Requirements ElicitationTechniques

Interviewing and questionnaires

Interviewing

Important Straightforward Simple and direct Can be used in any situation Can lead to “Use and Developer”

syndrome Must eliminate biases and predispositions We each bring our “world filter”

Context-free question

A context-free question helps us gain an understanding of the real problem without biasing the user’s inputWho is the user?Who is the customer?Are their needs different?Where else can a solution to this problem be

found?

Listen !!

Context-free question

These questions allow us to fully understand the customer’s problemAlso what solutions, if any, the

customer already envisions

Value added context

After the context-free questions are asked, suggested solutions can be exploredAfter all that’s what we are here for!

Page 96-98 contains good examples of context-free and non-context-free questions

The interview

Prepare an appropriate context-free interview and write it down for reference

Research the background of the stakeholder and the company to be interviewed

Record answersRefer to template as necessary

The interview

Ok to wander off course, as long as the interviewer keeps the goal in mind

“Keep dive” dialogues by the customer are ok!

This data forms the basic user needs that go near the top of the pyramid

Compiling the need data

Summarize the three most important needs or problemsTen interviews may produce 10-15

different needsThere is really no substitute for the

interviewDo it firstDo it for every new class of problemDo it for every new project

Questionnaires

May seem to be more efficientThink about the time/effort you spend in doing a

questionnaire Personal contact, report building, etc is too

important Problems with questionnaires

Relevant questions cannot be decided in advanceAssumptions behind questions bias resultsDifficult to explore new domainsUnclear responses hard to follow up on

Requirements workshops

Accelerate the decision process

Powerful techniques for gathering data

Designed to encourage consensusRapid agreement on course of actionKey stakeholders participateShort – 1 to 2 daysFacilitated

Benefits

Assists in building an effective team committed to the project

All stakeholders get their sayForges agreement between

stakeholders and developersExpose and resolve political issuesOutput is preliminary system

definition at the features level

Preparing for the workshop

Selling the conceptCommunicate the benefits

Ensure participation of the right stakeholdersImportant to have the right people

LogisticsStructure the proper invitationTravel arrangementsMeeting room

Preparing for the workshop

Warm up materialsSend materials out in advanceProject specific information

Drafts of requirements documentsLists of suggested featuresCopies of interviewsAnalysts reportsMarketing data

Out of box thinking materialsRules for brainstorming, etc

Role of the facilitator

Should be experienced in requirements management

Should have some trainingDemonstrated consensus building or

team building skillsWell respected and personableStrong enough to chairPreferably not a team member

Possible agenda

Introduction Context Brainstorming Lunch Brainstorming Feature definition Idea reduction and prioritization Wrap up

Running the workshop

Problem Solution

Time management Facilitator keeps a kitchen timer for all breaks, etc

Grandstanding, domineering positions

Use a 5-minute position statement to regulate input. Use a parking lot for later discussion

Lack of user input from stakeholders

Encourage at least one idea per person

Running the workshop

Problem Solution

Negative comments, petty behaviors

Various techniques to use

Flagging energy after lunch

Light lunches, midafternoon snack breaks, rearrange room, change lighting or temperature

Brainstorming and idea reduction

Key points

Brainstorming is a collection of techniques that are useful to use when the stakeholders are collocated

Primary benefitsEncourages participation by all partiesParticipants can piggy back on others

ideasMaintain a written trail of all discussionHigh bandwidth and broad solution set

Brainstorming Rules

Do not allow criticism or debate Let your imagination soar Generate as many ideas as possible Mutate and combine ideas

What features would you like? What services would you like? What things to keep track of ?

Write down the ideas

Make sure they are captured in that persons words

Make sure they are not lostEnable them to be posted for later

piggybackingPrevent delays in the creative

process

Idea reduction

Pruning; eliminate those ideas not worthy of future investigation

There should be some “out of box thinking” ideas

Any disagreement means it stays on the list

Similar ideas grouped

Grouping ideas

New featuresPerformance issuesEnhancements to current featuresUser interface and ease of use issues

Further idea generation may be needed on the grouped ideas

Feature definition

Write a short description of the idea that was proposedEnsure common understanding

Should not take long to do

ExampleApplication context

Brainstormed feature

Feature definition

Home lighting automation

Automatic lighting settings

Homeowner can create preset time-based schedules for certain lighting events to happen, based on the time of day

Sales order entry system

Fast Fast enough response time to not interfere with typical operations

Defect tracking system

Automatic notification

All registered parties will be notified via e-mail when something has changes

Prioritization

Probably cannot do everything on the list

Cumulative voting; the hundred dollar testCan only be used once for biasing

reasonsCritical (indispensable), important

significant loss in customer utility), useful ( nice to have) categorization