Chapter 5 Determining System Requirements Chapter Overview This chapter acquaints students with how systems analysts collect information about information system requirements. The chapter begins with a discussion of the traditional requirements gathering techniques, such as interviews, observations, and obtaining information from organizational documents. The latter part of the chapter is devoted to more recently developed techniques and tools, such as Joint Application Design (JAD) and prototyping. This chapter concludes with discussions of business process reengineering and system requirements determination for an electronic commerce application. From this chapter, students will learn about the different types of information requirements that analysts collect and the different methods they use to collect these requirements. However, reading and discussing how analysts collect requirements is no substitute for direct hands-on experience. Most of the classroom suggestions provided below involve some type of hands-on experience for students. You probably will not have time to try all of these ideas in class, but even one or two of these exercises will give students insight into the requirements collection process. Instructional Objectives Specific student learning objectives are included at the beginning of the chapter. From an instructor’s point of view, the objectives of this chapter are to: 1. Provide insight into using interviewing to determine system requirements, including the preparation of an interview plan. 2. Discuss the system requirements determination process for Internet-based electronic commerce applications. 3. Discuss the advantages and pitfalls of observing workers to determine system requirements. 4. Demonstrate how the analysis of business documents provides system requirements information. 5. Illustrate how Joint Application Design promotes efficient and quick system requirements determination. 6. Show how prototyping can be used for requirements determination. 7. Show that BPR involves more than just tweaking or automating processes. 8. Illustrate how disruptive technologies enable the breaking of long-held business rules. Classroom Ideas 1. Point out that, while requirements determination tools and techniques are very valuable in the analysis phase, analysts can benefit from their use in other phases of the life cycle. Demonstrate this with examples from other phases. For example, JAD is also useful in the early phases of design, such as where input forms and output formats are designed. Also, observation can be useful during system implementation to verify that the new system is being used as expected. 2. Use Figure 5–2 to show how to construct an interview plan. Construct a plan with students during class and have them generate similar plans for homework. 3. Take an activity with which students are familiar, such as enrollment. Have the students reengineer this activity. Encourage students to be innovative. 4. Figures 5–3, 5–4, and 5–5 can serve as the basis for a discussion of documents and how system requirements can be determined from them. Bring in other documents to add to the discussion or have students collect various documents they have, such as bills and order forms. Show how you can analyze such documents to discover business rules as well as content requirements. For example, a shipping form will show whether the firm recognizes ship to, order from, and bill to addresses; a class registration form may indicate the maximum length for student names. These same forms can also be used with Chapter 8, Designing the Human Interface. 5. Using a business case, run a mock JAD in class, with some students assigned roles as analysts, others as managers, and others as users. As with a real JAD, the person chosen as facilitator is crucial to the exercise’s success. The mock JAD should be preceded by the type of careful planning that precedes actual JADs, as outlined in the text. 6. Use a CASE tool to support the mock JAD outlined in Classroom Idea #5. 7. Conduct a prototyping session in class, using a 4GL, a prototyping tool, or a CASE tool with a prototyping component. If such software is available to your students, have them create prototypes based on system requirements found in a business case or in materials you provide. Lecture Notes Chapter 5 is the first of four chapters devoted to the analysis phase of the systems development life cycle. As Figure 5–1 illustrates, the analysis phase includes requirements determination, requirements structuring, and alternative generation and selection activities. This chapter first discusses traditional methods for requirements collection, including interviews, observations, and document analysis. Because JAD and prototyping rely on computers for support, these methods are referred to as modern requirements determination approaches and are discussed towards the end of the chapter. Performing Requirements Determination Although three primary activities are performed during analysis, these three activities are, to a degree, parallel and repetitive in nature. As part of the requirements determination process, information about the new system’s requirements is gathered from a variety of sources; these sources include system users, reports, forms, and procedures. Requirements determination requires an analyst to have several characteristics, which include impertinence, impartiality, relaxing constraints, attention to details, and reframing. The requirements determination process generates much information, taking the form of interview transcripts, observation notes, document analysis, forms, reports, job descriptions, and computer-generated output. Table 5–1 summarizes the