Question

Locating demands for a new system or a revised system is a significant project and a very elevated priority. What are some of the methods used to discover the demands (fact-finding) for the system? Which ones are working better? Which ones are the most economical ones? Where do we most frequently search for demands in the SDLC?

Answer 1

Some of the methods used to discover the demands (fact-finding) for the system are:

• Examining documentation
• Interviewing
• Observing the enterprise in action
• Research
• Questionnaires

1. Examining documentation can be helpful when you try to gain some insight as to how the requirement for a database arose. You may also find that documentation can help to acquire information on the part of the enterprise associated with the problem. If the problem relates to the current system, there should have to be documents associated with that system. By examining documents, forms, reports, and files associated with the current system, you can quickly gain some thoughtful concepts out of the system.
2. Interviewing is the most frequently used, and usually most useful, fact-finding procedure used. We can interview to collect information from person face-to-face. There can be several objectives for using interviewing such as finding out facts, verifying those facts, clarifying these released facts, generating enthusiasm, getting the end-user involved, identifying requirements, and gathering ideas and opinions. However, using the interviewing practice must require proper communication skills for dealing effectively with people who have different values, priorities, opinions, motivations, and personalities.
3. Observing the enterprise in action: Observing the enterprise in action: Observation is one of the most successful fact-finding techniques carried out for understanding a system. Using this technique, it is achievable to either participate in or observe a person perform activities to learn about the system.
4. Research: A useful fact-finding technique is to research the application or the problem that you are dealing with and want to put within a software. Computer trade journals, reference books, and the Internet are good sources of information which can make available of huge quantity of information on how others have solved similar problems/issues plus whether or not any software packages exist to resolve or even partially solve your current problem.
5. Questionnaires: Another fabulous fact-finding method is to conduct surveys through questionnaires. Questionnaires are special-purpose documents that allow facts to be gathered from a large number of people while upholding some control over their responses. When dealing with a large number of listeners or audience, no other fact-finding technique can tabulate the same facts so efficiently. There are two types of questions that can be asked in a questionnaire namely free-format and fixed-format. Free-format questions offer the respondent greater freedom inputting answers. Fixed-format questions require specific responses from individuals, and for the given question, the respondent must choose from the available answers.

Most frequently used methods are interviews and questionnaires.Examining documentation and research is more economical.But to get best output,a mix of these techniques is best to find out demands for the project.