Method to obtain user's requirement

source: https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/img/requirements.png

Interview

- System analysts interview managers, employees, customers, suppliers, and other people to gather information about business processes and problems and collect ideas and suggestions for system improvement

Step

1) Identify the interviewees

2) Set the interview objectives

3) Prepare for the interviews

4) Conduct the interviews

5) Document and evaluate the interviews

Advantage

- Interviews allows open-end questions. The analysts may be able to obtain more information from different levels of users

- The questions are not fixed and can be changed accordingly for different interviewees

- The analysts may also be able to observe some non-verbal communications of the interviewees (facial expressions and body movements)

- The analyst can explore the real needs during interviews

Disadvantages

- Interviews are time consuming and costly

- The interviewer must have good communication and human relation skill

- Interviews may have to be conducted at different locations

Document review

- System analyst can review documents to find out how the current system is designed and how it is supposed to operate

Advantages

- By understanding the existing system, the analyst will be able to know its strengths and weaknesses and thus help them to design a better system

- Economical method to get user’s requirement

Disadvantages

- Information in the documents may be out of date or not available

- The documents procedures may be changed, or even eliminated

- The documents may be difficult to readable and understand or may be complex

Observation

- System analyst can watch employee perform a task to observe whether procedures work as expected

Advantages

- By seeing and participating in the system’s operations, it helps the analysts to understand the system better and it might provide additional perspectives about current system

- This is one of the most inexpensive techniques, compared to others like interviewing and questionnaires

- The data or facts gathered using this technique is highly reliable

- It helps to build relationships with the operating staffs

Disadvantages

- Direct observation may distract the staff and may result in poorer performance. This will affect the result of the observation

- Sometimes, the staff may just let the analyst see what they want the analyst to. This may not be the actual performance level

- The analyst may not be able to see of the unusual or unexpected situations that occur only occasionally

Questionnaire

- System analyst can collect information from a large group of people using a questionnaire

Advantages

- This is best technique to collect data from a large group of people

- The responses from different individuals can be tabulated and analyzed quickly

- The identity of the respondents will not be known. This will encourage the respondents to provide real facts

- Respondents are given the freedom when to fill in and return the questionnaire

Disadvantages

- The number of replies is not guaranteed

- Usually takes a long time to get the reply

- Some individuals might think that the questionnaire is tedious to fill in, and therefore may not return

- The questionnaires are inflexible and the information gathered might not be able to reflect the real situation

- Good questionnaires are difficult to prepare

Joint Application Development (JAD)
- A technique that complements other systems analysis and design techniques by emphasizing participative development among system owners, users, designers, and builders. 

During the JAD sessions for systems design, the systems designer will take on the role of facilitator for possibly several full-day workshops intended to address different design issues and deliverables

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