Kendall Sad9 Im 04

Chapter 4 Systems Analysis and Design Instructor’s Manual 4-1
Chapter 4
Information Gathering:
Interactive Methods
Key Points and Objectives
1. There are four interactive methods for obtaining information requirements:
A. Interviewing
B. Stories
C. Joint application design
D. Using questionnaires to survey
2. Interviewing is an important method for collecting data on information system requirements, as

well as a tool for exploring the human-computer interaction concerns.
3. Interviewing reveals goals, feelings, opinions, and informal procedures.
4. Five steps in planning the interview are:
A. Reading background material

B. Establishing interview objectives
C. Deciding whom to interview
D. Preparing the interviewee
E. Deciding on question types and structure
5. There are two basic types of interview questions: open-ended or closed.
6. Probes are used to obtain additional information.
7. There are three basic ways of structuring interviews: pyramid, funnel, or diamond.
8. Stories originate in the workplace, are shared with and repeated by, coworkers and are used to
relay some kind of information.
9. Isolated stories are welcome when you are looking for facts, and the more important enduring
stories capture all aspects of the organization.
10. Joint Application Design (JAD) can replace a series of interviews with the user community.
11. JAD may be used when:
A. Users are restless and want something new.

B. The organizational culture supports joint problem-solving behaviors.
C. Analysts forecast an increase in the number of ideas using JAD.
D. Personnel may be absent from their jobs for the length of time required.
12. JAD involves analysts, users, executives, observers, a scribe, and a session leader.
Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Chapter 4 Information Gathering: Interactive Methods 4-2
13. Questionnaires are useful in gathering information about attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and
characteristics from key organization members.
14. Questionnaires are valuable if organization members are widely dispersed, if many members are
involved with the project, if exploratory work is needed, or if problem solving prior to interviews is
necessary.
15. Questionnaire language should be simple, specific, free of bias, not patronizing, technically
accurate, and addressed to those who are knowledgeable. Use software to check whether the
reading level is appropriate for the respondents.
16. Scales are devised to measure the attitudes or characteristics of respondents or to have respondents
act as judges for the subject of the questionnaire.
17. There are two different forms of measurement scales:
A. Nominal
B. Interval
18. Questionnaires must be valid and reliable.
19. There are three problems associated with poorly constructed scales:
A. Leniency
B. Central tendency
C. Halo effect
20. Good response rates can be achieved with consistent control of questionnaire format and style, and
with meaningful ordering and clustering of questions.
21. Controls (or fields) used on Web forms are:
A. Single line text box

B. Scrolling text box, used for one or more paragraphs of text
C. Check box for yes-no or true-false answers
D. Radio button for mutually exclusive yes-no or true-false answers
E. Drop-down menu for selection from a list
F. Submit or Clear buttons
22. Methods of administering the questionnaire include:
A. Convening all concerned respondents together at one time

B. Personally administering the questionnaire
C. Allowing respondents to self-administer the questionnaire
D. Mailing questionnaires
E. Administering questionnaires over the Web or via email
23. Administrating a questionnaire electronically has many benefits, such as reduced costs, and
collecting and storing the results electronically.
Consulting Opportunity 4.1 (p. 108)

Strengthening Your Question Type

Closed questions would be the best type of questions for the interview with Harry, because Harry is a busy
man. Closed questions cover a lot of ground quickly. Closed questions will require considerably more
preparation time. The analyst should become very familiar with background material so that questions are
properly phrased.
Students will come up with a variety of questions. Suggested questions might be:
“What are the most important criteria that you use to evaluate new equipment?”
“What criteria do you use to determine which club needs new equipment; for example, age of
current equipment, number of members at a specific club, or variety of equipment at a certain
club?”
The “probe or” “follow-up” technique can be used to supplement information unavailable through the
closed questions. Supplemental questions will doubtless be required because the decision-making rules are
not well understood. In addition to interviewing, observation, questionnaires, and prototyping may be
useful.

Skimming the Surface
A funnel structure takes a deductive approach by beginning with generalized, open-ended questions and
narrowing the possible responses by using closed questions. This structure is the most appropriate for
interviewing under the circumstances at SureChek Dairy.
The funnel structure provides an easy, non-threatening way to begin the interview. It gives the interviewer
some time to gather more information from the generalized approach to determine what detailed
information is needed as the interview continues.
It would not be advisable to begin the interview with specific questions because the interviewer is not well
prepared for it. Therefore, the pyramid structure should not be used. The same is true for the diamond-
shaped structure.
Start with questions like:
“Describe the current system for production control.”

“What information would be provided by the ideal system?”
“What would you eliminate from the current system?”
Move to more specific questions, such as:
“What are some of the reports or inquiries that the system should produce?”
“How should the data be entered into the system?”
“Is there anything else that you would like to add that we haven’t covered?”

A Systems Analyst, I Presume?

The overriding metaphor Henry is using to describe the computer printouts is an out-of-control jungle and
survival of the fittest. His attitude toward the format of output shows that he does not like to work his way
through to pick up a figure but prefers summarized results.
To adopt a more positive sense during the interview with Henry, the analyst can use verbs like “taming” and
“pruning.” These words extend the metaphor, but the connotations suggest bringing order to an out-of-
control situation.
Consulting Opportunities 4.4 (p. 119)

The Unbearable Questionnaire
The problem created by Hal’s scaling is called the halo effect. Respondents seemed to have formed an
impression of a need for more resources from the first question, and it carried through into all the following
questions regardless of true necessity.
To avoid these problems, put the questions in a different order. Questions of a different nature may be asked
on the same page. However, the questions must stay in a logical sequence. There are a variety of ways to
change the order of the questions, but they should place the Industry reports lower, in the middle or second
page.

Order in the Courts
Tennyson’s questionnaire needs to be revised. The introduction is primitive, threatening, and menacing. It
may cause respondents to sabotage the questionnaire by responding with inaccurate and misleading
answers.
In addition, the questions should be numbered and there should be more consistency in format and style.
Too many questions are asked with insufficient white space provided for response. Lack of sufficient space
will encourage respondents to ignore questions. Open-ended questions need at least three to five blank lines.
Controversial questions should not be asked at the beginning. Respondents should be asked to circle a
response for the question using scales. The numbers should be spread over the width of the page without
the hyphens in between.
The question about computer equipment is too specific. Available computer equipment should be listed and
respondents asked to mark those they have not used. Alternatively, split the question up, and ask the same
thing for each piece of equipment.
The next question about removing equipment is again unclear. The equipment must be listed. Finally, the
last question is not clearly phrased.
HyperCase Experience 4.1

1. Using the interview questions posed in HyperCase, give five examples of open-ended questions
and five examples of closed questions. Explain why your examples are correctly classified as
either open-ended or closed question types.
Model Solution: There are many examples throughout the case. Let’s look at Snowden Evans’

interview for examples.
Open-ended: “Before we finish, do you have any other comments?”
This question is wide open, we give Snowden complete freedom to talk about anything he wishes,
or to say nothing at all. This is a common “last interview question” that can be used as a sort of
“catch-all” for making sure we did not miss some useful information.
Closed-type question: “How do the users like the PSRS system?” (Rabin interview)
This question is quite specific and to the point. It could be answered with a simple yes or no, but in
actuality we hope that the respondent will give us a reason for the yes or no, so this is not a
“perfectly” closed question.
The following chart shows which questions are open, closed, and have probes. Q1 refers to
question 1, Q2, question 2, and so on. Question 1 is always the first on the list, even if it is just a
“Hello, I’m from systems...” type of question.
Name Open Ended Closed

Blandford Q2, Q6 Q3, Q4, Q5, Q7
Corazon Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6
Donaldson Q2, Q4, Q5 Q3
Evans Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5
Hill Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7
Ketcham Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5
Lin Q1, Q3, Q4 Q2, Q5
McGuigan Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7 Q8, Q9
Rabin Q2, Q4 Q1, Q3, Q5
Sherman Q2, Q4, Q5 Q1, Q3, Q6, Q7
Smith Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5
Taylor Q2 Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6
Silver Q2, Q5, Q7, Q8 Q3, Q4, Q6
2. List three probing questions that are part of the Daniel Hill interview. In particular what did you
learn by following up on the questions you asked Daniel?
Model Solution: In the Daniel Hill interview, probing questions have revealed how he feels about
interdepartmental politics and his feelings in general.
Some of the probing questions are:

Question 2:
What strategic goals have you set for Training and Systems? This probe explains that the new
leadership should help the training unit through leadership and innovation.
Question 3:
How did you deal with these problems? New leadership is a better solution than replacing Tom
Ketcham.
How do you feel the merger is going so far? Fairly well, but with obstacles.
Question 4:
What kind of reports do you get from Training and Systems? Financial, total revenues, expenses,
net return per quarter, and comparative reports. The number of new clients for the Training and
Systems units.
Question 5:
What kind of information would you like to see? Actual versus budgeted costs, the reasons why
any project is over budget. Actual completion dates and planned completion dates. If training is
delivered late, why? Summary cost information.
3. List three probing questions that are part of the Snowden Evans interview. In particular what did
you learn by following up on the questions you asked Snowden Evans?
Model Solution: In the Snowden Evans interview, probing questions have revealed how he feels
about interdepartmental politics and his feelings in general. Question 2 probes explain why
Systems was combined with Training, how the merger went and the conflict between the groups.
Some of the probing questions are:
Why was Systems combined with Training, rather than another department? Learned superficial
reasons (efficiency, similarity) as well as the deeper problem of leadership.
What do you mean by “sticky”? Learned about the people involved in management.

How has the merger gone so far? Learned about the continuing tension and departmental
differences that keep the departments apart.
HyperCase Experience 4.2

1. Evidence of questionnaires have been found in three places:
A. Snowden Evans has a questionnaire for the Training Department. It can be found in the
response for question 5, “Thanks for the interview.”
B. Snowden Evans has the survey results in his top file drawer.
C. John Sherman has a survey for client training needs.
2. Three suggestions for improving the reliability, validity, and response rate for the Training unit
questionnaire are:
A. Put topics of interest to the Training Department first, such as question number 11 or 12.
B. Provide a consistent method for the respondent to fill in the questionnaire. Some questions
have a line for the respondent to check and others have a number to be circled.
C. Use consistent values that are circled for each question.
3. The questionnaire will vary from student to student. The questionnaire should include open-ended
questions that ask about feelings and concerns of the Training Department as well as closed
questions. Some sample questions are:
A. How do you like the merger between the Training Department and Management Systems?
B. How do you feel about learning to use Comtex computers?
C. List some of your main concerns about the merger of the Training Department and
Management Systems.
D. What changes would make the merger of the two departments a smoother transition?
E. What can management provide that would increase the department’s confidence in the
merger?
Answers to Review Questions

1. What kinds of information should be sought in interviews?
Interviews reveal information about interviewee opinions, interviewee feelings about the current
state of the system, organizational and personal goals, and informal procedures.
2. List the five steps in interview preparation.
The five steps in interview preparation are:
(a) Reading background material

(b) Establishing interview objectives
(c) Deciding who to interview
(d) Preparing the interviewee
(e) Deciding on question types and structure

3. Define what is meant by open-ended interview questions. Give eight benefits and five drawbacks
of using them.
Open-ended interview questions allow interviewees to respond how they wish, and to what length
they wish. Eight benefits are listed in the text:
(a) Putting the interviewee at ease

