IS6112 – Application Modelling and Design

1. IS6112 – Application Modelling and Design

2. Introduction to Systems Analysis

3. Goal of Systems Analysis • The goal of the analysis phase is to truly understand the requirements of the new system and develop a system that addresses them. • The analysis phase answer Who will use the system, what the system will do, and where and when it will be used.

4. Analysis Phase • This phase takes the general ideas in the system request and • refines them into a detailed requirements definition (i.e., requirement determination which is the topic of this lecture), • functional models (Chapter 6), • structural models (Chapter 7), and • behavioral models (Chapter 8) • This becomes the formal system proposal • Includes revised project management deliverables, • feasibility analysis (Chapter 3) and • workplan (Chapter 4).

5. Requirements Determination Lecture 5

6. Lecture 5: Requirements Determination Objectives • Understand how to create a requirements definition. • Become familiar with requirements analysis techniques. • Understand when to use each requirements analysis technique. • Understand how to gather requirements using interviews, JAD sessions, questionnaires, document analysis, and observation. • Understand when to use each requirements-gathering technique.

7. Requirements Definition

8. What is a Requirement A requirement is a statement of what • the system must do or • characteristics it must have • written from businessperson perspective (“what” of system) and sometimes called business or user requirements • later in design, requirements become more technical (“how” of system) and written from developer’s perspective. So sometimes called system requirements

9. Requirements definition: Functional vs. Nonfunctional Requirements • Requirement definition report – usually just called “Requirement definition”- is a straightforward text report that simply list the functional and nonfunctional requirements in an outline format. • A functional requirementrelates directly to a process the system has to perform or information it needs to contain. • Nonfunctional requirementsrefer to behavioral properties that the system must have, such as performance and usability.

10. Functional Requirements

11. Nonfunctional Requirements

12. Requirement Analysis Techniques

13. Requirement Analysis Techniques • The approach - businesspeople and analysts working together • Applying requirement analysis techniques • Business process automation (BPA) or • Business process improvement (BPI) or • Business process reengineering (BPE) • Through a (3 steps) process of analysis • critically examine the current state of systems and processes (i.e., understanding the as-is system) • Identify exactly what needs to change (i.e., identifying improvement) • Develop a concept for a new system and process (developing requirements for the to-be system)

14. Requirement Analysis Techniques • Selection of requirement analysis techniques: Based on the amount of change the system is intend to create in an organization • Business process automation (BPA) is based on small change that improves process efficiency • Business process improvement (BPI) creates process improvements that lead to better effectiveness • Business process reengineering (BPE) revamps the way things work so the organization is transformed on some level

15. Requirement Analysis Techniques - Business process automation (BPA) • Business process automation (BPA) • Doesn’t change basic operations • Automates some operations • BPA Techniques • Problem Analysis: identify problems with as-is system and to describe how to solve them in the to-be system • Root Cause Analysis: Identify the root causes of problems rather than symptoms of problems

16. Requirement Analysis Techniques - Business Process Improvement (BPI) • Business process improvement (BPI) changes • How an organization operates • Changes operation with new techniques (i.e., take advantage of new opportunities offered by technology) • Can improve efficiency (i.e., doing things right) • Can improve effectiveness (i.e., doing the right things) • More focus on to-be system for improvement (i.e., less on as-is system than BPA)

17. Requirement Analysis Techniques - Business Process Improvement (BPI) BPI Components • Duration Analysis • Analyse in details time spent to perform each process and identify where the improvement is possible • Activity-Based Costing • Examines major process costs, identify the most costly processes and then determine how to improve • Informal Benchmarking • Studies how other organizations perform business processes to learn how to do better

18. Requirement Analysis Techniques - Business Process Reengineering (BPR) • Changes fundamentally how the organization does certain operations • Consists of • Outcome Analysis • Technology analysis • Activity Elimination

19. Select Appropriate Technique - Selection Criterions Selection Criterions: • Assess Potential Business Value • Determine Project Cost • Specify Breadth or Scope of Analysis • Determine Risk of Failure

20. Select Appropriate Technique : Analysis Characteristics

21. Requirements Gathering

22. Requirement-Gathering Techniques • Interviews • Joint Application Development (JAD) • Questionnaires • Document analysis • Observation

23. Interviews -- Five Basic Steps • Selecting interviewees • Designing interview questions • Preparing for the interview • Conducting the interview • Post-interview follow-up

24. Selecting Interviewees • Based on information needed • Often good to get different perspectives • Managers • Users • Ideally, all key stakeholders

