Business Analysis Introduction: Defining Successful Projects Course 211 211/CN/H.2/407/H.1
Business Analysis Introduction: Defining Successful Projects
Course 211
211/CN/H.2/407/H.1
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The author would like to acknowledge the following for their contributionsto this course:
Steve Johann
All 211 instructors
Kevin Rock
Learning Tree Publications Department
Stephen O’Connell
Acknowledgments
Introduction and Overview
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In this course, you will learn how to
Perform the key functions of the Business Analyst (BA) by applying the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) business analysis framework
Apply the techniques to elicit requirements in your organization
Create the business analysis plan
Evaluate and prioritize the feasibility of various business initiatives and present the business case
Understand the BA’s role in solution evaluation and performance assessment
Develop key business analysis competencies
Course Objectives
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Introduction and Overview
Chapter 1 The Role of the Business Analyst, Definitions, and Introducing the IIBA BABOK®
Chapter 2 Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Chapter 3 Enterprise Analysis
Chapter 4 Elicitation
Chapter 5 Requirement Analysis
Chapter 6 Requirements Management and Communication
Chapter 7 Solution Assessment and Validation
Chapter 8 Business Analysis Competencies and Capstone Exercise
Chapter 9 Course Summary
Course Evaluation
Appendix A Optional Workshops
Course Contents
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Course Materials
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Course Notes• Copies of all slides and supplemental
presentation material
Handouts
Reference Manual
Visit your My Learning Tree account for additional information and resources related to this course
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Independent, nonprofit professional association serving the field of business analysis
Committed to developing and advancing standards for the practice of business analysis and for the certification of practitioners• Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®)• Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA™)
Custodians of the Business Analysis Body Of Knowledge® (BABOK®)
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada
More than 25,000 members with chapters in more than 100 countries
Learning Tree International is an IIBA Endorsed Education Provider (EEP™)
For more information, see www.iiba.org
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®)
IIBA®, the IIBA® logo, BABOK®, and Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® are registered trademarks owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. CBAP ® is a registered certification mark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. CCBA™ is a trademark owned by International Institute of Business Analysis. These trademarks and certification marks are used with the express permission of International Institute of Business Analysis.
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The Project Management Institute (PMI)® is a nonprofit professional project management association• PMI grants multiple certifications, including the Project Management
Professional® (PMP)® certification, an industry standard for project management
Learning Tree International is a PMI Global Registered Education Provider• This course can be applied toward the Professional Development Units
(PDUs) required to– Maintain an existing PMP certification– Satisfy the educational requirement for PMP candidates
For more information about PMI-aligned Learning Tree courses• Refer to the PMI Q&A available at www.LearningTree.com/pmi
Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI, Project Management Professional, and PMP are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
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Business analysts participate in different tasks depending on various factors, including• Individual skill level, etc.• Organizational design, role/responsibility descriptions• Company size• Project complexity/needs
This course provides an overview of the tasks and techniques often conducted by business analysts• Business analysts may not conduct all tasks on all projects
Broad Overview Approach
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To promote a positive course experience over the next three days, we have some ground rules:• This is an introductory course
– Recognize that topics will be introduced but not always covered in great detail
• It is all right not to complete the workshops in their entirety– The workshops are introduced to help you understand concepts and
processes• Your instructor will be happy to answer all questions, provided that you allow
the following responses:– “We’ll be discussing that later”– “I don’t know!”
• Be open to new ideas• Participate• Be considerate of your classmates
– Turn off the ringer on mobile phones and pagers• Have fun!
Ground Rules
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Work as a team
Use your AnyWare connection to click on the link to your digital whiteboard
We have set up an introductory page for you to try out
Activity 0.1: Part 1: Introduction to the Digital Whiteboard
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The Business Process Manager will interview their team, using the digital whiteboard to document each member’s:• Background• Aims for this course • Interests outside this course
Be prepared to introduce your team to the rest of the class
Activity 0.1: Part 2: Introduce Your Team
Be ready to present by:
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The Role of the Business Analyst, Definitions, and Introducing the IIBA BABOK®
Chapter 1
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In this chapter, we will
Define business analysis
Explore the role of the business analyst and the relationships with other roles in an organization
Investigate the scope of the business analyst’s work
Introduce the IIBA Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®
Position business analysis within the project life cycle
Chapter Objectives
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1 Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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You will be asked to take a turn playing the role of the business analyst for each workshop during this class
As the business analyst facilitating the workshop, you will demonstrate and practice some of the BA’s underlying competencies from the IIBA Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®
While facilitating, keep some of the following guidelines in mind:• Make sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate• Think about how you gain consensus during these workshops• What benchmarks/measurements will you use?• Control the conversation and ensure that you stay on track
Your duties as BA will include• Documenting the results of your workshop on the flipchart• Presenting your findings to the rest of the class
Role of the Business Analyst During a Workshop
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Work individually
On sticky notes, write at least five comments extending the following statement
“Business analysis would work better in my organization if:”• Include a verb• Use eight words or fewer per comment
Workshop 1.1a: Your Business Analysis Process
Sample acceptable comments:• We had more frequent communications
from upper management • Employees had more training
opportunities
Sample unacceptable comments:• Judy learned how to do her job
and stopped asking me to do it• Communications
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Pick a new business analyst for this workshop• The business analyst will facilitate your ideas using the digital whiteboard
Work as a team
1. Go to Workshop 1.1b on your digital whiteboard
2. Discuss your notes and group them into categories
3. Agree on a title for each category• Your output should look like the table on this slide
If you have time left over, prioritize your categories!
This is a brainstorming elicitation technique called affinity diagramming
Workshop 1.1b: Your Business Analysis Process
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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What Is Business Analysis?
*A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
“Business analysis is the set of tasks and techniques used to work as a liaison among stakeholders in order to understand the structure, policies, and operations of an organization, and to recommend solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals”
—BABOK Guide*
Business analysis is a discipline, not a job title
Business analysis is not defined by your job title as a business analyst, but rather by what you do in your workplace
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Exact roles and responsibility distinctions between project managers and business analysts can vary by organization or project
Business analysts may be involved during the earliest phases of project definition
Business analysts primarily focus on the product or service, while project managers focus on the overall project
The BA is responsible for ensuring that the product is built according to requirements
Business Analysis vs. Project Management
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System design analyst• Analyzes solution requirements and translates them into system requirements
and design
Quality Assurance (QA) tester• QA is responsible for ensuring that business requirements are tested
Trainer• The BA is in a supporting role; often first time that the end user experiences
the new system or process
Support of system• Opportunity to start “new”
• Can you name other roles within your organization that use business analysis skills?
Business Analysis vs. Other Roles in Your Organization
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2 Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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Case Study Introduction
Dept. 1
Dept. 8
Dept. 2
Dept. 3 Dept. 4
Dept. 7
Dept. 6Dept. 5
Creative services
Finished products• Finished TV shows• Finished films• Production schedules• Movie posters• Movie trailers• Photographs
Request content
Provide contentCurrent content acquisition process
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Work individually
1. Read the case study Handouts 1 and 2
2. Identify the following information:• What problems does Franklin Films have?• What are the potential opportunities?• What risks and constraints are listed in the case
study?• Who are some of the key players?
If you finish before the time is up:
3. Think about some next steps to address the potential challenges• Focus on the additional information you will need
and how you can get this information
Workshop 1.2: Introducing the Case Study
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After reviewing the material, the instructor will conduct a digital archive demonstration with www.artbeats.com
• Have you seen other examples of digital archiving solutions?
Case Study Introduction
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3 In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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1. Identify a new business analyst to lead this workshop
2. Work as a team• Consider what questions the BA and other roles might ask at the beginning
stage of the Franklin Films project
Go to the digital whiteboard for this workshop and record your questions
Does the same person ever play these various roles?
Workshop 1.3: Business Analysis vs. Project Management
BA primaryquestions
Other project roles’*primary questions
PM primary questions
*Consider trainer, tester, and implementer.
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope Introducing the IIBA and the BA
Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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Identify problems and opportunities Business needs
Clarify and prioritize business needs
Recommend potential projects to address these needs Sell
Gather, analyze, and document requirements
Communicate Interface/facilitate/translate
What Is Typically in Scope for a Business Analyst?
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Facilitating communications between business and IT communities
Using basic skills (in strategic and functional disciplines)
What Is Typically in Scope for a Business Analyst?
Business analyst
Human resources
Quality assurance
Finance
Information technology
Marketing
Project management
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Representing his or her own “agenda”
Authorizing projects or providing funding
Implementing solutions
Living exclusively in the worlds of business or IT
Providing deep expertise in either strategic or functional discipline areas
What Is Typically Out of Scope for a Business Analyst?
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BA Often Acts as Intermediary Between Business and IT
Keys to success:
• Ideally having a background in both business and technology
• Focusing on the requirements (the “what”) before considering potential solutions
• Using a work style that balances both tasks and relationship focus
• Building strong relationships
• Using objective prioritization and consensus-building techniques
Common challenges:
• Interpreting different “languages”
• Avoiding the temptation to jump to solution development
• Focusing on task while maintaining positive relationships
• Mediating differences
• Balancing priorities
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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The BABOK® Knowledge Areas
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
The BABOK does not stipulate a particular process or an order in which tasks are performed.Graphic: A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
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The model is composed of six key knowledge areas
Knowledge areas are broken down into tasks that describe the work that the business analyst will perform on projects• Tasks are not necessarily sequential but rather iterative• The techniques detail how the business analyst will produce the tasks
– For example, BAs conduct stakeholder analysis by producing a RACI matrix
• This course will focus on the knowledge areas– Highlights the essential tasks that the business analyst most often performs
inside of each knowledge area and points to the techniques that help BAs perform these tasks
The BABOK® Knowledge Areas
RACI = responsible, accountable, consulted, informed
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Business analysis planning and monitoring• Governs performance of all other business analysis tasks• Select business analysis tasks and techniques to manage requirements and
assess progress of work• Identify and analyze your stakeholders• Understand exactly what your deliverables will be • Do this step at the beginning and clarify and validate as you go
Enterprise analysis• The tasks that are performed to identify the business need• Not only define and clarify the definitions of your business objectives, but also
understand the root cause and quantify the feasibility of moving forward• Culminates in the business case
The BABOK® Knowledge Areas
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Elicitation• Understand the needs of the stakeholders and their environment• Elicitation is not a one-time event• Deals with the “how to” of gathering requirements from the stakeholders• End goal is for requirements to be complete, clear, correct, and consistent
Requirements analysis• Prioritize and elaborate requirements so that you can effectively implement a
solution to meet your sponsor’s needs• Analyze the needs of your stakeholders• Assess current state
– Identify gaps and areas for improvement– Recommend improvements
• Verification and validation of requirements
The BABOK® Knowledge Areas
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Requirements management and communication• Manage conflict, risks, issues, and changes to your requirements• Ensure that agreement on solution scope is maintained• Communicate requirements to stakeholders• Maintain the information you have gathered for future use
Solution assessment and validation• Determine that the proposed solution(s) meets the specified business needs • Identify any gaps or shortcomings of solutions• Assess that the deployed solutions meet the stated benefits
Underlying competencies• Behaviors, knowledge, and other key characteristics that support the
effective/successful performance of the business analyst
The BABOK® Knowledge Areas
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review Workshop 1.4
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Let’s review a generic project life cycle
Project Life Cycle Review
Enterprise/problem analysis
Analyze the high-level needs/issues of the enterprise
Evaluate potential business initiatives
Envision potential future state
1 Design, develop, and test
Translate requirements into solution components
Design solution Validate requirements*
3
Implementation
Implement solution
4
Close project Provide ongoing
solution support Warranty Knowledge transfer
Maintenance/support
5
*Validation may be conducted at various points in the process.
