1. End-User Needs Assessment Projects
A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk & Support Specialists Fourth Edition by Fred Beisse
Chapter 8
End-User Needs Assessment Projects 1

2. Chapter Objectives In this chapter, students will learn about:
Basic strategies to perform user needs analysis and assessment
Steps analysts take to analyze and assess a user’s needs
Tools that aid a support specialist in a user needs analysis project
Tasks in managing a user needs assessment project
Project management software tools
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3. Overview of User Needs Analysis and Assessment
Purpose: determine which computer products or services best meet end-user needs
Strategy:
Understand a user’s environment and work situation
Clarify the problem or objectives
Investigate alternative solutions
Decide on a solution to meet the users’ needs
Decide whether to purchase or build
Process can be formal or informal
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4. Examples of Typical Needs Assessment Projects
Select products
A computer system
A peripheral to add to an existing system
An application software package
An office network
Select services
A training program
An Internet service provider (ISP)
An online media backup service
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5. Three Phases in Needs Analysis Process
Preparation phase
Goal is to understand the problem, goals, decision criteria, stakeholders, and information needed for a project
Investigation phase
Goal is to understand the present situation and alternatives to it
Decision phase
Goal is to develop a model of a proposed system and decide whether to build or buy it
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6. User Needs Analysis Phases and Tasks
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7. Step 1: Understand the Organizational or Users’ Goals
What is the environment into which the future system will fit?
Goals of the organization, department, or user
For-profit or not-for-profit
Plans for growth or expansion
Attitude about technology (organizational culture)
Experiences adopting previous technology changes
Budget for computer systems and services
Level of staff expertise
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8. Step 2: Understand the Decision Criteria and Constraints
Which criteria will affect the decision?
Is this project feasible?
Feasibility: investigates constraints that impact a project
Economic feasibility Budget constraints
Operational feasibility Impact on other systems & personnel
Technological feasibility - State of technology
Timeline feasibility Time constraints
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9. Step 3: Define the Problem Clearly
What is the real problem that needs to be solved by this project?
Ask probing questions
Not all problems are technical
Some problems are organizational
Personnel ‒ Politics
Workflow ‒ Management
Training ‒ Resources
Do not assume that a user has correctly analyzed the problem
Observe the user in his or her environment
Consider solutions other than obvious ones
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10. Step 4: Identify the Roles of Stakeholders
Who will be affected by this project?
Stakeholder: participant in a needs analysis project who might gain or lose from its success or failure
Four kinds of stakeholders
End users
Managers
Information technology or technical support staff
Support analysts
Can vendors be stakeholders in a project? What is their role?
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11. Step 5: Identify Sources of Information
Which sources of information are needed to analyze user needs?
Interviews with end users and managers
Surveys or questionnaires completed by end users
Procedure manuals that describe the current system
Direct observation of the existing situation
Forms used for input into the existing system
Reports created from the existing system
Problem report histories or help desk logs
Diagrams of workflow
Equipment inventories
Recommendations from consultants, vendors, auditors
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continued

12. Step 6: Develop an Understanding of the Existing System
How does the existing system work?
Model: narrative and/or graphic diagram that represents a business activity, computer system, or network
A model can aid an analyst’s understanding
A model can be shared with stakeholders to verify understanding
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13. Three Key Questions for Analysts in Step 6
1. Do I understand the existing system well enough to explain its operation to participants?
2. Do I understand which features of the existing system users like?
3. Do I under what users think is wrong with existing system?
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14. Step 7: Investigate Alternatives to the Existing System
How can the existing system or situation be fixed?
Add resources
Technical: additional equipment
Organizational: additional personnel, budget, time, priority
Change resources
Reinstall or reconfigure software
Provide additional user training
Upgrades
Improve processing speed, storage capacity, compatibility
Offer new features that address identified problems
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continued

15. Step 7: Investigate Alternatives to the Existing System (continued)
New hardware alternatives
Resolve capacity constraints
Run existing software efficiently
Operate new software
New software alternatives
Address identified problems
Increase user productivity
Expand business opportunities
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16. Step 7: Where to Find Alternatives to the Existing System (continued)
Sources of products and solutions that address specific organizational needs
Articles in trade publications
Options other organizations use successfully in similar situations
Advertisements in trade periodicals
Internet searches
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17. Step 8: Develop a Model of the Proposed System
What features would a new system or solution offer?
Build a model of the proposed system or solution
Includes pros and cons of each alternative considered
Answer the questions:
Why is the proposed solution an improvement over the present one?
Why is this the best available alternative?
