- Purpose
- Evaluation of the work environment of the stakeholder, to document the details of the current processes to improve or change the current process
- Description
- Studying people in carrying out its functions (job shadowing / following people around)
- Assist the execution of the work for understanding of its flow
- Approaches
- Passive / invisible – no questioning, just log
- Active / visible – Interact with the user, questioning the reason for the execution of some action
- Can participate in the actual work for practical experience
- It can become a temporary apprentice
- Assist demonstration of the process or task-specific executed
- Elements
- Prepare for the observation
- Determine sampling of users will be observed and what activities and questions to ask
- Observe
- Present to the observed
- Ensure to the observed that there is no question about his work, only observation to study
- Explain that there may be disruption to questions
- Suggest “thinking aloud” while working
- Observe the work, take notes necessary with or without questions
- Point Observation Wrap-Up – Documentation and Confirmation
- Get answers to the original or new
- Summarize the notes for revision and clarification
- Many users: compile notes (common points)
- Prepare for the observation
- Usage Considerations
- Advantages
- Practical and realistic vision of the business (“hands on”)
- Details of the informal communication and form of the current work
- Disadvantages
- Only for existing processes
- Can consume a lot of time
- Can disrupt the observed
- Unusual circumstances or exceptions may not occur during the observation
- It may not work when the current process is too complex or involve other difficult work to observe
- Advantages