(b) Allowing the interviewer to pick up on the interviewee’s vocabulary, which reflects his or
her education, values, attitudes, and beliefs
(c) Providing richness of detail
(d) Revealing avenues of further questioning that may have gone untapped
(e) Making it more interesting for the interviewee
(f) Allowing more spontaneity
(g) Making phrasing easier for the interviewer
(h) Using them in a pinch if the interviewer is caught unprepared
The five drawbacks include:
(a) Asking questions that may result in too much irrelevant detail
(b) Possibly losing control of the interview
(c) Allowing responses that may take too much time for the amount of useful information
gained
(d) Potentially seeming that the interviewer is unprepared
(e) Possibly giving the impression that the interviewer is on a “fishing expedition” with no real
objective for the interview
4. When are open-ended questions appropriate for use in interviewing?
Open-ended questions are appropriate when the analyst is interested in breadth and depth of reply.
5. Define what is meant by closed interview questions. Give six benefits and four drawbacks of
using them.
Closed interview questions limit the number of possible responses. Six benefits are:
(a) Saving interview time

(b) Easily comparing interviews
(c) Getting to the point
(d) Keeping control of the interview
(e) Covering a large area quickly
(f) Getting to relevant data
Four drawbacks of closed interview questions include:
(a) Being boring for the interviewee

(b) Failing to obtain rich detail
(c) Missing main ideas
(d) Failing to build rapport between interviewer and interviewee
6. When are closed questions appropriate for use in interviewing?

Closed interview questions are appropriate for generating precise, reliable data that is easy to
analyze. The methodology is efficient, and it requires little skill for interviewers to administer.
7. What is a probing question? What is the purpose of using a probing question in interviews?
Probing questions elicit more detail about previous questions. The purpose of probing questions is
to go beyond the initial answer to get more meaning, to clarify, to draw out, and to expand on the
interviewee’s point.
8. Define what is meant by pyramid structure. When is it useful to employ it in interviews?
An interview structured like a pyramid begins with very detailed, often closed questions, and
expands by allowing open-ended questions and more generalized responses. A pyramid structure is
useful if interviewees need to be warmed up to the topic or if interviewees seem reluctant to address
the topic.
9. Define what is meant by funnel structure. When is it useful to employ it in interviews?
A funnel structure begins with generalized, open-ended questions and concludes by narrowing the
possible responses with the use of closed questions. The funnel structure is useful in providing an
easy, nonthreatening way to begin an interview. The structure is also useful when the interviewee
feels emotionally about the topic and needs freedom to express those emotions.
10. Define what is meant by diamond-shaped structure. When is it useful to employ it in interviews?
A diamond-shaped structure begins in a very specific way, then general issues are examined, and
finally concludes in a specific fashion. The diamond structure is useful in keeping the interviewee’s
interest and attention through a variety of questions.
11. Define joint Application Design (JAD).
Joint Application Design (JAD) is a technique that allows the analyst to accomplish requirements
analysis and design the user interface with the users in a group setting.
12. List the situations that warrant use of JAD in place of personal organizational interviews.
The situations that warrant the use of JAD in place of personal interviews are:
A. Users are restless and want something new.

B. The organizational culture supports group problem-solving behaviors.
C. Extended group exercises will generate more ideas than one-on-one interviews.
D. Employees may be absent from jobs for the amount of time necessary to conduct the JAD
session.
13. List the potential benefits of using joint application design.
The potential benefits of using JAD are:
A. Time is saved, compared with traditional interviewing

B. Rapid development of systems
C. Improved user ownership of the system
D. Creative idea production is improved

14. List the three potential drawbacks of using JAD as an alternative to personal interviews.
The potential drawbacks of using JAD are:
A. JAD requires a large block of time be available for all session participants.
B. If JAD preparation is incomplete, or if the follow-up report and documentation is
incomplete, the session may not be successful.
C. The organizational skills and culture may not be conducive to a JAD session.
15. What kinds of information is the systems analyst seeking through the use of questionnaires or
surveys?
Analysts using questionnaires are interested in information about attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and
characteristics from several key people affected by the system.
16. List four situations that make the use of questionnaires appropriate.
Four situations that help make questionnaires appropriate are:
A. The respondents are widely dispersed.

B. Many people are involved in the systems project and it is meaningful to know what
proportion of a given group approves or disapproves of a particular feature.
C. An exploratory study for gauging overall opinion is desired.
D. Problem sensing with the current system is desired.
17. What are the two basic question types used on questionnaires?
The two basic question types used in questionnaires are open-ended and closed.
18. List two reasons why a systems analyst would use a closed question on a questionnaire.
Two reasons for using a closed question are (a) when the systems analyst is able to effectively list
all the possible responses to the question and (b) when the analyst wants to survey a large sample
of people.
19. List two reasons why a systems analyst would use an open-ended question on a questionnaire.
Two reasons for using open-ended questions on a questionnaire are (a) when it is impossible to list
effectively all possible responses to the question and (b) when exploratory situations occur.
20. What are the seven guidelines for choosing language for the questionnaire?
Seven guidelines for choosing language for the questionnaire are:
A. Use the language of respondents whenever possible.

B. Work at being specific rather than vague in wording.
C. Keep questions short.
D. Do not patronize respondents by talking down to them through low-level language choices.
E. Avoid bias in wording.
F. Target questions to the right respondents.
G. Ensure that questions are technically accurate before they are included.