deliverables for requirements determination. As part of requirements determination, the analyst should understand the business objectives; information people need to do their jobs; data handled in the organization; when, how, and by whom or what data are moved, transformed, and stored; the sequence and other dependencies among different data-handling activities; rules governing how data are handled and processed; business policies and guidelines; and key events affecting data values and when these events occur. Traditional Methods for Determining Requirements The analyst gathers information from users who directly or indirectly use the system. From these individuals, the analyst will collect information about the current system and the new system’s requirements. The analyst may use several of the traditional methods mentioned in Table 5–2. Analysts use interviews to gather information about how people conduct their work, how individuals use information, the types of information processing that might supplement the user’s work, the organizational direction, organizational policies, and managerial expectations. During the interview, the analyst can observe the interviewee’s behavior, and the analyst can use the interview process to gather facts, opinions, and speculation. Table 5–3 presents five interview guidelines. These guidelines include planning the interview, being neutral, listening and taking notes, reviewing interview notes, and seeking diverse views. Figure 5-2 presents a typical interview guide. When preparing for the interview, the analyst must select the appropriate mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions are beneficial for probing, when the interviewer does not know the precise question to ask, and when the interviewer cannot anticipate the interviewee’s responses. Advantages of open-ended questions include putting the interviewee at ease, enabling previously unknown information to surface, and providing the interviewee with a sense of control during the interview process. Two primary disadvantages of open-ended questions are their length of time and the difficulty in summarizing a respondent’s answers. Closed-ended questions are beneficial when the major answers to the questions are known, do not require a large time commitment, and are an easy way to begin an interview. A major disadvantage of closed-ended questions is that an interviewee may try to “fit” his answer to the list of possible answers, as opposed to providing a more accurate response. When interviewing, the analyst should phrase the question appropriately, listen carefully, type his/her notes within 48 hours, try not to set expectations for the new system, and seek a variety of perspectives. Often the direct observation of users provides a more realistic picture of what they do. However, if an end user is aware that he/she is being observed, they may alter their performance or work faster or slower than normal. The analyst only receives a snapshot image of the work in question, and he observes for a limited amount of time, a limited number of people, and a limited number of sites. An analyst should examine existing system and organizational documentation. This type of documentation provides valuable information about the current system and the organization. Important documents to review include organizational mission statements, business plans, organization charts, business policy manuals, job descriptions, internal and external correspondence, and prior organizational study reports. Document analysis can provide information about existing problems, opportunities, organizational direction, the identity of key individuals, values of the organization or individuals, special information processing circumstances, why current systems are designed the way they are, and data and the rules for processing data. The textbook discusses the importance of reviewing work procedures, business forms, reports, and existing system documentation. Figure 5–3 provides an example of a written work procedure for an invention disclosure. While work procedures are useful documents to review, these documents may reveal duplication of effort, missing procedures, out-of-date procedures, and contradictory information. Resolution of these problems is up to the manager, not the analyst. The analyst should understand both the formal and informal systems, since each provides valuable information about the current system and how to convert from the existing system to the new system. Business forms indicate what data flow in and out of a system and are most useful when they contain data. Figure 5–4 is an example of a business form. Reports are useful, since they enable the analyst to work backwards and identify the data and processing requirements necessary to create them. Figure 5–5 is an example of a report. Existing system documentation provides information about how the current system was designed and how it works. Observations, interviews, and document analysis are common methods for collecting system requirements. Table 5–4 compares observations with document analysis. Modern Methods for Determining System Requirements Joint Application Design and prototyping are two modern methods for requirements determination. JAD is an intense, structured, and highly effective process. JAD sessions enable analysts to simultaneously collect system requirements from the key users of the system. JAD sessions are generally conducted away from the workplace, are held in special-purpose rooms, may last several hours or an entire week, employ thousands of dollars, and generally do not benefit much from computer support. JAD participants include a JAD session leader, users, managers, a sponsor, systems