One traditional way of determining system requirements during analysis is interviewing.
This involves talking to with users about current or potential systems to establish needs.
These interviews can be done individually or in a group setting. Conducting interviews in a
group setting may allow you to see requirements from multiple sides at once, since users
can agree/disagree with each other in a group setting in real time. A contemporary
technique is prototyping. Prototyping can be used to gather user requirements and present
them a working system prototype. This can allow users to test the sample system and
analysts can then adjust the prototype to properly fit the user’s needs .A radical method of
determining system requirements is business process reengineering (BPR). BPR is the
search for and implementation of radical changes. BPR can provide radical improvements
in speed, quality, and customer satisfaction. Which method of analysis to use to determine
system requirements can depend on the project size or complexity, or the customers
personal preferences. A traditional technique for the determination of systems requirements
during analysis is interviewing. When an interview is conducted, a researcher or analyst is
helped to collect information from interviewees regarding the information systems needs of
the users. This method is useful when detailed insight into the system requirements is
needed. A drawback of the interviewing technique is that it is time-consuming and can
increase the duration of the information systems project. It can be used when the needs of
the users might vary. A contemporary technique for determining systems requirements
during analysis is called prototyping. The prototyping method can be used for capturing
user requirements and then presenting them as a working system prototype. It is most useful
when users need to get involved in the design process and ascertain whether it is aligned
with their needs or not . A drawback of the technique is the absence of a methodical
process. It is possible to ascertain whether to use the technique or not if users find it
difficult to specify their exact requirements. Process modelling is a radical technique for
determining systems requirements during analysis. It involves a graphical representation of
the process, which can be used to get better clarity into system needs .A drawback of the
technique is the risk relating to excess analysis. The decision to use the technique depends
on the need to understand the existing system. One traditional way of gathering and
documenting requirements is through a use case. A use case is textual description of a user
(an actor) using or interacting with a system. We establish a goal -- what the user wishes to
accomplish and write out the steps (scenario) in which the user will perform actions to
accomplish the goal. We can also document pre-conditions and post-conditions, which
describe what must happen before the scenario can begin and the conditions that follow
upon the scenario completing. This is a time-tested means for requirements as old as system
development itself. Every organization will need to determine what kind of techniques are
best suited for them. In order to pick the approbate techniques for their new system
projects, they need to factor in their key characteristics and values that must meet with the
techniques. These techniques have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to
selecting. The advantage of using the traditional techniques is that it gives a structured
approach to development of the project. which means it will lay out the steps in order and
meet all the requirements and all the stakeholders are involved. Most organizations are
familiar with these techniques so they can utilize more effectively and in a controlled
manner. Once an organization have a clear understanding of problem and the requirements
will be the most beneficial technique to employ. And of course, this might take more time
and lots of documentation which can be helpful for future references. The advantage of
contemporary technique is that is user cantered focused which means this will put a strong
emphasize on user requirements and their needs. With these techniques it also fosters more
collaboration between users, stakeholders and other teams to meet all the requirements. This
technique can adapt to any situations by quickly develop prototypes and test any issues in
which they get feedback. The Radical technique is faster way for determine the
requirements with new innovation and experiments. With this approach developers can
come up with quick solutions and get quick feedback to reduce time and cost. This
technique is also emphasized on user involvement which can create effect solutions. Based
on all these techniques, I would use traditional if I know what my problem is and I have the
solution that will solve everything. This type of method is for organizations that needs more
faster functional requirements to meet their functional requirement. For contemporary
techniques is for organizations that are more user orient system. Their goals is how to
improve the user interface for better system. The radical techniques is much faster approach
in my opinion because it allows the organization to get a quick feedback in order to
improve the system for real world. By using this method, organizations can solve problems
during the development and improve based on the feedback. All these techniques work
great in right situations depending on the organizations goals and values. A traditional way
of gathering information is by interviewing. It is a really common process analysts use, but
it is quite time consuming to interview large amounts of people. Although time consuming,
an advantage it is more tailored than let's say a survey sent out to everyone. In the interview
process, other questions come up and more details are recorded. Interviews would be
recommended when the topic of the interview isn't so black and white, but maybe has a lot
of gray area. A contemporary method, Joint Development Application (JAD), is a common
business analysis technique. JAD is a process that involves the client to design and develop
computer-based systems. Some advantages include lower risks, better software with
minimal errors, accelerated process and lower costs. Some disadvantages could arise from
different opinions and time issues. JAD would be good to use when a client is looking for
something new and unique. Finally, Business process reengineering methodology, a radical
process, is defined as a process that takes areas important to a customer and rethinks and
redesigns to achieve a dramatic improvement. This allows a business to focus on customer
needs or whatever else they deem important. It also can get rid of unnecessary activities.