21. Define what is meant by scaling.
Scaling is the process of assigning numbers or other symbols to an attribute or characteristic for
the purpose of measuring that attribute or characteristic.
22. What are two kinds of information or scales that systems analysts most commonly use?
Two kinds of information that can be gained by the use of scales on questionnaires are (a)
measuring attitudes or characteristics of the people answering the questionnaire and (b) having the
respondents judge the subjects of the questionnaire.
23. What are nominal scales used for?
Nominal scales are used to classify things into categories.
24. Give an example of an interval scale.
Examples of interval scales include the Fahrenheit or Centigrade scale.
25. When should an analyst use an interval scale?
An interval scale is used when it can be assumed that the intervals are equal, but there is no
absolute zero.
26. Define reliability as it refers to the construction of scales.
Reliability in the construction of scales refers to consistency in response.
27. Define validity as it refers to the construction of scales.
Validity is the degree to which the question measures what the analyst intends to measure.
28. List three problems that can occur because of careless construction of scales.
Three problems that can occur because of careless construction of scales are:
A. Leniency
B. Central tendency
C. Halo effect
29. What are four actions that can be taken to ensure that the questionnaire format is conducive to a
good response rate?
Four actions that can be taken to ensure that the questionnaire format is conducive to a good
response rate are:
A. Allowing ample white space

B. Allowing adequate space for responses
C. Asking respondents to circle their answers
D. Using objectives to help determine format

30. Which questions should be placed first on the questionnaire?
Questions of importance to respondents go first.
31. Why should questions on similar topics be clustered together?
Similar topics should be clustered together to build a frame of reference for respondents.
32. What is an appropriate placement of controversial questions?
Controversial questions should be positioned after less controversial questions.
33. List five methods for administering the questionnaire.
Five methods of administering the questionnaire are:
A. Convening all concerned respondents together at one time

B. Personally handing out blank questionnaires and taking back completed ones
C. Allowing respondents to self-administer the questionnaire at work and drop it in a centrally
located box
D. Mailing questionnaires to employees and supplying a deadline, instructions, and return
postage
E. Administrating the questionnaire electronically and receiving and storing the responses
electronically
34. What considerations are necessary when questionnaires are Web based?
When designing Web-based questionnaires, there must be ample space for open-ended questions
and the appropriate use of check boxes, radio buttons, and drop-down menus. It is important to
have both Submit and Clear buttons. The Web survey should provide a password system to help
ensure confidentiality.
Problems
1. As part of your systems analysis project to update the automated accounting functions for
Xanadu Corporation, a maker of digital cameras, you will interview Leo Blum, the chief
accountant. Write four to six interview objectives covering his use of information sources,
information formats, decision-making frequency, desired qualities of information, and decision-
making style.
a. In a paragraph, write down how you will approach Leo to set up an interview.
b. State which structure you will choose for this interview. Why?
c. Leo has four subordinates who also use the system. Would you interview them also? Why
or why not?
d. Write three open-ended questions that you will email to Leo prior to your interview.
Write a sentence explaining why it is preferable to conduct an interview in person rather
than via email.
Objectives:
More efficient information retrieval system

Standardized inputs and outputs
Efficient decision making with decision support

Reliability and speed of information

Flexibility to accommodate decision style
a. To set up an interview, call ahead to allow for Leo to think about the interview. Arrange a
time for the interview at his convenience. Inform him of the objectives of the interview and
give him a general idea of what to expect. Reconfirm place and time of the interview on the
day before the interview.
b. The diamond-shaped structure is a good structure for this interview. It combines the
strengths of pyramid and funnel structures; it entails beginning the interview in a very
specific way, then examining the objectives, and finally coming to a very specific
conclusion about each objective.
c. All four subordinates will also be used. Users at all levels of management are equally
important to the success of system development. Generally, only a representation of lower-
level management users is interviewed. Because there are only four in this case, they
should all participate to make the understanding of information requirements as complete
as possible.
d. It might be hard to do interviews with customers that are visitors to the website because
they may be located all over the world. It might be possible to find the customers that live
in the local area and interview them. A better way would be to do an email questionnaire or
set up a forum for customers to post their comments. These methods would allow
customers to freely express their opinions (although there is a risk to setting up a forum
that the public may be able to view posts that might not be favorable).
The questions will vary from student to student. Some suggestions are:
What kind of information would you like to receive to help you make decisions?
What are some of the problems with the information you are currently receiving?
How can we improve the quality of the information you are receiving?
It is preferable to conduct an interview in person rather than an email interview

because the answers provided by the interviewee may lead to additional probing
questions that were not initially on the interview plan. An interview in person is
much more dynamic than an email interview.
2. Here are five questions written by one of your systems analysis team members. Her interviewee is
the local manager of LOWCO, an outlet of a national discount chain, who has asked you to work
on a management information system to provide inventory information. Review these questions
for your team member.
1. When was the last time you thought seriously about your decision-making
process?
2. Who are the trouble makers in your store, I mean the ones who will show the
most resistance to changes in the system that I have proposed?
3. Are there any decisions you need more information about to make them?
4. You don’t have any major problems with the current inventory control system, do
you?
5. Tell me a little about the output you’d like to see.
a. Rewrite each question to be more effective in eliciting information.

b. Order your questions in either a pyramid, funnel, or diamond-shaped structure, and

label the questions with the name of the structure you used.
c. What guidelines can you give your team member for improving her interviewing
questions for the future? Make a list of them.
a. 1. Describe key decisions you are responsible for.

2. How well do your employees accept changes in the system?
3. Is the current system providing you with enough information to help you make
decisions?
4. Do you have any problems with your current system?
5. What kind of output would you like to see? What type of format is preferred? (It
would be good to have a current form on hand to discuss.)
b. The order of questions in a diamond-shaped structure: Q3-Q1-Q4-Q2-Q5.
c. Guidelines for improving interview questions for the future:
Avoid leading questions.