analysts, a scribe, and IS staff. Figure 5–6 illustrates the typical layout for a JAD session. A JAD results in a description of the working system and the features of the replacement system. Prototyping is an iterative process and replaces or augments the systems development life cycle. Building a prototype allows the user to view a model of his verbal description. Revisions to this model can then be made. This process continues until an acceptable product is designed. Prototyping is useful for requirements determination when user requirements are not clearly or well understood, one or a few stakeholders are involved with the system, possible designs are complex and require concrete form to evaluate fully, communication problems have existed in the past between users and analysts, and tools and data are readily available. Prototyping is not as beneficial when there is a tendency to avoid creating formal system documentation, prototypes are idiosyncratic to the initial user, and checks in the SDLC are bypassed. Radical Methods for Determining System Requirements Business process reengineering (BPR) is the search for, and implementation of, radical change in business processes to achieve breakthrough improvements in products and services. Conducting BPR requires understanding which processes need to change; this requires understanding and identifying the organization’s key business processes. Key business processes focus on some type of organizational outcome and on the customer. Both traditional and modern requirements determination methods can be used to understand key business processes. Once the key business processes are identified, activities that are candidates for radical change are identified. To identify these activities, Michael Hammer and James Champy recommend asking three questions: (1) How important is the activity to delivering an outcome? (2) How feasible is changing the activity? (3) How dysfunctional is the activity? Information technologies can be used to radically improve business processes. Several of these disruptive technologies are described in Table 5–5. PVF WebStore: Determining System Requirements When developing Internet-based electronic commerce applications, both traditional and modern requirements determination methods are used. The Pine Valley Furniture’s WebStore example illustrates how requirements are determined for an electronic commerce application. Tables 5–6– 5–9 reinforce this discussion. Key Terms Checkpoint Solutions Answers for the Key Terms Checkpoint section are provided below. The number following each key term indicates its location in the key term list. Review Questions Solutions 5-1. Describe systems analysis and the major activities that occur during this phase of the systems development life cycle. Answer: During systems analysis, you determine how the current information system functions and assess what users would like to see in a new system. Requirements determination, requirements structuring, and alternative generation and selection are the three primary systems analysis activities. 5-2. What are some useful character traits for an analyst involved in requirements determination? Answer: Requirements determination is a crucial part of the systems development life cycle; therefore impertinence, impartiality, relaxing constraints, attention to details, and reframing are important characteristics. 5-3. Describe three traditional techniques for collecting information during analysis. When might one be better than another? Answer: Traditional techniques for collecting requirements include interviewing and listening, observing users, and analyzing procedures and other documents. Interviewing and listening involve talking with users individually or as a group to discover their views about the current and target systems; it also involves carefully preparing an interview outline and guide before conducting the interview. Interviews are best done when only a few people are involved, when you need open-ended questions or the questions vary from individual to individual, or when a more personal method is needed. Directly observing users involves watching how people work in order to uncover information users may not be consciously aware of. Direct observation is best when detailed or complicated procedures must be documented, when you do not want people to know they are giving you information you need, when only a few people are involved, and when observational data are representative of all situations. Analyzing procedures and other documents involves identifying and collecting written procedures, forms, reports, and other relevant documents in order to better identify data and processes that would be part of the current and target systems. Analyzing documents is the best technique when documents are complete and unbiased, when other forms of requirements determination are too obtrusive, and when history must be studied and people do not have first-hand data about history. 5-4. What are the general guidelines for conducting interviews? Answer: The general guidelines for conducting interviews are summarized in Table 5-3. These guidelines include planning the interview, being neutral, listening and taking notes, reviewing these notes within 48 hours, and seeking diverse views. 5-5. What are the general guidelines for collecting data through observing workers? Answer: When observing workers, it is important that the analyst select typical and atypical people and sites; he/she should also observe during normal and abnormal conditions. 