Chapter 5 - Investigation Techniques Flashcards by p q

What prior research should an analyst do when engaging with a client?

Study website for values and branding

Study Companies House reports

Study procedure manuals and docs

Study organisation chart

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What objectives can be achieved in an Interview?

Initial contact with stakeholders

Build rapport

Acquire information about the business situation

Discover different stakeholder perspectives and priorities

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What three areas are considered during requirements interviews?

Current functions that need to be fulfilled in new system

Problems that need to be addressed

Additional features required

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What are advantage of Interviews?

Build rapport

Gather important info

Understand different viewpoints

Opportunity to investigate areas not previously mentioned

Appreciation of political factors

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What are disadvantages of Interviews?

Take time

Info may just be opinion

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What framework can be used to prepare for Interviews?

Who?
Why?
What?
When?
Where?

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What is the structure of an Interview?

Introduction and Scene setting

Questions and Answers

Summarise next steps

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What are advantages of observation?

Better understanding of problems faced by business user

Help prepare for more in-depth interview

Help devise workable solutions

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What is the danger of formal observation?

Shown standard practice without everyday variances

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What is protocol analysis?

User carries out a task and describes each step they perform

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What is shadowing?

Following a user for a period to find out what a particular job entails

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What is Ethnographic studies?

Spending an extended period of time in the target environment.

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What is the main value gained from ethnography?

Appreciation of intangible aspects such as culture and power influences.

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What are the advantages of Workshops?

Broad view

Less time consuming

Obtain buy-in and acceptance for project

Gain consensus view

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What are disadvantages of Workshops?

Difficult to organise

Forceful participant may dominate discussion.

Difficult to endure participants have required level of authority

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What areas should be planned ahead of a Workshop?

Objective

People invited

Structure and techniques

Suitable venue

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What discovery techniques can be used in a Workshop?

Round robin

Brainstorming

Brainwriting

Post-it Exercise

Stepwise refinement

Break-out Groups

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What visualisation techniques can be used in a Workshop?

Process models

Rich pictures

Mind maps

Context diagrams

Use case diagrams

Task scenarios

User Stories

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What is brainstorming?

Participants call out ideas

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What is round robin?

Participants asked for their ideas in turn

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What is brainwriting?

Participants write their ideas down

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What is Post-it Exercise?

Participants write suggestion on sticky note and sticks on board.

What is step-wise refinement?

Asking Why to every answer of a statement until you get to heart of the problem

What are Break-out Groups?

Specific aspects considered in small groups and then reported back to the larger group

What is a hothouse Workshop?

Business and development teams come together to solve business problems. Can take place over two to three days. Used primarily for innovation projects

How does a Focus Group differ from a Workshop?

Focus group aims to understand people’s attitudes and is more concerned with business and market research

What is scenario analysis?

Telling the story of a task or transaction by working through the steps required.

What is a benefit of scenario analysis?

Provides framework for discovering exceptions that require alternative paths

What are advantages of Scenario Analysis?

Require user to include each step Addresses tacit knowledge Basis for developing prototypes Tool for preparing test scripts

What are disadvantages of Scenario Analysis?

Time-consuming Can become complex

What is the overview approach to developing scenarios?

Identify task Identify steps Define control conditions Identify alternative paths

What is a ‘happy day’ scenario?

Default scenario path that assumes no complications

What is User Analysis?

Understanding who the actual users of proposed system are likely to be

What is prototyping?

Building simulations of process or system to review them with users and increase understand about requirements

What are examples of prototyping?

Demo systems Screenshots Sticky notes and flip chart

What are advantages of prototyping?

Clarify uncertainty Help user identify new requirements Demonstrate look and feel of proposed system Validate system requirements

What are disadvantages of prototyping?

Endless iterations Users may think system is ready once they are happy with mock-up User expectations can be raised unnecessarily

Give examples of quantitative approaches to defining requirements

Surveys Special purpose records Activity sampling

What approach should be taken when designing surveys?

MECE Mutually exclusive, completely exhaustive

What does MECE involve?

Checking each set of defined responses to make sure only one would apply to each respondent and cover every situation

What is a frequent error with surveys?

Ambiguous questions

What is the key drawback with surveys?

People don’t find time to complete them unless is a topic that interests them

What are special purpose records?

Data-gathering forms such as tally sheets

What two criteria must be satisfied for special purpose records to be successful?

People must buy in to the exercise Must be realistic in what people are expected to record

What is Activity Sampling?

Means of finding out how people divide their time among range of activities

How is Activity Sampling carried out?

Identify activities Decide on how often you will record the activities being undertaken Visit the group at timed decided and record what each member is doing Record results After set period, analyse results

What is document analysis?

Reviewing samples of source documents to uncover information about process or system

What diagrams can be used to document the current business situation?

Rich pictures Mind maps Business process models Spaghetti maps Fishbone diagrams

What are benefits of Rich Pictures?

Overview of entire business situation Can reflect intangible areas such as human and cultural aspects Example: frustration, dissatisfaction

What are benefits of mind maps?

Summarise connections between ideas in a visual form.

What are benefits of business process models?

Shows tasks in a process and actors responsible. Diagnostics on delays and bottlenecks

What are benefits of spaghetti maps?

Shows the movement and interactions of stakeholders in an environment when performing tasks.

What are benefits of Fishbone diagrams?

Problem analysis to help understand root causes of a problem.