1. Fact Finding and Requirements Capture Techniques

2. 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.

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

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

5. Internet Newsgroups Bias towards the negative Web pages Bias towards the positive Email Who?

6. 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

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

8. 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 ?

9. 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 ?

10. 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” ?

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

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

13. Disadvantages Time consuming Bias Interpretation

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

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

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

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

18. Advantages Useful for large volumes Geographic split Directed User involvement

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

20. 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

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

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

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

24. 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.