Detailed requirements development
Elicit specific stakeholder wants and needs
Document and prioritize stakeholder requirements
2
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 1.1
Defining the Business Analysis Role
Workshop 1.2
Workshop 1.3
In Scope/Out of Scope
Introducing the IIBA and the BA Knowledge Areas
Project Life Cycle Review
Workshop 1.4
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1. Work as a team, and select a new business analyst to facilitate this workshop
2. Use the digital whiteboard for this workshop
3. Consider the five stages of the generic project life cycle:a. Enterprise/problem analysisb. Detailed requirements developmentc. Design, develop, and testd. Implementatione. Maintenance/support
4. Think about the business analyst’s level of involvement at each stage of the project life cycle in your organization, and rank each stage to indicate the typical involvement during that stage• High = heavy involvement• Medium = moderate involvement• Low = little or no involvement
5. Determine which BABOK® areas fit into each stage of the project life cycle
Workshop 1.4: The BA’s Role in the Project Life Cycle?
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Workshop 1.4: What Is the BA’s Role in the Project Life Cycle?
Project life cycle stageLevel of BA involvement:H, M, L
BABOK® areas that apply during stage of project
1. Enterprise/problem analysis
2. Detailed requirementsdevelopment
3. Design, develop, and test
4. Implementation
5. Maintenance/support
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In this chapter, we have
Defined business analysis
Explored the role of the business analyst and the relationships with other roles in an organization
Investigated the scope of the business analyst’s work
Introduced the IIBA Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®
Positioned business analysis within the project life cycle
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Role of the Business Analyst,
Definitions, and IIBA BABOK®
What are the six knowledge areas identified in the BABOK®?1.2.3.4.5.6.
True or false? The BA usually focuses on the project, while the PM usually focuses on the product.
True or false? The BA usually provides project authorization.
_____________ are the behaviors, knowledge, and other key characteristics that support the effective and successful performance of the business analyst.
Which knowledge area determines that the proposed solution(s) meets the specified business needs
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Chapter 2
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In this chapter, we will
Introduce the key tasks of business analysis planning and monitoring
Plan the business analysis approach: plan-driven vs. change-driven
Identify and assess stakeholder roles and responsibilities
Identify key elements of the requirements management process
Encourage development of a change management process
Understand the importance of managing the business analyst’s performance
Chapter Objectives
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Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
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This is where you plan out your key tasks, what you will deliver, and who you will deliver to• As a business analyst, your plan is key to the overall project plan• Result is the detailed business analysis plan
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Key inputs:• Business analysis
performance metrics• Business need• Enterprise
architecture• Expert judgment• Organizational
process assets
Key tasks:• Plan business
analysis approach• Conduct stakeholder
analysis• Plan business
analysis activities• Plan business
analysis communication
• Plan requirements management process
• Manage business analysis performance
Key outputs:• Business analysis
approach• Stakeholder list, roles,
and responsibilities• Business analysis plan• Business analysis
communication plan• Requirements
management plan• Business analysis
performance assessment
• Business analysis process assets
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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The Business Analysis Plan: Preplanning Checklist
Does your organization currently conduct sufficient requirements planning?
Which planning steps are conducted consistently?
Which planning steps need to be implemented?
Does the organization have a documented strategy for analysis?
Are there projects and metrics in place to deliver a strategy?
Will you be expected to conduct enterprise-level analysis?
Does the business know its business needs?
Do business requirements exist?
Which tools and techniques are available to help elicit the information you need to conduct appropriate analysis?
If you don’t specifically work in the area of requirements development, consider each of these questions in the context of general project planning!
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Level of Analysis
Tactical
System
Strategic
Lower degree of change—less complex—costs and benefits
short term
Medium impact—less complex—costs and benefits
medium term
Higher impact—more complex—costs and benefits
long term
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Steps are iterative in nature and will continue to be “fleshed out” as more information becomes available
Key Tasks of Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Plan business analysis approach
Conduct/reviewstakeholder analysis
Plan business analysis activities
Plan business analysis communications
Plan requirements management process
Manage business analysis performance
1 2 3
54 6
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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These are some of the elements to consider when planning your business analysis approachTiming of business analysis workFormality and level of detail of business analysis
deliverablesRequirements prioritizationChange managementBusiness analysis planning processCommunications with stakeholdersRequirements analysis and management toolsProject complexity
Your chosen methodology should reflect these elements
Most methodologies are either • Plan-driven• Change-driven
Elements of the Business Analysis Approach
1
Plan business analysis approach
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BA’s work starts at the beginning of a project or during a specific phase of a project
Requirements become clear and fixed and are carefully managed
Change management process is documented and controlled
Requirements are captured in formal documents
Communication is pre-planned
Generally, this approach is used during waterfall-type methodologies
Plan-Driven Approach
1
Plan business analysis approach
Requirements
Design
Development
QA/Testing/ Verification
Implementation
Maintenance
Example waterfall methodology
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Initial list of high-level requirements (product backlog)
This list is updated as new requirements surface• Changes to existing capabilities are prioritized
This process takes into account business changes that can occur throughout a project life cycle
Formal documentation is limited and produced after implementation to facilitate knowledge transfer
Emphasis on frequency of communication
This approach aligns with rapid delivery—also known as the Agile method
Change-Driven Approach
1
Plan business analysis approach
30-Day Sprint
24-hourScrum
Assigned to
Product Backlog (Requirements)
Product Backlog
(Requirements)
Product Backlog
(Requirements)
SprintBacklog
Usable Product
15 min. daily scrum meetingTeam members describe:• What they’ve done since last
meeting• What they will do before next
meeting• Issues they need help to
resolve
Delivers
Example Agile methodology (Scrum)
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Recognize the teams of people that you will be working with and how you plan on interacting with them
Conduct workshops to determine the BA effort and activities that will support project objectives
How are the requirements development efforts typically managed in your organization?
Project Execution Approaches
1
Plan business analysis approach
Core team Extended teamInternal resources
BA or PM alone (or small team)
BA/PM team, including additional support
External resources
Outsourced management team
Outsourced extended team
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1 Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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1. Select a team member to perform the role of BA for this workshop task
2. We have just seen two methods of approaching potential initiatives along with different levels of analysisa. Types of approaches: plan- and change-drivenb. Types of analysis: strategic, system, tactical
3. Your instructor will assign you one of the types of analysis and/or approach
4. Read Handout 4, which gives you a list of the potential initiatives that Franklin Films is considering
5. Identify where each initiative fits. Can it fit into the type of analysis and or approach your instructor has assigned you?
6. Identify the benefits of following one type of analysis or approach
7. If you still have time, consider where applying the method of categorization you were not assigned would place your initiatives
Workshop 2.1: Recognizing Approaches and Analysis Types
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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Key elements to confirm before project initiation:• Relevant assumptions• Team ground rules• Templates to be used
Sample assumptions:• All users will be on a XXX platform• Users will be made available for interviews during June and July• Contractors will not be allowed to bill more than 40 hours per week
What happens if we don’t define and validate assumptions?
It is important for the team to agree on ground rules
Sample ground rules:• No meetings before 10 a.m.• Meetings must start and end on time• Scribe responsibilities will be rotated• …
Documenting Key Assumptions & Setting Ground Rules
1Plan business analysis approach
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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The PMBOK® Guide definition of a stakeholder:• “Person or organization (e.g., customer,
sponsor, performing organization, or the public) that is actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by execution or completion of the project. A stakeholder may also exert influence over the project and its deliverables.”*
• In other words, anyone with a stake in the project
A variety of stakeholders potentially exercise influence over the project and its results
Who Is a Stakeholder?
*Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®
Guide)—Fourth Edition, Glossary. Project Management Institute, Inc., 2008. Copyright and all rights reserved. Material from this publication has been reproduced with the permission of PMI.PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.PMBOK = Project Management Body of Knowledge
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Stakeholder analysis is not a one-hit process• Depending on the stage of the project, we may take a
different perspective on certain groups of stakeholders
The players, and their interest and impact, may change
Have you been involved in a project where stakeholder dynamics changed?• What were the consequences and how
were they managed?
You need to • Deliver a list of stakeholders• Identify their roles and responsibilities• Recognize their impact on the initiative
A RACI matrix can help with this• Tracking who is Responsible, Accountable
Consulted, and Informed
Discussion: Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Activity 1
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
Activity 2
A R
C
I
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Questions to consider when you are identifying who yourstakeholders are:
Who is responsible for conducting detailed requirements development?
Who is most interested (or least interested) in the requirements process?
Who will be most impacted (or least impacted) by your project?
Who can most impact the success of your plan?
Who are the critical decision makers?
Are there any stakeholders who might be adversely impacted by the outcome of your plan or intentionally “working against” the process?
Checklist: Useful Stakeholder Planning Questions
Conduct stakeholder analysis
2
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Business Analysis Generic Stakeholders
Generic stakeholder Examples and alternate rolesBusiness analyst Business systems analyst, systems analyst, process analyst,
consultant, product owner, etc.
Customer Segmented by market, geography, industry, etc.
Domain Subject-MatterExpert (SME)
Broken out by organizational unit, job role, etc.
End user Broken out by organizational unit, job role, etc.
Implementation SME Project librarian, change manager, configuration manager, solution architect, developer, DBA, information architect, usability analyst, trainer, organizational change consultant, etc.
Operational support Help desk, network technician, release manager
Product manager Scrum master, team leader
Supplier Provider, consultant, etc.
