This activity is concerned with gathering facts about
WHAT is performed by the enterprise and WHY; an analysis of
logical functions. As in Phase 1, interviewing key management
personnel plays a major role during this activity. The more
preparation and organization for the interview, the better the
chances are for success. Again, an interview outline provides
great assistance.
When preparing a schedule for the interviews, Enterprise
Engineering should consider meeting with Users from all levels
of the enterprise, not just management. Secretaries, clerks and
other workers often have tremendous insight into the internal
operations of the enterprise. They are also prime candidates to
be interviewed.
Prior to the interviews, Enterprise Engineering should
become as familiar as possible with the area being studied. To
do this, pertinent resource definitions, as contained in the
IRM, should be studied.
During the interview, Enterprise Engineering tries to
identify the logical functions, what "objects" are affected,
what information is required, the systems that are used, and the
skills and proficiencies required to perform the function.
It is not uncommon for people to misunderstand the
differences between logical functions and physical positions
(jobs). Enterprise Engineering is responsible for clarifying
this for users and for distinguishing between the two.