Survey or Questionnaire Techniques

.4 State Tables
A state table is a two-dimensional matrix showing states and the transitions
between them. It can be used during elicitation and analysis either as an
alternative, a precursor, or a complement to a state diagram. It is a simple way to
get started on a state model in order to elicit the state names and event names
from the domain subject matter experts.
Each row shows a starting state, the transition, and the end state. If one state
could respond to several transitions, there will be a separate row for each
transition.
A state that appears as an end state in one row could be a start state in another
row.

10.44.4 Usage Considerations

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.1 Strengths
• Identifies business rules and information attributes that apply to the entity
being modelled.
• Identifies and describes the activities that apply to the entity at different states
of the entity.
• Is a more effective documentation and communication tool than plain text,
especially if the entity being described has more than a few states, transitions,
and conditions governing those transitions.

.2 Limitations
• Is usually only used to understand and communicate about information entities
that are perceived to be complex; simple entities may be understood without
the time and effort required to build a state model.
• Building a state model appears simple at the start, but achieving a consensus
among domain SMEs about the details required by the model can be difficult
and time-consuming.
• A high degree of precision about states and transitions is required to build a
state diagram; some domain SMEs and business analysis practitioners are
uncomfortable trying to describe such a level of detail.

10.45 Survey or Questionnaire

10.45.1 Purpose
A survey or questionnaire is used to elicit business analysis information—including
information about customers, products, work practices, and attitudes—from a
group of people in a structured way and in a relatively short period of time.

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10.45.2 Description
A survey or questionnaire presents a set of questions to stakeholders and subject
matter experts (SMEs), whose responses are then collected and analyzed in order
to formulate knowledge about the subject matter of interest. The questions can
be submitted in written form or can be administered in person, over the
telephone, or using technology that can record responses.
There are two types of questions used in a survey or questionnaire:
• Close-ended: the respondent is asked to select from a list of predefined
responses, such as a Yes/No response, a multiple-choice selection, a rank/
order decision, or a statement requiring a level of agreement. This is useful
when the anticipated range of user responses is fairly well defined and
understood. The responses to close-ended questions are easier to analyze
than those gained from open-ended questions because they can be tied to

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numerical coefficients.
• Open-ended: the respondent is asked to answer questions in a free form
without having to select an answer from a list of predefined responses.
Open-ended questions are useful when the issues are known and the range
of user responses is not. Open-ended questions may result in more detail
and a wider range of responses than closed-ended questions. The
responses to open-ended questions are more difficult and time-consuming
to categorize, quantify, and summarize as they are unstructured and often
include subjective language with incomplete or superfluous content.
Questions should be asked in a way that does not influence the response data.
They should be expressed in neutral language and should not be structured or
sequenced to condition the respondent to provide perceived desirable answers.

10.45.3 Elements

.1 Prepare
An effective survey or questionnaire requires detailed planning in order to ensure
that the needed information is obtained in an efficient manner.
When preparing for a survey or questionnaire, business analysts do the following:
• Define the objective: a clear and specific objective establishes a defined
purpose of the survey or questionnaire. Questions are formulated with the
intent of meeting the objective.
• Define the target survey group: identifying the group to be surveyed in
terms of population size and any perceived variations (for example, culture,
language, or location) helps identify factors that can impact survey design.
• Choose the appropriate survey or questionnaire type: the objective of
the survey or questionnaire determines the appropriate combination of
close-ended questions and open-ended questions to elicit the information
required.

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 Survey or Questionnaire Techniques

• Select the sample group: consider both the survey or questionnaire type
and the number of people in the identified user group in order to determine
if it is necessary and feasible to survey the entire group. It may be important
to survey all members—even of a large group—if their demographics
indicate a wide variance due to geographic distribution, regulatory
differences, or lack of standardization in job function or business process. If
the population is large and the survey type is open-ended, it may be
necessary to identify a subset of users to engage in the questionnaire
process. Using a statistical sampling method will help ensure that the
sample selected is representative of the population so that the survey results
can be reliably generalized.
• Select the distribution and collection methods: determine the
appropriate communication mode for each sample group.
• Set the target level and timeline for response: determine what
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response rate is acceptable and when it should be closed or considered

complete. If the actual response rate is lower than the acceptable threshold,
the use of the survey results may be limited.
• Determine if the survey or questionnaire should be supported with
individual interviews: as a survey or questionnaire does not provide the
depth of data that can be obtained from individual interviews, consider
either pre- or post-survey or questionnaire interviews.
• Write the survey questions: ensure that all the questions support the
stated objectives.
• Test the survey or questionnaire: a usability test on the survey identifies
errors and opportunities for improvement.

.2 Distribute the Survey or Questionnaire

When distributing the survey or questionnaire it is important to communicate the
survey's objectives, how its results will be used, as well as any arrangements for
confidentiality or anonymity that have been made.
When deciding on a method of distribution (for example, in-person, e-mail, or
survey tool), business analysts consider:
• the urgency of obtaining the results,
• the level of security required, and
• the geographic distribution of the respondents.

.3 Document the Results

When documenting the results of the survey or questionnaire, business analysts:
• collate the responses,
• summarize the results,
• evaluate the details and identify any emerging themes,

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• formulate categories for encoding the data, and

• break down the data into measurable increments.

10.45.4 Usage Considerations

.1 Strengths
• Quick and relatively inexpensive to administer.
• Easier to collect information from a larger audience than other techniques such
as interviews.
• Does not typically require significant time from the respondents.
• Effective and efficient when stakeholders are geographically dispersed.

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• When using closed-ended questions, surveys can be effective for obtaining
quantitative data for use in statistical analysis.
• When using open-ended questions, survey results may yield insights and
opinions not easily obtained through other elicitation techniques.

.2 Limitations
• To achieve unbiased results, specialized skills in statistical sampling methods are
needed when surveying a subset of potential respondents.
• The response rates may be too low for statistical significance.
• Use of open-ended questions requires more analysis.
• Ambiguous questions may be left unanswered or answered incorrectly.
• May require follow-up questions or more survey iterations depending on the
answers provided.

10.46 SWOT Analysis

10.46.1 Purpose
SWOT analysis is a simple yet effective tool used to evaluate an organization's
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to both internal and external
conditions.

10.46.2 Description
SWOT analysis is used to identify the overall state of an organization both
internally and externally.
The language used in a SWOT analysis is brief, specific, realistic, and supported by
evidence. SWOT analysis serves as an evaluation of an organization against
identified success factors. SWOT can be performed at any scale from the

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