3.5 Other Approaches for Analysis

The basic aim of problem analysis is to obtain a clear understanding of the needs of the clients and the users, what exactly is desired from the software, and what the constraints on the solution are. Frequently the client and the users do not understand or know all their needs, because the potential of the new system is often not fully appreciated. The analysts have to ensure that the real needs of the clients and the users are uncovered, even if they don’t know them clearly. That is, the analysts are not just collecting and organizing information about the client’s organization and its processes, but they also act as consultants who play an active role of helping the clients and users identify their needs.

The basic principle used in analysis is the same as in any complex task: divide and conquer. That is, partition the problem into subproblems and then try to understand each subproblem and its relationship to other subproblems in an effort to understand the total problem. The concepts of state and projection can sometimes also be used effectively in the partitioning process. A state of a system represents some conditions about the system. Frequently, when using state, a system is first viewed as operating in one of the several possible states, and then a detailed analysis is performed for each state. This approach is sometimes used in real-time software or process-control software.

In projection, a system is defined from multiple points of view [86]. While using projection, different viewpoints of the system are defined and the system is then analyzed from these different perspectives. The different “projections” obtained are combined to form the analysis for the complete system. Analyzing the system from the different perspectives is often easier, as it limits and focuses the scope of the study.

In the remainder of this section we will discuss two other methods for problem analysis. As the goal of analysis is to understand the problem domain, an analyst must be familiar with different methods of analysis and pick the approach that he feels is best suited to the problem at hand.