1b Investigation methods

Question 0

Give two comparisons of the use of questionnaires and interviews for investigating a system. (4)

Answer 0

 the course of interviews can change during the process
whereas the structure of questionnaires are fixed in advance  questionnaires are anonymous whereas you see and talk to
the person being interviewed
 questionnaires are structured clearly and provide
opportunities for short answers whereas an interview provides an opportunity to offer additional information that the analyst may not have considered
 body language can offer conclusions about answers being given during interviews whereas with questionnaires you do not get to see the person filling them in

Question 1

Describe two advantages of using observation during the analysis and investigation stage of the systems life cycle. (4)

Answer 1

 can observe what people do which may be different from what they
tell you (1) and lead to inconsistencies that can be investigated (1)  habits which are overlooked can be viewed (1) giving the full picture(1)
 can see the body language (1) so can tell if people are lying/telling the truth (1)

Question 2

Identify four documents that an analyst might examine when investigating a personnel system. (4)

Answer 2

 application forms (1)
 personal details/contact details/next of kin/date of birth (1)
 references (1)
 CRB/employment checks (1)
 certificates (1)
 qualifications (1)
 contracts (1)
 training forms (1)
 courses attended (1)
 sickness record (1)
 appraisal documents (1)
 time slips (1)

Question 3

The management of the airline needs to update the check-in system to deal with passengers more efficiently. They have employed a consultancy firm to investigate the current system and design the updates.
Describe three different methods a systems analyst might use when investigating the current system. (6)

Answer 3

 interviews (1) information is gathered directly from the person(s) concerned with the current system/can be steered according to responses/provides individual responses (1)
 meetings (1) addresses individuals or groups of people/body language can be seen/used to gather or impart information (1)
 document analysis (1) builds a picture of information flow from input to output/identifies inertia within a system/provides opportunities for re-design (1)
 observation (1) watching/noting check-in procedure (1)