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Elicitation Techniques
Elicitation Techniques
Overview
The requirements serve as the foundation for the solution to the business
needs .It is essential that the requirements be complete, clear, correct, and
consistent.
Typically, requirements are identified throughout the elicitation, analysis,
verification and validation activities.
Elicitation Techniques
1. Preparation for Elicitation
2. Elicitation technique.
3. Documentation .
4. Confirm Elicitation Results
Topics covered
Prepare for Elicitation
Build a detailed schedule for a particular elicitation activity, defining the specific
activities and the planned dates.
Input
Business Need: Required to ensure that the business analyst understands
what
information should be elicited from the stakeholders.
Stakeholder List, Roles, and Responsibilities: Used to identify the
stakeholders who should participate in elicitation activities.
Here are the list of elicitation techniques defined by the BABOK for
business analysts:
Brainstorming
Interviews
Prototyping
Focus Groups
Document Analysis
Interface Analysis
Observation
Survey/Questionnaire
Root Cause Analysis
5 Whys
Fishbone Analysis
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is an excellent way to foster creative thinking about a problem.
The aim
of brainstorming is to produce numerous new ideas, and to derive from them
themes for further analysis.
 Clustering
 Listing
 Freewriting
Three Activities
Clustering
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in the center of
your paper.
2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main topic. Draw
arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.
Listing
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the
top of your paper.
2. Write down any word or phrase that might relate to your main topic
underneath.
Practice speaking with others
Take classes
Guess at the meanings of words
Listen to radio or TV
Observe others
Set reasonable goals
Dont be afraid to experiment
Study vocabulary in related topics
How to be a Successful
Language Learner
Freewriting
1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the
top of your paper.
2. Freewriting is like talking to yourself on paper. Write as much as you
can in connected sentences (not lists) about your topic. Write as
quickly as you can without stopping to think about grammar or
organization.
My Favorite Book
My favorite book I dont know where to start. I read so many books
that are interesting that its hard to choose just one. I guess I could
start by talking about the kinds of books I really like. I like biographies
and autobiographies the best. I really enjoy reading about another
persons life. One of my favorite books is called Roots by Alex Haley.
How the author was able to trace his family history all the way back to
Africa was amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl Sandburgs
biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an incredible president!
Pros and cons
Pros Cons
Brainstorming helps to reduce conflicts  it helps
participants to see other points of view and
possibly change their perspective on problems.
Can take too much time if the
group is not properly controlled
and is allowed to run for too long
Brainstorming brings new ideas on how to
tackle a particular problem  the
freethinking atmosphere encourages
creativity, even imperfectly developed
thoughts may push the thinking of other
participants.
Opponents may refuse to consider
each other's ideas. It is important
to explain to participants how the
results will be used to underline
that they are not wasting their
time.
All participants have equal status and an
equal opportunity to participate.
Interviews
An interview is a systematic approach designed to elicit information from a person
or
group of people in an informal or formal setting by talking to an interviewee,
asking
relevant questions and documenting the responses.
For the purpose of eliciting requirements, interviews
are of two basic types:
 Open end question.
 Closed end question.
**Make the interviewees aware of the goals of the
interview
Interviewing is not simply a matter of asking questions; it requires development
of some general social skills, the ability to listen, and knowledge of a variety of
interviewing tactics.
Four phases
 Identifying candidates
 Preparing for an interview
 Conducting the interview
 Following up
General guidelines
 Improve your understanding by summarizing, rephrasing,
showing implications
 Be an active listener
 Be courteous; keep the interviewee at ease
 Remain in control; bring the interview back on track
 Use non-verbal communication techniques
Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
Encourages participation and
establishes rapport with the
stakeholder
Interviews are not an ideal means of
reaching consensus across a group
of stakeholders.
Simple, direct technique that can be
used in varying situations.
Requires considerable commitment
and involvement of the participants.
Allows the interviewer and participant
to have full discussions and
explanations of the questions and
answers.
Training is required to conduct good
interviews. Unstructured interviews,
especially, require special skills.
Facilitation/virtual facilitation and
active listening are a few of them.