5-6. What are the general guidelines for collecting data through analyzing documents? Answer: Document analysis is an effective way to learn about the current system and future system’s requirements. It is important for the analyst to collect and review as many documents as he/she can. He/she should collect organizational mission statements, business plans, organization charts, business policy manuals, job descriptions, internal and external correspondence, and reports from prior organizational studies. Specifically, he/she should review business forms, reports, written work procedures, and existing system documentation. 5-7. Compare collecting information through observation and through document analysis. Describe a hypothetical situation in which each of these methods would be an effective way to collect information system requirements. Answer: Table 5–4 provides a comparison of the observation and document analysis methods. The observation method is high in information richness; requires significant time, can be expensive, and provides the chance for follow-up and probing. The observe is known to the analyst and the potential audience is small. In contrast, the information richness of document analysis is low and old; the time required is low to moderate; its expense is low to moderate, and the chance for follow-up is limited. The confidentiality of the document depends on the nature of the document; there is no clear commitment on the subject’s part, and there is potentially bias by which documents were retained. 5-8. What is JAD? How is it better than traditional information-gathering techniques? What are its weaknesses? Answer: JAD is a structured process in which users, managers, and analysts work together for several days in a series of intensive meetings to specify or review system requirements. It is better than traditional techniques because you have key personnel in one place at one time, saving everyone time and resulting in high levels of system ownership as more people have more of a role in the development process. Weaknesses include the level of commitment necessary to make the JAD work, the high degree of required planning, and the typical lack of computer support. 5-9. How has computing been used to support requirements determination? Answer: Computing supports requirements determination in the form of CASE tools, the administration of questionnaires, group support systems, and prototyping. CASE tools, especially upper CASE tools, can be of assistance during JAD and prototyping. 5-10. Describe how prototyping can be used during requirements determination. How is it better or worse than traditional methods? Answer: Prototyping can be used during requirements determination to collect user requirements and present them in the form of a working system prototype. Users can look at, play with, and compare the prototype to their system requirements. Analysts can then adjust the prototype to better fit what the users have in mind. Prototyping is better than traditional methods where system requirements are not well understood, where few users that are stakeholders are involved, where designs may be complex, where there have been past communication problems, and where the necessary tools are readily available. Prototyping may be worse than traditional methods where formal requirements are not documented, where prototypes become idiosyncratic to the initial user, where issues of data sharing and integration with other systems are ignored, and where SDLC checks are bypassed. 5-11. When conducting a business process reengineering study, what should you look for when trying to identify business processes to change? Why? Answer: As part of the BPR effort, key business processes and important, changeable, or dysfunctional activities are identified. Key business processes are the structured, measured set of activities designed to produce a specific output for a particular customer or market. Benefits of BPR include radical improvements in speed, quality, and customer satisfaction. 5-12. What are disruptive technologies and how do they enable organizations to change their business processes radically? Answer: Disruptive technologies enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business changes. Disruptive technologies enable companies to apply information technology innovatively. As a point of discussion, ask students to discuss the concept of a virtual university. Is this an acceptable application of a disruptive technology? Problems and Exercises Solutions 5-13. One of the potential problems mentioned in the chapter with gathering information requirements by observing potential system users is that people may change their behavior when observed. What could you do to overcome this potential confounding factor in accurately determining information requirements? Answer: The analyst could conduct the observations unobtrusively, so that the effect on the users’ behavior is minimized. This could be done using a confederate or by a hidden camera. The analyst could also brief the users on the observation so that the users will relax and behave naturally. For example, you can make it clear to users that they are not being evaluated and that the observations collected will not be associated with anyone individually. In addition, the analysts could perform multiple observations over time. This would tend to minimize the effects of aberrant behaviors. Alternatively, the analysts could supplement their requirements determination with additional data collection methods. 