© Colin Potts B4-1 Market-oriented techniques for determining requirements Colin Potts Georgia Tech

© Colin Potts B4-2 Espoused requirements l Some requirements are pre-specified »Call for proposals »Customer’s brief »Marketing outline l Methods for obtaining/clarifying reqts. »Reading »Surveys and questionnaires »Interviews & other forms of listening

© Colin Potts B4-3 Overview: interviewing and focus groups l Interviewing »Asking individual customers what they want –Standard Systems Analysis & Knowledge Elicitation technique l Focus groups »Asking groups of potential customers about desirable product features –Standard marketing technique

© Colin Potts B4-4 Interviewing technique l Most interviews concentrate more on “is” than “ought” questions »See ethnography section for suggestions on these questions l “Ought” questions are asked in this context »E.g. breakdowns during grand or mini-tours –“But let me tell you what happened last week...” “Can you think of ways that would stop that from happening again?” l Don’t ask “what should the system do?”

© Colin Potts B4-5 Types of questions (Shamlin)

© Colin Potts B4-6 Focus groups l Definition »A carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, nonthreatening environment –Krueger (1994) l Properties »Used extensively in product marketing »Usually 7-10 participants. (Discussion, not interview) »Usually held in series l Application to requirements »Eliciting opinions about existing & desired features

© Colin Potts B4-7 Planning focus groups l When to use »Exploratory stages of large-scale project »Communication gap exists »Audience values the information to be gained l When not to use »Emotionally charged atmosphere »No control over group membership »Quantitative information is needed Output: summary statements about likes & dislikes, opinions & preferences

© Colin Potts B4-8 Participants in focus groups l Group membership is usually relatively homogeneous - E.g. library patrons, library assistants, etc. - People who use a competing scheduling package l Include non-users –E.g. people who don’t use a scheduling pkg. l Analyst should control selection process l At least three groups are usually necessary

© Colin Potts B4-9 Questions to ask l Questions prepared in a “question route” »Not a strict questionnaire l Ask open-ended questions »Avoid yes/no questions l Don’t ask “why” questions »Trying to find out about habits, not rationale

© Colin Potts B4-10 Focus groups: How to find out more l Most marketing textbooks contain short sections on theory & practice l A good how-to guide: »Krueger: Focus Groups »Examples concentrate on community services –but obviously translatable to software products and services

© Colin Potts B4-11 End-user feedback l Surprisingly little systematic use is made of user hotline queries and complaints »Obviously, only applicable to reqts. for later versions of evolving product »Very useful for assigning priorities to reqts. »Focuses on what’s wrong now rather than what could be done

© Colin Potts B4-12 Conclusions: market-oriented techniques l Goals: »Find out what potential customers want and think l Techniques: »Informal, but structured activities »Best used in conjunction with other sources l Main problem: »Exclusive emphasis on what customer already knows