Investigating the Business solution - Module 5 Flashcards
What is an interview ?
A way of obtaining information with one person
Is an Interview always with one to one ?
No, Can be multiple stakeholders
What are some benefits of an interview ?
Can help BA develop a rapport
Acquire information about business situation
Discover different stakeholder perspectives
What are some drawbacks of an interview ?
Can take time to plan and conduct
Information that is provided may be opinion rather than fact
What structure should we use as the basis for interviews ?
5W’s
What is STOP and what do the acronyms spell out ?
Organisational Hierarchy:
Strategic
Tactical
Operational
What is Observation ?
Technique involving direct observation in a natural setting
Provide some advantages of Observation
Better understanding of the problems and difficulties face by the business users
Seeing tasks performed help identify relevant questions for follow up interview
Depth of understanding gained
Provide some drawbacks of Observation
Behaviour may change if people know they are being observed, not a true reflection
Analyst only sees what happens on one occasion, pattern of behaviour may be different
Provide some drawbacks of Observation
Behaviour may change if people know they are being observed, not a true reflection
Analyst only sees what happens on one occasion, pattern of behaviour may be different
What are the types of Observation ?
Formal
Shadowing
Ethnographic studies
Protocol analysis
What is formal observation ?
Watching a specific task being performed
What is Shadowing ?
Involves following a person around over a period of time
What is ethnographic studies
Involves spending an extended period of time within a target environment
What is protocol analysis
Involves asking a members of staff to perform a task and describe it as it is being performed
What is a workshop ?
An event attended by key stakeholders to elicit information
Workshops provide an excellent _______ forum
Collaborative
Detail some advantages of using a workshop
Gain a broad view of area under investigation
Increased speed and productivity
Obtain buy-in and acceptance for the project
Gain a consensus view or group agreement
Detail some disadvantages of a workshop
Take time to organise
One forceful participant can dominate
Authority limitations
What are the two categories for workshop techniques ?
Discovery and Documentation
Provide definition for the Discovery technique
Helps facilitator to elicit information and views from participants
Provide definition for the Documentation technique
Helps participants to visualise the area under discussion
Brainstorming and Brainwriting are _____ Techniques
Discovery
Round robin discussions, Stepwise refinement and Breakout groups are ______ Techniques
Discovery
Rich picture and Mind maps are _____ Techniques
Documentation
Process and Data models are examples of _____ Techniques
Documentation
What is a Scenario
Tells a story about a task or transaction
Provide some advantages of a Scenario
Reduce or remove omission
Provide basis for Developing prototypes
Step by Step development means no taken for granted elements
Helps visualise possible solutions
Provide some disadvantages or a Scenario
Can be time consuming
Some scenarios can be complex
What is prototyping
a process in which design teams ideate, experiment with, and bring concepts to life
Prototyping is closely linked to what Technique ?
Scenarios
Provide some advantages of Prototyping
Clarify uncertainty
Identify new requirements
Demonstrate look and feel
Identify errors
Assess navigation paths and system performance
Provide some drawbacks of Prototyping
Iterative cycle can spin out of control
If objective isn’t clear, Users may think system is complete
Prototype may work faster than final live system
List the Quantitive approaches
Questionnaires
Activity sampling
Special purpose reports
Documents analysis
What is activity sampling ?
Quantitive form of observation used when it is necessary to know how people divide their work time among a range of activities
What is Document analysis ?
Reviewing documentation to uncover information about an organisation, process or system
What are Rich pictures ?
Diagram/Drawing showing an overview of the entire situation, using symbols and annotations
What is a Mind map?
visual representation of thoughts, ideas, and problems associated with a business to give a clear understanding of what needs to be done.
What can a Mind map be good for ?
Collating a lot of information
Highlighting links between ideas and topics