Tester Quality assurance analyst
Regulator Government, regulatory body, auditor
Sponsor Manager, executive, product manager, process owner
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Common challenges: • Competing interests among different business units• Poor knowledge of system and processes currently in place• Difficult to solicit balanced input
– From aggressive personalities to noncontributors• Groups often can’t reach agreement on priorities• Groupthink* may suppress breadth of feedback• Feedback sessions are often difficult to manage• Fear of change
Stakeholder Challenges
*Groupthink: Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternate ideas or points of view
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Brainstorm possible stakeholders
Identify two stakeholder evaluation criteria (representing the x and y axes)• Power and influence within the organization• Level of impact the project will likely have on the stakeholder• Immediacy of need for product or service• Availability for information gathering• Level of receptivity (positive or negative disposition towards the project)
List relevant stakeholder organizations on sticky notes
Rate each stakeholder group using evaluation criteria• Place the sticky note at the appropriate point on the grid
Multiply axis ratings to yield overall prioritization• (Impact rating) * (Influence rating) = Overall prioritization
Stakeholder Analysis Process
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Stakeholder Analysis Process
Influ
ence
in
orga
niza
tion
Amount impacted by project
Stakeholder assessment grid
High(5)
Low(1)
Marketing(1)
Medium(3)
Hig
h(5
)Lo
w(1
)M
ediu
m(3
)
Sales(15)
Finance(3)
CIO(25)
Users(10)
IT(12)
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Stakeholder Analysis Process
Influ
ence
in
orga
niza
tion
Amount impacted by project
Stakeholder assessment grid
High(5)
Low(1)
Medium(3)
Hig
h(5
)Lo
w(1
)M
ediu
m(3
)
Needs must be met
Less important
Key players
Show consideration
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2 Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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1. Select a team member to perform the role of BA for this workshop task
2. Review Handout 3 for information on all characters involved
3. In your groups, generate a stakeholder analysis grid for the case study situation• Identify potential stakeholders (using the case study information provided
and your general opinions and background knowledge)• List all potential stakeholders on sticky notes• Select the appropriate evaluation criteria and label the axes
4. Debrief the following:• What value do you see in this activity?• What are the risks of not conducting some sort of
stakeholder analysis?
Workshop 2.2: Case Study Stakeholder Analysis
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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Plan Business Analysis Activities
You should define• The scope of your work
– Identify all of the activities you will need to perform
• The amount of time– Estimate
– How long these activities will take
– What resources you will need to help you
Design templates
Decide how to capture, manage, and document requirements information• Requirements-gathering
template(s)• Interview guide(s)• Business case template• Project-planning templates• Action item template• Change management template• Requirements document template• Test record template (if applicable)
Plan business analysis activities
3 In this step, you identify your deliverables• Your key deliverable is a clear, concise set of requirements
that will support solution development
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Document tasks on a high-level schedule
Is this plan based on a plan-driven approach or a change-driven approach?
Be sure to include deliverables for each major task area in the final plan
Construct a Requirements Schedule3
Plan business analysis activities
No. Task Duration Resource(s) Deliverable(s)
1.0 Project initiation 5d BA Approved BA project plan
2.0 Requirements elicitation 10d BA, JM Completed interview guides, surveys
3.0 Requirements analysis 5d BA, JM, JK Revised analysis templates, graphical models
4.0 Requirements specification 15d BA, JM, JK Solution and stakeholder Requirements
5.0 Prepare the requirements Package
3d Extended team Requirements Package
6.0 Project closeout 2d BA Closed action item database, project debrief documentation
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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Communication does not happen by accident• You must plan it
Consider your audience in your communication plan:• Who are your stakeholders? • How often should you provide information?• Select the appropriate media to deliver the message• Consider the geographical location of your extended
project team• What is the message or information you are delivering?
What other elements should you consider in your communication plan?
Plan Business Analysis Communications
Plan business analysis communications
4
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Another Use for the Stakeholder Assessment Grid
Influ
ence
in
orga
niza
tion
Amount impacted by project
Stakeholder assessment grid
High(5)
Low(1)
Medium(3)
Hig
h(5
)Lo
w(1
)M
ediu
m(3
)
1st tier communication
2nd tier communication
3rd tier communication
2nd tier communication
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Chapter Contents
Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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Elements to consider and document:• Who has the authority to provide sign-off?• Where do you plan to store your requirements?• What level of traceability will you have?• What attributes will be relevant for to you track?Numeric referencesSource informationOwner (who needs the requirement)PriorityRisk UrgencyStatus
Change management fits into this area• You need to manage the process for
– Requirements approval – Changes to requirements once they are approved
Requirements Management Process
Plan requirements management process
5
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At what point is the requirements document baselined?
When is the change management process initiated?
How frequently do we anticipate the requirements changing?• How are those changes to be submitted?• To whom are changes submitted? • In what format?
Who makes approval decisions on requested changes?
Do all changes need to go through the change management process?• If not, which ones do not?
How quickly are decisions made on requested changes?
How will traceability information (relationships between requirements) be maintained to facilitate efficient change management?• We will cover traceability in Chapter 6
Checklist: Change Management Process
Plan requirements management process
5
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Chapter Contents Key Tasks of the Business Analysis Plan
Planning the Business Analysis Approach
Workshop 2.1
Documenting Key Assumptions
Conducting Stakeholder Analysis
Workshop 2.2
Planning Business Analysis Activities
Planning Business Analysis Communication
Planning the Requirements Management Process
Managing Business Analysis Performance
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The business analyst should have clear set of success criteria• How you follow your plan is a measure of your success
– Your planned performance vs. your actual performance• Have clearly defined deliverables
– Understand the metrics that will measure your success• What happens if your deliverables change?
– Allowing for change in activities will add to the plan• Have a clear escalation path
– You need an executive decision maker to cut through potential bottlenecks
• If performance is unsatisfactory, what caused it?– This can help with recommendations for better results
Plan for success based on what you know and have documented, not what has been assumed!
Manage Business Analysis Performance
Manage business analysis performance
6
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Once you have documented your plan• Ensure support of project manager and sponsor• Verify
– Common understanding of deliverables– All assumptions
• Confirm if anything has changed since project initiation• Monitor your plan to ensure that you are on track• Follow your communication plan
Validate Your Plan
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In this chapter, we have
Introduced the key tasks of business analysis planning and monitoring
Planned the business analysis approach: plan-driven vs. change-driven
Identified and assessed stakeholder roles and responsibilities
Identified key elements of the requirements management process
Encouraged development of a change management process
Understood the importance of managing the business analyst’s performance
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Business Analysis Planning
and Monitoring
In which task does the business analyst identify the deliverable that will be produced?
True or false? Stakeholder analysis should only be completed at the start of the project.
Name six key tasks in business analysis planning and monitoring:1.2.3.4.5.6.
Which BA approach aligns itself with the rapid delivery methodology also known as Agile?
Name three attributes that you might consider tracking during the requirements management process?
Enterprise Analysis
Chapter 3
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In this chapter, we will Identify the business need
Reveal the root cause to identify the real problem Develop problem statements to clearly state problem and capabilities of
business need
Assess business capabilities and gaps Determine the solution approach
Identify elements of the initial solution scope Present analysis methods used to assess the feasibility of the solution
approach
Develop project objectives Review key components of a business case, including benefits and costs
Chapter Objectives
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Enterprise Analysis
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
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This is the set of activities where the business analyst identifies the business needs across the enterprise and turns them into potential initiatives• All elements of the business case are discovered and documented
Enterprise Analysis
Key inputs:• Assumptions and
constraints• Business goals and
objectives• Enterprise architecture• Organizational process
assets• Requirements (stated)• Solution performance
assessment• Stakeholder concerns
Key tasks:• Define business need• Assess capability gaps• Determine solution
approach• Define solution scope• Define business case
Key outputs:• Business case• Business need• Required capabilities• Solution approach• Solution scope
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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The BA First Seeks to Identify the Top Issues/Opportunities
Initiatives evaluated and top one selected
Business case drafted tosell recommended initiative to management
Business caseapproved
Project begins
Business casenot approved
Back to identify additional initiatives or reevaluate previous initiatives
Identify the topissues
Assess solution capabilities, gaps and approach, then define solution scope• Specific action-
oriented initiatives • Identify benefits and
costs• Ranking of best
approach
Identify business need• Root-cause analysis• Problem statements
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Understand your business—know where to begin
1. Strategic goals—what is your business direction, vision, mission statement? Has this changed?
2. Is there an event that has created a new business need?• Regulatory, contractual
3. Has the business changed?• Missing processes, systems, or tools
4. Is your business losing money or market share?
5. What is your desired outcome?
6. Perform elicitation to allow stakeholders to state their perceived needs
Identifying the Business Need
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New business needs can be generated in several different ways:
From the top down• The need to achieve a strategic goal
From the bottom up• A problem with the current state of a process, function, or system
From middle management• A manager needs additional information to make sound decisions or must
perform additional functions to meet business objectives
From external drivers• Driven by customer demand or business competition in the marketplace
Identifying the Business Need
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs
Exposing the Root Cause Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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As we prepare to define the project, we must ensure that we focus on the real problem and not the symptom
Identifying the Root Cause
Symptom
Root-cause problem
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Helps to identify the root cause of a problem
Benefits of the five whys• By repeatedly asking why, you peel away the layers of symptoms
Evaluate the surface problem—symptom—by asking why to uncover the true root cause
How to complete the five whys• Write down the specific problem • Ask why the problem happens and write the answer down below the problem• Ask why the second problem happens and write that answer down• The general rule is that asking the question five times can get you to the root
cause
Effective when the problem involves human interactions
Root-Cause Analysis Methods: Five Whys
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Root-Cause Analysis Methods: Cause-and-Effect Diagram
Also called fishbone or Ishikawa diagram
Focuses on the cause of the problem
Organize your ideas before you do further analysis
Problem
Category 2Category 1
Category 3 Category 4
Tertiary
Secondary
Potential cause
Potential cause
These are potential causes that you must validate with additional analysis and data
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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Workshop 3.1: Root-Cause Analysis
1. Refer to the Franklin Films Case Study (Handout 1)
2. On the whiteboard for this activity is a template cause-and-effect diagram
3. One of the problems identified in the case study was that the company lost money in the past year; using this problem and the categories you created during the affinity diagram session, identify the potential root cause using the cause-and-effect diagram methoda. Brainstorm potential categoriesb. Brainstorm potential causes of those categoriesc. Document all assumptionsd. Make a list of what information you will validate after the session
4. Document your cause-and-effect diagram on the whiteboard
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1
The Problem Statement Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
16© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 3-
The problem statement is a brief description of what the problem is
Some guidelines to consider:• Address one problem at a time• Each problem statement should be only one or two sentences in length• Do not suggest the solution
Example problem statements:• 35 percent of the high school students in the region of Caledonia are off task
50 percent of the time during direct instruction• 15 percent of the system updates that we applied last month had to be
backed out; this has caused a 20 percent increase in the number of calls to the service desk
Creating the Problem Statement
“A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”
—Charles F. Kettering
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How to write an effective problem statement:
1. Write down the current state problem
2. Expand by using the 5 Ws• Who does or does it not affect?• What does it or does it not affect?• When is it a problem?• Where does the problem occur or not occur?• Why should we fix the problem or not fix the problem?
3. Think about the desired future state
4. Write the new problem statement(s)
Creating the Problem Statement
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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1. Assign a business analyst to lead this activity
2. Using the guidelines from the previous slide on how to create a problem statement, write one or two problem statements for Franklin Films
3. Document your problem statements on the flipchart
Workshop 3.2: The Problem Statement
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement Workshop 3.2
Solution Capability Gaps,Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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The BA Assesses Solution Capabilities, Gaps, and Approach
Initiatives evaluated and top one selected
Business case drafted tosell recommended initiative to management
Business caseapproved
Project begins
Business casenot approved
Back to identify additional initiatives or reevaluate previous initiatives
Identify the topissues
Assess solution capabilities, gaps and approach, then define solution scope• Specific action-
oriented initiatives • Identify benefits and
costs• Ranking of best
approach
Identify business need• Root-cause analysis• Problem statements
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Capability: the quality of being capable, having ability
Consider if the organization has the ability to handle/meet the identified business need• Are business processes in place?• Do the users have the right skills?
