Investigation Techniques
Introduction
Investigation techniques are crucial in business analysis for understanding the current situation,
identifying issues, and developing solutions. These techniques help gather relevant information,
ensuring that decision-making is based on a comprehensive understanding of the business
environment. This chapter explores various investigation techniques, their applications, and how
they support analysis in business contexts.
Prior Research
Prior research involves reviewing existing data, reports, and documentation to understand the
problem space before applying other investigation techniques. It serves as a foundation, giving
analysts context on the business environment, industry standards, past projects, and historical
performance. This step is essential for forming hypotheses and guiding the selection of further
investigation methods.
Investigation Techniques
1. Interviews
Interviews are a widely used investigation technique where analysts engage stakeholders directly
to gather insights. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, depending on
the depth of information needed.
Advantages:
Personalized interaction allows in-depth exploration of issues.
Clarifies complex problems through follow-up questions.
Disadvantages:
Time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Stakeholders may provide biased or incomplete information.
Key steps for effective interviews:
Prepare clear questions tailored to the interviewee’s expertise.
Create a comfortable environment to encourage open communication.
Summarize findings and confirm interpretations with the interviewee.
2. Observation
Observation involves watching stakeholders perform their day-to-day tasks to gain insights into
the processes and workflows. It can be overt (where participants know they are being observed)
or covert (where they do not).
Advantages:
Provides real-world insights into actual processes.
Identifies inefficiencies and bottlenecks that may not be reported.
Disadvantages:
Observer bias may affect findings.
Stakeholders may alter behavior if they are aware of being observed.
Key steps for effective observation:
Choose the appropriate level of involvement (participant vs. non-participant).
Record observations systematically, including any unexpected occurrences.
Compare observations with self-reported information from interviews.
3. Workshops
Workshops are collaborative sessions where multiple stakeholders come together to discuss
issues, brainstorm solutions, and clarify requirements.
Advantages:
Facilitates group consensus and alignment on key issues.
Encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives and ideas.
Disadvantages:
Group dynamics can hinder participation from quieter individuals.
Requires careful facilitation to keep discussions on track.
Key steps for effective workshops:
Define clear objectives and share them with participants beforehand.
Use structured activities, such as brainstorming or group discussions, to engage all
participants.
Capture outputs through documentation and share them for feedback.
4. Scenarios
Scenarios are narrative descriptions of how users interact with a system or process, often used to
understand user needs and requirements in specific contexts.
Advantages:
Makes abstract requirements more concrete and relatable.
Helps stakeholders visualize potential solutions.
Disadvantages:
May oversimplify complex processes or fail to capture all variations.
Key steps for effective scenario creation:
Define key personas and their goals.
Develop detailed narratives that illustrate how these personas interact with the system.
Validate scenarios with stakeholders to ensure they reflect real-world use cases.
5. User Analysis
User analysis involves understanding the needs, behaviors, and motivations of end-users. This
analysis ensures that solutions are designed with user preferences in mind.
Advantages:
Focuses on the user experience, leading to more user-friendly solutions.
Identifies unmet needs that may not be evident from other techniques.
Disadvantages:
Requires extensive data collection and analysis.
May overlook broader organizational needs in favor of user-focused solutions.
Key steps for effective user analysis:
Conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups with representative users.
Analyze user personas, pain points, and goals.
Prioritize user needs alongside business objectives.
6. Prototyping
Prototyping involves creating a preliminary model of a solution to test and refine ideas before
full development.
Advantages:
Allows early detection of design flaws and usability issues.
Provides tangible feedback opportunities for stakeholders.
Disadvantages:
Can be costly and time-consuming if done too early in the process.
Key steps for effective prototyping:
Define the prototype’s scope (low-fidelity vs. high-fidelity).
Test the prototype with users and gather feedback.
Iterate and refine the prototype based on findings.
7. Quantitative Approaches
Quantitative approaches involve gathering numerical data through methods such as surveys,
metrics analysis, and performance tracking.
Advantages:
Provides objective, measurable insights.
Allows for statistical analysis to validate findings.
Disadvantages:
May overlook qualitative factors such as stakeholder sentiment.
Requires careful data interpretation to avoid misrepresentation.
Key steps for effective quantitative analysis:
Define key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to the investigation.
Collect data from reliable sources and analyze trends.
Compare quantitative findings with qualitative insights to form a comprehensive view.
Suitability of Techniques
The suitability of investigation techniques depends on the business context, the complexity of the
problem, and the resources available. Each technique has its strengths and is most effective when
combined with others to create a holistic understanding. For example, interviews and
observations may provide insights that workshops alone cannot, and prototyping can validate
findings from user analysis.
Documenting the Current Situation
Once investigation techniques are applied, the next step is to document the findings
systematically. A clear, accurate account of the current situation allows stakeholders to
understand the issues and opportunities, creating a foundation for proposing solutions.
Documentation should include:
A detailed account of processes and workflows.
Key findings from each investigation technique.
Identified pain points and areas for improvement.
Summary
Investigation techniques are critical in business analysis for understanding the current situation,
diagnosing issues, and informing decision-making. Techniques like interviews, observation,
workshops, and prototyping provide both qualitative and quantitative insights, supporting a
comprehensive analysis. Combining multiple approaches ensures a well-rounded understanding,
guiding effective solutions tailored to business and user needs.