25. Types of Questions Examples Closed-Ended Questions * How many telephone orders are received per day? * How do customers place orders? * What additional information would you like the new system to provide? Open-Ended Questions * What do you think about the current system? * What are some of the problems you face on a daily basis? * How do you decide what types of marketing campaign to run? Probing Questions * Why? * Can you give me an example? * Can you explain that in a bit more detail? Designing Interview Questions - Types of Questions

26. Designing Interview Questions • Unstructured interview • Broad, roughly defined information • At the earlier stage of the project • Structured interview • More specific information • At the later stage of the project

27. Designing Interview Questions : Questioning Strategies

28. Interview Preparation Steps • Prepare general interview plan • List of question • Anticipated answers and follow-ups • Confirm areas of knowledge • Set priorities in case of time shortage • Prepare the interviewee • Schedule • Inform of reason for interview • Inform of areas of discussion

29. Conducting the Interview • Appear professional and unbiased • Record all information • Check on organizational policy regarding tape recording • Be sure you understand all issues and terms • Separate facts from opinions • Give interviewee time to ask questions • Be sure to thank the interviewee • End on time

30. Conducting the InterviewPractical Tips • Don’t worry, be happy • Pay attention • Summarize key points • Be succinct • Be honest • Watch body language

31. Post-Interview Follow-Up • Prepare interview notes • Prepare interview report • Look for gaps and new questions

32. INTERVIEW REPORT Interview notes approved by: ____________ Person interviewed ______________ Interviewer _______________ Date _______________ Primary Purpose: Summary of Interview: Open Items: Detailed Notes: Interview Report

33. JAD - Key Ideas • Allows project managers, users, and developers to work together to identify requirements • May reduce scope creep by 50% • Avoids requirements being too specific or too vague

34. JAD – Selecting Participants and Their Roles • Facilitator • sets the meeting agenda and guides the discussion • Scribe • assist the facilitator by recording notes, making copies, etc. • Project team, users, and management

35. JAD - Setting • U-Shaped seating • Away from distractions • Whiteboard/flip chart • Prototyping tools • e-JAD

36. JAD Meeting Room JPEG Figure 5-5 Goes Here

37. The JAD Session • Tend to last 5 to 10 days over a three week period • Prepare questions as with interviews • Formal agenda and groundrules • Facilitator activities • Keep session on track • Help with technical terms and jargon • Record group input • Help resolve issues • Post-session follow-up

38. Managing Problems in JAD Sessions • Reducing domination • Encouraging non-contributors • Side discussions • Agenda merry-go-round • Violent agreement • Unresolved conflict • True conflict • Use humor

39. Questionnaire – Main Steps • Selecting participants • Using samples of the population • Designing the questionnaire • Careful question selection • Administering the questionnaire • Working to get good response rate • Questionnaire follow-up • Send results to participants

40. Questionnaires - Design • Begin with non-threatening and interesting questions. • Group items into logically coherent sections. • Do not put important items at the very end of the questionnaire. • Do not crowd a page with too many items. • Avoid abbreviations. • Avoid biased or suggestive items or terms. • Number questions to avoid confusion. • Pretest the questionnaire to identify confusing questions. • Provide anonymity to respondents.

41. Document Analysis • Document analysis is used to provides clues about existing “as-is” system • Typical documents used • Forms • Reports • Policy manuals • Organization chart • Look for user additions to forms • Look for unused form elements

42. Observation • Users/managers often don’t remember everything they do • Checks validity of information gathered other ways • Behaviors change when people are watched • Careful not to ignore periodic activities • Weekly … Monthly … Annual

43. Selecting the Appropriate Techniques

44. Application Example: Requirement Determination • Requirement-gathering Techniques • The project team applies document analysis, interview and observation techniques • Firstly apply document analysis to understand the current order processes (i.e., the as-is system). If anything is not clear, use interview to clarify • Secondly interview senior analysts to get better ideas about as-is and to-be systems and IT contractor to understand the existing IT system • Thirdly observe in stores to see the real working process of as-is system • The above activities at the end produces the requirement definition (report) • Further JAD sessions are used to finalise and prioritise the requirement definition (report)

45. Summary • First Step of system analysis is to determine requirements which include • Functional and non-functional requirements • Requirement analysis and determination process • Understanding as-is system • Identifying improvements • Developing requirements for the to-be system • Requirement analysis techniques • Business process automation (BPA) or • Business process improvement (BPI) or • Business process reengineering (BPE)

46. Summary • Requirement-gathering use these techniques • Interviews, • JAD, • Questionnaires, • Document Analysis, and • Observation.