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Interface Analysis
Techniques
Interface types include:
• user interfaces, including human users directly interacting with the solution
within the organization,
• people external to the solution such as stakeholders or regulators,
• business processes,
• data interfaces between systems,
• application programming interfaces (APIs), and
• any hardware devices.
Interface analysis defines and clarifies the following:
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• who will use the interface,
• what information is being exchanged through the interface, as well as the
volume of the data,
• when information will be exchanged and how frequently,
• where the information exchange will occur,
• why the interface is needed, and
• how the interface is or should be implemented.
The early identification of interfaces allows the business analyst to provide the
context for eliciting more detailed stakeholder requirements, thus determining
adequate functional coverage of the solution to meet stakeholder needs. Early
identification of interfaces reveals which stakeholders will benefit from or depend
on the various components of the solution, which can help the business analyst
determine which stakeholders should be present for other elicitation techniques.
Figure 10.24.1: Interface Analysis
Solution
Input
Message
Interface
Validation
or
Transformation
Output
Message
Solution
10.24.3 Elements
.1 Preparing for Identification
The business analyst can leverage other techniques, such as document analysis,
observation, scope modelling, and interviews, in order to understand which
interfaces need to be identified. A context diagram can reveal high-level
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