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18. Step 8: Develop a Model of the Proposed System (continued)
Kinds of solutions
Optimal solution: the best one
Most feasible
Lowest cost
Greatest benefits
Satisficing solution: less than optimal
Solves the problem
But is not necessarily the best solution
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19. Step 8: Tools and Tips
Decision tool: cost-benefit analysis: comparison between a solution’s expenses and its payoffs to an organization
Useful tool to:
Analyze a solution (pros and cons)
Compare solutions
A cost-benefit analysis is not an exact science with right or wrong answers
For a small project, even an informal cost-benefit analysis is useful
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20. Step 8: Tools and Tips (continued)
Users’ needs should drive the specifications for a new system
Software specifications are usually more important than hardware specifications and should be developed first
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21. Step 9: Make a Build-versus-Buy Decision
Should the new system or solution be built or purchased?
Build-versus-buy decision
Decision to build a custom solution or purchase one off the shelf
Applies primarily to software (but can also apply to hardware, software, services, or complete systems)
Turnkey system: integrated packaged solution that provides hardware, software, and support services from a single vendor
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22. Step 9: Advantages of Build versus Buy
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23. Needs Analysis and Assessment Tools
Project charter
Cost-benefit analysis
Data collection instruments
Charts and diagrams
Prototyping software
Project management software
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24. Project Charter
Project charter: short narrative statement that describes the objectives, scope, methods, participants, deliverables, and timeline
Deliverable: end result of a needs analysis project
Analysis of alternatives
Feasibility report
Recommendations
Build-versus-buy decision
High-level overview of a project
Promotes a common understanding among all stakeholders
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25. Project Charter (continued)
Project charter addresses:
What are objectives of project? What will be achieved?
What is the scope? What is excluded?
Which methods will achieve project goals?
Who are key participants? What are their roles?
What are project deliverables?
What are the major project steps?
What is the project timeline? Significant milestones?
How will success be measured?
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26. Project Charter Example Form
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27. Cost-Benefit Analysis
Cost-benefit analysis: tool to help identify the costs and corresponding benefits of a proposed solution
Weighs the benefits of each alternative solution against the costs of each alternative
Format: side-by-side comparison (balance sheet)
Helps an analyst compare alternative solutions
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28. Cost-Benefit Analysis (continued)
Categories of costs
Acquisition costs: initial costs to build or buy a computer system or solution
Operating costs: ongoing , continuing costs to operate a system or solution
Categories of benefits
Tangible benefits: benefits that are relatively easy to quantify
Reduced expenses
Increased revenue opportunities
Intangible benefits: expected results from a project that are difficult to quantify or measure
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29. Examples of Costs and Benefits
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continued

30. Data Collection Instruments
Input forms
Output forms
Procedure documentation
Operating or problem logs
Interviews and questionnaires
Direct observation
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31. Input Forms
Input form: paper document or display screen image used to collect information about a business transaction
Also called a source document
Examples:
Payroll timecards
Problem log
Membership application
Expense account record
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32. Example of an Input Form
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33. Output Forms
Output forms: documents that contain the results of a business transaction or process
Examples:
Grocery store sales receipt
Paycheck stub
Grade report
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34. Procedure Documentation
Procedure documentation: written instructions about how to perform a business transaction or handle a routine business process
Often used to train new workers or answer frequently asked questions about transaction processing problems
Examples:
Manual on how to process orders in a copy shop
Operations manual in a bank or credit union
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35. Operating or Problem Logs
Log: list of events or activities recorded in the sequence the events occur
Routine, periodic event information
Unusual events, errors, problems, complaints
Examples:
Log of inventory shortages in Shipping and Receiving
Log of problems encountered with a new software package
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36. Interviews and Questionnaires
Used to collect relevant information from users:
About the work they do
About how an existing or proposed computer system might affect their work
Examples:
Interview on user satisfaction with computer support services
Questionnaire on user likes and dislikes with current software package
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37. Interviews versus Questionnaires
Interview advantage
Interviewer can probe to learn details of issues that are of special interest
Interview disadvantage
Takes more time than a questionnaire
Questionnaire advantage
Ability to survey a larger group of users at a lower cost
Questionnaire disadvantage
Difficult to phrase unambiguous questions
Alternative: Focus group: interviews with a small group of selected users who represent a large user group
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38. Direct Observation Direct observation involves watching users work
Powerful method of data collection
When other forms of data collection aren’t possible
To supplement other forms of data collection
Plan sufficient time
Take notes on:
What users do
Sequence of tasks
Tools and strategies they use
With whom they interact
Where they store information
Problems they encounter
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39. Charts and Diagrams Used to show:
Flow of information in an organization
Relationships between workers
Parts of an information system
Workflow among employees
Often easier to read and understand than lengthy, technical narrative
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40. Types of Charts Used in Needs Analysis
Flowchart: schematic diagram that uses symbols to represent the parts of a system or the steps in a procedure
Rectangular boxes: departments in a company, nodes on a network, processing steps a worker performs
Diamonds: decision points or Yes/No questions
Lines: relationship of parts or a sequence of processing steps
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41. Example of Flowchart
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42. I-P-O Chart
I-P-O Chart: diagram that represents input, processing, and output steps to perform a task
Answers three fundamental questions about a procedure
Input: Where do I get the information with which to work?