– What tasks must be performed by end users—is there training involved?• Is the proposed solution sustainable within your current organization?• Are the right tools in place?• Proposed goals must be able to be met or accomplished
What do you do if the capabilities are not in place?• Develop new capability or enhance existing capability
Assess Capability Gaps
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Identify options to meet the business need and address the capability gaps
You are not creating the solution but considering options to address your business need• Designing and developing of new hardware and software• Enhancing systems that already exist within the organization• Changing business processes and procedures• Outsourcing to a third-party vendor
What is the cost of doing “nothing”?
Is there a minimum option?
Solution Approach
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
25© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 3-
Define Solution Scope
“Solution Scope: Defines what must be delivered in order to meet the business need, and the effect of the proposed change initiative on the business and technology operations and infrastructure.”
—BABOK® Guide*
*A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
Identify the new business capability that the solution will deliver• Include in-scope and out-of-scope items
Include the existing capabilities that will be supported by the solution scope
Once the initiative is selected, the business analyst should ensure that there is a general understanding of the desired future state• The goal at this point is not the detailed solution design; it is, however,
important to begin to envision potential solutions and the future state
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution
Feasibility Analysis Tools Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
27© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 3-
What is a feasibility study?• Determines the viability of an idea and whether or not the proposed options
will provide some benefit to the organization in order the meet the business needs
• Rank and select the best solution approach
Educates the business process owners on alternatives, risks, implications, and benefits of potential initiatives• Conducted to determine the viability of an idea
for a new business opportunity
May result in the decision not to recommend a potential solution
Feasibility Analysis Tools
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Types of studies may include• Quantitative analysis• Competitive analysis• Benchmarking studies• Environmental assessments• Stakeholder analysis• Technical feasibility assessment• Vendor analysis
Many potential feasibility analysis techniques exist• We’ll review two methods:
– 2 x 2 analysis– Prioritization matrix
Conducting Feasibility Studies
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The 2 x 2 analysis technique can be a powerful tool to help guide a group toward a logical, well-supported decision
2 x 2 AnalysisEa
se o
f Im
plem
enta
tion
Anticipated revenue
Redefine
Dogs High potential
Quick wins
A
CD
E
B
Sample 2 x 2 analysis
HighLow
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.01.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
F
5.0
Easy
Hard
G
H
I
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Used to rank proposed alternatives and business initiatives
2 x 2 matrix development steps• Identify two relevant criteria elements (axes labels)• Rate each initiative against each criteria element• Plot the initiative on the grid corresponding with the x and y ratings
The quadrants indicate recommended action• Dogs (don’t do: low revenue, difficult to implement)• Quick wins (do now: high revenue, easy to implement)• High potential (do later: high revenue, difficult to implement)• Redefine (consider further: low revenue, easy to implement)
2 x 2 Analysis
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2 x 2 Analysis
Pros Cons• Powerful visual representation • Well received by management• Easy to understand• Facilitates criteria discussion
• Limited to two criteria elements• Sometimes requires consensus
on ratings• Potential for all options to be
positioned in same quadrant
Possible decision criteria (axes labels):• Ease of implementation• Revenue, profit, business value, market share• Cost• Benefit to the organization• Risk• Goodwill, brand equity• Customer satisfaction• Resource requirements• Stakeholder demand
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Prioritization Matrices
Identify key decision-making criteria
Determine thepriority of each criterion
Rate each option based on thecriteria
Multiply priority by rating for each option to identify best alternative
1
2
3
4
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Example: Identify the best location for the annual team celebration
Prioritization Matrices
Cost Proximity to NY Family-friendlyTotal
Priority Rating Priority Rating Priority RatingLas Vegas 2 3 6 1 2 2 3 1 3 11
Orlando 2 4 8 1 4 4 3 4 12 24
CO Skiing 2 2 4 1 2 2 3 2 6 12
Paris 2 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 6 9
1 = Low 2 = Medium 3 = High
Shaded columns are calculated by multiplying the previous two column results together.Total column is the sum of each of the shaded column values.
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2 x 2 analysis alternative decision criteria may be used here as well
Prioritization Matrices
Pros Cons• Facilitates criteria discussion• Enables weighting of different
criteria• Can handle more than two
criteria • Facilitates methodical decision-
making process
• Method is more time-consuming than the 2 x 2
• Requires consensus on ranking of priorities
• Potential for ties
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Comparison of Evaluation Techniques
Technique When to use2 x 2 analysis • Have time constraints
• Need an “executive summary” type of analysis• Multiple criteria are not important• Need to compare many options
Prioritization matrices • Need more detailed analysis• Audience responds better to quantitative analysis• Multiple criteria are important• Criteria have different priorities• Need to compare many options
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
37© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 3-
1. In your groups, select a new business analyst volunteer to lead the workshop
2. Using the list of potential initiatives outlined in Handout 4, evaluate the alternatives using either of these techniques:• 2 x 2 analysis
– Evaluate all eight initiatives– Avoid selecting decision criteria where one is a direct function of the other
(e.g., profit vs. cost)– Make sure axes are labeled correctly (which end of the axis is “good ”
and which is “bad ”) and provide appropriate labels for axis extremes• Prioritization matrix
– Evaluate four initiatives– Select three decision criteria
Workshop 3.3: Initiative Evaluation
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3
SMART Objectives Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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Clear objectives are an important element of future project success• Concrete set of statements that describe what the project will try to achieve
SMART Objectives
Project objectives• Project definition• Project scoping• Project planning• Project execution
• Enterprise-wide information gathering
• Root-cause analysis• Problem statements• Solution capabilities
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Effective objectives meet the SMART criteria• Specific• Measurable• Achievable• Relevant• Timebound
An example of a SMART objective for a new HR initiative: • Administer a three-day brand marketing training program for all new Marketing
employees (hired within past six months) before December 31, 2014– Is it specific?– How can we measure achievement at the end of the project?– Does it seem achievable?– Does it seem relevant?– Is it timebound?
SMART Objectives
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 SMART Objectives
Workshop 3.4 Defining the Business Case
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1. Select a new business analyst to lead this workshop
2. Write your team’s selected initiative from the previous workshop at the top of a new sheet of flipchart paper
3. Work with your group to draft objectives based on the handout• Identify one or two high-level initiative objectives• List them on the whiteboard page for this workshop
4. Apply the SMART criteria to each objective
Workshop 3.4: Drafting SMART Objectives
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Chapter Contents
Defining Business Needs Exposing the Root Cause
Workshop 3.1 The Problem Statement
Workshop 3.2 Solution Capability Gaps, Approach, and Scope
Defining the Solution Feasibility Analysis Tools
Workshop 3.3 Project Objectives
Workshop 3.4
Defining the Business Case
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The BA Defines the Business Case
Initiatives evaluated and top one selected
Business case drafted tosell recommended initiative to management
Business caseapproved
Project begins
Business casenot approved
Back to identify additional initiatives or reevaluate previous initiatives
Identify the topissues
Assess solution capabilities, gaps and approach, then define solution scope• Specific action-
oriented initiatives • Identify benefits and
costs• Ranking of best
approach
Identify business need• Root-cause analysis• Problem statements
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The business case captures the rationalization for initiating a project and describes the value the project will add to the organization once the solution has been deployed• The value takes into account the cost to develop and operate the deployed
solution
It is submitted to management to determine whether future investment is warranted
Serves as the “go or no-go” decision point
Authorizes funding for future activities, including• Project initiation • Requirements planning and elicitation • Detailed requirements analysis and documentation
May outline qualitative and quantitative project benefits and costs
Often provides financial assessment of anticipated returns
May vary in terms of structure and components
Defining the Business Case
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Assessing Benefits and Costs
Quantitative assessmentQualitative assessment
Common indicators:• Benefit/cost ratio• Present Value (PV), Net Present
Value (NPV), Net Future Value (NFV)
• Return On Investment (ROI)• Payback period• Breakeven analysis• Anticipated revenue/profit• Market share
Common indicators:• Risk analysis• Brand equity and goodwill• SWOT analysis• Competitive analysis• Benchmarking analysis• Organizational analysis
SWOT = strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
Which measurement indicator is most relevant to your organization?
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One of the biggest challenges in business case development is quantifying the “nonquantifiable”
Example: quantifying “increased customer satisfaction” at the pizza restaurant
How could we quantify “increased customer satisfaction” as a benefit?
Quantifying Qualitative Elements
“Increased customersatisfaction”
Can be quantified by…
Potential measurements:••••••
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Sample Business Case Components1. Title Page
2. Executive summary
3. Introduction and Summary• Project rationale for preferred option• Current business process• Description of the problem• Opportunity• Project objectives• Project scope and boundaries• Business benefits• Project costs• Assumptions & Constraints• Potential business and staff impact analysis• Potential technology impact analysis• Other issues• Implementation plan
3. Approach• Financial metrics• Privacy impact assessment• Alternative evaluation criterion
4. Key selection criterion• Weighting• Constraints and limitations
5. Preferred alternative (insert title)• Business benefits• Alternative costs• Assumptions• Potential business and staff impact
analysis• Other issues
6. Risk management plan• Risk assessment• Risk response• Benefit realization
7. Conclusion and recommendations
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In this chapter, we have
Identified the business need
Revealed the root cause to identify the real problem
Developed problem statements to clearly state problem and capabilities of business need
Assessed business capabilities and gaps
Determined the solution approach
Identified elements of the initial solution scope
Presented analysis methods used to assess solution approach
Developed project objectives
Reviewed key components of a business case, including benefits and costs
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Enterprise AnalysisDetermining the viability of an
idea and whether or not the proposed options will provide some benefit to the organization in order to meet the business needs is ______________.
__________ defines what must be delivered in order to meet the business need.
True or false? The project objective is a brief description of what the problem is and what a successful solution might look like.
Deeply studying issues that go beyond symptoms is called _________ analysis.
The concrete set of statements that describe what a project is trying to achieve are called _________________________.
