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A Project Management Primer - Scope - Requirements Capture - User Observation
March 28, 2008 | Author: PM Hut | Filed under: Project Scope Management, Requirements Management, Scope Management
A Project Management Primer - Scope - Requirements Capture - User Observation (#18 in the Hut A Project Management Primer)
By Nick Jenkins
Another method of requirements capture is direct end-user observation or evaluation.
The purpose of user observation is to capture requirements that the end-users may not be consciously aware of. For example individuals using a cheque processing system in a large finance system may conduct a number of manual steps outside of the system that could be automated. Because they don’t regard these steps as being part of the system they will not mention them when questioned about the incumbent system. Only by direct observation will the development team become aware of the importance of these steps.
You can either use free-form observation or you can take a typical group of end users are set a series of tasks and monitor their processing of these tasks. Notes are made on the way they conduct the tasks, any obstacles they encounter and you could even video tape it (if they agree).
Direct user observation is particularly powerful because, unlike the first two methods of requirements capture, it relies on observed fact and not upon opinions. It is however, the most resource intensive of the three techniques.
Next in the Hut A Project Management Primer:
A Project Management Primer - Scope - Requirements Capture - Conflicting Requirements
Previously in the Hut A Project Management Primer:
A Project Management Primer - Scope - Requirements Capture - Interviews
Nick Jenkins is an IT manager with 10 years experience in software development, project management and software testing. He’s worked in various fields of IT development in Australia, Britain and the USA and occasionally he learned something along the way. Now he lives on the banks of the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, and he publishes the odd guide to help aspiring IT professionals. Nick’s website can be found at www.nickjenkins.net.
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- A Project Management Primer - Scope - Documenting Requirements - Introduction
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