Avoid double barreled questions.
Arrange questions in logical sequence.
3. Ever since you entered the door, your interviewee, Max Hugo, has been shuffling papers, looking
at his watch, and drumming on his desk with his fingers. Based on what you know about
interviews, you guess that Max is nervous because of the other work he needs to do. In a
paragraph, describe how you would deal with this situation so that the interview can be
accomplished with Max’s full attention. (Max cannot reschedule the interview for a different
day.)
The diamond structure should be adopted here to keep the interviewee’s interest and attention
through a variety of questions. Use a combination of closed and open question types and keep
questions nonthreatening. It is important to create rapport and not lose eye contact. If there are
many interruptions, inquire if he has business that must be taken care of soon, and if so, offer to
wait until it is completed.
4. Write a series of six closed questions that cover the subject of decision-making style for the
manager described in Problem 2.
1. Are current sources of information important to you?

2. How often are the reports used?
3. Are you satisfied with the current output format?
4. Do you receive your output in time?
5. Do the reports provide you with adequate information?
6. Who receives the reports?
A. What type of information is important for the system?

B. What is your opinion of the performance of the current system?
C. What are some of the problems you have with the system?
D. How do you think the system has helped your department?
E. What do you perceive to be the attitude of your subordinates regarding the
upgrade?
F. How do you view the impact of the department on the rest of the company?
2. Write a series of six open-ended questions that cover the subject of decision-making style for the

manager described in Problem 2.
Although these questions will vary greatly from student to student, some suggested examples
follow:
 What is the current decision-making style?

 What decision-making style do you feel would be optimal for your department?
 How will moving to a new decision-making style affect the department?
 What problems will be created when changing decision-making styles?
6. Examine the interview structure presented in the sequencing of the following questions:
1. How long have you been in this position?

2. What are your key responsibilities?
3. What reports do you receive?
4. How do you view the goals of your department?
5. How would you describe your decision-making process?
6. How can that process best be supported?
7. How frequently do you make those decisions?
8. Who is consulted when you make a decision?
9. What is the one decision you make that is essential to departmental functioning?
a. What structure is being used? How can you tell?

b. Restructure the interview by changing the sequence of the questions (you may omit some
if necessary). Label the reordered questions with the name of the structure you have
used.
a. A diamond-shaped structure is used. It begins in a specific way, expands the scope, and
finally comes to a specific conclusion.
b. New structure is funnel: Q5-Q6-Q4-Q3-Q2-Q1-Q7-Q8-Q9
Background information and history of the company, especially the interviewee’s, were
extraneous to the interview report.

7. The following is the first interview report filed by one of your systems analysis team members:
“In my opinion, the interview went very well. The subject allowed me to talk with him for an
hour and a half. He told me the whole history of the business, which was very interesting. The
subject also mentioned that things have not changed all that much since he has been with the
firm, which is about 16 years. We are meeting again soon to finish the interview, because we did
not have time to go into the questions I prepared.”
a. In two paragraphs, critique the interview report. What critical information is missing?
b. What information is extraneous to the interview report?
c. If what is reported actually occurred, what three suggestions do you have to help your
teammate conduct a better interview next time?
a. The interview did not go well. Objectives were not achieved.

The interview exceeded the one-hour limit. Prepared questions were not addressed.

b. The most flagrant example of extraneous information is the complete history of the firm.
This information should have been known before the interview began. Discussing it during
the interview wastes valuable time.
c. For the next interview, he should use closed questions and a pyramid structure. The
interviewer needs to establish control of the interview early on—dressing appropriately and
outlining the purpose of the interview.
8. Cab Wheeler is a newly hired systems analyst with your group. Cab has always felt that
questionnaires are a waste. Now that you will be doing a systems project for MegaTrucks, Inc., a
national trucking firm with branches and employees in 130 cities, you want to use a
questionnaire to elicit some opinions about the current and proposed systems.
a. Based on what you know about Cab and MegaTrucks, give three persuasive reasons why
he should use a survey for this study.
b. Given your careful arguments, Cab has agreed to use a questionnaire but strongly urges
that all questions be open-ended so as not to constrain the respondents. In a paragraph,
persuade Cab that closed questions are useful as well. Be sure to point out tradeoffs
involved with each question type.
a. Questionnaires should be used for this study because:
(1) It is an information-gathering technique that allows systems analysts to gather

attitudes, beliefs, and characteristics from several key people in the organization
who may be affected by the current and proposed system.
(2) It determines how widespread or limited a sentiment really is.
(3) It surveys a large sample of users to sense problems or raise important issues
before interviews are scheduled.
b. Closed questions are appropriate when surveying a large number of people and when a large
amount of data is to be collected.
The tradeoff is that open-ended questions can help the analyst gain rich, explanatory insights,
as well as breadth and depth of the topic. Although the questions can be written easily,
responses to them are time consuming and difficult to analyze.
9. “Every time we get consultants in here, they pass out some goofy questionnaire that has no
meaning to us at all. Why don’t they bother to personalize it, at least a little?” asks Ray Dient,
head of emergency systems. You are discussing the possibility of beginning a systems project with
Pohattan Power Company (PPC) of Far Meltway, New Jersey.
a. What steps will you follow to customize a standardized questionnaire?
b. What are the advantages of adapting a questionnaire to a particular organization? What
are the disadvantages?
a. Steps to follow to personalize a standardized questionnaire are:
(1) Rewrite the questions to reflect the business terminology and respondents’
language usage.
(2) Test some sample questions on a pilot group.
(3) Respondents are asked to pay particular attention to the appropriateness of the
wording, and be given the opportunity to change any wording which may be
inappropriate.
b. The advantages of adapting a questionnaire to a particular organization is that it will be

much more appropriate in context and thus be more effective. Some of the disadvantages
include the time involved to personalize it and the cost factor.
10. A sample question from the draft of the Pohattan Power Company questionnaire reads:
I have been with the company:

20 years or upward
10 to 15 years upward
5 to 10 years upward
Less than a year
Check one that most applies.
a. What kind of a scale is the question’s author using?

b. What errors have been made in the construction of the question, and what might be the
possible responses?
c. Rewrite the question to achieve clearer results.
d. Where should the question you’ve written appear on the questionnaire?
a. The scale used is ordinal (intervals are not equal).
b. Errors in the construction of the question are:

Missing intervals
No numbers at the side of the answers for respondents to circle
Instructions for a question should be given before the question is asked to avoid confusion
c. The question should be rewritten as:
1. I have been with the company (check one):
______less than 1 year

______1 to 5 years
______6 to 10 years
______11 to 15 years
______16 to 20 years
______more than 20 years
d. The question should appear at the end of the questionnaire.
11. Also included on the PPC questionnaire is this question:
When residential customers call, I always direct them to our website to get an
answer.
Sometimes Never Always Usually
1 2 3 4
a. What type of scale is this one intended to be?
b. Rewrite the question and possible responses to achieve better results.
a. It is intended to be an interval scale.
b. To achieve better results, it can be written:

How often do you direct residential customers to our website to get an answer when they
call?
NEVER ALWAYS
1 2 3 4 5
12. Figure 4.EX1 is a questionnaire designed by an employee of Green Toe Textiles, which
specializes in manufacturing men’s socks. Di Wooly wrote the questionnaire because, as the
office manager at headquarters in Juniper, Tennessee, she is concerned with the proposed
purchase and implementation of a new computer system.
a. Provide a one-sentence critique for each question given.
b. In a paragraph, critique the layout and style in terms of white space used, room for
responses, ease of responding, and so on.
a. All questions could be at least partially closed. Questions d and e are asking more than one
question with only a single question mark.
b. The “chatty” introduction may not be appropriate for introducing the new system. Di
should think more fully about her objectives for the survey. There is not enough space for
respondents to answer some of the questions.
13. Based on what you surmise Ms. Wooly is trying to get through the questionnaire, rewrite and
reorder the questions (use both open-ended and closed questions) so that they follow good
practice and result in useful information for the systems analysts. Indicate next to each question
that you write whether it is open-ended or closed, and write a sentence indicating why you have
written the question this way.
It is not at all clear that Di is asking questions necessary for systems analysis. Some of her
questions may be irrelevant. Additionally, there may be important concerns not being addressed.
The questions should be ordered so that less controversial questions do not appear initially.
Questions a, b, c, d (first question), e (first question), f, g, and h can all be written in a closed
format. These questions all deal with information that is well-understood enough so that open-
ended responses are unnecessary.
14. Redesign the questionnaire you created for Ms. Wooly in Problem 13 for use on email. Write a
paragraph saying what changes were necessary to accommodate users on email.
In addition to the points mentioned above, each space used by the respondent to write answers
should have an asterisk in the beginning and at the end of the line. Any answers that are simple yes
or no, or the user puts an X on a line, contain numbers which indicate a relative or absolute scale
of permissible values.
Question a and the first part of question h in Figure 6.EX1 could use a number line. Question f
could use an X over either VDT, printer, or both.
15. Redesign the questionnaire you created for Ms. Wooly in Problem 13 as a Web survey. Write a
paragraph saying what changes were necessary to accommodate users on the Web.
When designing a Web survey, the following controls should be used:
Question Control
a One line text box or drop-down menu
b One line text
c One line text
d (part 1) One line text
d (part 2) Scrolling text box
e (part 1) One line text
e (part 2) Scrolling text box
f Check box or three radio buttons
g One line text box or drop-down menu
h (part 1) One line text or drop-down menu
h (part 2) Scrolling text box
Group Projects
1. With your group members, role play a series of interviews with various system users at Maverick
Transport. Each member of your group should choose one of the following roles: company
president, information technology director, dispatcher, customer service agent, or truck driver.
Those group members playing roles of Maverick Transport employees should attempt to briefly
describe their job responsibilities, goals, and informational needs.
Remaining group members should play the roles of systems analysts and devise interview
questions for each employee. If there are enough people in your group, each analyst may be
assigned to interview a different employee. Those playing the roles of systems analysts should
work together to develop common questions that they will ask, as well as questions tailored to
each individual employee. Be sure to include open-ended, closed, and probing questions in your
interviews.
Maverick Transport is attempting to change from outdated and unreliable technology to more
state-of-the-art, dependable technology. The company is seeking to move from dumb terminals
attached to a mainframe because it wants to use PCs in some way, and is also interested in
investigating a satellite system for tracking freight and drivers. In addition, the company is
interested in pursuing ways to cut down on the immense storage requirements and difficult
access of the troublesome handwritten, multipart forms that accompany each shipment.
Questions will vary greatly from group to group. Some suggestions might be:
A. President
 How do you see the new system improving Maverick’s competitive edge?
 What areas need improvement and why?
 What new information do we need from the system (general, nonspecific information)?
 Who will be involved in the project?
 Are there any new corporate directives that will affect the project?
 Has a commitment been made to satellite technology?
B. Information Technology Director
 What are the goals of the new system?

 What is the time frame for development?
 Are we locked into using satellite technology?
 Has any of the new equipment been researched or purchased?
 Which applications are slated for computer development?
 What type of computer platform will be used: Windows or Mac?
 Will files exist on the mainframe and on computers?
 Will we be using a client-server technology?
 What computer language will be used for computer development?
 What computer database or file system will be used?
C. Dispatcher
 What is the current system in use for managing dispatching?

 How does the current system work?
 What is the flow of data and information through the current system?
 What information would you like to receive that the current system is not providing?
 How can the current system be changed to improve your position?
 How do you feel about changing the system and using newer technology?
D. Customer Service Agent
 What is the Customer System work?