Elicitation
Chapter 4
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In this chapter, we will
Identify steps to prepare for elicitation
Introduce some techniques to elicit information from stakeholders
Examine methods to record elicitation results
Understand the importance of confirming elicitation results
Chapter Objectives
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Elicitation
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
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Work with stakeholders to elicit their requirements • Elicitation can take place at more than one stage of an initiative or project• Elicitation is used to gather business, stakeholder, solution, and transition
requirements
Elicitation
Key tasks:• Prepare for elicitation• Conduct elicitation
activity• Document elicitation
results• Confirm elicitation
results
Key outputs:• Elicitation results• Scheduled
resources• Stakeholder
concerns• Supporting material
Key inputs:• Business case• Business need• Organizational
process assets• Requirements
management plan• Solution scope
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation Workshop 4.1
Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.2
Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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Regardless of the technique that you use, consider the following:• Do your homework!• Consider your objective• Be prepared to answer the “What’s in it for me?” question• Schedule the appropriate amount of time• Set the ground rules• Ensure that everyone has clear understanding of the method you have
decided to use• Document according to your plan• Request help if required• You may only have one opportunity with your selected audience
Preparing for Elicitation
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Elements of preparation: • Business need—why
– Understand work environment– Clear objective of information you wish to get
• Stakeholders—who– Availability– Receptivity– Role in the organization, level of authority, knowledge
• Time—when– Project schedule
• Deliverables—what– Artifacts, templates– Decides what your output needs to look like
• Information-gathering techniques you will use—how
Preparing for Elicitation
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Schedule your elicitation activity around the availability of your stakeholders• Enlist the assistance of your project manager to ensure that stakeholders
participate in the sessions
Preparing for Elicitation
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What Are We Eliciting? Requirement ClassificationsBroader
More detailed
Solution require-ments
What is required from the business’s perspective
Behavior and information that the solution will manage
An airline ticketing example:Decrease customer wait times by providing self-service check-in capability
The self-service kiosk must read customer information from airline’s loyalty card
The kiosk shall run on XYZ software
Environmental conditions required for the solution to remain effective
Nonfunctional requirements
Functional requirements
What is required from each stakeholder’s perspective
Characteristics that meet both business and stakeholder requirements
What is required to transition from current to future state
The user must be able to print a boarding pass using the self-service kiosk
Kiosks will be manned by service personnel during the first two years of operation
Stakeholder requirements
Businessrequirements
Transitionrequirements
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“Fortune 500 companies with poor requirements, on average, will spend $2.24 million more per project than those that employ best requirements practices.” • IAG Survey*
“... projects suffer most when changes in requirements touch off a cascade of delays, revisions, and rework. This happens all too often, as existing processes for establishing requirements are ad-hoc and inefficient, making it difficult for business people to communicate their needs to technology teams. This leads to miscommunications and insufficiently defined requirements that drive up development costs and delay projects.• MicroFocus White Paper 2009**
Industry Insight: Cost of Poor Requirements
*Quote from http://phoenix.theiiba.org/download/vpprograms/presentations/2010/2010-01-the-ten-myths-of-successful-it-and-business-comm.pdfDownload at www.iag.biz/resources/library/download-business-analysis-benchmark-2009.html**Download at www.microfocus.com/downloads/successful-projects-start-with-200400.aspx
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Examples: Functional Requirements
For a car• Starting the car• Steering the car• Braking
For a store guide in a shopping mall• Locating a store• Finding the bathroom facilities• Finding first aiders
Why are these functional? • Because they specify something that
the user wants to be able to do – They represent a user goal
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What Types of Requirements Are There?
Functional requirements• Capabilities
– Describe functionality—high-level statements of what the product should do
– Depend on product expectations, users, and the environment in which the product is used
A functional requirement represents an activity that a user, system, or process can do• A user goal
Non-functional requirements• Conditions
– Qualities that the product should possess
• Constraints– Constraints on the services,
functions, or conditions of the product
A non-functional requirement represents a quality that a product, system, or process should possess or a limitationon that product, system, or process
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1. The car driver shall be able to start the car within 60 seconds of entering the vehicle
2. The customer shall be able to use the store guide to locate the appropriate section of the store within 60 seconds of arriving at the store
Why are these functional? • Because they specify a task that
that the user wants to be able to perform
Example: Functional Requirements
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For a car• The color of the car• How long it takes the car to
go from 0 to 60 mph• Using a key to start the car
For a store guide in a shopping mall• Where the store guides are placed
– By both down and up escalators– Inside the lifts
• The store guides shall be laminated
Why are these non-functional?• Because they represent a quality of the
product, process, or service being specified
Examples: Non-Functional Requirements
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The car driver shall start the car by using a key
The store guides shall be placed • 2.1 At the store entrances• 2.2 By both down and up
escalators• 2.3 Inside the lifts
The store guides shall be laminated
Why are these non-functional?• Because they represent a property of or
a constraint on the product, process, or service being specified
Example: Non-Functional Requirements
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.1 Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.2
Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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Workshop 4.1: Identifying Requirements Types Work individually
1. Identify as many requirements as you can for the item your instructor has assigned your group
2. Write the requirements on sticky notes on your digital whiteboard
Work as a team1. The whiteboard for this workshop
has been divided into Functional and Non-Functional category areas
2. Place the sticky notes in the appropriate area
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.1
Elicitation Techniques Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.2
Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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Three Types of Elicitation Techniques
Event-based• Gathering of people
– Establish ground rules– Agree on how feedback will be
given and taken– Understand the willingness of
the stakeholder to participate– Agree on how you will establish
consensus if required– Ensure participation of all
stakeholders
Performance-based• Analysis from existing
documentation
Distributed• Distribution of material
– Clarity on how to provide feedback and deadline on response time frame
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Select the appropriate technique
Once you gather sufficient information, begin to analyze • Ideally, missing incomplete or incorrect requirement will be exposed through
the analysis process
Elicitation for that material then begins again, potentially using another technique
The Elicitation Process
Elicit Analyze
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The Elicitation Process
During elicitation, record all information based on your requirements management plan• This includes the attributes that
you decided were important to record
• Trace all requirements back to business need and objectives
Tools• Do you have a whiteboard,
flipchart, working markers, suitable software, or someone to help you record results?
Common challenges during elicitation activities:• Scope creep/wish list• Stakeholders’ willingness to
participate• Full participation of stakeholders• Gaining consensus• Digression—maintaining focus• Information you are looking for
may be beyond the depth of individuals in the room
• Participants do not always understand the process that you are using
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Consider using a variety of different techniques to gather information from your stakeholders:• Brainstorming• Document analysis of existing metrics/data• Focus groups• Interface analysis• Interviews: individual and group
– Face-to-face – Teleconferences, video conferencing, and Web seminars (Webinars)
• Observation sessions/time and motion studies• Prototypes• Requirements workshops• Questionnaires/surveys
What are some pros and cons of using these different techniques? Which techniques have you used?
Information-Gathering Techniques
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As facilitator, you plan, manage, and guide groups of people through the elicitation techniques
Some points to remember:• Maintain a neutral stance• Keep people on track• Create a safe environment for participants to contribute• Keep the objective of the event in mind and be clear about desired outcomes
What characteristics do you think make a strong facilitator?
Facilitation
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.1
Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus Workshop 4.2
Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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1. Identify methods you’ve seen for gaining consensus among a group of diverse individuals, and list them
2. Then list the pros and cons of each recommendation
Class Discussion: Gaining Consensus
Recommendations Pros and cons
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Description:• Idea-generation technique
– Process for gathering a broad set of ideas• Focusing on one topic and coming up with many possible solutions• Derive themes for further analysis
Steps:• Develop clear definition of topic• Select participants who have appropriate experience with topic• Establish criteria for evaluating and rating ideas• Allow group to create ideas and group according to criteria for further analysis
Results/output:• Final list of rated ideas shared with appropriate parties
Elicitation Techniques: Brainstorming
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Elicitation Techniques: Document Analysis
Description:• Analysis of existing metrics, reporting, and documentation
– Reference material to use during elicitation can include artifacts from other projects, existing methods and procedures, marketplace studies
Steps:• Analyze what exists and what is relevant and up to date• Study selected material and note relevant details• Review these details with your SMEs
Results/output:• Existing information analyzed and packaged into requirements format
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Elicitation Techniques: Focus Group
Description:• Gather information about specific product, service, or opportunity
Steps:• Select prequalified individuals• Create discussion guide with clear goals and objectives
– Include questions you will ask and how the information will be recorded• Assign moderator and recorder
Results/output:• Report analyzing participants’ ideas and perceptions
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Elicitation Techniques: Focus Group
Recruit participants• Six to 12 people• Homogeneous: similar characteristics• Heterogeneous: diverse background
Assign an experienced moderator
Discussion guide• Goals and objectives of the session• Five or six open-ended questions
Results/output• Report that documents ideas and themes
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.1
Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.2 Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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You have been asked to lead the focus group to determine what the demand would be if Franklin Films were to make their digitized content available in the marketplace. Franklin Films would also like to have an indication of which demographic group they will be most successful with and how much people would be willing to pay to purchase this content
1. Select a business analyst to lead this activity
2. Create a discussion guide for your focus group session; include the following:• Goal/objectives• Six open-ended questions• Who should be recruited to participate in your focus group• How you will record the information
3. You would like to select the right person to moderate this focus group; list the type of skills you think a moderator should have
4. Record the results on your digital whiteboard
Workshop 4.2: Focus Groups
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Description:• Define and understand the interaction between stakeholders and various
systems – Common interface types include user interfaces and interfaces to and from
external applications and devices
Steps:• Identify all interfaces• Capture information: purpose, type, and details of interface including content
and names, inputs, outputs, and events
Results/output:• Identification of interfaces and understanding of relationships and
interoperability– People and system integration impacts and dependencies clearly defined
Elicitation Techniques: Interface Analysis
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Description:• Systematic approach to elicit information from people
Steps:• Identify interviewees• Design the interview with appropriate questions and structure• Conduct the interview• Record results
Results/output:• Documented questions and answers
Elicitation Techniques: Interview
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The interviewer directs questions to a stakeholder to elicit a response
Successful interview depends on both interviewer and interviewee
Maintain focus, address interviewee concerns, and practice active listening
Elicitation Techniques: Interview
Type Format
Structured Pre-set questions with limited set of responses
Semi-structured Base questions designed to probeOpportunity to delve into other areas
Unstructured Questions typically open-ended
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Description:• Shadowing people while they perform their tasks
Steps:• Prepare by introducing yourself and letting individual know that observation
has nothing to do with job performance• Take detailed notes
Results/output:• Summary of tasks performed during observation, including commonalities and
differences between performers
Elicitation Techniques: Observation
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Description:• Building an early sample or model of a system
Steps:• Determine type of prototype• Identify functionality to be modeled• Steps are iterative• Storyboard—shows paths across interface components, includes visual of
screens along with arrows that show navigational flow• Verify that interface elements map to requests
Results/output:• A picture of the “future system interfaces”
Elicitation Techniques: Prototyping
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Description:• Structured event attended by key stakeholders and SMEs, used to identify or
review requirements
Steps:• Identify key stakeholders• Define the workshop agenda• Send preparation materials before the workshop• Conduct pre-meeting interviews with attendees• Elicit, analyze, and document requirements
Results/output:• Requirements documented and formatted in the predetermined format
Elicitation Techniques: Requirements Workshop
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What do you think a good requirements workshop looks like?
Consider• People• Time• Place• Techniques• Handling conflict• Ground rules
Elicitation Techniques: Requirements Workshop
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Description:• Questionnaire that collects information from many people at once, sometimes
anonymously
Steps:• Define purpose of survey and target group• Choose the survey type and sample group• Write the survey questions• Test survey and fine-tune• Send the survey to the target group
Results/output:• Collated responses identifying common themes
Elicitation Techniques: Survey
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.1
Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.2
Workshop 4.3 Documenting & Confirming
Elicitation Results
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1. Select a business analyst to lead this activity
2. You have been asked to gather requirements for Franklin Films
3. Use the material already provided to you in previous chapters
4. Select the elicitation technique(s) that you think is most appropriate• Be prepared to explain why you selected this technique
5. Create a plan to execute the technique that you have selected, including• Session Objective• Agenda • Who you plan to invite• What questions you will ask• How you plan to present your results
6. Record the results on the digital whiteboard for this activity
Workshop 4.3: Select an Elicitation Technique and Plan Activities
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Chapter Contents
Preparing for Elicitation
Workshop 4.2
Elicitation Techniques
Gaining Consensus
Workshop 4.3
Documenting & Confirming Elicitation Results
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More than just recording your gathered information
Organizing and structuring the information based on the templates you selected during your planning stage• Produce reports from result of interviews, observation sessions,
questionnaires, etc.
