Whether you are working on your own or as a member of JAD team, during requirements modeling you use various techniques for Fact Finding. Which are listed below
- Document review
- Observation,
- Surveys and
- Questionnaires
- Sampling and
- Rsearch.
Document review:
Documents review helps you in understanding how the current system is supposed to work. But some times it became worst experience and can cause difficulties to Analysist when dealing with forms like modified, discontinued and eliminated.
Information can be gathered by reviewing some blank and completed copies of forms. Documents sampling usually helpful during interviews if the system uses a software package then documents review can be done by system itself.
Observations:
The observation is another fact finding technique in better understanding of the system procedure.
The important thing is that, through observation you might discover that neither the system documentation nor the interview statements are accurate.
Recommendations often are better accepted when they are based on personal observation of actual operations. Observation also can provide the knowledge needed to test or install future change the new system which will help in building relationships with the user who are connected.
Observation has to prepare well in advance before it being implemented or processed. It can be done by making list of specific task which have to be observed such as forming questions maintaining documents Input, Output and examine each form, record and report to determine the purpose each item of information serves. Consider the user and talk to them who use the information system.
According to Hawthorne effect (The name come from a well-know study performed in Hawthorne plant in western electric company in 1920) Researchers concluded that productivity seemed to improve whenever the workers know they were being observed.
But all the time personal observation will not workout smoothly because workers might be nervous during observation. The best option is meeting with workers and their supervisors to establish a good working relationship by which plans and objectives can be implemented effectively. In some cases personal participation in the workplace will give you good understanding of the work environment.
Questionnaires and Surveys:
A questionnaire is also called as Surveys. Questions are a valuable tool in obtaining input from large number of people.
These documents which consist set of questions that can be sent to many people to obtain information about wide range of topic such as job duties, workloads, report received, difficulties and opinion of how job could be perform better or more efficiently.
A typical questing starts with heading which consist of title, purpose of questions. And contact details of a person and the address to return the form, heading usually gives general instructions about how to fill the form.
Sampling:
Collection of examples from actual documents is called as a sampling these include records, reports, data entry documents. Complaint summaries, work requests and various types of form
Sampling can be classified as
- Systematic Sampling
- Stratified Sampling and
- Random Sampling
Systematic Sampling is used to select samples in Systematic manner for an example form 200 complaints of particular department 20 complaints can be taken for review.
Stratified Sampling is used to balance samples geographically. Samples can be taken randomly from actual data in random sampling.
Research:
Research is another important technique of fact-finding. It deals about various ways of collecting information from available resources such as. Internet, IT magazines, and books, technical and new trends in developing
The information can be collected from professional meeting, seminars, and discussions with IT professionals. This information is very useful in problem solving.
Research also involves a visit to a physical location, called as Site Visit. This is very important when considering the purchasing of new Software package to excising system.