 What is the flow of data and information through the current system?
 What information would you like to receive that the current system is not providing?
 How can the current system be changed to improve customer service?
 How do you feel about changing the system and using newer technology?
 Would you like to incorporate customer feedback on the new system, such as the forms
they fill out?
E. Truck Driver
 How do you interact with the current computer system?

 What are some of the problems with the forms that you use?
 How would you like to see the forms improved?
 What do you think about replacing the forms with some electronic equivalent?
 What else would you like a new system to provide for you?
Each list should have the question “Is there anything else that you’d like to cover that hasn’t been
asked?”
2. Conduct all five interviews in a role-playing exercise. If there are more than 10 people in your
group, permit two or more analysts to ask questions.
If the team is large enough, you might want to have one person act as an observer and make notes
on how the interviews went.
3. With your group, write a plan for a JAD session that takes the place of personal interviews.
Include relevant participants, suggested setting, and so on.
The JAD session should include all the employees interviewed in problem 1: the company
president, information technology director, dispatcher, customer service agent, and truck driver. It
should also include several analysts, observers, a scribe, and a session leader.
The setting should be a pleasant location, away from the company or from usual corporate
activities. Lunch may be provided.
Time should be allotted, such as Monday through Thursday, from 9 A.M. until 4:30 P.M.
Students may even attempt to make a suggested schedule, such as:
A. Introductions
B. Departmental and job responsibilities
C. Current system functions
D. Goals for each member
E. Individual topics for the new system, such as:
i) Shipping Form replacement

ii) Satellite Freight Tracking System
iii) Alternative storage methods
iv) Customer service needs
v) Dispatching systems
4. Using the interview data you gained from the group exercise on Maverick Transport in Project 1,
meet with your group to brainstorm the design of a questionnaire for the hundreds of truck
drivers that Maverick Transport employs. Recall that Maverick is interested in implementing a
satellite system for tracking freight and drivers. There are other systems that may affect the
drivers as well. As your group constructs the questionnaire, consider the drivers’ likely level of
education and any time constraints the drivers are under for completing such a form.
Some assumptions may be made about the truck drivers.
A. Their level of education probably averages a high school diploma plus diesel driving
school and perhaps a vocational degree in auto mechanics.
B. The truck drivers are most likely under time pressure to complete the form because they
would like to be delivering the goods and moving on.
C. The following are some sample questions that should be asked on the questionnaire in
regard to truckers’ opinions on the current and proposed system for tracking shipments:
Closed questions
i) How easy or difficult is it to use the freight tracking form?

ii) How much time is spent completing the form for each shipment?
iii) Would you be in favor of using a satellite tracking system and hand-held device
instead of the form?
iv) How comfortable are you with new technology?
v) How many shipments do you make a month?
Open-ended questions
i) What areas of the form are the most difficult to complete?

ii) What do you think would improve the usefulness of the form?
iii) Any other comments?
5. Using the interview data you gained from the group exercise on Maverick Transport in Project 1,
your group should meet to design an email or Web questionnaire for surveying the company’s 20
programmers (15 of whom have been hired in the past year) about their skills, ideas for new or
enhanced systems, and so on. Investigate the Web survey options available at surveymonkey.com.
As your group constructs the programmer survey, consider what you have learned about users in
the other interviews as well as what vision the director of information technology holds for the
company.
Student questionnaires will vary depending on the interview results. Some sample questions might
be:
Closed questions
A. How many years of programming experience have you had?

B. Which platform have you worked with (mainframe, midrange, personal computer)?
C. What computer languages are you familiar with?
D. Which personal computer languages are you familiar with?
E. How much systems analysis and design work have you done?
F. Which personal computer software packages are you familiar with?
G. Which personal computer operating systems have you worked with?
H. Which personal computer operating systems have you programmed applications for?
I. Which area of the company do your systems serve?
J. How comfortable are you with changing programming environments (platform, language,
database, and so on)?
Open-ended questions
A. What are your ideas for enhancement of existing systems?

B. What new systems do you feel should be investigated?
C. Which technology/platform should Maverick Transport be migrating toward?
D. What new software development tools should Maverick be exploring?
E. What methodology do you feel would work best with your users?
F. Any other comments?
The options available at surveymonkey.com are:
A. A large number of survey templates

B. Many different question types
C. Customized surveys including logos and themes
D. Multiple language support
E. Randomized or sorted question types
F. Tools to validate the survey responses
G. Saving the survey as a PDF
H. Collection tools
I. Tools to analyze the results
These features may change in the future.
Central Pacific University—Problems

The first three exercises refer to the interviews found in the CPU Case for Chapter 4.
1. Analyze the five interviews. In a paragraph, discuss what type of structure each interview had.
The interviews have the following structures:
a. Dot Matricks Funnel structure, many open-ended questions

b. Mike Crowe Funnel structure, starting with open-ended questions
c. Cher Ware Diamond structure, starting with details, then open-ended,
closing with more specific questions
d. Paige Prynter Pyramid structure
e. Hy Perteks Funnel structure
2. List each interview, 1 through 5, and then write a paragraph for each, discussing ways that Anna
might improve on her interviews for next time.
Interview 1, Dot Matricks: The interview is quite well done. She could have done more prompting
for some of the answers, to pick up more detail. It was rather brief on software. Dot is friendly and
may be approached in a more casual manner.
Interview 2, Mike Crowe: Mike uses technical terminology. Anna may want to request definitions.
The interview focuses almost entirely on preventive maintenance and should be expanded to cover
more of Mike’s specialty—personal computer repair.
Interview 3, Cher Ware: Cher rambles and needs to be directed. Often the answers are incomplete
and lack specific numbers. Anna needs to probe for further details.
Interview 4, Paige Prynter: Paige is quite formal. Her answers are short and may need to be probed
for more material. The question list is rather short.
Interview 5, Hy Perteks: This is a well-performed interview. She might have probed more into the
problems that they are experiencing, such as training.
3. Analyze the questions used in the five interviews. In a paragraph, discuss the question types used
and whether they were appropriate for getting needed information.
Question types varied over the full range. In the interviews with Dot and Hy, the use of open-ended
questions was appropriate. The respondents had meaningful and detailed responses.
The open-ended questions with Cher resulted in her rambling and adding unnecessary details that
were not relevant to the subject. More detailed questions and probing would be appropriate. Paige
and Mike gave short answers to questions. The questioning should have approached a more open-
ended type.
4. From the list of concerns presented earlier in this chapter, select the issues that would best be
phrased as closed questions.
Issues for closed questions:
Type of software package used