What to document:• Meeting minutes
– Attendees– Action items– Decisions
• Assumptions and constraints• Risks and issues identified during sessions
Documenting Results
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Reviewing documented results• Confirm with your stakeholders that you captured and correctly understood
their stated requirements• Allow the stakeholder sufficient time to review your document and provide
input• This allows the participant to point out items that may have been missed,
incorrectly documented, or misunderstood
This step does not confirm that results are valid, only that the information was gathered and correctly understood and recorded by you
Your output is stated and confirmed requirements, not validated or analyzed requirements
Confirm Elicitation Results
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In this chapter, we have
Identified steps to prepare for elicitation
Introduced some techniques to elicit information from stakeholders
Examined methods to record elicitation results
Understood the importance of confirming elicitation results
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Elicitation What are the four key tasks for elicitation?1.2.3. 4.
A structured event attended by key stakeholders and SMEs and used to identify or review requirements is called ________________.
is a process for gathering a broad set of ideas.
What are nine information-gathering techniques?1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.
True or false? The output of the “confirm elicitation results” task is stated and validated requirements.
Requirements Analysis
Chapter 5
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In this chapter, we will
Learn how to effectively prioritize and organize your requirements
Review existing requirements standards and best practices
Emphasize the importance of managing assumptions, constraints, and risks
Review steps to verify and validate your requirements
Chapter Objectives
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Requirements Analysis
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
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The business analyst must analyze the stated requirements• This solution and stakeholder requirements are analyzed to effectively
implement the solution to meet the needs of the sponsor
Requirements Analysis
Key inputs:• Business case• Business need• Requirements• Organization process
assets• Requirements
management plan• Stakeholder concerns• Stakeholder list, roles,
and responsibilities• Solution scope
Key tasks:• Prioritize
requirements• Organize
requirements• Specify and model
requirements• Define assumptions
and constraints• Verify requirements• Validate
requirements
Key outputs:• Assumptions and
constraints• Requirements
structure• Requirements
– Prioritized– Validated– Verified
• Stakeholder or solution requirements
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Requirements AnalysisRequirements
collected
Elicitation Prioritize and organize
Specify and Model
Verify and Validate
Start
Requirementsdocumented in draft
Requirements baselined
Requirements understood
Requirements controlled
Management• Solution scope• Traceability• Re-Usable• Communication
Decision point:Accept documentor reenter spiral
®
315Developing User
Requirements: The Key to Project Success
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Requirements Defined
“Stakeholder requirements are statements of the needs of a particular stakeholder or class of stakeholders. They describe the needs that a given stakeholder has and how that stakeholder will interact with a solution. Stakeholder requirements serve as a bridge between business requirements and the various classes of solution requirements.
Solution requirements describe the characteristics of a solution that meet business requirements and stakeholder requirements. They are developed and defined through requirement analysis. They are frequently divided into sub-categories, particularly when the requirements describe a software solution:
• Functional requirements describe the behavior and information that the solution will manage. They describe capability the system will be able to perform in terms of behavior or operations....
• Nonfunctional requirements capture conditions that do not directly relate to the behavior or functionality of the solution, but rather describe environmental conditions under which the solution must remain effective or qualities that the systems must have.”
—BABOK® Guide*
*A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009. pp. 5–6.
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Chapter Contents
Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
Specifying and Modeling Requirements
Workshop 5.1
Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks
Verifying and Validating Requirements
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Brainstorm the elements that you should consider when prioritizing requirements
Requirements Analysis—Prioritization
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Elements to consider during prioritization of requirements:• Value to the business• Contractual obligations• Regulatory obligations• Legal and political• Time-sensitive• Dependencies—relationships to other requirements• Industry recommendations and best practices• Business or technical risks• Limited budget• Low-hanging fruit
Challenges:• Challenges are usually mostly related to your stakeholders• Groups of stakeholders do not always agree on prioritization points• It is not uncommon to rate everything as high
Prioritization of Business Requirements
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MoSCoW analysis• All requirements are important; however, from a stakeholder’s perspective,
there are some that are more important than others
Must• Important to success of the project; if we don’t have these, the project will fail
Should• These are very important; however, there are acceptable workarounds
Could • These are nice to have but not necessarily foundational to the project
Won’t • These will not be considered for this current project• You have these on your list in case something changes; you may reprioritize
them or consider them for a future release
What do you do if everything is a Must?
Prioritization Technique
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The end view is to have clearly organized requirements with clearly documented relationships
Requirements should be understood by all stakeholders equally
Consider the following:• Organization standards • Document dependencies and relationships between requirements• Use simple, consistent language• Use appropriate business language
Organize Business Requirements
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Chapter Contents
Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
Specifying and Modeling Requirements
Workshop 5.1
Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks
Verifying and Validating Requirements
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Specify one requirement at a time
Use terminology in a consistent way
Use a limited vocabulary
Use simple, direct sentences
Use the active voice
Requirement should have a verb
Do not assume reader knowledge
Don’t ramble
Specify Your Requirements
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Standards are • Industry recommendations and best practices• Potential guidelines and procedures • Often a helpful starting point
The great thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from!• Potential standards bodies relevant to business analysis and requirements
and project management include– IEEE – ISO 9000– SEI CMMI– PMI PMBOK
Requirements Standards
IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersISO = International Organization for StandardizationITIL = Information Technology Infrastructure Library PMBOK = Project Management Body of KnowledgePRINCE = Projects in Controlled EnvironmentsSEI CMMI = Software Engineering Institute Capability Maturity Model IntegrationSWEBOK = Software Engineering Body of Knowledge
– SWEBOK– PRINCE2– ITIL– IIBA
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Requirements can be documented into matrices• Table or spreadsheet
Documenting requirements in this way clearly displays relationships • Traceability• Applicable business rules• Attributes• Relevant data elements• Project objects• Test cases• Training information
Specify Requirements
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Identify improvement opportunities• Improving access to information• Candidates for automation• Reducing complexities• Increasing consistency of behaviors• Eliminating redundancies
Capture requirement attributes of each requirement• Use your requirements management plan and document the attributes that
you identified as important• Every requirement should have these attributes assigned to it
What are some examples of the attributes you should consider?
Specify Requirements
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Identify requirements for acceptance and evaluation criteria
This is a technique that helps the business analyst during solution assessment and validation• Acceptance
– Minimal set of requirements that must be met for a solution to be worth implementing
• Evaluation criteria– Requirements used to choose between multiple solutions
• Ranking– Order of importance for requirement (prioritization)– Scoring—can be established to rate how well a solution meets the
requirement
Helps for stakeholder to buy in to solution
Specify Requirements
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Modeling requirements allows you to represent different views of the business and group requirements according to the impacted business domain
Model Your Requirements
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The business analyst should ensure that there is a general understanding of the current state and the desired future state
Although the goal is not a detailed solution design, it’s important to begin to envision potential solutions and the future state
Modeling the Present and Future
What does the future look like?
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Modeling helps to answer the following common questions:
What does the current process look like?
What should the future process look like?
What will future user scenarios look like?
How will various data elements, processes, or organizations interact?
Have we considered all elements of the system or process?
Have we omitted any relevant business needs or requirements?
Have we considered all relevant constraints and conditions?
Are we all on the same page?
Benefits of Modeling
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Key modeling concepts:• User class/profile/role
– People who interact with the solutions• Concepts and relationships
– A place, person, or thing (organization) and the relationships between them• Events
– A request that triggers or affects a business process• Process
– Sequence of repeatable activities; a response to the event• Rules
– Specific directives used by the enterprise; e.g., business rules
Model Your Requirements
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Swimlane/Line of visibility modeling template:
Basic Workflow Modeling
LOV
Customer process
Service encounters
Contact process
Your business
Customer process
Business area/function/job/role
Contact process
Tools/support systems System
Support process
Sequenced workflow activities
InterdependenciesTeam players
Invisible
Visible
LOV = line of visibility
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Swimlane example:
Workflow Modeling Example
Customer
Takeorder
Makepizza
Bakepizza
Boxpizza
Deliverpizza
Placeorder
Receivepizza
Order Taker
Maker
Baker
Boxer
Deliverer
Tools Order pad and Pencil
Pizza oven
Map system
Pizza box
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Chapter Contents
Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
Specifying and Modeling Requirements
Workshop 5.1 Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks
Verifying and Validating Requirements
25© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 5-
1. In your groups, select a new business analyst volunteer to facilitate the workshop
2. Review the case study handout information provided
3. Develop a swimlane workflow diagram depicting the process assigned to your group by your instructor• Use sticky notes to document workflow activities• Identify major swimlane categories (e.g., each department, external
suppliers, internal/external customer, tools)• Post workflow on the wall or flipchart
4. Debrief topics:• What did you like and dislike about the process?• What value do you see in the process?
Workshop 5.1: Modeling the Future Vision
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Chapter Contents
Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
Specifying and Modeling Requirements
Workshop 5.1
Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks
Verifying and Validating Requirements
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Identify and document assumptions, constraints, and risks as they relate to each requirement
Assumption• The act of taking something for granted• You must confirm the accuracy of your assumption• If your assumption is not confirmed, it is a risk to your project
Constraint• A limitation• Types of constraints can be based on dates, budget, current state that cannot
be changed
Risk• “An uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative
effect on a project’s objectives”—PMBOK Guide*
These should be reviewed and refined on a regular basis
Define Assumptions and Constraints
*PMI® PMBOK® Guide—Fourth Edition, Glossary
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Chapter Contents
Prioritizing and Organizing Requirements
Specifying and Modeling Requirements
Workshop 5.1
Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks
Verifying and Validating Requirements
29© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 5-
Confirm that your requirement is of sufficient quality to continue• Use a checklist
– Are there loose ends?– Do you have all of the relevant information?– Is it well organized?– Is all information correctly labeled and matching?
• Conduct peer reviews and document walkthroughs to help verify your requirements
Verify
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Validate• Validation is an ongoing process• Each requirement must be aligned to your business case and have some
business value• If you have requirements that do not fall into this category, you may want to
add a change to your project, or park them for future releases
Ultimately, each requirement must be traceable to a stated business objective
Validate
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In this chapter, we have
Learned how to effectively prioritize and organize your requirements
Reviewed existing requirements standards and best practices
Emphasized the importance of managing assumptions, constraints, and risks
Reviewed steps to verify and validate your requirements
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Requirements Analysis
In a workflow diagram, functional areas are designated by ___________.
True or false? If an assumption is not validated, it becomes a risk to your project.