Prototyping
A software requirements prototype is a mock-up or partial implementation of a
software system
 Helps developers, users, and customers better understand system requirements
 Helps clarify and complete requirements
 Provides early response to I'll know it when Ill see (or wont see) it attitude
Prototyping is effective in resolving uncertainties early in the development
process
 Encourages user participation and mutual understanding
Prototypes can take many forms:
 Paper prototypes
 Screen mock-ups
Interactive prototypes
 Using high-level languages (e.g., Visual Basic, Delphi, Prolog)
 Using scripting languages (e.g., Perl, Python)
 Using animation tools (e.g., Flash/Shockwave)
Elicitation Techniques
Elicitation Techniques
Process for Prototyping
 Use Cases
Activity Diagram
Sequence Diagram
 Data Flow Diagram
Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
A prototype allows for early user
interaction and feedback.
Assumptions about the underlying
technology may need to be made
in order to present a starting
prototype.
Supports users who are more
comfortable and effective at
articulating their needs by using
pictures, as prototyping lets them
"see" the future system's interface.
A prototype may lead users to set
unrealistic expectations of the
delivered system's performance,
reliability and usability
characteristics.
It quickly uncover and confirm user
interface requirements.
Focus Groups
A focus group is composed of pre-qualified
individuals whose purpose is to discuss and
comment on a topic or a process . This is an
opportunity for individuals to share their own
perspectives and discuss them in a group setting.
This could lead participants to reevaluate their
own perspectives in the light of others'
experiences.
Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
Ability to elicit data from a group of
people in a single session saves
time and costs as compared to
conducting individual interviews
with the same number of people.
In the group setting, participants
may be concerned about issues of
trust, or may be unwilling to discuss
sensitive topics.
Effective for learning people's
attitudes, experiences and desires.
Data collected (what people say)
may not be consistent with how
people actually behave.
If the group is too homogenous the
group's responses may not
represent the complete set of
requirements.
Root cause analysis
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for
identifying the root causes of faults or problems.
5 Whys
The 5 whys are around asking why to a problem , getting the answer
and then asking why again and again , until you come up with the real
root cause of a problem.
There can be more than one cause to a problem as well. In
an organizational context, generally root cause analysis is
carried out by a team of persons related to the problem.
Problem: Your client is refusing to pay for the leaflets you printed for
them.
Why? The delivery was late, so the leaflets couldn't be used.
Why? The job took longer than we anticipated.
Why? We ran out of printer ink.
Why? The ink was all used up on a big, last-minute order.
Why? We didn't have enough in stock, and we couldn't order it in quickly
enough.
Counter-measure: We need to find a supplier who can deliver ink at very short
notice.
Fishbone Analysis
Visual display of possible causes
Helps team reach common understanding of why loss
exists
The fishbone will help to visually display the many potential causes for a
specific problem or effect. It is particularly useful in a group setting and for
situations in which little quantitative data is available for analysis.
Cause and Effect Diagram Loading My Computer
PEOPLE METHODS
MATERIALS MACHINERY
OTHER
Cannot
Load
Softwar
e on PC
Inserted CD Wrong
Instructions are Wrong
Not Enough
Free Memory
Inadequate System
Graphics Card Incompatible
Hard Disk Crashed
Not Following
Instructions
Cannot Answer Prompt
Question
Brain Fade
CD Missing
Wrong Type CDBad CD
Power Interruption
Document Elicitation Results
For an elicitation event (brainstorming, focus groups, interviews, observation,
prototyping, requirements workshops) a summary of the output from the event,
including issues is produced.
Input
Elicitation Results: Includes the information provided by stakeholders that will be
recorded and structured.
Documentation can take a number of forms, including:
 Written documents describing the outcomes, such as meeting minutes
 Visual or audio recordings
 Whiteboards (either actual or virtual) where notes are retained until they are
transferred to another medium.
Confirm Elicitation Results
Some elicitation techniques benefit from reviewing the documented outputs with the
stakeholders to ensure that the analysts understanding conforms to the actual
desires
or intentions of the stakeholder.
Input
Requirements [Stated, Unconfirmed]: Represent the business analysts
understanding
of the stakeholders intentions.