5-14. Summarize the problems with the reliability and usefulness of analyzing business documents as a method for gathering information requirements. How could you cope with these problems to use business documents effectively as a source of insights on system requirements? Answer: One of the primary problems with analyzing business documents is that they do not give the full picture of how work is done and why. First, business documents are often incomplete, since people have selectively retained documentation. Second, business documents often describe the formal system as opposed to the informal system, which is more often the way the work is actually completed. Whether the business documents are accurate or not, they provide useful information. If the business documents are accurate, then much of the work of gathering information requirements is nearly finished. If the business documents are inaccurate, then the analyst can use these to understand how the work processes ought to be done, or are thought to be done, or, perhaps, should not be done. In any event, analyzing business documents should be done in conjunction with other, supplemental data collection methods. In addition, the analyst should speak to multiple people to gather their perceptions and uses of the documents. 5-15. Suppose you were asked to lead a JAD session. List ten guidelines you would follow in playing the proper role of a JAD session leader. Answer: Students might suggest the following for the JAD leader: conduct the JAD sessions off-site, invite the proper people to the JAD sessions, establish clear ground rules for the sessions, set and follow a clear agenda, distribute the agenda to all participants before the sessions, remain neutral on issues, make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate, encourage people to be creative and break free of traditional ways of doing things, manage time effectively, and follow- up with meeting notes. 1. Define Objectives: Clearly outline the goals of the JAD session. 2. Prepare Agenda: Create and distribute a detailed agenda in advance. 3. Facilitate Discussion: Guide conversations to keep them focused and productive. 4. Encourage Participation: Ensure all participants have an opportunity to contribute. 5. Manage Time: Adhere to the schedule to cover all topics. 6. Record Decisions: Document key decisions and action items. 7. Resolve Conflicts: Address and mediate disagreements effectively. 8. Clarify Concepts: Ensure all participants understand the discussed topics. 9. Summarize Progress: Regularly recap what has been achieved. 10. Follow Up: Distribute meeting notes and track action items post-session. 5-16. Prepare a plan, similar to Figure 5–2, for an interview with your academic adviser to determine which courses you should take to develop the skills you need to be hired as a programmer/analyst. Answer: The plan might include introductions, background, discussion of the courses already taken, discussion of course requirements not yet met, discussion of additional courses to take for preparation, plotting course schedules for successive semesters, summary of major points, questions from the advisor, and closing. A meeting like this can last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the level of familiarity that the advisor has with the student’s case. 5-17. Figure 5–2 shows part of a guide for an interview. How might an interview guide differ when a group interview is to be conducted? Answer: Because the group interview might be more difficult to conduct and more time consuming, the analyst might add to the interview guide “time certain” events or “time stamped” agenda items. For example, if the meeting begins at 8:00 a.m., and the manager of the users will come in to the meeting to give a brief talk, this event might be scheduled for 8:15 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. Other processes in the meeting will be postponed during this event. With time stamping, the analyst writes definitive start times next to each of the agenda items and then uses this to keep the group on track. Alternatively, the analyst might write specific questions that should be asked of specific members of the interview group. If several analysts are involved in the group interview, the group could be broken into parallel sessions, each with its own agenda. Finally, agenda activities should be allotted for discussion and interchange between the interviewees, so that consensus and synergy can occur. 5-18. JADs are very powerful ways to collect system requirements, but special problems arise during group requirements collection sessions. Summarize these special interviewing and group problems, and suggest ways that you, as a group facilitator, might deal with them. Answer: Some of the problems include difficulty in scheduling, enabling all group members to participate during the meeting, some people being afraid or not willing to speak in front of certain other people, conflicts existing among group members, keeping the group on track during the meeting, and accurately collecting all the information as multiple people speak at once. Some of the ways to deal with these problems include training in team building, group dynamics, and managing conflict; having multiple interviewers work together; and using a technological aid such as CASE or GSS. 5-19. Suppose you are a systems analyst charged with gathering information requirements. You decide that you want to use prototyping to gather these requirements. It provides benefits beyond interviews and observations, but also presents unique challenges. Discuss the challenges you expect to face and what processes you will put in place to prevent them from harming your information system. Answer: Some challenges that can be expected are: 1. Analysts may feel that properly documenting the requirements is redundant. This could be addressed by requiring careful notes to be taken when soliciting feedback from users or by not allowing any changes to the prototype without justification in the requirements. 