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Fact-Finding Techniques and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD's

There are two main forms of prototypes: 1. Low-fidelity prototypes: These are simple prototypes created using tools like paper, flowcharts, or diagrams to demonstrate basic functionality and get early user feedback. 2. High-fidelity prototypes: These are more sophisticated prototypes that resemble closer to the actual system. They are built using tools like visual design software and may include some level of interactivity. High-fidelity prototypes are used to test usability and get user feedback on look and feel.

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Kenya Levy
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337 views

Fact-Finding Techniques and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD's

There are two main forms of prototypes: 1. Low-fidelity prototypes: These are simple prototypes created using tools like paper, flowcharts, or diagrams to demonstrate basic functionality and get early user feedback. 2. High-fidelity prototypes: These are more sophisticated prototypes that resemble closer to the actual system. They are built using tools like visual design software and may include some level of interactivity. High-fidelity prototypes are used to test usability and get user feedback on look and feel.

Uploaded by

Kenya Levy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fact-Finding Techniques and

Data Flow Diagrams (DFD’s)


A RESEARCH PRESENTATION GROUP 2
Fact finding Techniques

 There are 5 prevalent types of techniques implemented for the


cape syllabus these are as followed

 Conducting interviews
 Issuing questionnaires
 Observation of current systems
 Reviewing of internal documents
 prototyping
Conducting
interviews  An interview is the most commonly
used technique to collect
information from the face to face
interviews. The purpose of the
interview is to find, verify, clarify
facts, motivate end-users involved,
identify requirements, and gather
ideas and opinions.
Interview contd.

 The role of the interview includes interviewer who is a system


analyst and interviewee who are a system owner or user. The
interviewing technique needs good communication skills for
interaction between system analysts and user.
Interview contd

 An interview that is conducted with only a general goal or subject


in mind and with few, if any, specific questions. Open-ended
questions type is used in an unstructured interview that allows
the user to answer freely in an appropriate way.

 A structured interview is an interview that contains a predefined


set of questions. In a structured interview, close-ended questions
type is used to limit answers to specific choices, short and direct
responses from the interviewees
Steps in the development of an interview

Develop a interview Get approval to talk Know the interviewee


plan with users and follow the agenda
Entails finding which user will There are some organisations Knowing the person prior to
provide the most useful where politics is real….and the interview can be a great
information, when the most therefore going to the help in forming the
appropriate time to talk to the manager is required as that questions..getting off track
will e, the order to talk to person would know who the may be easy in an interview
them and how to utilize the best person to get information so sticking to the script is
time you have in the most from is. also important
efficient manner
Issuing  Questionnaires is a useful fact-
Questionnaires finding techniques to collect
information from a large number of
users. Users fill up the questions
which are given by the system
analyst and then give the answers
back to the system analyst. To fulfill
the requirements of the system
objective, a system analyst should
have the ability to clearly define the
design and frame of questionnaires
Questionnaires contd

 Questionnaires can save time because the system analyst does


not need to interview each of the users and if the time of the
interview is short, questionnaires are more useful
 The best way to analyze the existing
Reviewing of system is to collect facts from
internal documents existing documentation rather than
from human sources. There are
various kinds of documents to collect
facts from existing documents. These
include e-mails, customer complaints,
suggestion box notes, and reports that
document the problem area problem
performance reviews, samples of
completed manual forms and reports,
and samples of completed
computerized forms and reports
various types of flowcharts and
diagrams, program documentation and
user training manuals.
Review of internal documents and sampling

 System analyst uses sampling techniques in order to organize the


above documentation. The sampling technique is the process of
combing a representative sample of documents, form, and
records
 the process of examining the problems which had previously
solved by other sources that can be either human or documents.
To solve the requirements of the problem, the analyst visits other
organizations that had previously experienced similar problems.
In addition, the analyst can also find the information from the
database, reference books, case studies, and the Internet.
 Another fact-finding technique is
observation. In this technique, the
system analyst participates in the
Observation organization, studies the flow of
documents, applies the existing
system, and interacts with the
users. Observation can be a useful
technique when the system analyst
has a user point of view. A sampling
technique called work sampling is
useful for observation. By using this
technique, system analyst can know
how employees spend their days.
 Another fact-finding technique is
known as prototyping which collects
the requirement facts of the system.
Prototyping Prototyping is sampling a small
working model and it is more related
to the pre-design of the information
system. The implementation of
prototyping can be developed in an
earlier stage of the system
development life cycle when
analyzing the facts. The process of
prototyping facts in order to specify
the users’ requirements is also
known as discovery prototyping
Data flow diagrams (DFD’s)
What is Data Flow Diagram?

 A data flow diagram is a way of graphically representing how


information flows through a specific process.The DFD (Data flow
diagram) includes data inputs and outputs, data stores, and the
various sub processes the data moves through.It is built using
symbols with individual purpose(meaning )and notations to
describe various entities and their relationship.
Levels Associated with data flow diagram

 All data flow diagrams are made up of 4 main elements which


include entity ,process, data store and data flow. External
entity/source which can be represented by a human ,system or
subsystem. (Where certain data comes from and or goes to).
 Data flow diagram has various levels to the amount of details
and entities attached to each. They're 3 levels; these are 0-level
DFD,1-Level DFD and 2-Level DFD respectively.
2-Level DFD 1-Level DFD 0-level DFD

In this level each and every In 1-Level DFD ,the simplicity Also known as context
specific function is identified of a context diagram is diagram, this level shows the
giving representation of all expanded to facilitate the system as a singular process
detail or interaction. They are information into multiple representing the entire
generally seen as going a bubbles/processes.(in this process as an exclusive
step beyond 1-Level DFD that ,the main highlighted bubble with input and output
just provides information with functions of the system are interaction between External
main sub processes. broken down to sub entities .
processes).
Revision Questions

 How many forms of prototypes are there and what are they?
Ans:

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