Disadvantages can be that it isn't good for every business and other department could end
up suffering from the "improvements" in other areas. One tradition way is for finding the
system requirements is ask someone that has ready done a similar project before. This is
effective and can save a lot of time. A more contemporary style would be to ask AI or some
other sort of learning system to do it for you. This will eliminate human error. A more
radical process would be get a bunch of options and put them in a hat and choose from the
drawing of the hat. This obviously is the least recommend option. The drawbacks of asking
someone else is that their ideas may not be exactly what you’re looking for and probably
wouldn’t for the project. The drawback of using AI is that although you wouldn’t have
human error, you would just take on computer error. Lastly, the hat idea isn’t good because
you would have to come up with the ideas first, and then add them to the hat. I think the AI
choice is the best one. Modern times require modern solutions and thinking outside the box
seems to have been the best method for all human history. Analysts use system
requirements determination to understand current problems and opportunities and what is
needed and desired in future systems. Typically, the current way of doing things greatly
impacts the new system. In some organizations, though, management seeks new ways to
perform everyday tasks. These ways may be radically different from how things are done
now, but the payoffs may be enormous: Fewer people may be needed to do the same work;
relationships with customers may improve dramatically; and processes may become much
more efficient and effective, all of which can result in increased profits. The overall process
by which current methods are replaced with radically new methods is referred to as
business process reengineering (BPR). To better understand BPR, consider the following
analogy. Suppose you are a successful European golfer who has tuned your game to fit the
style of golf courses and weather in Europe. You have learned how to control the ball's
flight in heavy winds, roll the ball on wide-open greens, put on large and undulating greens,
and aim at a target without the aid of the landscaping common on North American courses.
However,BPR advocates suggest that radical increases in the quality of business processes
can be achieved through creatively applying information technologies. BPR advocates also
suggest that radical improvement cannot be achieved by making minor changes in existing
processes but by using a clean sheet of paper and asking, "If we were a new organization,
how would we accomplish this activity?" Changing how work is performed also changes
how information is shared and stored, which means that the results of many BPR efforts are
the development of information system maintenance requests or requests for system
replacement. Interviewing is one of the traditional ways analysts can gather information
about an IS project. The advantages are that an interview is flexible, it can offer a better
opportunity to evaluate the validity of the information that is gathered, and it can be an
effective technique for eliciting information about a complex subject. Some disadvantages
are that it can have a long preparation time and take a lot of time and money to
conduct.Joint Development Application (JAD), a contemporary method, is a very common
technique in the business analysis world. It brings system developers and users together in
a productive and creative environment through a structured approach that involves
discussion groups with the goal of obtaining requirements and specifications. The
advantages are that it allows you to resolve difficulties simply and produce better, joint
collaboration between the company and clients lower risks, reduces costs and time needed
for project development, and has well-defined requirements to improve system
requirements. Some disadvantages are that different opinions within the team can make it
difficult and depending on the size of the project it may require a large time
commitment.Business process reengineering methodology, a radical methodology, involves
the radical redesign of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in
productivity, cycle times, and quality. The advantages are that it gives an appropriate focus
to business as it revolves around customer needs, it helps in building a strategic view of
operational procedures by making radical inquiries about how processes are improved and
how things could be done, it eliminates unnecessary activities and thereby helps in reducing
organizational complexity. Some disadvantages are that it doesn't suit every business need
as it depends on factors like size and availability of resources, and in some cases, the
efficiency of one department is improved at the expense of the overall process. There are
some pros and cons when it comes to a traditional, contemporary, and radical technique
when determining systems requirements during analysis. For a traditional approach, I think
interviewing is great to collect data about an information frameworks project. In the
beginning stages in a project, an interviewer would use a lot of time and effort talking to
individuals about their work. A disadvantage is that it would take a lot of time and
planning. However, interviewing can be an advantage because it is an adaptable tool. It
could be used to find key issues by looking for opinions individuals like being met. This
technique would be great to use when you are looking for feedback and direct interaction
with an interviewee. A contemporary technique could be use is the Joint Development
Application (JAD). This is a typical method in business examination environment. This
brings clients and system developers together in an organized methodology that includes
discussion groups with the objective to acquire necessities and determinations. A
disadvantage is that various beliefs inside the group make it hard to adjust objectives.
However, JAD permits you to resolve difficulties more simply and produce better software.
