Techniques of Requirement Gathering

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Technique	Strengths	Weaknesses
Document Analysis Analyse current/archived documentation, business plans or business models	Solutions from past projects can be reapplied	Time-consuming Archived information can become irrelevant over time
Observation Analyst is passively and actively involved to capture natural task performance	Objective information is Identified. Activities that may have gone unnoticed are captured	Disrupts performance and productivity Unusual situations can occur, leading to incorrect results
Verbal Protocol Variation of the observation method where subject under observation describes actions taken	Allows insights and access to underlying thought processes Identifies preconceptions brought by the subject into the process	Heavily dependent on subject’s descriptive ability Disrupts performance and productivity
Interviews Uses four questions to elicit responses: Open-ended Close-ended Clarifying Confirming	Simple, direct technique that is easily set up Flexible format allows follow-up of new factors and tangents	Interviewer requires in-depth knowledge of the business domain Responses can be affected by the subject’s personal biases
Surveys Paper or Internet-based questionnaire	Quick and inexpensive Effective for large groups or if subjects are not available in one location	Requires large pool of subjects who are prepared to respond Unsuitable for collecting information on physical processes
Brainstorming Group discussion that allows free association	Allows creative thinking and solutions Group process creates a feeling of ownership	Depends on participants’ creativity Participants may focus on new problems rather than solutions to existing ones
Focus Group Homogenous (same-industry or skill set) or heterogeneous (multi-industry) group discussions	Quick and inexpensive Allows participants to compare their perceptions and needs	Open conflicts between participants can occur Peer pressure can lead to inaccurate responses
Prototyping Simulates the capabilities of the proposed solution to stakeholders and analysts	Allows for “what if” scenarios during development stage	Difficult to manage stakeholder expectations, if the prototype looks too much like a completed solution
Evaluation Trials Used for product trials involving a small group of end-users	Allows for gap analysis between what is on trial and what is actually required	Users tend to focus on product features instead of other requirements