REQUIREMENTS

DETERMINATIO
N
 LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Describe the process of Contruct interview

interview to determine questions to ilicit
system requirements human requirements.

01 03 05

COMPARE DESCRIBE DEVELOP CONSTRUCT CONDUCT

02 04
Compare the Develop system Conduct interview to
information gathering requirement determine the business
techniques definitions. process
2
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Create and design

an effective
questionnaire;

06 08
CREATE AND
PARTICIPATE ACT
DESIGN

Participate in and
07
Act ethically in
help plan a Joint responding to
Application Design common workplace
session; situations. 3
“ Analysis refers to breaking a
whole into its parts with the
intent of understanding the
parts’ nature, function, and
interrelationships.

4
 The Analysis Phase

▰ In the analysis phase, the systems analyst works extensively with the business
users of the new system to understand their needs from the new system.

▰ The basic process of analysis involves three steps:

▻ Understand the existing situation (the as-is system).

▻ Identify improvements.

▻ Define requirements for the new system (the to-be system)

5
 The Analysis Phase

▰ Critical thinking is the ability to recognize strengths and weaknesses and

recast an idea in an improved form.

▰ These skills are essential in examining the results of requirements discovery

and translating those requirements into a concept for the new system.

6
 SYSTEM
PROPOSAL
compiles the detailed requirements definition statement, use
cases, process models, and data model together with a revised
feasibility analysis and work plan. 7
 REQUIREMENT DETERMINATION

▰ Requirement’s determination is performed to transform the system

request’s high-level statement of business requirements into a more
detailed, precise list of what the new system must do to provide the
needed value to the business.

▰ This detailed list of requirements is supported, confirmed, and clarified

by the other activities of the analysis phase: creating use cases,
building process models, and building a data model.
8
 REQUIREMENTS
A requirement is simply a statement of
what the system must do or what
characteristics it needs to have.
Back 9
 During a systems development project,
requirements will be created that describe

BUSINESS
REQUIREM NONFUNCTIONAL
ENT REQUIREMENTS
what the characteristics the
business needs system should have

USER SYSTEM
REQUIREME FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT
NTS REQUIREMEN S
how the system
what the users TS
what the software should be built
need to do should do
ba10
 EXAMPLE OF BUSINESS
REQUIREMENTS
Improve responsiveness
Increase market Shorten order to customer service
share processing time requests
Reduce customer
service cost

Provide account
access to mobile
customers 11
Requirements are written from the
perspective of the business and focus

WHAT
the system needs to do in order to satisfy
business user needs
12
 USER REQUIREMENTS

Re-order
inventory
Place a new
Schedule a client customer order
appointment

Determine Look up account

available credit balances 13
 WHAT user
By understanding

needs to do
in terms of tasks to perform the analyst can then
determine ways in which the new system can
support the users’ needs.
14
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

A process the system has to perform as a part of

supporting a user task and/or information it needs to
provide as the user is performing a task.

15
“ the product capabilities,
or things that a product
must do for its users

16
 Schedule A Select desired
Client appointment
Determine client
availability Appointme Record
nt appointment
Find available
openings Confirm
matching client appointment
availability
17
 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Process the system must

Information the system
do
must contain
• The system must allow
• The system must retain
customers to review their
customer history for
own order history
three years
INFORMATI • The system must check
• The system must PROCESS
ON incoming customer orders
include real-time ORIENTED
ORIENTED for inventory availability
inventory levels at all
warehouses. • The system should allow
• students to view a course
The system must
schedule while registering
include budgeted and
for classes
actual sales and
expense amount for
current year and three
previous years. 18
“ Process models are used to explain the
relationship of functions/ processes to the system
users, how the functions/processes relate to each
other, how data is entered and produced by
functions/processes, and how functions/processes
create and use stored data.

19
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Requirements in the design phase reflect the developer’s

perspective, and they usually are called system
requirements.
▰ focus on describing how to create the software
product that will be produced from the project.
20
The important thing to remember is that a requirement is

A STATEMENT OF
WHAT A SYSTEM
MUST DO
21
NONFUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

▰ this requirement category includes important behavioral

properties that the system must have, such as performance and
usability
▰ primarily used in the design phase when decisions are made
about the user interface, the hardware and software, and the
system’s underlying architecture
22
“ the quality attributes, design,
and implementation
constraints, and external
interfaces which a product must
have

23
 NONFUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The speed,
The physical and OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE capacity, and
technical environment reliability of the
in which the system system
will operate

CHARACTERISTICS
Cultural and political
factors and legal
Who has authorized requirements that
access to the system affect the system
under what CULTURAL &
circumstances SECURITY POLITICAL

24
 THE PROCESS OF
DETERMINING
REQUIREMENTS
It is important that the team carefully considers
the underlying business process and how best
to support that business process with
information system technology.
25
THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING
REQUIREMENTS

BUSINESS ANALYST
PEOPLE

26
 BEWARE:
The evolution of the requirements definition must be
carefully managed.

Keeping the requirements list tight and focused is a

key to project success.

