System Analysis and Design
(ICS 208) 3 Credits
Musbau Dogo Abdulrahaman
ND (Ilorin), BSc. (Ilorin), MTech (Minna)
Department of Information Technology,
Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences,
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
[email protected];
[email protected] Fact Finding Techniques in
Systems Analysis
Week Five
Introduction
System development requires thorough and
rigorous requirement gathering activities and
SAD provides many techniques through which
users’ requirements can be gathered and analysed.
Similarly, systems are designed to automatically
performed some actions to solve certain problem
when certain condition(s) are met.
Decision table has been identified as an important
tool for specifying various decisions that the
candidate system is expected to take under
certain conditions.
This module will delve into explaining how
decision tables can be used in SAD. It will also
explain different techniques for fact findings
during systems analysis phases.
Objectives
At the end of the class, students should
be able to understand:
The Concept of Decision Tables
Guideline for Decision Tables
Different fact finding techniques in
Systems Analysis
Decision Tables
A decision table is a table of contingencies
for defining a problem and the actions to be
taken.
It is a single representation of the
relationships between conditions and
actions.
The Aims of decision table are:
◦ To ensure that conditions and their associated
actions are included
◦ To also ensure that all the rules are both logical
and clearly understandable.
Decision Tables: Parts
A decision table consists of two parts namely
stub and entry, and further divided into four
parts:
Condition Stub: This part of the table sets out the
various conditions that might prevail in making a
decision
Action Stub: It is a part that sets out the various
actions that might be appropriate
Condition Entries: This part sets out the various
unique combination of conditions that might arise
Action Entries: This part sets out the appropriate
actions that are to be taken for any set of unique
conditions.
Decision Table…
Guiding Rules for Decision Table
Condition Entries part is divided to rules;
The number of rules is determined by the
number of conditions in the condition stub
parts.
The number of rules is given as 2𝑛 , where n
is the number of conditions.
The rules’ column are filled with Y (fulfilled
condition) and N (unfulfilled condition)using
the half rule method
The column where action is to be taken in
the action entries part is marked X
The column where action cannot be taken is
left blank.
Decision Table: Example I
For the purpose of making delivery charges,
clients are in two regional categories, i.e.
northerners and southerners. If a client is a
northerner and the invoice sum is less than
#500,000; the delivery charge would be
#3,000, but if the invoice sum is #500,000 or
more, then the delivery charge would be
#2,000. In contrast, if the client is a
southerner and the invoice sum is less than
#500,000; the delivery charge would be
#4,000, but if the invoice sum is #500,000 or
more, then the delivery charge would be
#2,500. Construct a decision table to
illustrate the scenario.
Decision Table: Solution 1
Determine the number of conditions n
Then, calculate the number of rules 2𝑛
So we have:
Fact Finding Techniques in System
Analysis
Fact finding techniques are the specific
methods used by the system analysts for
collecting data about user requirements.
These techniques include:
❖Interview
❖Questionnaire
❖Record inspections (on – site review)
❖Observation
Analysts usually employ more than one of
these techniques to help ensure an accurate
and comprehensive investigation.
1) Interview as Information
gathering Technique
Interview is a one-to-one conversation between
an interviewer (person asking questions) and
interviewee (person responding to questions).
Interview is largely used in SAD to collect
information from individuals or groups whom the
candidate system will serve.
It is considered as a time-consuming method,
however some analysts prefer it because it
provides analysts with opportunities of gathering
information from respondents who have been
chosen for their knowledge of the system under
study.
This method is frequently the best source of
qualitative information (opinions, policies, and
subjective descriptions of activities and problems).
Types of Interview
Interviews can be either structured or
unstructured
◦ Unstructured interviews, using a question and
answer format, are appropriate when analysts
want to acquire general information about a
system.
This format encourages respondents to share their
feelings, ideas, and beliefs.
◦ Structured interviews use standardized
questions in either an open – response or
closed – response format.
2) Questionnaire as Information
Gathering Technique
Questionnaire is a fact finding technique or
instrument that consists of a set of questions
for the purpose of gathering information
from respondents through survey.
Questionnaire allows analysts to collect
information about various aspects of a
system from a large number of persons.
It does not allow analysts to observe the
expressions or reactions or respondents.
Response may be limited, since completing
questionnaires may not have high priority
among the respondents.
Types of Questionnaire
Open – ended Questionnaire: Analysts often
use open – ended questionnaires to learn
about feeling, opinions, and general
experiences or to explore a process or
problem.
Close – ended Questionnaire: Closed –
ended questionnaires control the frame of
reference by presenting respondents with
specific responses form which to choose.
◦ As with interviewees, recipients of questionnaires
would be selected for the information they can
provide.
3) Record Review
In record reviews, analysts examine information
that has been recorded about the system and
user.
Records include written policy manuals,
regulations and standard operating procedures
used by most organizations and a guide for
managers and employees.
They do not show what activities are actually
occurring, where the decision – making power
lies, or how tasks are performed.
However, it can help analysts understand the
system by familiarizing them with what operations
must be supported and with formal relations
within the organization.
4) Observation
Observation allows analysts to gain
information they cannot obtain by any other
fact – finding method.
Analysts can obtain firsthand information
about how activities are carried out.
This method is most useful when analysts
need to actually observe how documents
are handled, and how processes are carried
out
Observers know what to look for and how
to assess the significance of what they
observe.
Thank You for Listening
Question???