___________ describe the behavior and information that the solution will manage. They describe capability the system will be able to perform in terms of behavior or operations.
True or false? Requirements should be written in a creative fashion using a variety of complex vocabulary.
Name three elements to consider during requirements prioritization.
Requirements Management and Communication
Chapter 6
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Chapter Objectives
In this chapter, we will
Identify key elements to manage solution scope and requirements
Learn how to manage requirements traceability
Identify common communications pitfalls
Identify techniques for selling the message for optimal acceptance
Recommend steps for conducting the requirements review
Review the importance of maintaining requirements for reuse
3© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Requirements Management and Communication
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
4© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
The business analyst manages and shares the requirements with a diverse audience• Stakeholders should have a common understanding of the requirements and
the solution
Requirements Management and Communication
Key inputs:• Business analysis
communication plan• Organizational
process assets• Requirements• Requirements
management plan• Solution scope• Stakeholder list, roles,
and responsibilities
Key tasks:• Manage solution
scope and requirements
• Manage requirements traceability
• Maintain requirements for reuse
• Prepare requirements package
• Communicate requirements
Key outputs:• Requirements
– Approved– Communicated– Maintained and
reusable– Traced
• Requirements package
5© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Requirements Management and CommunicationRequirements
collected
Elicitation Prioritize and organize
Specify and model
Verify and validate
Start
Requirementsdocumented in draft
Requirements baselined
Requirements understood
Requirements controlled
Management• Solution scope• Traceability• Re-usable• Communication
Decision point:Accept documentor reenter spiral
®
315Developing User
Requirements: The Key to Project Success
RequirementsManaged
6© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
7© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Solution scope and supporting requirements should be clearly documented• Refer to your plans
– Communication plan– Stakeholder analysis– Requirements management plan
Managing solution scope and requirements may happen at various points during the business analysis process
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
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Solution scope management• Assess that all requirements fall within the boundaries of your solution scope
Conflict and issue management• Be prepared to facilitate conflicts that may arise between your stakeholders• Manage and track all identified issues
Presenting requirements for review• Decide how to present requirements for review and approval
Approval• Review your stakeholder analysis and confirm those who are authorized to
review, agree, and sign off on the solution scope and requirements package
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
9© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
10© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Confirms that every business objective has been analyzed and included in the solution
A requirement must be capable of being traced frontwards and backwards• Derivation—backward traceability• Allocation—forward traceability
Identify the relationships between your business requirements and business objectives, along with all other deliverables, such as system requirements, test cases, other dependent or related requirements• This is about relationships between requirements and other artifacts• If you trace these relationships then when something changes, you can more
easily track and assess all of the impacts
Traceability
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Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
12© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Communication skills are an absolutely critical part of the overall process!• Managing communications throughout the entire business analysis and project
management life cycles• Selling the requirements package once it is completed
What communications problems have you encountered either during the “selling phase” or throughout the entire process?
Importance of Effective Communication Throughout the Process
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What percentage of our message is communicated by words alone?
Common Communications Challenges
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Research shows that approximately 93 percent of our message is derived from nonverbal signals
Nonverbal communication• Tone of voice• Voice inflection• Facial expressions• Hand gestures
What is really being said here?• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday• Please e-mail me the sales report before Monday
Common Communications Challenges
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Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
16© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Remember, listening wins respect!
Once you have won respect, you will get more,and better, information much more freely
It’s easy not to listen: cycle time• The average person can hear 480 words per
minute• But the average person speaks at only 120 words per minute
Improve your listening by• Wanting to listen; make a conscious effort, a decision to listen• Shutting up!
Don’t prepare your next question, rebuttal, etc., while the other person is still speaking• Don’t switch to “send mode”
Listen and Learn
Listen
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Quotes
“Conversation in the United States is a competitive exercise in which the first person to draw a breath is declared the listener.”
—Nathan Miller
“I have a task, and that is talking to you. You have a task and that is listening to me. I hope you do not finish before I do.”
—Author Unknown
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Stop talking
Put talker at ease
Look and be interested• Eye contact
Try to see the other person’spoint of view; empathize
Ask questions
These may seem common sense, but how many people follow them all?
Some Guidelines for Active Listening
Be patient; don’t interrupt
Hold your temper
Avoid criticism; do not argue
Feedback to verify your understanding
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Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1 Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
20© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
1. In your groups, select a business analyst to lead this activity
2. Have one individual begin a story. While in the middle of the story, the business analyst stops the student and asks the next person to continue
3. The next person must repeat the last sentence and then add to the story
4. The facilitator should alternate randomly and out of sequence between the online students and the in-class students
Workshop 6.1: The Active Listener
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Active Listening
“When you really listen, with your full attention, you begin to hear not only what people are saying but what they are trying to say.”
—Nathan Miller
“The most prevalent mistake that people make about listening is to regard it as passively receiving rather than as actively participating.”
—Mortimer Adler
Active listening involves your whole body• Ears, eyes, heart, full attention
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Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
23© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
When you are ready to present the requirements for review, the business analyst must “sell” the package to key decision makers
Presenting Requirements for Review
Identify thebest messenger and correctaudience
Document sessionobjectives andagenda
Lobby key stakeholdersand review details prior to formal session
Selectdocument content and structure
Conduct formal review and obtain acceptance and sign-offs
Baselined requirements
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Requirements are documented in various templates, depending on their purpose• Business Requirements Document (BRD)• Product road map• Software/system requirements specification document• Vision document• Required for vendor selection
– Request For Information (RFI)– Request For Quotation (RFQ)– Request For Proposal (RFP)
Recommended Presentation
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Interaction with stakeholders has occurred throughout the process of gathering information
When you request acceptance and sign-off, there should be no surprises
Acceptance and sign-off comes from various stakeholders• Project sponsor• Other business stakeholders impacted by your requirements• Delivery teams• Testing team
Presenting Requirements for Review
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Brannock proposes the following structure for management briefing presentations• Overall recommendation is provided early• Tells a logical “story”
Recommended Presentation Outline
1. Title2. Recommendation3. Problem statement4. Assumptions5. Study approach6. Define problem7. Develop alternatives
8. Evaluate alternatives9. High-level requirements10. Costs11. Benefits12. Assessment of risk13. Summary and conclusions14. Proposed implementation plan
Source: Brannock, James W. BCA: Business Case Analysis. STS Publications, 2004. pp. 368–379.
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Chapter Contents
Managing Solution Scope and Requirements
Managing Requirements Traceability
Common Communications Challenges
Active Listening
Workshop 6.1
Conducting Requirements Review
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
28© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
You have spent considerable effort to gather, analyze, and properly document requirements
Some requirements can be reused• System requirements• Operational requirements• Requirements related to security standards• Technology standards• Contractual or regulatory standards
Identify the requirements that should be reused
Ensure that they are clearly named, clearly defined, and easily available
Store them in your organization’s document repository
Maintaining Requirements for Reuse
29© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
In this chapter, we have
Identified key elements to manage solution scope and requirements
Learned how to manage requirements traceability
Identified common communications pitfalls
Identified techniques for selling the message for optimal acceptance
Recommended steps for conducting the requirements review
Reviewed the importance of maintaining requirements for reuse
Chapter Summary
30© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 6-
Chapter Review
Requirements Management
and Communication
Name the key inputs for the requirements management tasks:1.2.3.4.5.6.
What percentage of communication is transmitted by nonverbal signals?____%
True or false? Identifying the correct messenger is critical to selling the requirements package.
_____________confirms that every business objective has been analyzed and included in the solution.
What are five types of requirements that can be reused?1.2.3.4.5.
Solution Assessment and Validation
Chapter 7
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In this chapter, we will
Review how to assess the proposed solution
Introduce the key considerations in allocating requirements
Discuss factors in assessing organizational readiness
Define transition requirements
Describe your role in solution validation and evaluation of solution performance
Chapter Objectives
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Solution Assessment and Validation
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
4© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
The business analyst supports activities downstream in the project life cycle• Making sure that solution meets business need and facilitating successful
implementation
Solution Assessment and Validation
Key inputs:• Assumptions and
constraints• Enterprise architecture• Requirements• Solution (constructed,
deployed, or designed)• Solution options• Solution performance
metrics• Solution scope• Stakeholder concerns
Key tasks:• Assess proposed
solution• Allocate
requirements• Assess organization
readiness• Define transition
requirements• Validate solution• Evaluate solution
performance
Key outputs:• Assessment of
proposed solution• Identified defects• Mitigating actions• Organizational
readiness assessment• Requirements
(allocated)• Transition requirements• Solution performance
assessment• Solution validation
assessment
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The business analyst maintains linkage to downstream development activities
Partnering With Downstream Development
Enterprise/problem analysis
Detailedrequirementsdevelopment
Solution development
Business analyst plays primary role
Business analyst provides necessary support• Assess proposed solutions• Ensures that requirements aren’t dropped or added• Clarifies requirements as needed• Reengages when major changes occur
Hand off to development
Changemanagement
process
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Business Analyst’s Role in the Project Life Cycle
Detailed solutiondesign
Implementation Maintenance/support
Key
act
iviti
esPr
imar
y B
A ro
le
• Translate requirements into solution components
• Design solution• Test requirements
• Design/analysis assistance (as needed)
• Clarify requirements• Assess solution and allocate
requirements• Check for dropped or added
requirements• Validate acceptance criteria
• Implement solution• Conduct acceptance
testing
• Requirements SME• Provide training to support
rollout (if needed)• Communicate change impacts
to stakeholders• Solution validation—QA
• Provide ongoing system support
• Generate new business needs
• Evaluate solution performance
• Refine processes• Suggest changes
7© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution Allocating Requirements
Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements
Workshop 7.1
Your Role in Solution Evaluation and Solution Performance
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Solution Assessment Does the proposed solution(s)
add value to the business?
Consider the acceptance and evaluation criteria that you produced in requirements analysis• The minimal set of requirements
that must be met for a solution to be worth implementing
Are your requirements ranked correctly?• Rank solution options according to
your various analyses• Prioritization matrices let you rank
solutions using multiple criteria
Consider • Risk• Scalability• The potential for future value
Solutions should be measured based on direct comparability• These comparisons can be
qualitative or quantitative– Qualitative: the distinction of
qualities; deals with the how and why
– Quantitative: deals with measurements; generally expressed in numerical form
Result Recommended solution
9© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution
Allocating Requirements Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements
Workshop 7.1
Your Role in Solution Evaluation and Solution Performance
10© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
Stakeholder and solution requirements are allocated to the solution components and/or releases
Purpose of this step is optimization of business value• Business value may change depending on
– How requirements are implemented – When they are implemented
• Allocation may change during solution design as you understand more about the value and cost of a solution
When allocating requirements, consider• Availability of resources• Dependencies between requirements• Constraints on solution
Allocation starts when you determine the solution approach, and continues until all requirements are allocated
Allocation of Requirements
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Why can’t you do everything at once• Overall project budget• Resource constraints• Urgency of need for parts of a solution• Ability of business to absorb change• Freeze periods
The business analyst assists in planning the timing of implementation based on minimal disruption and the value to the business
Allocation of Requirements
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Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution
Allocating Requirements
Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements
Workshop 7.1
Your Role in Solution Evaluation and Solution Performance
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Rewrite the following statement on the lines below:• “It’s often hard to change the way we think and act”
Activity
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Organizational Readiness Is the organization ready for the
change?
