Elicitation Techniques in Business Analysis

[Gajanan Sharnappa]

Elicitation techniques are used to get most of the information about requirements from stakeholders, subject matter experts (SME).
These are proactive in nature as against requirements gathering. Elicitation is a technique which span across all the stages of project lifecycle.
Some of the commonly used techniques are-
1. Brainstorming (Brainstorming works by focusing on a topic or problem, and then coming up with many radical solutions to it. This technique is best applied in a group as it draws on the experience and creativity of all members of the group)

2. Document analysis (Document analysis is a means to elicit requirements of an existing system by studying available documentation and identifying relevant information. Document analysis is used if the objective is to gather details of the "As Is" environment such as existing business rules)

3. Focus groups (A focus group is composed of pre-qualified individuals whose purpose is to discuss and comment on a topic. This is an opportunity for individuals to share their own perspectives and discuss them in a group setting.)

4. Interface analysis (Interface analysis helps to clarify the boundaries of the system. It distinguishes which system provides specific functionality along with the input and output data needs.)

5. Interview (An interview is a systematic approach to elicit information from a person or group of people in an informal or formal setting by talking to the person. In an interview, a business analyst formally or informally directs his/her questions to: a stakeholder / a subject-matter-expert / a potential user to obtain answers that finally take the shape of requirements)

6. Observation (Observation is a means to elicit requirements by conducting an assessment of the subject matter expert's work environment.)

7. Prototyping (aims to uncover and visualize interface requirements before the application is designed or developed)

8. Survey / Questionnaire (A survey is a means of eliciting information from many people, anonymously, in a relatively short time. A survey can collect information about customers, products, work practices and attitudes. A survey is often referred to as a questionnaire.)

[170422303]

Various elicitation techniques provided by business analyst are:

*Brainstorming
*Document Analysis
*Focus Groups
*Interface Analysis
*Interviews
*Observation
*Prototyping
*Requirements Workshops
*Survey/Questionnaire

[171525904]

Different types of elicitation  technique are used to gather information from stake holder.Multiple elicitation can be Techniques together to elicit information from stake holder.eliciting technique are selected based on many factors ,geographical location of stake holders, Time,costs type of business analysis information sources are available.

1)Brain storming:brain storming technique contain group of stake holders to give deep thought about particular topic.This technique basically useful in developing new ideas.

2)Document analysis:document analysis is technique of gathering information from the documents of existing system.

3)Reverse engineering: reverse engineering technique is used when document of existing system is pretty outdated and has very less information.reverse engineering is technique of studying current system and what it does .studying current system can be done in two ways it can be studied without examining internal structure or by examining internal structure. 

4)Focus Group.It is technique describe what attitude specific group of people has for product,services.In interactive season participant share their impression,preferences and needs.Focus group os classified in two types of group Homogeneous group  with similar skills and same back ground and heterogeneous group with different skills and different back ground people.

5)Work Shop:workshop allow bringing user and stake holder to gather and conversation are happened in more innovative tasks for example:collaborative games, tasks.

6)JAD: JAD is conducted by bringing Stake holder and developer together at same place.JAD provide high accurate level of requirement.Though JAD are conducted for different types purpose in SDLC JAD is Mostly conducted in two Ways, One is as eliciting technique and second is to clarify development teams doubts.

7)Interview:This technique allow to systematically gather information from individual or from group of stake holder.Interview are conducted in both formal and informal way.

8)Questionnaire: questionnaire contains sets of per-defined questions.This technique is utilized when stake holder are geographically distributed and there is less scope of conversation.This technique is limited to nominal and limited information.

9)Prototyping: Prototyping is Visual presentation of Idea or requirement which gives clear picture of requirements. Visual Presentation are given terms Mock-up screens or graphical designed or requirement prototype.

10)Observation:Information is gathered by observing stakeholder while they are working.This technique gives good understanding of process and work stakeholder do.

[172031605]

    Brainstorming
    Document Analysis
    Focus Groups
    Interface Analysis
    Interviews
    Observation
    Prototyping
    Requirements Workshops
    Survey/Questionnaire

[Pranjal Dutta]

Elicitation Technique is used by the Business Analyst after identification of the stakeholders of the project. Through this technique the requirements are gathered from the selected stakeholders. There are some techniques are mentioned below:

a) Brainstorming: group discussion among stakeholders to collect ideas to include the relevant requirements.
b) JAD session: the session conduct among selected stakeholders (business client+system developer) to get more refined requirements.
c) Observation: observing the user while doing their job. It helps to understand the existing processes.
d) Focal Group: Focal group is group of participant of same interest from the specific product/service. The idea is to make participant share, interact and describe the need.
e) Workshop: group of selected stakeholders (Users) to interact and identifies the requirements together.
f) Document Analysis: analyze the documents of the current existing system and come up with new inputs for new system.
g) Reverse Engineering: in case of lack of documents for existing system, reverse engineering technique can be used to understand the current system and can come up with requirements for new system.
i) Prototyping: it helps the business representative to understand clearly the new system and its functionality per stakeholder’s requirement in visual rather than documents.
h) Interview: is the one to one interaction with the User/stakeholder to understand their actual requirement or expectation.