Stakeholder Concerns [Unconfirmed]: Represent the business analysts
understanding
of issues identified by the stakeholder, risks, assumptions, constraints, and other
relevant
information that may be used in business analysis.
Q & A

More Related Content

Elicitation Techniques

  • 3. Overview The requirements serve as the foundation for the solution to the business needs .It is essential that the requirements be complete, clear, correct, and consistent. Typically, requirements are identified throughout the elicitation, analysis, verification and validation activities.
  • 5. 1. Preparation for Elicitation 2. Elicitation technique. 3. Documentation . 4. Confirm Elicitation Results Topics covered
  • 6. Prepare for Elicitation Build a detailed schedule for a particular elicitation activity, defining the specific activities and the planned dates. Input Business Need: Required to ensure that the business analyst understands what information should be elicited from the stakeholders. Stakeholder List, Roles, and Responsibilities: Used to identify the stakeholders who should participate in elicitation activities.
  • 7. Here are the list of elicitation techniques defined by the BABOK for business analysts: Brainstorming Interviews Prototyping Focus Groups Document Analysis Interface Analysis Observation Survey/Questionnaire Root Cause Analysis 5 Whys Fishbone Analysis
  • 8. Brainstorming Brainstorming is an excellent way to foster creative thinking about a problem. The aim of brainstorming is to produce numerous new ideas, and to derive from them themes for further analysis. Clustering Listing Freewriting Three Activities
  • 9. Clustering 1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word in the center of your paper. 2. Write down any sub-topics that are connected to that main topic. Draw arrows to the sub-topics from the main topic.
  • 10. Listing 1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper. 2. Write down any word or phrase that might relate to your main topic underneath. Practice speaking with others Take classes Guess at the meanings of words Listen to radio or TV Observe others Set reasonable goals Dont be afraid to experiment Study vocabulary in related topics How to be a Successful Language Learner
  • 11. Freewriting 1. Start with the main topic of your essay. Write that word or words at the top of your paper. 2. Freewriting is like talking to yourself on paper. Write as much as you can in connected sentences (not lists) about your topic. Write as quickly as you can without stopping to think about grammar or organization. My Favorite Book My favorite book I dont know where to start. I read so many books that are interesting that its hard to choose just one. I guess I could start by talking about the kinds of books I really like. I like biographies and autobiographies the best. I really enjoy reading about another persons life. One of my favorite books is called Roots by Alex Haley. How the author was able to trace his family history all the way back to Africa was amazing! Another book I really enjoyed was Carl Sandburgs biography of Abraham Lincoln. What an incredible president!
  • 12. Pros and cons Pros Cons Brainstorming helps to reduce conflicts it helps participants to see other points of view and possibly change their perspective on problems. Can take too much time if the group is not properly controlled and is allowed to run for too long Brainstorming brings new ideas on how to tackle a particular problem the freethinking atmosphere encourages creativity, even imperfectly developed thoughts may push the thinking of other participants. Opponents may refuse to consider each other's ideas. It is important to explain to participants how the results will be used to underline that they are not wasting their time. All participants have equal status and an equal opportunity to participate.
  • 13. Interviews An interview is a systematic approach designed to elicit information from a person or group of people in an informal or formal setting by talking to an interviewee, asking relevant questions and documenting the responses. For the purpose of eliciting requirements, interviews are of two basic types: Open end question. Closed end question. **Make the interviewees aware of the goals of the interview
  • 14. Interviewing is not simply a matter of asking questions; it requires development of some general social skills, the ability to listen, and knowledge of a variety of interviewing tactics. Four phases Identifying candidates Preparing for an interview Conducting the interview Following up General guidelines Improve your understanding by summarizing, rephrasing, showing implications Be an active listener Be courteous; keep the interviewee at ease Remain in control; bring the interview back on track Use non-verbal communication techniques
  • 15. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Encourages participation and establishes rapport with the stakeholder Interviews are not an ideal means of reaching consensus across a group of stakeholders. Simple, direct technique that can be used in varying situations. Requires considerable commitment and involvement of the participants. Allows the interviewer and participant to have full discussions and explanations of the questions and answers. Training is required to conduct good interviews. Unstructured interviews, especially, require special skills. Facilitation/virtual facilitation and active listening are a few of them.
