idef3_kbsi_report (1013870), страница 23
Текст из файла (страница 23)
It is common for differentscenarios to represent alternative viewpoints of essentially the same process. Whenpossible, the beginning and ending UOBs of the scenarios should be established.Additionally, activities that impact or feed the scenarios, but are outside the context of thedescription, should be identified to further refine the boundary of the description captureeffort. While the statements of purpose and scope provide useful guidelines for thesuccessful completion of this activity, the insight of domain experts must be relied uponto actually identify the scenarios.
The project leader should be aware that the scenariosidentified are still at a tentative level and that some change can be expected as the data iscollected and analyzed.An activity closely related to defining the scope is determining the level of detail ofthe description capture effort. The required level of detail is determined by identifyingwhat detail is needed to resolve an issue, make a decision, or answer a question. Thelevel of detail specification is normally documented in the form of a set of examples.Scope and level of detail decisions are tentative at this stage of the project and shouldbe updated as the description data becomes available. An astute project leader willregularly assess the adequacy of the description data captured against the specified needsand information goals of the client.Organize for Data CollectionOnce the initial project purpose and context have been determined, the task oforganizing for data collection can begin in earnest.
At this point, the makeup of the99project team will be solidified, team member roles will be established, and scenariodevelopment responsibilities will be assigned to team members.The following roles are normally assumed by personnel involved in an IDEF3 processflow description capture process.1.Analyst: The IDEF3 expert who will be the primary developer of the IDEF3process flow description.2.Client: The person or organization requesting the description development.3.Domain Expert: The knowledge source person in the application domain ofinterest.4.Primary Contact: The individual who acts as the interface between the analystand the domain expert.5.Project Leader: The person ultimately responsible for the entire descriptiondevelopment effort.6.Reviewers: Persons knowledgeable of the domain and/or the IDEF3 methodwho are responsible for reviewing and approving draft descriptions anddocuments.
Reviewers authorized to make written critiques of IDEF3schematics are commentors. The remainder are readers. Both team membersand domain experts can be reviewers (see Section 4).7.Librarian: A person assigned the responsibility of maintaining source materiallogs and files of documents, making copies, distributing IDEF3 kits, andkeeping records.8.Team Members: All personnel involved with the IDEF3 process flowdescription development project.Among the roles assigned to team members is that of the project librarian.
With largesystems, the role of the librarian is essential. In smaller efforts, that role may be assumedby the analyst. In establishing the librarian function, the project leader assigns anindividual(s) to be responsible for collecting, cataloging, controlling, and distributingsource material, IDEF3 kits, glossaries, files, and so forth throughout the project.Additionally, the librarian function is responsible for assembling reference models andmaterials from external sources (e.g., process benchmarks in industry) that can be used toaccelerate team efforts. A glossary of terms may also be maintained by the librarian as areference to ensure that analysts understand terminology that is unique to a discipline,industry sector, company, or company segment. Whether maintained by the librarian, or100informally shared among analysts, the glossary of terms will grow and undergoincremental refinement throughout the project.A pivotal task in organizing the data collection effort is identifying the key sources ofknowledge and information in the domain.
Working with the primary contact, the projectleader or analyst compiles a list of experts to be interviewed. In compiling this list, it ishelpful to obtain background information about each expert from the primary contact.This includes information about the responsibilities, current assignments, and other areaswithin or related to the domain in which the expert has experience.
The name, location,and telephone number for each expert should also be recorded.Throughout the data collection effort, other valuable sources of information will besought and identified. Some of these might include operating instructions, proceduremanuals, employee handbooks, regulations, policy manuals, project files, reusable IDEFmodels, and models derived through the use of other methods and techniques.In addition to organizing the structure of the team, the project leader also needs toorganize the activities of the team. Organizing process description capture activity maybegin by casting the general IDEF3 procedure into a more formalized method applicationguide tailored to the specific needs of the project.
A method application guide outlines aproject-specific application of the IDEF3 procedure tailored to meet the needs of theeffort. Among the items that may be included in the method application guide aremodeling conventions to be used, standard outlines for interviewing domain experts,method and tool interface specifications, project library use procedures, and a standardglossary of terms. This guide may be accompanied by a project plan. A typical projectplan will delineate phases of effort with clearly established tasks and milestones,intermediate and final deliverables, individual team member assignments, informal andformal reporting structures, and so forth.Collect and Analyze DataAt this point, the stage is set for actual data capture.
The main information sourcesavailable to the team are domain experts and source documents in the organization. Theanalyst must work closely with domain experts to effectively capture data relevant to thedescription development effort.The data collection process is both iterative and interactive. Preliminary dataprovides guidelines for organizing the knowledge acquisition effort. Analysts interactwith domain experts to obtain initial descriptions, both written and verbalized, of theprocess under study. The names of the activities and participating objects are extractedfrom these initial descriptions.
Often, it is necessary to interview different experts whoare knowledgeable about different aspects of the process. It is also often necessary to101conduct follow-up interviews and multiple kit reviews with domain experts. The datagathered through this process must be carefully recorded so that the final description canbe easily consolidated as an accurate reflection of domain expert observations.Prepare for InterviewsNo specific format for data collection is prescribed by the IDEF3 method. However,before the interview, the analyst should prepare a tentative agenda and some specificquestions.
Analysts are encouraged to prepare a brief outline of: (1) the purpose of theinterview with the expert, (2) the topics to be covered, (3) the types of information beingsought, (4) the authority for requesting the interview, and (5) questions that can be used tomotivate discussion. On large projects, project leaders may wish to include moreformalized interview preparation guidelines and standards in a method applicationguide—including standard interview planning sheets, question templates, glossaries ofterms, and so forth.A number of activities contribute to successful interview preparation, each of which isleft to the discretion of the analyst as dictated by the needs of the project and theconstraints involved. In general, the following activities are accomplished prior to theinterview:1.Schedule the interview and make necessary logistics preparations.2.Establish the goal(s) of the interview.3.Prepare candidate questions.4.Anticipate the probable questions and concerns of the person being interviewedand be prepared to resolve those concerns.Additional interview preparation activities may also be needed or desirable.
Forexample, analysts may wish to analyze previously collected documents describing theclient’s formal system or process, and prepare IDEF3 descriptions from those documentsas a launching point for discussion. Similarly, analysts may use benchmark models ofsimilar systems to afford the opportunity of interactively working with the domain expertto identify similarities and differences.Once a list of experts to be interviewed has been compiled, an interview schedule canbe developed. Interviews are normally scheduled with domain experts through theprimary contact. Whether done through the primary contact or by more direct means, theanalyst should make sure that the scheduled time and duration of the interview iscoordinated with the person being interviewed and his or her supervisor.102Additional logistics considerations are also important to the success of the interview,such as finding and reserving a suitable location to conduct the interview and arrangingfor the necessary supplies.
![](https://s.studizba.com/z.php?f=/templates/si/i/noavatar.png&w=100&h=100&t=1"){kind=avatar}
