What is FactFinding

1
What is Fact-Finding?

• The formal process of using interviews,
  questionnaires, sampling, and other techniques to
  collect information about systems, requirements,
  and preferences.
• Also called information gathering or data
  collection.
• Crucial to the development of systems projects.
• Performed during all phases of the systems
  development life cycle.

2
Why Fact Finding?

• WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT THE USER NEEDS OTHERWISE
• THE SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK AND/OR
• IT WILL NOT DO WHAT THE END-USER WANTS.
• AIMS OF FACT FINDING
• TO INVESTIGATE AND DOCUMENT ALL IMPORTANT ASPECTS
  OF THE PROBLEM

3
When do you Perform Fact-finding?

• Most crucial to the systems planning and systems
  analysis phases.
• the analyst learns about the vocabulary,
  problems, opportunities, constraints,
  requirements, and priorities of a business and a
  system.
• During systems design, fact-finding becomes
  technical
• as the analyst attempts to learn more about the
  technology selected for the new system.
• During the systems support phase, fact-finding is
  important in determining that a system has
  decayed to a point where the system needs to be
  redeveloped.

4
Fact Finding Ethics

• You may come across or be analyzing information
  which is sensitive in nature.
• The analyst must take great care to protect the
  data they have been entrusted with.
• Being careless, by talking with friends about
  something you read in the data and risk being
  overheard,
• or
• Leaving sensitive documents unsecured while your
  away inviting non-authorized people to read,
  could cause great harm to the organization or the
  individuals.
• In some cases you would be responsible for the
  invasion of a persons privacy and could be
  liable!

5
Fact-finding Techniques

• WHAT THE USER TELLS US
• WHAT WE SEE THE USER DOING
• WRITTEN EVIDENCE

6
Fact-finding Techniques

• A number of techniques exist but no single
  technique can be
• described as better than any other.
• A selection of more common methods
• sampling of existing documentation, forms, and
  databases
• interviewing
• questionnaires
• observation
• reading
• research site visits

In order to get a well balanced, verifiable
result a number of different techniques should be
used.
7
Collecting Facts from Existing Documentation,
Forms and Files

• A good analyst always gets facts first from
  existing documentaton rather than from people.
• Documents to look at
• the organizational chart
• documentation that describes
• the problem,
• the business function being studied or designed
• previous system studies and designs
• Take notes, draw pictures, and use systems
  analysis and design tools to model what you are
  learning or proposing for the system.

8
Interviewing

• Most effective form of fact-finding
• in-depth information
• valid information
• allows detailed questioning
• One-to-one situation
• allows flexibility
• supports controlled digression
• avoid misunderstandings
• Time-consuming
• is possible to gather large amounts of data

9
Interviewing (Contd)

• Expensive to organise
• Primary goal to maximise positives and minimise
  negatives
• Interview aesthetics
• atmosphere
• location
• time factor
• good manners

Remember that over the development period you may
meet these people many times - first impressions
count!
10
Interviewing (Contd)

• Interview Structure
• The Interviewer can control the flow of the
  interview. to a certain extent!!
• Pyramid
• Begin with detailed questions move to general
• Funnel
• Begin with general questions move detailed
• Diamond
• Begin with detailed, move on to general, then
  move back to detailed.

11
Interviewing (Contd)

• Pyramid
• Begin with detailed questions move to general
• Start detailed
• Finish general

12
Interviewing (Contd)

• Funnel
• Begin with general questions move detailed

13
Interviewing (Contd)

• Diamond
• Begin with detailed questions move to general
• Begin with detailed, move on to general, then
  move back to detailed.

14
Questionnaires

• Careful design and administration are essential
  to success.
• Useful alternative when
• very large amounts of data need to be collected
• large number of people are involved
• time constraints prohibit extensive interviewing
• Responses can often be interpreted by computer.
• Wide geographical area.
• Anonymous - good and bad!

15
Questionnaires (Contd)

• Clarification cannot be given
• leave blanks
• invalid responses
• questions may be misunderstood
• Response rate is often low.
• A valuable questionnaire is one which elicits
  all views
• extremes and indifference!

16
Observation

• Very time-consuming
• clear purpose is essential
• time sampling
• One of the analysts most sensitive tasks
• people do not enjoy being watched
• people often modify their behaviour (consciously
  or subconsciously)
• Hawthorne effect
• Check if what people say they do, is actually
  what they do!
• Highlights exception situations in the normal
  system.

17
Observation (Contd)

• Highlights informal communication of information.
• Usage of files and documents.
• Balance of workload.
• Inefficiencies

18
Reading

• Investigate relevant documents and literature
• previous surveys and investigations
• job descriptions
• existing DP documentation
• Need to know when to stop!

The older the material, the more carefully it
needs to be verified.
19
Research and Site Visits

• Thoroughly research the application and problem.
• Computer trade journals and reference books are a
  good source of information.
• on how others have solved similar problems,
• whether or not software packages exist to solve
  your problem.
• Exploring the internet can provide you with
  information.
• Visiting other companies or departments that have
  addressed similar problems.

20
A FACT FINDING STRATEGY

• WHAT IS A FACT-FINDING STRATEGY?
• IT GOING ABOUT FACT FINDING IN A STRUCTURED
  LOGICAL WAY
• WE DEVELOP A FACT-FINDING STRATEGY BY DECIDING -
• WHAT INFORMATION WE WANT?
• WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GET IT?
• WHAT METHOD/S WE ARE GOING TO USE?

21
Example Of A Fact Finding Strategy

• Learn all you can from existing documents, forms,
  reports, and files.
• If appropriate, observe the system in action.
  Agree not to ask questions. Just watch and take
  notes or draw pictures. Make sure that the
  workers know that you're not evaluating
  individuals. Otherwise, they may perform in a
  more efficient manner than normal.
• Given all the facts that you've already
  collected, design and distribute questionnaires
  to clear up things you don't fully understand.
  This is also a good time to solicit opinions on
  problems and limitations.
• Conduct your interviews to verify and clarify the
  most difficult issues and problems.
• Follow up. Use appropriate fact-finding
  techniques to verify facts (usually interviews or
  observation).