  • 16. Prototyping A software requirements prototype is a mock-up or partial implementation of a software system Helps developers, users, and customers better understand system requirements Helps clarify and complete requirements Provides early response to I'll know it when Ill see (or wont see) it attitude Prototyping is effective in resolving uncertainties early in the development process Encourages user participation and mutual understanding
  • 17. Prototypes can take many forms: Paper prototypes Screen mock-ups Interactive prototypes Using high-level languages (e.g., Visual Basic, Delphi, Prolog) Using scripting languages (e.g., Perl, Python) Using animation tools (e.g., Flash/Shockwave)
  • 20. Process for Prototyping Use Cases Activity Diagram Sequence Diagram Data Flow Diagram
  • 21. Pros and Cons Pros Cons A prototype allows for early user interaction and feedback. Assumptions about the underlying technology may need to be made in order to present a starting prototype. Supports users who are more comfortable and effective at articulating their needs by using pictures, as prototyping lets them "see" the future system's interface. A prototype may lead users to set unrealistic expectations of the delivered system's performance, reliability and usability characteristics. It quickly uncover and confirm user interface requirements.
  • 22. Focus Groups A focus group is composed of pre-qualified individuals whose purpose is to discuss and comment on a topic or a process . This is an opportunity for individuals to share their own perspectives and discuss them in a group setting. This could lead participants to reevaluate their own perspectives in the light of others' experiences.
  • 23. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Ability to elicit data from a group of people in a single session saves time and costs as compared to conducting individual interviews with the same number of people. In the group setting, participants may be concerned about issues of trust, or may be unwilling to discuss sensitive topics. Effective for learning people's attitudes, experiences and desires. Data collected (what people say) may not be consistent with how people actually behave. If the group is too homogenous the group's responses may not represent the complete set of requirements.
  • 24. Root cause analysis Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems.
  • 25. 5 Whys The 5 whys are around asking why to a problem , getting the answer and then asking why again and again , until you come up with the real root cause of a problem. There can be more than one cause to a problem as well. In an organizational context, generally root cause analysis is carried out by a team of persons related to the problem.
  • 26. Problem: Your client is refusing to pay for the leaflets you printed for them. Why? The delivery was late, so the leaflets couldn't be used. Why? The job took longer than we anticipated. Why? We ran out of printer ink. Why? The ink was all used up on a big, last-minute order. Why? We didn't have enough in stock, and we couldn't order it in quickly enough. Counter-measure: We need to find a supplier who can deliver ink at very short notice.
  • 27. Fishbone Analysis Visual display of possible causes Helps team reach common understanding of why loss exists The fishbone will help to visually display the many potential causes for a specific problem or effect. It is particularly useful in a group setting and for situations in which little quantitative data is available for analysis.
  • 28. Cause and Effect Diagram Loading My Computer PEOPLE METHODS MATERIALS MACHINERY OTHER Cannot Load Softwar e on PC Inserted CD Wrong Instructions are Wrong Not Enough Free Memory Inadequate System Graphics Card Incompatible Hard Disk Crashed Not Following Instructions Cannot Answer Prompt Question Brain Fade CD Missing Wrong Type CDBad CD Power Interruption
  • 29. Document Elicitation Results For an elicitation event (brainstorming, focus groups, interviews, observation, prototyping, requirements workshops) a summary of the output from the event, including issues is produced. Input Elicitation Results: Includes the information provided by stakeholders that will be recorded and structured. Documentation can take a number of forms, including: Written documents describing the outcomes, such as meeting minutes Visual or audio recordings Whiteboards (either actual or virtual) where notes are retained until they are transferred to another medium.
  • 30. Confirm Elicitation Results Some elicitation techniques benefit from reviewing the documented outputs with the stakeholders to ensure that the analysts understanding conforms to the actual desires or intentions of the stakeholder. Input Requirements [Stated, Unconfirmed]: Represent the business analysts understanding of the stakeholders intentions. Stakeholder Concerns [Unconfirmed]: Represent the business analysts understanding of issues identified by the stakeholder, risks, assumptions, constraints, and other relevant information that may be used in business analysis.
  • 31. Q & A