The project team cannot keep adding new items to

the requirements definition.
the project team carefully identifies requirements
and evaluates which ones fit within the system
scope. 27
 THE REQUIREMENT DEFINITION
STATEMENT

▰ usually just called the requirements definition—is a straightforward

text report that simply lists the functional and nonfunctional
requirements in an outline format
▰ requirements are prioritized on the requirements definition statement
▰ purpose of the requirements definition is to provide a clear statement
of what the new system should do in order to achieve the system
vision described in the system request
28
 REQUIREMENT
ELICITATION
TECHNIQUES
Collection of information is at
the core of systems analysis.
29
Five most used requirements elicitation
techniques:

Interview

JAD Session

Questionnaire

Document
Analysis

Observation
30
INTERVIEW
 INTERVIEW

SELECTIN DESIGNIN PREPARIN CONDUCTI POST-

G G G NG INTERVIE
INTERVIE INTERVIE FOR THE THE W
WEE W INTERVIE INTERVIE
QUESTION W W
01 02S 03 04 05

32
01 SELECTING INTERVIEWEE

▰ An interview schedule should be created, listing who will be

interviewed, the purpose of the interview, and where and when it will
take place.
▰ The people who appear on the interview schedule are selected on the
basis of the analyst’s information needs.
▰ These people are listed on the interview schedule in the order in
which they should be interviewed.
33
01 SELECTING INTERVIEWEE

▰ People at different levels of the organization will have different

viewpoints on the system, so it is important to include both
managers who manage the processes and staff who actually
perform the processes to gain both high-level and low-level
perspectives on an issue.

34
02 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

▰ There are three main question types to construct your

interview:
▰ Closed Questions
▰ Open-ended Questions
▰ Probing Questions

35
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Closed Questions

▰ require specific answers

▰ limit the respondent’s options
▰ used when the analyst is looking for specific, precise
information

36
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Closed Questions - Examples
▰ How many times a week is the project repository updated?
▰ On average, how many calls does the call center receive monthly?
▰ List your top two priorities for improving the technology
infrastructure.
▰ Who receives this input?
▰ Do you use the Web to provide information to vendors?
▰ Do you agree or disagree that ecommerce on the Web lacks security?
▰ Do you want to receive a printout of your account status every
37
month?
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Closed Questions

▰ BENEFITS
▰ DRAWBACKS
 Easily comparing interviews
 Boring for the interviewee
 Getting to the point
 Failing to obtain rich detail
 Keeping control over the
 Failing to address the main ideas for
interview
the preceding reason
 Covering lots of ground
 Failing to build rapport between
quickly
interviewer and interviewee
 Getting to relevant data
38
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Open – Ended Questions

▰ “Open” describes the interviewee’s options for

responding
▰ leave room for elaboration on the part of the interviewee
▰ designed to gather rich information and give the
interviewee more control over the information

39
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Open-Ended Questions Examples

▰ What are the critical objectives of your department?

▰ Once the data are submitted via the Web site, how are they processed?
▰ Describe the monitoring process that is available online.
▰ What are some of the common data entry errors made in this department?
▰ What are the biggest frustrations you’ve experienced during the transition to
ecommerce?
▰ What do you think about putting all the managers on an intranet?
▰ Please explain how you make a scheduling decision 40
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Open-Ended Questions - Benefits

▰ Putting the interviewee at ease

▰ Allowing the interviewer to pick up on the interviewee’s vocabularyProviding
richness of detail
▰ Revealing avenues of further questioning
▰ Making the interview more interesting for the interviewee
▰ Allowing more spontaneity
▰ Making phrasing easier for the interviewer
41
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Open-Ended Questions - Drawbacks

▰ Asking questions that may result in too much irrelevant detail

▰ Possibly losing control of the interview
▰ Allowing responses that may take too much time for useful information gained
▰ Potentially seeming that the interviewer is unprepared
▰ Possibly giving the impression that the interviewer is on a “fishing expedition,”
with no real objective for the interview

42
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Probing Questions

▰ follow up on what has just been discussed

▰ to go beyond the initial answer to get more meaning, to clarify,
and to draw out and expand on the interviewee’s point
▰ expand on or to confirm information from a previous response
▰ Probes may be either open-ended or closed questions

43
 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
02 Probing Questions Examples

▰ “Why?”
▰ “Please provide an example of a time you did not find the system trustworthy.”
▰ “Please elaborate on that for me.”
▰ Please give an illustration of the security problems you are experiencing with your online
bill payment system.
▰ You mentioned both an intranet and an extranet solution. Please give an example of how
you think each differs.
▰ What makes you feel that way?
▰ Tell me step by step what happens after a customer clicks the “Submit” button on the Web
registration form 44
 POINTS TO PONDER:
You should not ask questions about information that is
readily available from other sources.

Your interview questions should anticipate the type

of information the interviewee is likely to know.

Avoid confounding your interviewees with questions

outside their areas of knowledge.
45
02 DESIGNING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

▰ There are approaches to organizing interview questions:

▰ Pyramid Structure (Inductive organization of interview questions)
▰ Funnel Structure (deductive approach)
▰ Diamond-Shaped Structure (combination of the pyramid and funnel)

Example of Interview
Format 46
03 PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW

▰ Plan the interview.

▻ Prepare the interviewee: appointment, priming questions
▻ Prepare the agenda, checklist and questions

47
04 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

▰ Starting the interview

 build rapport with the interviewee to gain trust
 be professional and an unbiased
 interview should start with an explanation of why you are there
and why you have chosen to interview the person

48
04 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

▰ During the Interview

 understand the issues that are discussed
 Don’t be afraid to ask, “dumb questions,”
 recognize and define and clarify jargon
 summarize the key points that the interviewee is communicating
 listen carefully and take notes

49
04 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

▰ During the Interview

 avoids misunderstandings
 separate facts from opinion
 give the interviewee time to ask questions or provide
information that he or she thinks is important

50
04 CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

▰ Ending the Interview

 make sure that the interview ends on time
 briefly explain what will happen next

51
05 POST-INTERVIEW FOLLOW UP

▰ prepare an interview report that describes the information from the

interview
▻ contains interview notes, information that was collected over the
course of the interview and is summarized in a useful format
▻ interview report should be written within 48 hours

52
 DEVELOPING
INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS
Interpersonal skills are those
that enable you to develop
rapport with others, and they are
very important for interviewing.
53
INTERPERSONAL SKILL TIPS

Be Honest.

Be succint.

Summarize Key points

Pay attention. Watc

hb o dy l
angu
age.
Don’t Worry. Be Happy. 54
JAD SESSION
“ An information gathering technique
that allows the project team, users,
and management to work through a
succession of collaborative meetings
to identify requirements for the
system.

56
 JAD SESSION

▰ bring together the key users, managers, and systems analysts

involved in the analysis of a current system
▰ follows a particular structure of roles and agenda
▰ primary purpose of using JAD in the analysis phase is to collect
systems requirements simultaneously from the key people involved
with the system

57
 JAD SESSION - Typical Participants

Job Session Leader Users Manager Sponsor

JOB TITLE JOB TITLE JOB TITLE JOB TITLE

Organizes and run the JAD; Sets
the agenda and sees that it is
met; neutral on issues; keep the
group on the agenda, resolving
conflicts and soliciting ideas.
Ones who have a clear
understanding of what it mean
to use the system in daily
basis
Provide insight into new As a major undertaking due to its
organizational directions, expense, a JAD must be sponsored by
motivations for and someone at a relatively high level in
organizational impacts of the company. If the sponsor attends
systems, and support for any sessions, it is usually only at the
requirements determined very beginning or the end
during the JAD 58
JAD SESSION - Typical Participants
System Analyst
JOB TITLE
Members of the systems
analysis team attend the JAD,
actual participation may be
limited. Analysts are there to
learn from users and managers,
not to run or dominate the
process.
Scribe
JOB TITLE
Take notes during the JAD
session. Notes may be taken
using a word processor, or
notes and diagrams may be
entered directly into a CASE
tool.
IS Staff
JOB TITLE
Programmers, database
analysts, IS planners, and
data center personnel;
contribute t ideas on the
technical feasibility of
proposed ideas or the
technical limitations of
current systems
59
JAD Session - Meeting Room

60
DESIGNING THE
QUESTIONNAIRE
“ An information-gathering technique that
allows systems analysts to study attitudes,
beliefs, behavior, and characteristics of
several key people in the organization who
may be affected by the current and proposed
systems.