2. Initial users that participate in the prototyping process may have heavier influence on the resulting system. This could be mitigated by rotating the early prototype responses among various users to ensure a more comprehensive set of perspectives. 3. The prototype is non-functional and does not interoperate with other data sources. The system may perform differently when more data is involved or different data sources are accessed. Effort should be made to load the system with enough data to allow the users to see a more realistic view of the system. 5-20. Questionnaires can be administered both on paper and via the Internet. Online questionnaires allow for the use of complex analysis tools and real-time results. However, online questionnaires have idiosyncratic challenges. Three such challenges can be computer access concerns, getting users to participate, and employee concerns for privacy of results. Discuss when each concern is likely to impact the online questionnaire and how you would address each challenge. Answer: This question asks students to discuss solutions to three problems with Internet-based questionnaires. These concerns and possible solutions are: 1. Computer access concerns – not all workers will have roles that provide access to computers, such as factory line workers and nurses in hospitals. However, their input can be critical to the successful creation of an information system to meet their needs. For questionnaires administered online, workers should be given some way to provide their input while at work. Either providing access to a computer or providing a paper-based form may address this issue. 2. User participation – getting workers to participate can be more difficult with online questionnaires because it requires taking time on a computer to complete, whereas paper-based questionnaires can be filled out on-the-spot. This can be addressed by providing time set aside just for the questionnaire, sending follow-up reminders to complete the questionnaire, or by providing incentives for the completion of the questionnaire. 3. Privacy concerns – employees may be concerned that their responses will not be kept confidential. This may be more of an issue when the employee has opinions which are different than those of their superiors (formal or informal). Employees should be reassured that the responses will not be linked to the individual respondents. An easy way to enhance privacy is to not collect any personal information and to have a single link to the instrument that all respondents will type in. Discussion Questions Solutions 5-21. The methods of data collection discussed in this chapter take a lot of time. What are some ways analysts can still collect the information they need for systems analysis but also save time? What methods can you think of that would improve upon both traditional and newer techniques? Answer: Although requirement determination methods take time, it is important to stress that this is time well spent. Spending the necessary time to understand the current system and correctly identify a new system’s requirements will save much time down the road. Perhaps the best way that an analyst can save time is by being prepared, organized, and knowledgeable. 5-22. Some of the key problems with information systems that show up later in the systems development life cycle can be traced back to inadequate work during requirements determination. How might this be avoided? Answer: It is imperative that the analyst gathers as much information about the current and new system’s requirements as she can. During requirements determination, impertinence, impartiality, relaxing constraints, attention to details, and reframing are good characteristics for an analyst to exhibit. These characteristics will help the analyst better understand the existing system and the new system’s requirements. Additionally following the effective guidelines for conducting interviews, performing observations, and analyzing documents are important. It is important that the analyst not hurry through this step; he/she must take his/her time and gather all the necessary information. 5-23. Survey the literature on JAD in the academic and popular press and determine the “state of the art.” How is JAD being used to help determine system requirements? Is using JAD for this process beneficial? Why or why not? Present your analysis to the IS manager at your work or at your university. Does your analysis of JAD fit with his or her perception? Why or why not? Is he or she currently using JAD, or a JAD-like method for determining system requirements? Why or why not? Answer: Information about JAD is readily available. The textbook provides several JAD references, and your students may also find articles in IS journals, IS magazines, and on the Web. Your students may also find information about JAD in the proceedings for the annual International Conference on Information Systems and the Hawaii International Conference on Systems Sciences. Joint Application Development (JAD) Overview: • Usage: JAD is used to gather system requirements through structured workshops with stakeholders. • Benefits: Improves communication, speeds up the requirements process, and ensures user involvement. • Challenges: Resource-intensive and dependent on skilled facilitators. Fit with IS Manager's Perception: • Alignment: If the IS manager values collaboration and efficiency, JAD aligns with their needs. • Current Use: Depends on the organization’s resource availability and needs. Alternatives may be used if JAD is deemed too demanding. 