Information Gathering Techniques Essay

Introduction

There are many techniques used in gathering information on the system requirements. However, not every method can be suitable for every situation especially when designing a system to be used by customers. Customers need a simple system where they can easily navigate and place their orders; otherwise, they will be attracted by competitors who have simplified theirs. Based on the case scenario on the development of an Online Carpet Sale Ordering System for the Persian Carpet Store, business processes and procedures are involved, and the best data collection techniques to employ would be observed and document business processes as well as the review inputs, outputs, and procedures.

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Observe and Document Business Processes (ODBP)

ODBP is an information gathering technique that is helpful to a system's designer when investigating the new requirements. It involves the act of observing the business processes as they occur to get insights into what takes place as the customers use the system. The system should be in use to allow the developer to observe the most important processes and identify the business needs. As the developer observes the business processes and identifies the needs, he or she documents them for consideration in developing new systems (Satzinger, Jackson & Burd, 2015). ODBP provides a foundation or a starting point for the developer to gain firsthand experience that enhances a deeper understanding of the business processes and learns how to integrate them.

Using ODBP, the developer will examine how a customer browses each available pattern of a certain size in different colors before he or she can add to the shopping cart. Also, the developer will examine the process of payment as the client pays and is issued with a receipt. These are the necessary steps in the ordering system which the developer observes to identify the customer needs which are interpreted to derive the requirements of the new system.

Advantages

ODBP has several advantages when applied in gathering data of a business related system where several processes critical to serving the customer are involved. One of the advantages of this technique over the others is that it allows for the collection of first-hand data on business processes through observation (Satzinger et al., 2015). Through observing the systems, the developer can establish a clear understanding of the customer needs which constitutes the requirements of the new system to be developed. Although methods such as interviewing users and stakeholders as well as distributing and collecting questionnaires and use of gathering of active user comments and suggestions may gather first-hand data, they do not allow the developer to observe the processes in work.

Another advantage is that the technique allows for the developer to collect data where other methods such as interviewing, use of questionnaires and other techniques cannot work because the clients and stakeholders find it hard to explain the process or their requirements in the new system (Rosenblatt, 2013).

Disadvantages

One major disadvantage of the ODBP method is that the developer might easily focus on the current processes and identify needs without a consideration the ever-changing business world which might soon need a change of the systems requirements. When using techniques such as vendor solutions, a developed may gain insights into how the systems are prepared with future trends in mind.

Review Inputs, Outputs, and Procedures (RIOP)

RIOP entails gathering information on new systems requirements through reviewing inputs, outputs, and procedures involved in the transactions. Information regarding inputs, outputs, and procedures can be gathered in two ways; from external sources and reviewing business documents and procedure descriptions within the organization (Satzinger et al., 2015). External sources of information including journals and magazines that report on the firms' "best practices." The systems developer can review such sources to gain insights about the systems requirements to enhance inputs, outputs and procedures. Alternatively, a systems developer can access information regarding inputs, outputs, and procedures through review of existing business procedure descriptions and documents. Through RIOP, the systems developer can gather information regarding the Persian Carpet's store transactions with the customer such as review of the product descriptions, order placement, and receipt generation and the necessary procedural requirements.

Advantages

Using RIOP to gather system requirements for Persian Carpet Company has several advantages. It supplements the ODBP technique in getting a preliminary understanding of the business processes (Satzinger et al., 2015). The developer can further understand the business processes by learning about inputs, outputs, and procedures that make up the business processes. Also, RIOP allows the developer to employ inputs, outputs, and documents as visual aids for an interview and working documents for discussion with stakeholders. RIOP integrates interview to further dig deeper into systems through elaborate visualization. Discussion can be focused on certain inputs or outputs to examine them in detail examining the business events that initiate the input to generate the output. Details of these aspects forming the business process are critical to system development to attain an effective system that delivers customer needs.

Furthermore, reviewing the documents of the existing procedures helps the systems developer to supplement other methods of information gathering such as questionnaires and interviews by identifying salient information that is not easily available. For example, one may not access information on business rules when using questionnaires or interviews, but by reviewing business documents, such information is readily available. By analyzing formal rules helps a developer detect redundancies and discrepancies in the business processes that need to be improved (Valacich, George & Hoffer, 2014).

Disadvantages

Although RIOP may be a good way of gathering system requirements for Persian Carpet Store, there may be some disadvantages. RIOP mainly focuses on reviewing existing data which may not be up to date. This is a serious weakness given the fact that customer needs are highly dynamic and it may lead to the development of a system that does not meet the current customer needs at the Persian Carpet Store. Also, the business documents may contain errors. These errors may mislead the systems developer. Using other data gathering techniques such as interviewing might help in eliminating such errors as they are up to date and offer the developer a chance to clarify issues (Kendall & Kendall, 2010).

Conclusion

Using both ODBP and RIOP in gathering system requirements for the development of a new system for Persian Carpet Store will help the developer gain in-depth information regarding the organization's business processes as well as the inputs, outputs and the procedures making up the system. In this manner, the developer will have an opportunity to explore customer needs and incorporate them into the new system. The goodness with ODBP is that the developer has a chance to observe the real processes as they occur to detect discrepancies that need to be fixed whereas RIOP allows for review on business rules that further expose redundancies in the system.

References

Kendall, K. E., & Kendall, J. E. (2010). Systems analysis and design. Prentice Hall Press.

Rosenblatt, H. J. (2013). Systems analysis and design. Cengage Learning.

Satzinger, J, Jackson, R & Burd, S 2015. Systems analysis and design in a changing world 7th edition, Cengage Learning, Boston, MA, USA

Valacich, J., George, J., & Hoffer, J. (2014). Essentials of systems analysis and design. Prentice Hall Press.