Software Requirements Analysis (ACS2913)

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of a workflow in business transactions?

To document each step in a process

To identify customer preferences

To completely handle one business transaction (correct)

To analyze employee performance

Which of the following techniques is NOT commonly used for information gathering?

Personal reflections (correct)

Surveys

Interviews

Document review

What does a UML Activity Diagram primarily illustrate?

The sequential flow of activities in a process (correct)

The hardware requirements for a system

The marketing strategy of a business

The financial performance of a project

Which of the following statements about UML is accurate?

UML is a standard set of notations and terminology for modeling information systems (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a benefit of using Activity Diagrams in systems analysis?

They facilitate the exploration and documentation of requirements (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a common method for defining requirements?

Using models (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a type of model used in defining requirements?

Statistical model (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does UML stand for in the context of modeling?

Unified Modeling Language (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key reason for using modeling in systems analysis?

Communicating with users and stakeholders (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is one purpose of documenting requirements?

To aid in future maintenance and enhancements (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which modeling type focuses on mathematical expressions and statistics?

Mathematical model (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does modeling help in reducing complexity?

By using abstract representations (A) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect does a graphical model typically represent?

Diagrams and schematics (A) Signup and view all the answers

When preparing for an interview, which of the following actions helps gather information effectively before the interview?

Developing interview session agenda (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following techniques focuses on observing and capturing how tasks are performed in a business process?

Observe and Document Business Processes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key purpose of researching vendor solutions during the systems analysis process?

Learning best practices and potential solutions from other organizations (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main objective of conducting an interview session?

To gather information directly from stakeholders (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of collecting active user comments and suggestions?

To gather user feedback on the design and implementation of the system (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary objective of the information gathering phase in software development?

To define the system's functionality and features. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these techniques involves examining documents and reports for information about processes and data?

Review Inputs, Outputs, and Procedures (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to keep an open items list during systems analysis?

To ensure all questions are answered (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common technique for gathering system requirements?

Developing a prototype. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of distributing and collecting questionnaires?

To gather information about system requirements (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of a systems analyst in the information gathering process?

Identifying and documenting system requirements. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a key step involved in interviewing users?

Analyzing existing user data. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of collecting active user comments and suggestions?

It helps to improve the system's user experience. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How can researching vendor solutions be beneficial in the information gathering process?

It provides insights into industry best practices and available technologies. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it essential to document business procedures during the information gathering phase?

To ensure the system integrates seamlessly with existing workflows. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Gathering and Documenting Requirements

Information gathering (identifying requirements) is crucial for software development.
Requirements must be clear and specific --> the entire system will be based on them
Good analysts gather detailed and relevant system requirements and document them properly for systems designers and developers.
Techniques are used to gather relevant information.

Information Gathering Techniques

Interviewing users and stakeholders.
Distributing and collecting questionnaires
Reviewing inputs, outputs, and documentation.
Observing and documenting business procedures.
Researching vendor solutions.
Collecting user comments.

Interviewing Users and Stakeholders

Detailed questions are prepared ahead of time.
Meetings are held with users and groups of users.
Answers are obtained, discussed, and documented.
Follow-up meetings/interviews may be required.

Themes and Questions for Users

Theme: What is the info that you would like to gather? --> identify qs for each

Checklist for Conducting an Interview

Before: establish the objective, determine the users, and participants, and build a list of questions. Review documents. Set time and place. Inform participants of the objective, time, and location
During: Arrive on time, look for exceptions and error conditions, probe for details, take detailed notes. Identify and document unanswered items or questions.
After: Review notes, transfer information, identify areas for clarification, thank participants, follow up.

Interview Session Agenda

Setting( Objective of interview + Date, Time, and Location + User Participants (names followed by their positions) +Project Team Participants)
Interview/ Discussion (questions to be asked)
Follow-Up

Keeping an Open Items List

IDs, issue titles, dates when identified, target dates, responsible personnel, user contacts, comments

Distribute and Collect Questionnaires

Review Inputs, Outputs, and Procedures

Additional Techniques

Observe and document business processes. (documentation through flow/activity diagrams)
Research vendor solutions (what others have done for similar situations)
Collect active user comments and suggestions

Defining Requirements

Requirements are defined after information gathering, and it is done by documenting them where the most common way to document is to create models.

Models and Modeling

A model is a representation of a system aspect
Textual models, graphical models, and mathematical models are types of models.
UML (Unified Modeling Language) provides a standard for the graphical symbols and terminology used when modeling IS.

Reasons for Modeling

Learn from the modeling process.
Reduce complexity by abstraction
Communicate with other development team members.
Communicate with users and stakeholders.
Document what was done for future maintenance/enhancement.

Analysis and Design Model Samples

Uses cases, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, location diagrams and state machine diagrams are used.

Documenting Workflows with Activity Diagrams

Workflow is the sequence of processing steps that handles one customer request/ business transaction.
Activity diagram describes user or system activities, who does what activities, and the sequential flow of those activities.
Useful for showing graphical models of workflows.

Activity Diagram Symbols

Swimlane heading, starting activity, transition arrow, activity, ending activity, decision activity, synchronization bar.
Represents the flow of tasks.

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Description

This quiz covers essential techniques for gathering and documenting software requirements as taught in the ACS2913 course at the University of Winnipeg. It emphasizes the importance of clear, detailed requirements and various methods for effective information gathering. Test your understanding of the strategies used in software analysis and design.