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FACT FINDING
TECHNIQUES






!here are facts found"
#trategic plans
company accounts sales
orders/purchase orders
organisation charts
procedure manuals
$uality documentation
jo descriptions
#chedules
training manuals
sales and marketing literature
etc.




%&isting #ystems
'ocumentation
(orms
(iles/'ataases
)ecords
*ompany #tationery
)eports
+emos
etc.




%&ternal to the company
%ssentially ackground
research
ut useful for not looking a
complete ,..
-nternet
.ournals
/ser groups
*onsultants




-nternet
0ewsgroups
o 1ias towards the negative
!e pages
o 1ias towards the positive
%mail
o !ho"




.ournals
Trade v general
o 2ood overview of industry ut
may not e specific for a
particular company
!here do you get them
from "
o 3irary
o #uscription
o -nternet
o 3uck"




/ser groups
+ost widely availale
products will have an
associated user group
network
o -ndependent "
o 0egative "




*onsultants
#pecialist in field
o !here to find them
*omputacentre holds a
government approval list of
firms call #*4T
Trade journals
etc.
o *ost "
o )eally needed "
o !hen to use "




5rocess +odelling"
6ow data is recorded
o !hat process there are or
re$uired "
!hat it is used for
o and perhaps what it could e
used for "
!ho uses it
o and who wants to
o and why "




7alue add8
!hat additional
information could e
provided
o and why it isn9t
5rolems
o there should e: its the reason
youre there
5ossile solutions
o perhaps not "
o 4re ;the users always right "




TECHNIQUES<-nterviews
-nterviews
o #tructured v /nstructured
o )e$uires 5lanning <
!ho
!hat aout




4dvantages
(le&ile =unstructured or
semi approach>
'iscovery of data
-deal for gaining ideas
(ace to face
/ser involvement




'isadvantages
Time consuming
1ias
-nterpretation




Techniques < (ocus
2roups
+eetings held with
groups of people with
something in common
o 4rea managers
o Technical support technicians
o !omen




4dvantages
(ind out a lot aout a
certain area of the
enterprise in terms of
their part in the
procedures and
operations




'isadvantages
'o not represent the
whole view of a process
and are therefore iased




TECHNIQUES<
?uestionnaires
?uestionnaires
o ?uestions <
open ended
closed
mi&
o 'esign in the key
5oor $uestionnaire: poor
results
0o ias $uestions




4dvantages
/seful for large volumes
2eographic split
'irected
/ser involvement




'isadvantages
'ifficult to design
)eturn rate
4nd if you9ve missed
something




TECHNIQUES < #ampling
/sed in all fact finding
e&ercises
/sed in any type of fact
finding #oil
!ater in a swimming pool
o 4 small sample is taken to
represent the whole




#ampling
4dvantages
o +ore control owing to smaller
numers.
o 3ess time
'isadvantages
o 6ow is the sample chosen"
o -s it really representative"




@servation
*overt or @vert"
5lanned or unplanned"
+ust e properly
documented




4dvantages
4dvantages <
o 5articipation
o concentration
o not easy ut can sometimes see
the ovious
'isadvantages<
o 'etrimental effect
o disturing normal working
practices:
o time consuming




Fact Finding 5lan8
0eed to use time and
resources effectively.
@ne possile approach
follows:
o /se oservation to idenify useful
contacts and important
processes.
o -nterview a few carefully chosen
personnel
o (ollow up on interesting or
unclear areas with further
interviews: focus groups or
$uestionnaires.