Processing: What do I do to transform the information?
Output: What do I do with the information when processing is completed?
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43. Example of I-P-O Chart
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44. Prototyping Software
Prototype: working model that a support analyst builds to let users evaluate how the finished product of an analysis project will eventually work
Advantage
Quick, cost-effective to build (compared with finished product)
Easy to make changes suggested by users
Limitations
Usually operates slowly or has limited capacity for data storage
Example:
Use of Microsoft Access to design a data entry form for help desk problem incidents
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45. Managing a User Support Project
Help desk agents normally perform primarily routine operational tasks
Special projects: support tasks that do not occur regularly
Characteristics of special projects
Steps and procedure not well defined
Usually take longer to accomplish
Often more complex than routine support tasks
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46. Examples of Special Projects
Perform user needs analysis or assessment
Select and install network or applications software
Develop or update product standards or support policies
Plan and implement new training facility
Select and install help desk management system
Develop end-user documentation or training session
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47. Project Management Steps
Project management: detailed, step-by-step work plan and process to reach a specific goal
Steps
1. Project definition
2. Project planning
3. Project implementation
4. Project monitoring
5. Project termination
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48. Step 1: Project Definition
Project definition: defines the project scope
Goal(s) (objectives, outcomes)
Tentative calendar (timelines, due dates)
Tentative budget (estimates)
Participants (stakeholders)
Project manager
Project goal: specific, measurable result (deliverable) that is the ultimate target or outcome
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49. Step 2: Project Planning
Purpose:
Divide a project into tasks
Estimate a time for each task
Identify available resources and costs
Assign resources to tasks
Project task: specific action or objective that must be performed to reach the goal
Project plan: document that describes project tasks, resources, timeline, and costs
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50. Analysis of Project Risk Factors
Risk factors: analysis and assessment of the problems that can arise during the life of a project
Common risk factors
Poor initial estimates of schedule, costs, and resources
Unanticipated events
Illness
Lack of skills needed
Hardware problems
Conflicts among participants
Tip: Estimates should fall between the minimum, best-case scenario and the maximum, worst-case scenario
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51. Step 3: Project Implementation
Project implementation: work on each task or objective according to task assignments and schedule in the project plan
Project manager’s focus shifts from planning:
To coordination
To resolving problems and conflicts
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52. Project Implementation Strategies
Direct conversion
Terminate old system when new system becomes operational
Parallel conversion
Operate both old and new systems to increase confidence in new system
Phased implementation
Workload is removed from old system in stages as new system can process tasks
Pilot project
New system is used in a few selected situations to gain confidence before enterprise-wide implementation
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53. Step 5: Project Termination
Project termination: final step during which:
Completion is communicated to stakeholders
Final project report is prepared
Performance of the project and participants is evaluated
Key questions
What did we learn from this project that will help manage future projects?
How well did the project team members function?
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54. Project Management Tools
Project management software tools
Microsoft Office Project Professional 2007
Kidasa Software’s Milestones Simplicity 2008
Open source tool: ]project-open[
Gantt chart: project planning tool that displays basic information about each project task as a horizontal bar on a graph
Predecessor task: activity that must be completed before another task can begin
Critical path: sequence of project tasks that must be completed on time to meet the project’s completion date
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55. Gantt Chart
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56. Other Needs Assessment Tools
Benchmarks (see Chapter 7)
Weighted point comparisons (see Chapter 7)
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57. Chapter Summary
A needs assessment project is a sequence of steps designed to obtain relevant information from end users and help them make an informed decision about computer purchases or processing procedures
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58. Chapter Summary (continued)
Major steps in needs analysis and assessment process
Preparation phase
1: Understand the project’s goals
2: Understand the decision criteria and constraints
3: Define the problem clearly
4: Identify the roles of stakeholders
5: Identify sources of information
Investigation phase
6: Develop an understanding of the existing situation
7: Investigate alternatives to the existing situation
Decision phase
8: Develop a model of the proposed solution
9: Make a build-versus-buy decision
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59. Chapter Summary (continued)
User support analysts use a variety of tools as information acquisition and decision aids in a needs analysis project
Project charters
Cost-benefits analysis
Input and output forms
Procedure documentation
Operating or problem logs
Interviews and questionnaires
Direct observation
Charts and diagrams
Prototyping software
Project management software
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