[111222333]

Elicitation Techniques in Business Analysis :-

1. Brainstorming : Brainstorming can be done either individually or in groups. The ideas collected can then be reviewed/analyzed and where relevant included within the system requirements.

2. Document Analysis : You may have documentation about your current system which could provide some of the input for the new system requirements. Such document could include interface details, user manuals and software vendor manuals

3. Reverse Engineering : In situations where the software for an existing system has little or outdated documentation and it is necessary to understand what the system actually does, reverse engineering is an elicitation technique that can extract process documents and also when driving the gap analysis for scoping of the migration projects.

4. Focus Groups : A focus group is a means to elicit ideas and attitudes about a specific product, service or oppurtunity in an interactive group environment. The participants share their impressions, preferences and needs, guided by a moderator.

5. Observation : Observing, shadowing users or even doing part of their job, can provide information of existing processes, inputs and outputs.

6. Workshop : Workshops can comprise 6-10 or more users/stakeholders, working together to identify requirements. Workshops tend to be of a defined duration, rather than outcome and may need to be briefly repeated in order to clarify or obtain further details.

7. JAD (Joint Application Document) : JAD technique is an extended, facilatated workshop. It involves collaboration between stakeholders and systems analysts to identify needs or requirements in a concentrated and focused effort.

8. Interview : Interviews of users and stakeholders are important in creating wonderful software. Without knowing the expectations and goal of the stakeholders and users, you are highly unlikely to satiate them.

9. Prototyping : Screen mockups can support the requirement gathering process when introduced at the right time.

10. Questionnaire(Survey) : Questionnaires can be usefu for obtaining limited system requirements details from users/stakeholders, who have a minor input or are geographically remote.

[170832105]

Requirements of elicitation technique is the process of digging information from Stakeholders.
Some of the important Techniques used by Business Analyst are as follows
(01)Document Analysis: Every system would or may have documentation which can provide input for the new system requirements like that of manuals,warranty,interface details,cd’s etc.
Advantages *      could be lot of information and easy to transfer to a new requirements.
Disadvantage *   existing documentation may be old and not compatible to new requirements.
(02)Interviews: Interviews of stakeholders and users are very important in developing an important software.Various types of interview again are classified as
•   Open
•   Closed
•   Unstructured
•   Structured
(03)Focus Groups : Focus group is a mean to elicit ideas and attitudes about a specific product,service or opportunity in a interactive group environment.Normally comprises of 6-12 attendees.These again are classified into two types.
•   Homogeneous: Individuals with similar characters
•   Heterogeneous: Individuals with diverse back grounds
(04)Brainstorming:This technique can be done individually or in groups.The ideas reviewed can be collected and analysed. If required included with in a requirement. Ideas can come from stakeholders,users who have seen or experienced elsewhere.It comprises of 8-12 in a relaxed environment.
Advantages* Can come up with very innovative ideas and requirements. Disadvantage *It can not be done whenever required.
(05)Workshops:It comprises of 6-10 or more users or stakeholders working together to identify requirements.It is done in a defined duration.
(06)Prototyping:Screen mockups that support requirements are gathered at right time.In case introduced earlier can be problematic.
(07)Reverse Engineering : Reverse engineering is all about experimenting things like disassemble or analyse in detail. This elicitation technique can extract process documents while driving gap analysis for scoping of migration Projects.
(08)Observation: Observing or shadowing users at work can give some insight about the existing process like its inputs and ouputs.It is again divided into two types.
•   Passive : BA observes the subject mater expert working on business routine but does not ask questions.
•   Active: BA have participation with current process.
(09)JAD (Joint Application Development)Session :This is an extended facilitated workshop.It involves collaboration b/w stakeholders and system analysts to identify needs or requirements in a concentrated  focused environment.This is mainly mainly observed if they are “stuck with the same problem”.
(10)Questionnaire:Useful for obtaining Limited system requirements from users or stakeholders who have a minor input  or are geographically remote.The design  of questionnaires (whether offline or web based mailers) and types of questions are very important and can influence the answers. So proper care is needed.

[1170220109]

Elicitation technique is the process of digging out the information from the stakeholders. It serves as the foundation in documenting the requirements.
The elicitation techniques are:
1)Brainstorming
2)Document Analysis
3)Reverse Engineering
   i) Black Box Reverse Engineering
   ii)White Box Reverse Engineering
4)Focus Groups
5)Observation
  i) Passive/Invisible
  ii) Active/Visible
6)Workshop
7)JAD sessions
8)Interview
9)Prototyping
10)Questionnaire(Survey)
6)

[171034206]

Various elicitation techniques are as follows:
1) brainstorming
2) Document analysis
3) Reverse engineering
4) Focus groups
5) Observation
6) Workshop
7) JAD(joint application development)
Interview
9) Prototyping
10) Questionnaire(survey)

[171036906]

Here are the 9 elicitation techniques defined by the BABOK for business analysts:

Brainstorming
Document Analysis
Focus Groups
Interface Analysis
Interviews
Observation
Prototyping
Requirements Workshops
Survey/Questionnaire
Many new BAs feel they should be using all of the techniques and are worried they aren’t getting elicitation right. Or, they think about their experience in this area and it seems that most of the time they get information about stakeholder needs through casual conversations and reviews, so their experience with elicitation seems a bit informal.

