Data Gathering for Current State Analysis
An important element in any analysis of application current state is the collection of data to confirm the suspicions
about what is wrong with the application. Because many types of data could be collected and considering the fact that
there is limited amount of time in which to collect this data, selection of appropriate data becomes paramount in
importance.
The following guidelines will help in decide what data will be most important to consider.
What is wrong with the application just the way it is now?
Using the knowledge of development team, identify the major problems with the application. These problems can be
varied: poor quality, duplicated steps, unnecessary checks, performance, no documentation, high failure rate, user
complaint and unsatisfactory outcomes to name just a few. These suspicions can be validated or discarded with
appropriate data. For example: If analysis shows that "impact due to a change" is a problem, estimate the personnel
costs incurred as a result of this change and identify the underlying reason, such as "no
documentation". This mapping of cause and effect are not only useful in understanding the current state and pain
points, but can begin to establish measures that could be used to evaluate a future state.
What do we not know that would be good to know before we begin planning a future state?
This can mean collecting data on the volume of transactions, the number of times data is processed, the actual business
requirements and goals, etc.
A final rule of thumb is to be very selective and go after a few, three or four, key facts that will do the most to
highlight what is wrong with the current application. Go first after data that already exists and avoid the temptation
to begin lengthy studies that cannot be completed in the available time. One hundred percent sampling is not necessary.
Absolute precision is not important - just reasonable approximations.
It will be most effective if the assessment team begin asking themselves these questions while flowcharting the current
state of the application. For issues reported, assessor needs to ask, "Is there objective data that we could get our
hands on that would help put that issue in perspective?" Keep in mind that the purpose of a current state analysis is
to identify the underlying causes of business issue with the application.
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