Back
Information Technology
BA30 - Foundations of Business Analysis
What You'll Learn
Obtain a thorough understanding of the core responsibilities of the business analyst
Understand the main professional associations and standards supporting business analysts in the industry
Discuss and explore the components of each of the domains/knowledge areas that comprise the work of business analysis
Recognize the importance of properly defining the business need prior to engaging in requirements activities
Formulate a strong understanding of the concepts that comprise strategy analysis
Obtain knowledge of and experience with the important work of stakeholder analysis
Decipher between project and product scope and successfully use models to communicate scope
Thoroughly understand and identify the various requirements categories and be able to recognize requirements of various types
Develop interviewing skills and explore ways to plan and structure interviews
Examine different forms of requirements documentation
Explore elements of communication, conflict, and issue management
Obtain a solid understanding of the concepts and activities involved in solution evaluation
Obtain hands-on experience with a number of business analysis techniques for eliciting, analyzing, and modeling requirements
Description
The course provides students a clear understanding and total immersion into all of the facets of the business analyst role, including a thorough walkthrough of the various domain/knowledge areas that comprise the business analysis profession. Students are provided an opportunity to try their hand at several business analysis techniques for eliciting, analyzing, and modeling requirements. The business analysis work performed in strategy analysis and solution evaluation, which is most often the least familiar to business analysts, is thoroughly presented and explored. Students completing this course will be well equipped with new skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied on current and future projects.
This course is aligned to and satisfies the professional development hours req
Who Should Attend
This course is intended for beginner to intermediate Business Analysts who are looking to improve their skills by learning best practices and techniques for eliciting, analyzing, documenting, validating, and communicating requirements.
Course Overview
The course provides students a clear understanding and total immersion into all of the facets of the business analyst role, including a thorough walkthrough of the various domain/knowledge areas that comprise the business analysis profession. Students are provided an opportunity to try their hand at several business analysis techniques for eliciting, analyzing, and modeling requirements. The business analysis work performed in strategy analysis and solution evaluation, which is most often the least familiar to business analysts, is thoroughly presented and explored. Students completing this course will be well equipped with new skills and knowledge that can be immediately applied on current and future projects.
This course is aligned to and satisfies the professional development hours required to take the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™) certification.
Course Prerequisites
No results found.
Course Agenda
16 Title
Course Agenda
1
Introduction to Business Analysis
What is Business Analysis?
Benefiting from business analysis
Business analysis and project success
Challenges of business analysis
Discussions: Who performs business analysis functions in your organization? Exploring solutions options and your biggest challenges on past projects
Benefiting from business analysis
Business analysis and project success
Challenges of business analysis
Discussions: Who performs business analysis functions in your organization? Exploring solutions options and your biggest challenges on past projects
2
A Closer Look at the Business Analyst Role
Definition of business analyst
Responsibilities of a business analyst
The BA/PM roles
IIBA/PMI and the goals of a professional association
Purpose for having a BA standard
IIBA’s BABOK® Guide and PMI’s Practice Guide in Business Analysis
Business analysis core concepts
Business analysis perspectives
IIBA and PMI certifications for business analysts
Workshop: Introduction to Case Study
Responsibilities of a business analyst
The BA/PM roles
IIBA/PMI and the goals of a professional association
Purpose for having a BA standard
IIBA’s BABOK® Guide and PMI’s Practice Guide in Business Analysis
Business analysis core concepts
Business analysis perspectives
IIBA and PMI certifications for business analysts
Workshop: Introduction to Case Study
3
Strategy Analysis and Change
Define Strategy Analysis
When to perform Strategy Analysis
Business models
Defining the business need
Root cause analysis
5 Whys
Fishbone diagram
Defining business requirements?
Discussions: Who is involved in strategy analysis in your organization?
Workshops: Create a Business Model, Define the Business Need, Create a Fishbone Diagram, and Write Business Requirements
When to perform Strategy Analysis
Business models
Defining the business need
Root cause analysis
5 Whys
Fishbone diagram
Defining business requirements?
Discussions: Who is involved in strategy analysis in your organization?
Workshops: Create a Business Model, Define the Business Need, Create a Fishbone Diagram, and Write Business Requirements
4
Defining a Change Strategy
Define change strategy
Gap analysis
Determining solution options
Enterprise readiness
Cultural fit
Operational and functional analysis
Impact analysis
Transitioning to the future state
Gap analysis
Determining solution options
Enterprise readiness
Cultural fit
Operational and functional analysis
Impact analysis
Transitioning to the future state
5
Stakeholder Analysis
What is a stakeholder?
The importance of stakeholder analysis
Stakeholder identification
Stakeholder types
Tips/techniques for identifying analyzing stakeholders
Keeping track of stakeholders
Workshop: Identify Stakeholders
The importance of stakeholder analysis
Stakeholder identification
Stakeholder types
Tips/techniques for identifying analyzing stakeholders
Keeping track of stakeholders
Workshop: Identify Stakeholders
6
Understanding & Defining Solution Scope
Defining solution scope
Techniques to use
Project scope versus product scope
Finding solution boundaries
What is a feature?
Identifying key features
Discussion: Identifying Solution Scope
Workshops: Draw a Context Diagram & Defining Scope with Features
Techniques to use
Project scope versus product scope
Finding solution boundaries
What is a feature?
Identifying key features
Discussion: Identifying Solution Scope
Workshops: Draw a Context Diagram & Defining Scope with Features
7
Understanding Requirements
Project roles involved in requirements activities
Requirements types
Assumptions and constraints
Business rules
Decision tables and inference rules
Requirements vs. business rules
Requirements vs. specifications
Discussions: Requirements and business rules
Workshops: Define a Business Rule and write requirements
Requirements types
Assumptions and constraints
Business rules
Decision tables and inference rules
Requirements vs. business rules
Requirements vs. specifications
Discussions: Requirements and business rules
Workshops: Define a Business Rule and write requirements
8
Business Process Modeling
Why do we model processes?
