The book draws a clear line between traditional and contemporary methods for gathering requirements.
Traditional methods include interviewing and listening, directly observing users, and analyzing procedures and documents. Interviews can be done with individuals or groups. Either way, it’s one of the primary ways analysts gather information. There are many different interviewing methods. They also start with plenty of prep work, which can include an interview guide to set out a path for the sequence of questions. Open-ended questions are used to probe for new information, while close-ended questions allow for respondents to pick from a set of options. It’s important for the interviewer to not make it seem like there is a right or wrong answer. Notes should be taken and typed up as soon as possible afterward. Interviewers should seek diverse views and not make any promises in terms of final product. Observation is time consuming and can cause users to change their usual behavior, but is a way to see how things work first hand. Analyzing documents lets you know how things should be done (by the book). Reviewing documents can reveal key individuals, why the current system in the way it is, problems, and much more.
Contemporary methods include Joint Application Design (JAD) and prototyping. 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.” JAD sessions are usually conducted at a place other than where the individuals normally work to remove distractions. They usually involve whiteboards, flipcharts, and other audio-visual elements. The end result should reveal the details of the existing system and features of the new proposed system. Prototyping involves building and rebuilding a rudimentary version of an information system according to user feedback. In evolutionary prototyping, the prototype is the actual foundation for the new system. In throwaway prototyping, it’s a model or mockup that is discarded.
There are also radical methods like business process reengineering and introducing disruptive technologies.
Agile methods involve continual user involvement and focus on the user.
Unit 4 Discussion Post – Elias Harake
An important takeaway I learned in this week assignment was how to represent an firm’s data visually using an entity-relationship (E-R). In this chapter, I learned guidelines for well-structured and efficient database files, and you will learn about logical and physical database design. It is likely that the human interface and database design steps will happen in parallel, as illustrated in the systems development life cycle (SDLC). Structure the data in stable structures, called normalized tables, that are not likely to change over time and that have minimal redundancy. The implementation of a database i.e., creating and loading data into files and databases is done during the next phase of the systems development life cycle, because implementation is technology specific.
In this week’s study, I understand Joint Application Design. First of all, what is Joint Application Design (JAD)? JAD is the method of including key end-users in the design and development process of an application. This is done through workshops called JAD sessions. The thought behind this practice is to have an end product that is more satisfactory to the client by including them in the development process. This gives the client autonomy throughout the process and helps ensure that the end product meets their needs more efficiently. JAD can be used on implementing new systems, enhancing existing systems, converting old systems, and purchasing systems. In general, a project that would be best suited for JAD would; involve several groups of end-users whose accountability characterize the organization’s department or division margins, is considered essential to the future achievement of the business, includes keen users, is a first-time development for the business, or has a troubled development relationship between the business systems and end-user organizations.