This is an area of business analysis that it’s very common for professionals to have relevant experience in. It’s also an area where even the most senior BAs never stop improving.

[1171429110]

Here are the 9 elicitation techniques in  business analysis

Brainstorming
Document Analysis
Focus Groups
Interface Analysis
Interviews
Observation
Prototyping
Requirements Workshops
Survey/Questionnaire

[VIJAY POGULA]

Elicitation techniques:
    Requirements elicitation is the process of digging out the information from the stakeholders. Elicitation serves as the foundation in documenting the requirements. Following are the different types of elicitation techniques.
     * Brainstorming ( For example Bright idea drive)
     * Document Analysis
     * Reverse Engineering
     * Work shops
     * JAD (joint application development)
     * Focus groups
     * Interview
     * Prototyping, Observation & Questionnaire

[1171625709]

Elicitation tasks and techniques are very important for a business analyst. Knowing the different tasks and techniques used can make the difference between a junior and a senior business analyst. Here are some common effective elicitation techniques

Brainstorming – A team activity that seeks to product a broad or diverse set of options through the rapid and uncritical generation of ideas.

Document Analysis – Review existing documentation – Document Analysis is a means to elicit requirements of an existing system by studying available documentation and identifying relevant information

Focus Groups – A focus group is a means to elicit ideas and attitudes about a specific product, service or opportunity in an interactive group environment. The participants share their impressions, preferences and needs, guided by a moderator.

Interface analysis – Used to identify interfaces between solutions and/or solution components and define requirements that describe how they will interact.

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.

Observations – e.g. Job shadowing – Observation is a means of eliciting requirements by conducting an assessment of the stakeholder’s work environment. This technique is appropriate when documenting details about current processed or if the project is intended to enhance or change a current process.

Prototyping – Storyboarding, navigation flow, paper prototyping, screen flows – Prototyping details user interface requirements and integrates them with other requirements such as use cases, scenarios, data, and business rules. Stakeholders often find prototyping to be a concrete means of identifying, describing and validating their interface needs.

Requirements Workshop – Elicitation workshop, facilitated workshop – A requirements workshop is a structured way to capture requirements. A workshop may be used to scope, discover, define, prioritize and reach closure on requirements for the target system.
Well-run workshops are considered one of the most effective ways to deliver high quality requirements quickly. They can promote trust, mutual understanding, and strong communications among the project stakeholders and project team and produce deliverables that structure and guide future analysis.

Survey/Questionnaire – A survey is a means of eliciting information from many people, sometimes anonymously, in a relatively short period of time. A survey can collect information about customers, products, work practices and attitudes. A survey may also be referred to as a questionnaire.

[1171921109]

Elicitation Techniques in Business Analysis
1: Prototyping -

Benefit: You can make sure that what you’re designing is really what people need while you still have time to change it.

2: Requirements Workshops –

Benefit: You can get your basic requirements done in a hurry. Also, everyone you invite can become invested in the project.

3:  Interviews –

Benefit: By exploring someone’s knowledge and needs in-depth, one-on-one, you ensure you understand the real, not just the perceived, need.

4: Brainstorming –

Benefit: You can avoid potential “gotchas” down the road by enlisting others to help you discover your unknowns. Also, more than most other methods, brainstorming enables you to take in a wide amount of information at once, helping you figure out where you want to go from here.

5: Observation -

Benefit: You can figure out exactly where users are at the start of your project, and you can use your strengths to document it.

[1173025809]

An elicitation technique is any of a number of data collection techniques used in anthropology, cognitive science, counseling, education, knowledge engineering, linguistics, management, philosophy, psychology, or other fields to gather knowledge or information from people.

Typically the BA is dealing with a variety of input points (that is, IT, sales, and finance) where each has a different documentation and reporting structure, often along with a unique culture and language. Strong organizational and communication skills are required during this phase, as it is generally up to the BA to shape the information into models, diagrams, and other tools to communicate the findings to decision makers and to team members.

Enterprise opportunities, restrictions, assumptions, and current reality are all reflected by stakeholders during requirements elicitation. The BA must be able to resolve conflicts between requirements, eliminate the potential for conflicts (if possible), and achieve consensus among team members and stakeholders as requirements are defined and prioritised.
When considering elicitation activities, the BA must develop strategies for two primary functions: Preparing for Elicitation and Conducting Elicitation.

Requirements Elicitation Techniques -
-Brainstorming
-Document Analysis
-Focus Groups
-Interface Analysis
-Interviews
-Observation
-Prototyping
-Requirements Workshops
-Survey/Questionnaire