Data Gathering Techniques

Data Gathering Techniques:

PMBOK 6th version defines 6 groups of ITTO's across 49 processes.

1. Data Gathering techniques - Qty 9 tools & techniques
2. Data Analysis techniques
3. Data Representation techniques
4. Decision-making techniques
5. Communication skills
6. Interpersonal and team skills

In all there are 72 tools and techniques categorized under these 6 groups.
Apart from these, there are 60 more ungrouped tools and techniques.

There are several data gathering techniques covered in PMBOK  –

1. Bench-marking
2. Brainstorming
3. Check sheets
4. Checklists
5. Focus groups
6. Interviews
7. Market Research
8. Questionnaires & Surveys
9. Statistical Sampling
10. Facilitation

Bench Marking:
This is the practice of comparing current or planned processes or practices to the best available (in the organization or in industry) in order to measure performance, assess gaps, and identify opportunities to improve.

Brainstorming:
Brainstorming is a technique is used to generate ideas, and to come up with ways of solving a problem.

Brain writing. 
A refinement of brainstorming that allows individual participants time to consider the question(s) individually  before  the  group  creativity  session  is  held.  The  information  can  be  gathered  in  face-to-face  groups or using virtual environments supported by technology.


Check sheets:
Also known as Tally sheets, Check sheet is a form to collect real time data at the location where the data is generated. This is then used to analyze and look for patterns that give us insights – such as source of defects generated.
Here’s an example of data recorded to identify telephone interruptions in Radiology Department.




Checklists:
This is, by far, the most well-known and used technique. This can even be used as a reminder tool (the TO DO app we use in phone)! Checklist is simply a list of items, points, or actions to be considered in the context of validation or getting work done.



Focus groups:
As the name suggests Focus group is a group of pre-qualified set of people that come together to provide information about an event, product, result, process, or result. Participants are prepped with agenda of the discussion in advance. Focus group is moderated by a moderator who asks series of questions to elicit response from people.

Interviews:
This is a technique to get information from a stakeholder with personal on-on-one discussion. It could be formal or informal in nature. There is no strict rule that the interview happens between two people – interviewer and interviewee. Sometimes there could be multiple interviewers/interviewees.



Market research:
Researching market is about studying market for specific information we are interested in, about a product, service, or solution. This information can be extracted by scouting the internet, picked up from industry publications, collected at trade fairs, or purchased from market research companies.
Questionnaires and surveys:
These are a set of questions carefully put together to accumulate response from a large group of people about a particular topic. This can be used when audience is geographically dispersed, when information needs to be collected quickly, and the depth of information needed is not critical.

Statistical sampling

 

Statistical sampling is the process of selecting a subset (called Sample) from the total population in order to verify the quality of entire population.

This technique is useful to avoid destructive testing, or in cases where testing or inspection costs a lot.

Take for instance, that you have a contract to produce 10,000 shirts. You manufacture, individually inspect, iron, fold, pack, and package them all. They are ready for delivery. And the customer wants to make sure that there are no defects.

How does she do it?

One way is to open each of 10,000 shirts and checking for defects.

This will lead to,

• additional cost (unpacking, and packing)
• additional time
• additional effort (individual inspection)

The alternative is to choose a sample size of say 1000, and have a threshold of say 100 shirts. This means that you randomly choose 1000 shirts and inspect them all. If you find defective shirts less than 100, then you accept the entire lot. If the defective shirts count is over 100, you simply reject entire lot of 10,000 shirts.