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FACT FINDING TECHNIQUES AND STEPS - Coggle Diagram
FACT FINDING TECHNIQUES AND STEPS
Interviews
STEP 1: DETERMINE THE PEOPLE TO INTERVIEW
Select the right people to interview and ask them the right questions
Preliminary investigation:
middle managers/department heads
Systems analysis phase:
people from all levels of the organization
The analyst’s knowledge of the company’s formal and informal structures
helps determine the people to interview during the systems analysis phase
STEP 2: ESTABLISH OBJECTIVES FOR THE INTERVIEW
The general areas to be discussed should be determined
Example:
Soliciting ideas, suggestions, and opinions
By setting specific objectives, a framework is created that
helps the analyst decide what questions to ask
and how to phrase them
STEP 3: DEVELOP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Creating a standard list of interview questions
helps to keep the session on track
------ Open-ended questions------
Encourage spontaneous and unstructured responses
Can be used to probe further by asking
"Is there anything else you can tell me about this topic?"
------ Closed-ended questions------
Limit or restrict the response
Used when information that is more specific is needed, or when facts must be verified
Example:
"Do you review the reports before they are sent out?"
,
"Is the calculation procedure described in the manual?"
------ Range-of-response questions------
The closed-ended questions that ask the person to evaluate something by providing limited answers to specific responses
Easier to tabulate the answers and interpret the results
Example:
"How would you rate the severity of the problem: low, medium, or high?"
,
"On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 the lowest and 10 the highest, how effective was your training?"
STEP 4: PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW
Suggest a specific day and time and let the interviewee know how long the meeting is expected to last
Send an email or place a reminder call the day before the interview
The interview should be limited to no more than one hour
Send a list of topics to an interviewee several days before the meeting
Ask the interviewee to have samples available at the meeting if there are questions about documents
STEP 5: CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW
Ask questions in the order in which they were prepared
Give the interviewee sufficient time to provide thoughtful answers
Establishing a good rapport with the interviewee
Summarize the main points covered in the interview and explain the next course of action
Thank the person and encourage him/her to reach out with any questions or additional comments
Ask the interviewee whether he/she can suggest any additional topics that should be discussed
STEP 6: DOCUMENT THE INTERVIEW
A memo should be sent to the interviewee, expressing appreciation for his or her time and cooperation
In the memo,
note the date, time, location, purpose of the interview, and the main points discussed
, so the interviewee has a written summary and can offer additions or corrections
STEP 7: EVALUATE THE INTERVIEW
In addition to recording the facts obtained in an interview, try to identify any possible biases
For example, an interviewee who tries to protect his or her own area or function might give incomplete answers or refrain from volunteering information
Other Fact-Finding Techniques
Document Review
Help the analyst understand how the current system is supposed to work
Obtain copies of actual forms and operating documents currently in use (system documentations could be out of date)
Observation
Personal observation allows the analyst to verify statements made in interviews and determine whether procedures really operate as they are described
Recommendations often are better accepted when they are based on personal observation of actual operations
Questionnaires and Surveys
To obtain information about a wide range of topics, including
workloads, reports received, volumes of transactions handled, job duties, difficulties, and opinions
of how the job could be performed better or more efficiently
Make sure that the questions collect the right data in a form that can be used to further the factfinding effort
Sampling
To ensure that it represents the overall population accurately
To be useful, a sample must be large enough to provide a fair representation of the overall data
Sound sampling techniques must be used to reflect the overall population and obtain an accurate picture
Research
Include the Internet, IT magazines, and books to obtain background information, technical material, and news about industry trends and developments
Involve a visit to a physical location, called a site visit, where the objective is to observe a system in use at another location