What is Business Process Management?
Using a modeling notation
“As Is” vs. “To Be” modeling
Why use BPMN?
Basic BPM notation
Developing a business process model
Using a facilitated session
Business Process Modeling – A case study
Developing a Business Process Model
Workshop: Create a Business Process Model
What is Business Process Management?
Using a modeling notation
“As Is” vs. “To Be” modeling
Why use BPMN?
Basic BPM notation
Developing a business process model
Using a facilitated session
Business Process Modeling – A case study
Developing a Business Process Model
Workshop: Create a Business Process Model
9
Preparing for Requirements Elicitation
Types of elicitation techniques
Interviewing – what and why?
Preparing for an effective interview
Selecting the right interviewees
Types of questions to ask
Sequencing of questions
Discussion: Elicitation Techniques You Have Used
Workshop: Planning for an Interview
Interviewing – what and why?
Preparing for an effective interview
Selecting the right interviewees
Types of questions to ask
Sequencing of questions
Discussion: Elicitation Techniques You Have Used
Workshop: Planning for an Interview
10
Elicitation using Interviews and Workshops
Conduct the Interview
Establishing rapport with stakeholders
Active listening and listening styles
Workshops and getting the right people
The role of the facilitator
The brainstorming technique
Decision rules and reaching consensus
Avoiding Groupthink
Encouraging participation
Managing meetings and conflict
Workshop: Conduct an Interview
Establishing rapport with stakeholders
Active listening and listening styles
Workshops and getting the right people
The role of the facilitator
The brainstorming technique
Decision rules and reaching consensus
Avoiding Groupthink
Encouraging participation
Managing meetings and conflict
Workshop: Conduct an Interview
11
Confirming Elicitation Results
Defining requirements analysis
Prioritizing requirements (MoSCoW, Timeboxing, Voting, etc.)
Documenting requirements
Other uses for specifications and models
Unified Modeling Language (UML®)
Explaining user stories
The traceability matrix
Communicating requirements
Workshop: Analyzing Requirements, Identifying User Stories, Tracing Requirements, and Obtaining Approval
Prioritizing requirements (MoSCoW, Timeboxing, Voting, etc.)
Documenting requirements
Other uses for specifications and models
Unified Modeling Language (UML®)
Explaining user stories
The traceability matrix
Communicating requirements
Workshop: Analyzing Requirements, Identifying User Stories, Tracing Requirements, and Obtaining Approval
12
Analyzing Requirements with Use Cases
What is an actor?
Types of actors
Defining actors
Locating use cases
Use case diagrams
Use case tips
Defining and identifying scenarios
Parts of a use case
Defining primary, secondary actors and pre and post conditions
Best practices for writing use cases
Template: Use Case Specification
Workshop: Drawing a Use Case Diagram and writing the Main Success Scenario
Scenarios and flows
Alternate and exception flows
Alternate scenario post conditions
Guidelines for Alternate flows
Examples of alternate and exception flows
Workshop: Writing Alternate and Exception Flows
Types of actors
Defining actors
Locating use cases
Use case diagrams
Use case tips
Defining and identifying scenarios
Parts of a use case
Defining primary, secondary actors and pre and post conditions
Best practices for writing use cases
Template: Use Case Specification
Workshop: Drawing a Use Case Diagram and writing the Main Success Scenario
Scenarios and flows
Alternate and exception flows
Alternate scenario post conditions
Guidelines for Alternate flows
Examples of alternate and exception flows
Workshop: Writing Alternate and Exception Flows
13
Documenting Requirements
How requirements relate to use cases
Writing Non-Functional requirements
User Interface Requirements
Reporting requirements
Data requirements
Data accessibility requirements
Business requirements document (BRD)
BRD vs the Functional Requirements
Verifying Requirements
Quality attributes
Purpose of the requirements package
BA Deliverables across knowledge areas/domains
Planning BA deliverables
Workshops: Develop a User Interface and Verifying Requirements
Writing Non-Functional requirements
User Interface Requirements
Reporting requirements
Data requirements
Data accessibility requirements
Business requirements document (BRD)
BRD vs the Functional Requirements
Verifying Requirements
Quality attributes
Purpose of the requirements package
BA Deliverables across knowledge areas/domains
Planning BA deliverables
Workshops: Develop a User Interface and Verifying Requirements
14
Managing and Communicating Business Analysis Information
Business analysis communication
The business analyst’s role in communication
Forms of communication
7Cs of communication
Symptoms of information overload
Information mapping
Presentation and common elements
Requirements walkthroughs
Conflict and issue management
Conflict resolution techniques
The business analyst’s role in communication
Forms of communication
7Cs of communication
Symptoms of information overload
Information mapping
Presentation and common elements
Requirements walkthroughs
Conflict and issue management
Conflict resolution techniques
15
Evaluating the Solution
Understanding solution evaluation
Verification vs. validation
Timing of solution evaluation
Planning solution evaluation
Performing solution evaluation
Using existing metrics
Evaluating long term performance
Qualitative vs. Quantitative measures
Tools and techniques used in solution evaluation
Comparing expected vs. actuals
When variances occur
Proposing recommendations to address variances
Communicating evaluation results
Verification vs. validation
Timing of solution evaluation
Planning solution evaluation
Performing solution evaluation
Using existing metrics
Evaluating long term performance
Qualitative vs. Quantitative measures
Tools and techniques used in solution evaluation
Comparing expected vs. actuals
When variances occur
Proposing recommendations to address variances
Communicating evaluation results
16
Additional Resources
Helpful links for obtaining additional business analysis information