Analysis Observation


	Analysis
	Advantages the analyst can see for themselves how tasks are performed rather than getting a description of the task inefficiencies in tasks can be identified which will enable a better new system to be created when documentation isn’t available, this allows the analyst to identify what data is being used verbally and visually the analyst can share the experience of the users, including any frustrations the analyst can ask the users questions as they do their work so that the analyst can elicit the detailed information required to produce a requirements specification	Disadvantages users may feel intimidated if they are being watched and this may slow them down or make them less efficient with their tasks than they would be normally users may do things ‘properly’ because they feel they are being monitored rather than watched meaning the analyst doesn’t get a true picture of how the current system works it takes up a lot of the analyst’s time to watch users at work, particularly if there are lots of repetitive tasks being performed only a ‘snapshot’ of the time that the analyst observes is gathered and so there may be other tasks that are regularly carried out but not at that particular time
	Evaluation

the analyst can see for themselves how tasks are performed rather than getting a description of the task
inefficiencies in tasks can be identified which will enable a better new system to be created
when documentation isn’t available, this allows the analyst to identify what data is being used verbally and visually
the analyst can share the experience of the users, including any frustrations the analyst can ask the users questions as they do their work so that the analyst can elicit the detailed information required to produce a requirements specification

users may feel intimidated if they are being watched and this may slow them down or make them less efficient with their tasks than they would be normally
users may do things ‘properly’ because they feel they are being monitored rather than watched meaning the analyst doesn’t get a true picture of how the current system works
it takes up a lot of the analyst’s time to watch users at work, particularly if there are lots of repetitive tasks being performed
only a ‘snapshot’ of the time that the analyst observes is gathered and so there may be other tasks that are regularly carried out but not at that particular time

Get Revising