Participants can be involved in debating ideas.
There can be multiple duplicate ideas.
#3) Interview
This is the most common technique used for requirement elicitation. Interview techniques should be used for building strong relationships between business analysts and stakeholders. In this technique, the interviewer directs the question to stakeholders to obtain information. One to one interview is the most commonly used technique.
If the interviewer has a predefined set of questions then it’s called a structured interview.
If the interviewer is not having any particular format or any specific questions then it’s called an unstructured interview.
For an effective interview, you can consider the 5 Why technique. When you get an answer to all your Whys then you are done with your interview process. Open-ended questions are used to provide detailed information. In this interviewee cannot say Yes or No only.
Closed questions can be answered in Yes or No form and also for areas used to get confirmation on answers.
Basic Rules:
The overall purpose of performing the interviews should be clear.
Identify the interviewees in advance.
Interview goals should be communicated to the interviewee.
Interview questions should be prepared before the interview.
The location of the interview should be predefined.
The time limit should be described.
The interviewer should organize the information and confirm the results with the interviewees as soon as possible after the interview.
Benefits:
Interactive discussion with stakeholders.
The immediate follow-up to ensure the interviewer’s understanding.
Encourage participation and build relationships by establishing rapport with the stakeholder.
Drawbacks:
Time is required to plan and conduct interviews.
Commitment is required from all the participants.
Sometimes training is required to conduct effective interviews.
#4) Document Analysis/Review
This technique is used to gather business information by reviewing/examining the available materials that describe the business environment. This analysis is helpful to validate the implementation of current solutions and is also helpful in understanding the business need.
Document analysis includes reviewing the business plans, technical documents, problem reports, existing requirement documents, etc. This is useful when the plan is to update an existing system. This technique is useful for migration projects.
This technique is important in identifying the gaps in the system i.e. to compare the AS-IS process with the TO-BE process. This analysis also helps when the person who has prepared the existing documentation is no longer present in the system.
Benefits:
Existing documents can be used to compare current and future processes.
Existing documents can be used as a base for future analysis.
Drawbacks:
Existing documents might not be updated.
Existing documents might be completely outdated.
Resources worked on the existing documents might not be available to provide information.
This process is time-consuming.
#5) Focus Group
By using a focus group, you can get information about a product, service from a group. The Focus group includes subject matter experts. The objective of this group is to discuss the topic and provide information. A moderator manages this session.
The moderator should work with business analysts to analyze the results and provide findings to the stakeholders.
If a product is under development and the discussion is required on that product then the result will be to update the existing requirement or you might get new requirements. If a product is ready to ship then the discussion will be on releasing the product.
How Focus groups are different than group interviews?
A Focus group is not an interview session conducted as a group; rather it is a discussion during which feedback is collected on a specific subject. The session results are usually analyzed and reported. A focus group typically consists of 6 to 12 members. If you want more participants then create more than one focus group.
Benefits:
You can get information in a single session rather than conducting one to one interview.
Active discussion with the participants creates a healthy environment.
One can learn from other’s experiences.
Drawbacks:
It might be difficult to gather the group on the same date and time.
If you are doing this using the online method then the participant’s interaction will be limited.
A Skilled Moderator is required to manage focus group discussions.
#6) Interface Analysis
Interface analysis is used to review the system, people, and processes. This analysis is used to identify how the information is exchanged between the components. An Interface can be described as a connection between two components. This is described in the below image:
The interface analysis focus on the below questions:
Who will be using the interface?
What kind of data will be exchanged?
When will the data be exchanged?
How to implement the interface?
Why we need the interface? Can’t the task be completed without using the interface?
Benefits:
Provide missed requirements.
Determine regulations or interface standards.
Uncover areas where it could be a risk for the project.
Drawbacks:
The analysis is difficult if internal components are not available.
It cannot be used as a standalone elicitation activity.
#7) Observation
The main objective of the observation session is to understand the activity, task, tools used, and events performed by others.
The plan for observation ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the purpose of the observation session, they agree on the expected outcomes, and that the session meets their expectations. You need to inform the participants that their performance is not judged.
During the session, the observer should record all the activities and the time taken to perform the work by others so that he/she can simulate the same. After the session, the BA will review the results and will follow up with the participants. Observation can be either active or passive.
Active observation is to ask questions and try to attempt the work that other persons are doing.
Passive observation is silent observation i.e. you sit with others and just observe how they are doing their work without interpreting them.
Benefits:
The observer will get a practical insight into the work.
Improvement areas can be easily identified.
Drawbacks:
