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To access the contents, click the chapter and section titles.
Wireless Networking Handbook
Interviewing TechniquesThe interviews should determine the organizations structure, departmental missions, work flow, user profiles, and existing system attributes. Before conducting an interview with a particular set of users, be sure to get permission from their manager. Having the bosss buy-in to the project can result in a better response from the interviewees. Ask managers the questions relating to the mission and major functions of the staff. Questions you ask the staff should be more specific, relating mainly to the individual. However, be certain you interview a truly representative group of users and dont miss any unique needs. A day or two before the interview, draft a set of questions and distribute them to give the users time to prepare answers. The following is a sample set of questions: Questions for Managers
Also, if the manager is to be a system user, ask her the following questions as well. Questions for Users
Be sure to schedule an appointment with the potential user and arrive on time. People are busyyou dont want to waste their time or be inconsiderate.
Written SurveysA written survey is another method for gathering user needs. The process is as follows: write a series of questions that probe the potential user for information that will enable you to assess specific needs, distribute the survey via mail, and insist that people complete the surveys and return them. Unfortunately, this process often doesnt work as expected. It is extremely difficult and time-consuming to write questions that elicit usable responses. Also, many people will not complete the survey; typical return rates on written surveys are 1015 percent. As a result, you should stick with personal interviews. Defining the Business ProcessesAfter you gather information from the managers and users, you should define the business processes; that is, document the function of each organization, the tasks each user or group of users perform, and the types of information people and groups exchange. This process assists you when defining the information flow requirements. As mentioned previously, the level of detail of gathering information depends on whether the project is developing an application or using strictly off-the-shelf products. Reviewing Existing SystemsUser needs are only part of the requirementsexisting systems also portray important requirements. Reviewing existing systems helps you to define the system interface and operational support. To review existing systems, begin by interviewing the Corporate Information System (CIS) managers and review system documentation, as discussed in the following sections. Interviewing Corporate Information Systems ManagersCorporate Information Systems managers, including people in charge of applications development, system implementation, and the mainframe data center, are the best sources of information about the existing systems. Again, interviewing is the best method to use. You should follow the same recommendations described for interviewing users, but your questions should focus more on the technical information. Following are sample questions for interviewing CIS managers:
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