Fact Finding and Requirements Capture Techniques

Where are facts found? Strategic plans company accounts –sales orders/purchase orders organisation charts procedure manuals quality documentation job descriptions schedules training manuals sales and marketing literature etc.

Existing Systems Documentation Forms Files/Databases Records Company Stationery Reports Memos etc.

External to the company Essentially background research but useful for not looking a complete ….. Internet Journals User groups Consultants

Internet Newsgroups Bias towards the negative Web pages Bias towards the positive Who?

Journals Trade v general Good overview of industry but may not be specific for a particular company Where do you get them from ? Library Subscription Internet

User groups Most widely available products will have an associated user group network Independent ? Negative ?

Consultants Specialist in field Where to find them Computacenter holds a government approval list of firms call SCAT Trade journals etc. Cost ? Really needed ? When to use ?

Process Modelling? How data is recorded What process there are or required ? What it is used for and perhaps what it could be used for ? Who uses it and who wants to and why ?

Value add! What additional information could be provided and why it isn’t Problems there should be, it’s the reason you’re there Possible solutions perhaps not ? Are “the users always right” ?

TECHNIQUES-Interviews Interviews Structured v Unstructured Requires Planning - Who What about

Advantages Flexible (unstructured or semi approach) Discovery of data Ideal for gaining ideas Face to face User involvement

Disadvantages Time consuming Bias Interpretation

Techniques - Focus Groups Meetings held with groups of people with something in common Area managers Technical support technicians Women

Advantages Find out a lot about a certain area of the enterprise in terms of their part in the procedures and operations

Disadvantages Do not represent the whole view of a process and are therefore biased

TECHNIQUES-Questionnaires Questionnaires Questions - open ended closed mix Design in the key Poor questionnaire, poor results No bias questions

Advantages Useful for large volumes Geographic split Directed User involvement

Disadvantages Difficult to design Return rate And if you’ve missed something

TECHNIQUES - Sampling Used in all fact finding exercises Used in any type of fact finding Soil Water in a swimming pool A small sample is taken to represent the whole

Sampling Advantages More control owing to smaller numbers. Less time Disadvantages How is the sample chosen? Is it really representative?

Observation Covert or Overt? Planned or unplanned? Must be properly documented

Advantages Advantages - Participation concentration not easy but can sometimes see the obvious Disadvantages- Detrimental effect disturbing normal working practices, time consuming

Fact Finding Plan! Need to use time and resources effectively. One possible approach follows: Use observation to identify useful contacts and important processes. Interview a few carefully chosen personnel Follow up on interesting or unclear areas with further interviews, focus groups or questionnaires.