Identify the impacts on your organization as a result of the change• Cultural
– Do stakeholders want change to succeed?
– Are they ready to take advantage of new capabilities?
– Do they understand why the solution is being implemented, the benefits to the business?
• Technical or operational– Are IT systems in place to
support the solution?
– Is the solution capable of performing at the required level?
– Are processes or policies in place to support the new solution?
– Has training been completed?• Stakeholder impact
– What concerns will stakeholders have?
– How does change impact stakeholder groups?
– Is job loss or relocation involved?
– Will tasks that the stakeholder performs change?
– How does change impact communication?
Refer to your organizational models and stakeholder analysis
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Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution
Allocating Requirements
Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements Workshop 7.1
Your Role in Solution Evaluation and Solution Performance
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These are defined after the solution is defined
They are temporary in nature—lifespan is during the transition period
Examples of transition requirements are• Data that needs to be transferred, archived, or converted• Parallel work that takes place if the new system is operating at the same time
as the old system• Does an organization need to change in order to manage or implement the
new solution?– Are new skills or functions required as a result of the new solution?
Transition Requirements
“Transition requirements describe capabilities that the solution must have in order to facilitate transition from the current state of the enterprise to the desired future state, but that will not be needed once that transition is complete.”
—BABOK® Guide*
*A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
17© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution
Allocating Requirements
Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements
Workshop 7.1 Your Role in Solution Evaluation
and Solution Performance
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Work as a team
1. Identify the transition requirements needed to take Franklin Films from their current situation to their desired situation, using • The initiative you identified for Franklin Films• All of the information so far in the course• The digital whiteboard for this workshop
2. If you are not certain what would happen, detail what you think is most likely to happen
Workshop 7.1: Defining Transition Requirements
Transition just ahead!
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Chapter Contents
Assessing the Proposed Solution
Allocating Requirements
Assessing Organizational Readiness
Transition Requirements
Workshop 7.1
Your Role in Solution Evaluation and Solution Performance
20© Learning Tree International, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without prior written consent. 7-
Validating the solution is about testing that the solution meets the specified business needs• The business analyst
– Is in a support role during the quality assurance phase of a project– Assists in clarifying requirements and investigating issues that come up
during testing– Assists the business in determining potential alternatives based on defects
that cannot be resolved in a reasonable period of time– Has a key role in determining the severity of a defect based on the
prioritization and acceptance criteria identified for the solution
Ultimately, the project sponsor accepts the solution
Solution Validation
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This occurs after the solution is deployed• The BA gathers metrics that describe performance• Metrics can be qualitative and/or quantitative
Underperformance—what is the root cause?
Overperformance—consider redeploying your resources
What is the difference between the performance metrics and the business goals and objectives?• If there is a difference, further investigation is required
Solution Evaluation of Performance
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In this chapter, we have
Reviewed how to assess the proposed solution
Introduced the key considerations in allocating requirements
Discussed factors in assessing organizational readiness
Defined transition requirements
Described your role in solution validation and evaluation of solution performance
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Solution Assessment
and Validation
The minimal set of requirements that must be met for a solution to be implemented is ___________.
True or false? Allocation may change during solution design as more is understood about the value and cost of potential solution.
Name three types of impacts to your organization as a result of new solution implementation:1.2.3.
___________ describe capabilities that the solution must have in order to facilitate transition from the current state of the enterprise to the desired future state, but that will not be needed once that transition is complete. True or false? The business analyst
assists in planning the timing of implementation based on minimal disruption and the value to the business.
Business Analysis Competencies and Capstone Exercise
Chapter 8
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In this chapter, we will
Review the business analysis competency framework
Find solutions to the issues we identified in Chapter 1
Chapter Objectives
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Underlying Competencies
EnterpriseAnalysis
SolutionAssessment and
Validation
RequirementsAnalysis
UnderlyingCompetencies
RequirementsManagement andCommunication
Elicitation
Business AnalysisPlanning and
Monitoring
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge. Release 2.0. International Institute of Business Analysis, 2009.
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 8.1 Workshop 8.2
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The IIBA is actively seeking to help business analysts develop professional-level competency
It has produced a business analysis competency framework for BAs to assess themselves against
The model is behaviorally based and enables individuals to assess themselves
The IIBA and Competency Development
Level Description1: Novice Textbook understanding, no experience2: Advanced Beginner Limited experience and abilities; may need guidance
from others3: Competent Consistently produce acceptable results4: Proficient In-depth knowledge and experience5: Expert Consistent high-quality results and deep expertise;
recognized as an expert outside of the immediate team
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It cannot be reproduced here, but there are some aspects you can assess yourself against• Performance competencies
– How do you rate yourself in terms of your ability to perform the IIBA knowledge areas?
• Underlying competencies– How do you rate yourself in terms of the following?
The IIBA and Competency Development
Analytical thinking and problem solving:• Creative thinking—Generate new ideas• Decision making—Understand effective criteria for decision making• Learning—Know how to translate learning into benefits• Problem solving—Define and solve problems• Systems thinking—How do people, processes, and technology fit together?
Behavioral characteristics:• Ethics and trustworthiness—Earn trust and respect through actions• Personal organization—Effectively manage tasks and information
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Business knowledge:• Business principles and practices—Understand fundamental best practices and standards;
these can be regulatory, cultural, political, or institutional• Industry knowledge—Knowledge of the industry you are working within• Organizational knowledge—Understanding of the organization you are analyzing• Solution knowledge—Understanding of existing solutions to effectively recommend changes
Communication skills:• Oral communications—Effectively express ideas while considering your audience• Teaching—Ability to ensure that communicated information is retained and understood• Written communications—Ability to document all necessary documents
Interaction skills:• Facilitation and negotiation—Moderate discussions and effective negotiate to resolve
differences• Leadership and influencing—Develop vision of future state and motivate team to work together
towards common goal• Teamwork—Work to manage team dynamics and resolve conflicts
Software applications:• Use of general-purpose applications—Effective use of tools; i.e., word processing,
spreadsheets ,and presentation software tools • Use of specialized applications—Effective use of modelling tools, requirements management
tools, and other productivity tools
The IIBA and Competency Development
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Using the description outline on the previous two slides, rate yourself in the underlying competencies as they relate to business analysis and the knowledge areas we have described in the past three days
Determine some next steps that you will take to increase your levels of competency in each area
Workshop 8.1: Underlying Competencies
Underlying competency Level Next steps for improvement
Analytical thinking and problem solving
Behavioral characteristics
Business knowledge
Communication skills
Interaction skills
Software applications
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Chapter Contents
Workshop 8.1
Workshop 8.2
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In Chapter 1, each team identified a range of issues with the practice of business analysis in your organizations• It is time to fix these issues
1. Work as a team and choose a new business analyst to facilitate this workshop
2. Work through one or two problems you identified in your first exercise, identifying and documenting what you would do to address them
3. Each team will pick a presenter to talk their way through the initial problems, and the solutions you identify
Workshop 8.2: Capstone Exercise
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In this chapter, we have
Reviewed the business analysis competency framework
Found solutions to the issues we identified in Chapter 1
Chapter Summary
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Chapter Review
Developing Business Analysis
Competencies
True or false? Decision making is an IIBA competency within “analytical thinking and problem solving.”
What are the levels of assessment in the IIBA competency model?1.2.3.4.5.
_____________ are how you rate yourself in your ability to perform in the IIBA knowledge areas.
True or false? Ethics and Trustworthiness is an IIBA competency within “Software Applications.”
True or false? Underlying competencies are unique to business analysts.
Course Summary
Chapter 9
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In this course, you have learned how to
Perform the key functions of the business analyst by applying the IIBA business analysis framework
Apply the techniques to elicit requirements in your organization
Create the business analysis plan
Evaluate and prioritize the feasibility of various business initiatives and present the business case
Understand the BA’s role in solution evaluation and performance assessment
Develop key business analysis competencies
Course Summary
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1. Review all course material
2. Develop three questions in any format (true/false, multiple choice, etc.)
3. Write each question on a separate index card (list the answer on the back of the index card)
4. Hand the cards to the instructor
5. The instructor will quiz the class from the student-generated question cards
Final Workshop: Course Review
Optional Workshops
Appendix A
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This appendix includes additional optional tools and workshops that your instructor may wish to use during the course
Overview
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You will work individually in this workshop
Using the sticky notes on your desk and one of the black markers, complete the following sentence:• “I would be a better business analyst if I…”
Brainstorm as many ways of completing that sentence as your instructor indicates
Tip: Try not to overanalyze your thoughts too much—go with what comes to mind
When you’ve done what you can, please hand your answers to your instructor
Workshop: What Makes a Good Business Analyst?
Apply
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Before any workshop, it is important that the ground rules are agreed on by all participants• This workshop is no different
Establishing some ground rules will help us all build a positive learning experience
Here are some to get you started:• Be an active participant • Embrace a “discovery approach” to learning• Respect the opinions of others• Accept that many topics will be introduced but not all can be covered in detail• Focus on grasping the process rather than obsessing on the right answer• Recognize business analysis as an emerging discipline, which implies that
many concepts aren’t set in stone• Have fun!
Workshop: Defining Ground Rules
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Agreeing on ground rules helps to• Maintain a positive workshop experience• Increase the likelihood that desired workshop outcomes will be achieved
People tend to stick to ground rules that they have had a role in creating, so you will have an opportunity now to create your own ground rules for the course
Use the following to help you:• Starter ground rules provided by your instructor• “Ways to Elicit Workshop Ground Rules” in your Reference Manual
– See the section titled “During the Workshop”
Workshop: Defining Ground Rules
Apply
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This is an exercise that can be performed to emphasize how important ground rules are
In your groups, brainstorm and then select the top three positive ground rules (these are usually explicit) and the top three negative ground rules (usually implicit; e.g., never disagree with the boss)
Then have a five-minute discussion with only negative ground rules, and a five-minute discussion with only positive ground rules
Discussions you can have:• Which is better: Coke or Pepsi?• What movie will the group see after class?• Who is the most influential historical figure?
Workshop: The Importance of Ground Rules
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Alternative to the course case study:• Use the case study for Workshop 2.1• For the affinity diagram, use the focus statement “Morale in my organization
would improve if…”• Give each group one of the categories to investigate through the rest of the
exercises• Then take the answers of the focus statement through the next workshops
– Root cause– Feasibility– Developing potential initiatives– Objective development– Cost/benefit analysis
Real Example vs. Case Study
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Developing potential initiatives can be a challenging process for the BA
If your instructor chooses, you can perform a workshop that allows you to apply some facilitation and decision-making techniques
Using the answers to your focus statement on the affinity diagram, go through this process:• Brainstorm potential initiatives• Use dot-voting to decide which initiatives you will investigate
This will give you a chance to apply facilitation skills to the group
Developing Potential Initiatives