I would use this technique when the organizational culture underpins joint critical thinking
practices among various degrees of employees.As for the radical technique, I would
consider the Business process re-engineering (BPR) methodology. An advantage of this is
that it gives proper concentration to a business as it rotates around client needs. A
disadvantage is that it does not exactly suit each business need as it relies upon factors like
size and accessibility of assets. I would use this technique when companies need to break
the mold and turn the tables in order to accomplish ambitious goals. There are several
factors to consider for each IS project to consider which technique(s) to employ during the
determination of systems requirements for the analysis phase. One may use a more
traditional approach such as interviewing everyone from the users on up to the stakeholders
to determine system requirements, but the drawback is the time and need for interpersonal
skills and organizational meetings. The more contemporary approach is the e-JAD or
electric joint application development method in which the client and developers along with
a facilitator iron out the system requirements in a streamlined and organized format. This
does leave out room for add-on requirements in some cases though. As a more radical
route, there is the business process reengineering method, however this tends to be better
utilized by larger enterprises as the cost of investment in the required IT and the ability to
withstand the length of time for the project to complete. While it is more consumer-focused
and overcomes some of the more shorter sighted approaches, again, it's likely out of the
scope of smaller businesses. The week's lesson focuses on the analysis phase of the Systems
Development Life Cycle (SDLC). During the analysis phase, determining the requirements
of the system that is being developed is integral to the success. The different techniques that
can be used during this phase include: traditional, contemporary, and radical. Traditional
methods include interviews, document analysis, and observations. Interviews can be
conducted using a top-down approach, which can be a more effective when it comes to
gathering information. Contemporary techniques are based on a bottom-up approach and
allow for more collaborative, for example the Joint application development, or JAD, brings
stakeholders together in a group workshop setting to identify the system requirements. The
downside of this can be reluctance or resistance to change, as well as lack of participation.
Radical techniques allow the stakeholders to be more directly involved in designing, via
active participation. In this way, stakeholders can confirm that the system is satisfactory. I
believe the approach an analyst decides to take will depend on the system that needs to be
designed. I do however, tend to lean more towards the interview method, because it seems
to offer more well-rounded insight. On the traditional route, I would have to say that
observing workers is a good technique. It gets you to the ground level where things really
happen. As a supervisor at my job, there have been plenty of times that something comes
from home office and is not feasible in real-world applications. A drawback would be they
do become kind of timid and may not come out with the best info or work the old process
correctly in front of you.
With the contemporary route, I feel that the joint application design would be a good way
to go. I feel placing all the key people in an off-site location and having them brainstorm
could bring out a lot of good info and possibly get it all agreed upon at the same time. It
could also be a bad thing, in my experience having that many higher-ups in the same place
could turn into a tug-of-war situation IF they do not understand they are working towards
the same goal at the start. It is also hard to try to schedule everyone at the same time.
The last would be the radical route and to me, this one seems as it is what the name
implies. it would be fast-paced and you may beat the time crunch but I feel there may be
some missed thongs that could cause some headaches if not seem early enough. Traditional
techniques involve gathering information from stakeholders, user and SME’s to identify
their needs and requirements. A traditional method would be interviewing & listening but a
few drawbacks are that its time consuming and can be costly. Contemporary techniques
include methods like user stories, prototyping and design thinking which are more flexible.
I took a SAFe class and I think that would be a good example of a contemporary technique.
Especially the way a PI increment planning session is conducted with everyone in on
location working off of visual aides like kanban boards. Radical techniques involve a more
deep immersion into users environment and understanding the needs through observation.
One that found very interesting was Ethnographic research, which involves living and
working with the user population for extended periods of time to understand their values
and beliefs. It basically observing the users in their natural settings. A drawback of this is
that its also time consuming and can probably become very expensive. This one was the
most interesting and possibly the most effective in my opinion. b
Techniques for determining systems requirements during analyses:
• Traditional: interviewing and listening, questionnaires, direct observation.
• Contemporary: case tools, group support systems, joint application design (JAD),
prototyping.
• Radical: rapid application technique (RAD), object-oriented analysis, business
process reengineering (BPR), disruptive technologies.
Interviewing and Listening (traditional):
b b b b Advantages:
• A flexible tool.
• Provides a better opportunity to evaluate the validity of the information gathered
than that of a questionnaire.
• Easier to discover key issues by hearing opinions.
• Effective for gathering information on a complex topic.
Disadvantages:
• A long preparation time.
• Requires lots of time and money to conduct.
Recommended Use:
• Complex topics.
• Requires a lengthy explanation.
• Topic and/or questions are not clear to participants.
Joint Development Application (JAD) (contemporary):
b b Advantages:
• Collaboration lowers all risks.
• Close communication allows for faster progress.
• Reduces costs and time needed for project development.
Disadvantages:
• Differing opinions can make it difficult to align goals and maintain focus.
• Can require a large time commitment.
Recommendation for Use:
• Organizational culture supports joint team problem-solving.
• Workflow allows for the absence of key personnel for days at a time.
Business Process Reengineering (radical):
b b b Advantages:
• Focuses on customer needs.
• Eliminates unnecessary activities.
• Overcomes short-sighted approaches.
Disadvantages:
• Usually only benefits large organizations.
• Does not provide immediate resolution.
• Can require substantial investment in IT.
Recommendation for Use:
• If the goal is to reduce costs and cycle times regardless of job impact.
• Goal is to improve quality.
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