5 February 2016M253 Team working in distributed environments 1.

May 3, 2023M253 Team working in distributed environments

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IntroductionIntroduction

• We will discuss

How to decompose a problem. Information gatheringNegotiation skills


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How to decompose a problem

Getting to grips with a problem

‘It is important to focus directly on a problem, not just going straight to the design of a solution. The computer and its software are the solution; the problem is in the world outside the computer. In spite of good intentions, you can easily confuse the problem with its solution’


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How to decompose a problem…continuedProblem frames

Jackson's brief descriptions of the problem class that each of these frames addresses

The Required Behavior frame ‘is intended to capture the idea that there is some part of the

physical world whose behavior is to be controlled so that it satisfies certain conditions. The problem is to build a machine that will impose that control.’ A simple example of this is a controller for a set of one-way lights to manage the traffic flow at some road works.


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How to decompose a problem…continued

The Commanded Behavior frame

‘is intended to capture the idea that there is some part of the physical world whose behavior is to be controlled in accordance with commands issued by an operator. The problem is to build a machine that will accept the operator's commands and impose the control accordingly.’ A simple example of this is the controller for your video player.


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The information display frame

‘is intended to capture the idea that there is some part of the physical world about whose states and behavior certain information is continually needed. The problem is to build a machine that will obtain this information from the world and present it at the required place in the required form.’ A simple example of this is the speed and distance-traveled information provided on a car dashboard display.


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The simple work piece frame

‘is intended to capture the idea that a tool is needed to allow a user to create and edit a certain class of computer process able text, or graphic objects, or similar structures, so that they can be subsequently copied, printed, analyzed or used in other ways. The problem is to build a machine that can act as this tool.’ As a simple example of this you could have a tool to create and update information on an individual's wine purchases and tasting notes


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The transformation frame‘is intended to capture the idea that there are some

given computer readable input (file) whose data must be transformed to give certain required output (file). The output data must be in a particular format, and it must be derived from the input data according to certain rules. The problem is to build a machine that will produce the required outputs from the inputs.’ As a simple example of this you could have a program to analyze the data relating to an individual's weekly supermarket shopping bills and to identify purchasing patterns


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Assessing the decomposition Jackson points out that at the initial stage of

decomposing your problem into sub-problems you usually find yourself creating several potentially overlapping ‘projections’ of the original problem, that are different views of that problem, rather than ‘partitioning’ your problem into totally independent sub-problems. These projections may well share data and need to react to the same external or internal events affecting the system.


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• Needs and features

Leffingwell (2000, p.2) defines a stakeholder need as ‘a reflection of the business, personal or operational problem (or opportunity) that must be addressed to justify consideration, purchase or use of a new system.’

Leffingwell (2000, p.4) defines a feature as ‘a service that the system provides to fulfill one or more stakeholder needs.’

Leffingwell (2000, p.4) defines a use case as ‘the description of a sequence of actions, performed by a system, which yields a result of value to the user.’


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Information gathering

Acquiring information

Literature searches: with new system you need to search in books, world wide web and electronic library.

Evaluation of existing systems: it will be possible to access existing systems of a similar nature to the one you are investigating From these you can analyze the information they contain, the services they offer and the processes they involve, and can assess the degree to which they could be effectively and efficiently computerized.


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Information gathering…continued

Interviews: Getting the broader picture, by interviewing a well-selected cross-section of the wider population before you commit yourself to a solution to the problem, is therefore a useful activity.

Questionnaires: Questionnaires can be used to get responses from a larger group of people than can be handled easily in interview situations, as they involve asking individuals to respond to a fixed set of questions set out in a fairly formalized document.


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Focus groups: The face-to-face interactions between people in a group discussion often provide a mechanism for getting everyone to think a little more widely than they would have done if operating only as individuals.

Observation: exploit the chance of observing the interactions of few people access a system and noting down what happened, so you can ask them to talk through what they are doing and what they think about it as they go along.


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Putting it all togetherYou need to have collected this information before

you can attempt to analyze it, and to set down your conclusions about it in a structured form as a basis for working on a solution to the problem. Bearing in mind the iterative development, by taking any further information that will ultimately improve the quality of the final product.


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Negotiation skills

What is negotiation and why is it needed?

Negotiation is the process of satisfying needs by reaching agreement or compromise with others.


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Negotiation skills…continued

What teams negotiate about


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Exercise 1 • Take a few moments to recall some of your

personal experiences of negotiation. Note these down briefly, and decide which of the general areas above might best fit them. With whom did you negotiate?


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Beginning a negotiation


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Skills negotiators need

good negotiator needs a number of what are often referred to as interpersonal skills.


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Negotiation skills…continuedListening skills: concentrate on what others say

(Focus on content), Body language (showing attention) and conducting negotiations in written form.

Reading skills: These are required when conducting negotiation by such means as exchange of faxes, by post or email. Focus on content.

Objectivity: Separate considerations of the problem from considerations of the people involved.


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Communication strategies: Concentrate on the problem. Allow the other party to ‘let off steam’ and acknowledge their concerns.

Assertiveness: In being assertive, one also must acknowledge and be considerate of others’ feelings and needs.


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Example: Assertive or aggressive?

(‘Your stupid rotten little company caused me to waste two weeks of my valuable time’ is aggressive; ‘I lost two weeks of my time due to problems that I encountered with your company’ is assertive.)

Do Exercises 3 and 4 page 6 and 7


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Tactics

Having a thorough understanding of what the problem is, using questions well is a key negotiating skill, it is important to plan the questions you will ask and to write them down.


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Keeping a negotiation on track and coming to a conclusion

In longer negotiations, periodically check everyone’s understanding of the current position. Document the outcome and circulate it to everyone involved. Be prepared to find more to negotiate at this stage.


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Summary How to decompose a problemProblem framesJackson's brief descriptions of the problem class that each of

these frames addresses Information gathering-You need to have collected this information before you can

attempt to analyze it, and to set down your conclusions about it in a structured form

Negotiation skills- Negotiation is the process of satisfying needs by reaching

agreement or compromise with others.Read The resource sheets carefully.-------------------------------------------------

Good luck and Have fun

5 February 2016M253 Team working in distributed environments 1.

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Transcript of 5 February 2016M253 Team working in distributed environments 1.