Requirements Analysis – Fact Finding Techniques

Requirements analysis encompasses all tasks involved in investigating, scoping, and defining a new or altered system. The first activity in the analysis phase is to do preliminary research. During the preliminary investigation the collection of data is very important and for this we can use the fact finding techniques.

The following fact finding techniques can be used to collect the data:

• interview – Analysts can use interviews to gather information about the current system from potential users. Here the analysts discover the areas of misunderstandings, unrealistic exceptions, and descriptions of activities and problems along with resistance to the proposed new system. Interviews are time consuming.

• Surveys – Here analysts can collect data from large groups. Questionnaires can be open or closed questionnaires. open questionnaires they are used to learn feelings, opinions, general experiences about the detail of the process or problem. In it, the questions are answered in their own words. while in closed questionnaires a set of prescribed responses is used and a specific response must be selected. This is a costly affair as the questions need to be printed.

• Record inspections or revisions – Basic records such as reports, invoices, policy manuals, regulations, standard operating procedures, etc. can be used to better understand the system.

• Observation – This is a skill that analysts have to develop. Analysts have to identify the right information and choose the right person and look at the right place to achieve their goal. You must have a clear vision of how each department works and the flow of work between them and for this you must be a good observer.

Requirements analysis is an important part of the system design process, whereby requirements engineers and business analysts, together with systems engineers or software developers, identify a customer’s needs or requirements. Once customer requirements have been identified and data collected, system designers are in a position to design a solution.