the system e.g. observe work at peak time vs. observe at low pressure time Tends to emphasise physical work flows at the expense of other forms of information e.g. the nature of the processes can be hidden behind physical activity Can introduce Hawthorne-effect biases where people behave differently from normal when observed
Reports and System Documentation

Existing written records which are a valuable source of data about the system and the organisation May include information about: the organisation, its people and policies high level business functions and objectives the system and its input forms, manuals, etc the technical environment for system development May include informal material used by people involved with the system
Reports and Documentation: Advantages

Its existence and authorship is unchallenged It is generally easily available It may provide very detailed and precise information (especially with complex or technical material) It may provide valuable background material to an interview or observation session
Reports and Documentation: Disadvantages

It will almost certainly be old and out of date (often, with no modification history) It is subject to interpretation and does not permit further explanation or clarification unless the author is present It will focus on the particular aspects of the previous analysis maybe not relevant
Joint Application Development: JAD

Read Chapter 4, pp132-136 for a detailed treatment of JAD
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Joint Application Development

Allows the project team, users, and management to work together to identify requirements for the system Often the most useful method for collecting information from users Key roles: Facilitator Scribe
The JAD Session

Tend to last 5 to 10 days over a 3 week period Prepare questions as for interviews Provide a formal agenda and ground rules Facilitator activities:
Keep the session on track Help with technical terms and jargon Record group input Help resolve issues
Post-session follow-up
Problems in JAD Sessions

Reducing domination by pushy personalities Encouraging non-contributors Stopping side discussions Agenda merry-go-round: avoiding hobby-horses Violent disagreement from terminology mismatch/misunderstanding Unresolved conflict True conflict Use subtle humor, not jokes
Data Gathering outcomes

Give a clear understanding of: how the system works at present how it fits in to the current organisation what problems there are at present what opportunities there are for improvement
Data gathering outcomes

It is impossible to discuss all aspects of the system with all those involved, there will always be gaps in the analyst's understanding Understanding and interpretation of events depends on ones perspective: client and analyst It may be impossible to reconcile the views of individuals with different perspectives Organisational and system environments change so quickly that any data gathered are soon out of date
The System Proposal

Also known as the Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) Requirements Gathering provides the raw material for the FRS document. The FRS is the plan for the technical development of the new Information System Data gathered is represented as graphical models (following lectures) and as descriptive text in the FRS
Functional Requirements Specification

Statement of business problem Feasibility analysis of solution Models of current system (optional) Models of required system functions Description / models of Human-Computer interfaces Models of required data structures Description of non-functional requirements
(refer to Figure 4-14, pg 145 for a template)
Next lecture
Functional modelling Activity diagrams Use case description and diagram
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ICT117 Week05 Data Gather Techniques S

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ICT117 Week05 Data Gather Techniques S

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Requirements Gathering Techniques

Chapter 4 Dennis, Wixom, Tegarden plus additional material

Data gathering techniques

Useful interview heuristics

Obstacles to a good interview

Questions should be:

Reports and System Documentation

Reports and Documentation: Advantages

Reports and Documentation: Disadvantages

Joint Application Development: JAD

Joint Application Development

The JAD Session

Problems in JAD Sessions

Data Gathering outcomes

Data gathering outcomes

The System Proposal

Functional Requirements Specification

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