5-24. Is business process reengineering a business fad or is there more to it? Explain and justify your answer. Answer: Business process reengineering enables companies to radically redesign existing processes, achieving breakthrough gains in performance. Usage of disruptive technologies is key to this process. As long as companies, like Ford Motor Company, are receiving tremendous payoffs by using this process, we will continue to see it used for the redesign of key business processes. As a point of discussion, encourage your students to locate case studies of companies that have reengineered their key business processes. Case Problems Solutions 5-25. Pine Valley Case Exercises Solutions a. Because Pete Polovich is organizing a JAD session for the first time, he would like to locate additional information about organizing and conducting a JAD session. Visit one of the Web sites recommended in the textbook or locate a site on your own. After visiting this site, provide Pete with several recommendations for conducting and organizing a JAD session. Answer: Your students should easily locate Web sites that provide information on JAD. Several sources include Bluebird Enterprises, Inc. (http://www.bee.net/bluebird/jaddoc.htm), Hathaway and Associates, Inc. (http://www.thehathaway.com/JSA.html), Creative Data, Inc. (http://www.credata.com/research/methodology.html), and Carolla Development, Inc. (http://www.carolla.com/wp-jad.htm). The Carolla white paper discusses general JAD principles, identifies several JAD tasks, and provides additional references. b. When conducting your interviews, what guidelines should you follow? Answer: Table 5–3 lists the interviewing guidelines. These guidelines include planning the interview, being neutral, seeking diverse views, listening and taking notes, and reviewing these notes. When conducting interviews, follow these guidelines: 1. Prepare: Develop clear questions and an interview plan. 2. Be Neutral: Avoid leading questions and ensure unbiased responses. 3. Listen Actively: Pay close attention and ask follow-up questions for clarity. 4. Record and Document: Take accurate notes or record with permission. 5. Respect Time: Stick to the allotted time and be punctual. 6. Build Rapport: Create a comfortable environment to encourage open communication. c. As part of the requirements determination process, what business documents should be reviewed? Answer: The analyst should try to obtain access to a variety of business documents. Types of documents include Pine Valley’s mission statement, business plans, an organization chart, business policy manuals, job descriptions, and internal and external correspondence. Because the Customer Tracking System is a new system, reports from a prior organizational study may not be available. d. Is prototyping an appropriate requirements determination method for this project? Answer: Prototyping is an appropriate requirements determination method. When designing the new system’s forms and reports, prototyping will be of definite benefit. 5-26. Hoosier Burger Case Exercises Solutions a. Assume you are preparing the customer satisfaction questionnaire. What types of questions would you include? Prepare five questions that you would ask. Answer: Students will identify a variety of questions to ask. Questions will address visit frequency, food quality, the order-taking process, delivery speed, potential new services, and overall customer satisfaction. Because the questionnaire will be distributed to a large customer base, most of the questions on the questionnaire should be closed-ended, although the questionnaire should enable the customer to provide additional comments. Since Hoosier Burger attracts a wide range of customers (student, business, and family), a stratified sample is a possibility. 1. Overall Satisfaction: How satisfied are you with your recent experience with our company? (Scale: Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied) 2. Product Quality: How would you rate the quality of the product/service you received? (Scale: Poor to Excellent) 3. Customer Service: How satisfied are you with the support provided by our customer service team? (Scale: Very Dissatisfied to Very Satisfied) 4. Ease of Use: How easy was it to navigate our website or interact with our service? (Scale: Very Difficult to Very Easy) 5. Likelihood to Recommend: How likely are you to recommend our company to others? (Scale: Very Unlikely to Very Likely) b. What types of questions would you ask the waiters? What types of questions would you ask the cooks? Prepare five questions that you would ask each group. Answer: Although the waiters could be interviewed individually, this situation may lend itself to a group interview. Asking open-ended questions in a group interview setting would enable the analyst to explore and discover new system requirements. The downside to this approach is the length of time the interview session could take. The types of questions should address the order-taking process, delivery of the food to the customers, current information requirements, needed information not currently provided by the system, and suggested areas for improvement. The cooks could also be asked open-ended questions in a group interview setting. During the group interview, questions about the order-taking process, how the order is communicated to the cooks, information needed for food preparation, and areas for improvement should be asked. c. What types of documents are you likely to obtain for further study? What types of documents will most likely not be available? Why? Answer: Management reports, supplier invoices, and cash register tapes are readily available. Because Hoosier Burger has an automated food ordering system (mentioned in Chapter 5), current system documentation probably exists. It is unlikely that Bob and Thelma have a written, formal mission statement, organization chart, business policy manual, or job descriptions. However, Bob and Thelma may have a business plan. The currency of this plan should be determined. d. What modern requirements determination methods are appropriate for this project? Answer: Of the two modern methods discussed in the chapter, prototyping is the most likely method that will be used. Prototyping forms and reports will aid in the design of the new system. For this project, a JAD session is cost prohibitive. 