Focus Groups

Focus Groups are a powerful and inclusive way of eliciting ideas and opinions about a product or service; Enterprise Architect has the facilities to plan and conduct the sessions, record the ideas and distribute the results. The meeting planning and logistics can be detailed in the focus group plan document, a discussion guide can be created to assist the facilitator with pre-defined questions, and both these documents can be written inside the tool using a Document element. The ideas and opinions can also be recorded during the sessions in the form of a Mind Map, and these can be analyzed and the results disseminated to the participants and a wider audience. A convenient Project Calendar can be used to record the times for the focus group meeting, and a Model Mail message could be sent to remind the participants of the meeting.

Document Artifact

A Document Artifact can be used as an alternative to using a MindMapping Diagram for recording the information, opinion and ideas collected during a Focus Group meeting. A template could be specified for the document and the details of the session recorded in the Document. Other model elements that have relevance or importance to the Focus Group discussions can be dragged into the document as links. The Document Artifact can also be used to plan the Focus Group meeting describing things such as the objective, timings and the list of participants.

Learn More: Document Artifact

Mind Mapping Diagram

A Mind Mapping diagram can be used to record the stakeholder's statements during a Focus Group meeting. A Central Topic can be created that represents the theme of the meeting and if it has been planned and structured, Main Topics can be added prior to the commencement of the meeting. It is useful to have a scribe creating the MindMapping Diagram as it allows the facilitator to interact with the stakeholders. If the screen is projected it allows the stakeholders to visualize the information, opinions and ideas as they are recorded.

Learn More: Mind Mapping Diagram

Calendar

The Calendar provides a way to record and present important temporal information, such as events and meetings, in calendar format. Focus Groups can be entered into the Calendar and set up as recurring if needed. Event subtypes can be configured to add 'Focus Groups' as a Meeting Type.

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Element Discussions

Element Discussions are a useful way to enter comments made by stakeholders or others in a Focus Group meeting. They can be entered for any element in the Repository including Packages so could be entered at the level of an individual element such as a Requirement or for a group of Requirements such as the Security Requirements Package.

Learn More: Element Discussions

Model Mail

Model Mail can be used to notify and remind people of a Focus Group Meeting and to notify them after the meeting about outcomes and decisions and required actions. Links to model elements and diagrams, matrices, team reviews and a variety of other items can be added.

Learn More: Model Mail