This first step seems rather elementary but is the most critical. Jumping to conclusions without thorough study leads to questionable results. Because each activity is unique, this first step is a complete review of what the activity does and what it produces. This analysis is essentially an effort to fully understand the activity and its components before making decisions. The first priority is to discover what is the output of the activity.
Outputs can qualify and be named as any one of several categories.
It can be a product, an event, an action, an alteration, a document, a decision, a number, etc. It does not matter exactly which category it is so much as it is recognized as the output of a particular activity. Essentially, the evaluators must determine what observable action or product the activity produces. The output must not be confused with the mechanisms used by the activity. The regular takes two hours and the special takes four.