5-27. Clothing Shack Case Exercises Solutions a. Whom would you interview? Why? Answer: The new marketing system will likely impact most, if not all, of the Clothing Shack’s functional areas. Representatives from each of the functional areas should be asked to provide input. Within the marketing area, Ms. O’Neil, order-takers, and middle and lower management should provide input. Customers should also be contacted and asked for input. Another valuable resource would be the order pickers. b. What requirements determinations methods are appropriate for this project? Answer: This system is of definite importance to the company and will provide a strategic advantage. It is important that each functional area have input into the development of the system. A variety of fact-finding methods is appropriate. The fact-finding methods include interviews, questionnaires, JAD sessions, prototyping, document analysis, and observations. c. Based on the answers provided for part b, which requirements determination methods are appropriate for the individuals identified in part a? Answer: A JAD session consisting of management representatives and potential end users should be conducted. Interviewing Ms. O’Neil will provide insight into the system’s overall objectives. Representatives from the various functional areas should be asked to provide input via questionnaires, group interviews, or individual interviews. Customer samples can be gathered through questionnaires. Additionally, since customers are at the heart of this new system, perhaps arrangements can be made to observe or interview customers about the new system. d. Identify the requirements determination deliverables that will likely result from this project. Answer: The types of deliverables include information collected from conversations with end users, existing documents and files, and computer-based information. Table 5–1 provides a list of specific deliverables that may result from this project. Petrie’s Electronics Case Questions Solutions 5-28. What do you think are the sources of the information Jim and his team collected? How do you think they collected all of that information? Answer: It says in the case that Jim and the team collected information through interviews. These interviews would have been with key stakeholders in the company. It also says they collected information from loyal customers identified by the marketing department. Finally, Jim and his team collected information about existing systems. 5-29. Examine Table 5-1. Are there any requirements or constraints that you can think of that were overlooked? List them. Answer: This answer will vary with students. For example, another requirement might be that the overall program would be highly attractive and motivating to customers. Another requirement might be that the client version of the system runs easily on a mobile phone. Constraints might include needs for storage of transactions (millions of customers would generate millions of transactions over a few months) and the need to avoid complexity in both the program and the system. Students might want to look at the requirements for the program separately from the requirements for the system. Without seeing Table 5-1, here are some common overlooked requirements or constraints: 1. Data Security: Specific measures for protecting sensitive information. 2. Scalability: Ability to handle increased loads or users. 3. Compliance: Adherence to relevant regulations and standards. 4. Integration: Compatibility with existing systems or software. 5. User Training: Provision for training users on new systems or processes. 5-30. If you were looking for alternative approaches for Petrie’s customer loyalty program, where would you look for information? Where would you start? How would you know when you were done? Answer: They could have gotten that information from several sources, including vendor brochures, sales information, industry trade publications, and company websites, as well as from current customers of such systems. Students would probably start with a Google search. They would know when they were done when they couldn’t come up with any new information about loyalty systems. 5-31.Using the web, find three customizable customer loyalty program systems being sold by vendors. Create a table like Table 5-2 that compares them. Answer: This answer will vary with the student and with the three systems they identify. Each system offers different levels of customization, integration options, and analytics, catering to various business needs and budgets. 5-32.Why shouldn’t Petrie’s staff build their own unique system in-house? Answer: They could build their own system from scratch, but the cost would be high, and it would take a long time to design, build, and implement the system. About the only reason such an approach would make sense would be if the company planned on licensing their system to other companies, helping to recoup the costs of building a system from scratch. Solution Manual for Essentials of Systems Analysis and Design Joseph S. Valacich, Joey F. George, Jeffrey A. Hoffer 9780133546231
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