Level of software expertise
Difficulty learning new software packages
Understanding technical terminology
Need to know who else is using the same software
Installation problems
5. From the list of concerns, select the issues that would best be phrased as open-ended questions.
Issues for open-ended questions:
Version of the software used

Specialized departmental software
Problems experienced
Installation problems
Training needs of staff
6. On the basis of Exercises E-4 and E-5, design a questionnaire to be sent to the faculty and
research staff.
The solution for question 6 is on the next two pages.
7. Pilot your questionnaire by having other students in class fill it out. On the basis of their
feedback and your capability to analyze the data you receive, revise your questionnaire.
Piloting the questionnaire might be a good exercise to perform during the class period. A portion of
the time might be spent on completing the questionnaire and the remaining time on critiquing it.
The critique might be done as a presentation to the class by a systems team.
Alternatively, have the students take the questionnaire to other faculty members and have the
faculty complete it.
CENTRAL PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
SOFTWARE USAGE AND TRAINING QUESTIONNAIRE
Please complete this questionnaire and return it in the enclosed envelope. Your prompt response is
crucial in our attempt to provide better services and training. Thank you.
1. What is your position within the university?
 Faculty  Research  Support  Administration
2. Please indicate which software packages you are currently using or planning on using in the near
future.
Web Development
 Dreamweaver  Freeway Pro

 Other ___________________________________________
Which version of the software? ____________
Level of expertise:  Beginning  Intermediate  Advanced
Database
 Access  File Maker Pro

 Other ___________________________________________
Which version of the software? ____________
Operating system
 Windows XP  Windows Vista  Windows 7

 Macintosh  Unix/Linux  Virtualization
 Other ___________________________________________
Page 1

CENTRAL PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
SOFTWARE USAGE AND TRAINING QUESTIONNAIRE
3. Please list any specialized software that you are using or planning on acquiring in the near future.
_______________________________________________________ Version _______________
_______________________________________________________ Version _______________
_______________________________________________________ Version _______________
4. Please check the following categories of problems that you are experiencing when you are installing
software. Check all that apply.
 Terminology is excessively technical.

 Selecting nonstandard features was difficult or confusing.
 Software package did not present clear instructions during the installation procedure.
 Hardware problems that prevented the installation from completing successfully. (Memory, hard
drive space, etc.)
 Software manuals were not clear, procedure was difficult to understand.
 Network problems
 Other (please elaborate)
5. What level of difficulty did you experience when trying to understand how to use the software?
 Easy to use  Some difficulty  Extreme problems
6. Please list some of the problems encountered when learning how to use the software.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
7. Please list the software packages that you would like to receive training for. Indicate the level of
training.
_____________________________ Beginning  Intermediate Advanced
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Chapter 4 Systems Analysis and Design Instructor’s Manual 4-1

2. Interviewing is an important method for collecting data on information system requirements, as

3. Interviewing reveals goals, feelings, opinions, and informal procedures.

4. Five steps in planning the interview are:

A. Reading background material

5. There are two basic types of interview questions: open-ended or closed.

6. Probes are used to obtain additional information.

11. JAD may be used when:

A. Users are restless and want something new.

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

17. There are two different forms of measurement scales:

18. Questionnaires must be valid and reliable.

21. Controls (or fields) used on Web forms are:

A. Single line text box

22. Methods of administering the questionnaire include:

A. Convening all concerned respondents together at one time

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Strengthening Your Question Type

Consulting Opportunity 4.2 (p. 111)

Start with questions like:

“Describe the current system for production control.”

Move to more specific questions, such as:

Consulting Opportunity 4.3 (p. 115)

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

Consulting Opportunities 4.4 (p. 119)

Consulting Opportunity 4.5 (p. 122)

HyperCase Experience 4.1

Copyright © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.

interview for examples.

Open-ended: “Before we finish, do you have any other comments?”

Name Open Ended Closed

Corazon Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6

Donaldson Q2, Q4, Q5 Q3

Evans Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5

Hill Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7

Ketcham Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5

Lin Q1, Q3, Q4 Q2, Q5

McGuigan Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6, Q7 Q8, Q9

Rabin Q2, Q4 Q1, Q3, Q5

Sherman Q2, Q4, Q5 Q1, Q3, Q6, Q7

Smith Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5

Taylor Q2 Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6

Silver Q2, Q5, Q7, Q8 Q3, Q4, Q6

Some of the probing questions are:

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Some of the probing questions are:

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HyperCase Experience 4.2

Answers to Review Questions

2. List the five steps in interview preparation.

The five steps in interview preparation are:

(a) Reading background material

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(a) Putting the interviewee at ease

The five drawbacks include:

4. When are open-ended questions appropriate for use in interviewing?

(a) Saving interview time

Four drawbacks of closed interview questions include:

(a) Being boring for the interviewee

6. When are closed questions appropriate for use in interviewing?

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8. Define what is meant by pyramid structure. When is it useful to employ it in interviews?

9. Define what is meant by funnel structure. When is it useful to employ it in interviews?