62
 DESIGNING A QUESTIONNAIRE

▰ Attitudes are what people in the organization say they want (in a new system,
for instance); beliefs are what people think is actually true; behavior is what
organizational members do; and characteristics are properties of people or
things.
▰ Responses gained through questionnaires (also called surveys) using closed
questions can be quantified.
▰ Responses to questionnaires using open-ended questions are analyzed and
interpreted in other ways.
63
 DESIGNING A QUESTIONNAIRE

▰ determine how widespread or limited a sentiment expressed in an interview

really is
▰ survey a large sample of system users to sense problems or raise important
issues before interviews are scheduled

64
DESIGNING A QUESTIONNAIRE
Planning the Use of Questionnaire

1 2 3 4

The people you wish to be certain

A large number doing an
need to that any problems
of people are exploratory with the current
question are involved in the study and want system are identified
widely systems project to gauge and addressed in
dispersed overall opinion follow-up interviews

65
 DESIGNING A QUESTIONNAIRE
Writing Questions

▰ interviewing permits interaction between the questions and their meanings

▰ an interview, the analyst has an opportunity to refine a question, define a
muddy term, change the course of questioning, respond to a puzzled look,
and generally control the context
▰ questions must be transparently clear, the flow of the questionnaire
cogent, the respondent’s questions anticipated, and the administration of
the questionnaire planned in detail
66
DOCUMENT
ANALYSIS
“ An information-gathering technique to
understand the as-is system by reviewing
the documentation and examining the
system itself.

68
 DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

▰ There are many helpful documents that do exist in the organization:

 paper reports, memorandums, policy manuals,
 user training manuals, organization charts, and forms.
 Problems with the existing system
 Rules for processing data
 Reasons for current system design
 Values of the organization
69
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS

FORMAL INFORMAL
SYSTEMS SYSTEMS

the official way a the way in which

system works as the organization
described in actually works
organizational (i.e interviews,
documentation observation)
(i.e work
procedure)

70
OBSERVARTION
“
The act of watching processes being
performed, is a powerful tool to gain
insight into the as-is system.

72
 OBSERVATION

▰ enables the analyst to see the reality of a situation

▰ check the validity of information gathered from other sources
▰ used to supplement interview information

73
 SELECTING APPROPRIATE TECHNIQUE

TYPE OF INFORMATION DEPTH OF INFORMATION

BREADTH OF INTEGRATION OF
INFORMATION INFORMATION

USER INVOLVEMENT COST

74
 REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS STRATEGIES

Activity Elimination
Problem Analysis

Root Cause Analysis

Technology Analysis

Duration Analysis
Outcome Analysis
Activity-Based Costing
Informal Benchmarking

75
THANKS!
Any questions?

76
 YOUR TURN: Interview Practice

Interviewing is not as simple as it first appears. Select a

topic and demonstrate an interview. Have one person be the
interviewer, and the other the interviewee. The interviewer
should conduct a 5-minute interview.
77
 YOUR TURN: Interview Practice

QUESTIONS:

▰ Describe the body language of the interview pair.

▰ What kind of interview was conducted?

▰ What kinds of questions were asked?

▰ What was done well?

▰ How could the interview be improved?

78
 YOUR TURN: JAD Practice

Create a 3-5 minutes video presentation that executes JAD Session.

Pick one person in each group to be the JAD facilitator. Using a
blackboard, whiteboard, or flip chart, gather information about how
the group performs some process (e.g., working on a class
assignment, paying bills, getting to class).
79
 YOUR TURN: JAD Practice

QUESTIONS:

▰ How did the JAD session go?

▰ Based on your experience, what are some pros and cons of using JAD in a real
organization?

80
 YOUR TURN: Questionnaire
Practice

Develop a short questionnaire to collect information about the

frequency in which group members perform some process (e.g.,
working on a class assignment, paying bills, getting to class), how
long it takes them, how they feel about the process, and opportunities
for improving the process. Ask someone to critic your questionnaire.
81
 YOUR TURN: Questionnaire
Practice

QUESTIONS:

▰ How did the edited questionnaire differ from the one you created?

▰ What are the strengths of your questionnaire?

▰ How would you analyze the survey results if you had received 50 responses?

▰ What would you change about the questionnaire that you developed?

82
 YOUR TURN: Observation
Practice
Visit an establishment and observe they do their process
(Example, the library at your college or university and observe
how the book check-out process occurs) . Prepare a brief
summary report of your observations. When you return to class,
share your observations with others. (Document your
observation by capturing a video) 83
 YOUR TURN: Observation
Practice

QUESTIONS:
▰ Can you collect all the information needed using observation?
Why
▰ How would the information be different had you used the
interview or JAD technique
84