CBAP/CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide

555 Pages·2017·4.253 MB·English

by  Susan Weese, Terri Wagner

® ™
CBAP /CCBA
Certified Business Analysis
2
Study Guide
Second Edition
Susan Weese
Terri Wagner
3
Senior Acquisitions Editor: Kenyon Brown
Development Editor: Mary Ellen Schutz
Technical Editor: Peter Honebein, PhD
Production Editor: Rebecca Anderson
Copy Editor: Kim Wimpsett
Editorial Manager: Mary Beth Wakefield
Production Manager: Kathleen Wisor
Executive Editor: Jim Minatel
Book Designers: Judy Fung and Bill Gibson
Proofreader: Nancy Carrasco
Indexer: John Sleeva
Project Coordinator, Cover: Brent Savage
Cover Designer: Wiley
Cover Image: ©Getty Images Inc./Jeremy Woodhouse
Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
ISBN: 978-1-119-24883-5
ISBN: 978-1-119-24885-9 (ebk.)
ISBN: 978-1-119-24884-2 (ebk.)
Manufactured in the United States of America
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as
permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior
written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to
the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax (978)
646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions
Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax (201)
748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or
warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically
disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No
warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies
contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that
the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional
assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the
publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or
Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not
mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may
provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites
listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is
read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact
our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at [phone], outside the U.S. at [phone] or
fax [phone].
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material
included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-
demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you
purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information
about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016957688
TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be
used without written permission. CBAP and CCBA are registered certification marks of International
Institute of Business Analysis. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John
Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
4
Good luck to all the planners, crammers, and refreshers getting ready to sit
for the CBAP® or CCBA™ business analysis certification exam!
Dedicated to my family, friends, and colleagues who put up with me
spending so much time on this book.
—Susan
Lovingly dedicated to my niece, Jenna, for her generous spirit, keen
analytic skills, and leadership acumen. Fueled by passion and purpose,
blended with the right mix of values, skills and experience, I have no doubt
her leadership influence will be felt around the world. And it all started with
being an awesome Business Analyst!
—Terri
5
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Mary Beth Wakefield, Editorial Manager; Kenyon Brown, Senior
Aquisitions Editor; Rebecca Anderson, Production Editor; Kim Wimpsett, Copy
Editor; John Sleeva, Indexer; and Nancy Carrasco, Proofreader. Without all of
their contributions and assistance, this book would never have made it to the
presses. In particular, thank you to Development Editor Mary Ellen Schutz. Her
attention to detail, requests for clarity, and questions about what was really
meant kept me on target to produce the complete study guide you are reading
right now. ME, if you were here with me, I would give you a big hug! Without
your herding and nipping during the revision process, this book would never
have become such a great product. Your gentle editing is subtle, targeted, and
effective. Peter Honebein, your technical edits were right on target and made
everything in this book better.
A big thank-you goes out to the founders and supporters of the International
Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA™) and the team who developed the
contents of the BABOK® Guide. I would also like to thank my colleagues and
good friends, Ginger Sanchez, Peggy Oglesby, and Phil Bennett, for sharing their
wonderful business analysis stories and ideas that became the basis for many
tales in this book. Thanks also to Melisa Pearce of Touched by a Horse for
sharing her barn project.
This book is the result of collaboration between Susan Weese and Terri Wagner.
Susan authored the book. Terri reviewed text and lent her experience and
expertise to parts of the overall project.
Finally, Little Man, thank you for lying on my computer every morning and
helping me think through things. You are the prince of cats.
—Susan
My deepest gratitude to Susan for taking the helm and navigating these waters.
Your dedication, talent, and wisdom never cease to amaze me. Thank you for all
your hard work and perseverance masterfully integrating the many
enhancements to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge into this updated
study guide. I admire your professionalism and cherish your friendship!
—Terri
6
About the Authors
Susan Weese, PgMP, PMP, PRINCE2, MSPM, MoP Susan is a
management consultant, curriculum designer, and professional speaker
specializing in project management and requirements development process
development and implementation for complex information technology projects.
She started her work career as a software engineer, designing and developing
complex mathematical algorithms for satellite and radar systems. Halfway
through her work life, Susan crossed to the dark side of technology and became
actively involved with managing programs, projects, large consulting
organizations, and business processes. She is still having a blast and has never
looked back.
Susan founded Colorado-based Rhyming Planet, Inc., in 2000 to motivate, lead,
and enable technical and business professionals to accomplish their program
and project goals. Susan is also an adjunct faculty member at Colorado State
University, delivering courses on project management and the underlying
competencies that turn good managers into great managers.
Terri Wagner (Aurora, CO) M.A., PMP, CSM is owner/managing member
of Mentor Source, Inc., a Colorado-based project management consulting and
training company. She has co-authored and been the technical editor for several
project management and business analysis books, including the Project
Manager Street Smarts (Wiley). She has also taught project management,
portfolio management, program management, business leadership,
interpersonal skills, quality management, and other topics to state agencies,
governmental entities, corporate clients, and at the graduate level in the
university system.
7
CONTENTS
Introduction
Assessment Test
Chapter 1 Foundation Concepts
What Is Business Analysis?
Reviewing the Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM™)
Exploring the Business Analysis Knowledge Areas
Exploring Requirements
Understanding How This Applies to Your Projects
Perspectives on Business Analysis
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 2 Controlled Start: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 3 Controlled Start: Strategy Analysis
Strategy Analysis
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 4 Overarching Tasks: Requirements Life Cycle Management
Requirements Life Cycle Management
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 5 Controlled Middle: Elicitation and Collaboration
8
Requirements Elicitation
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 6 Controlled Middle: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 7 Controlled End: Solution Evaluation
Solution Evaluation
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 8 Underlying Competencies
Essential Skills of Effective Business Analysts
How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
Chapter 9 Five Perspectives on Business Analysis
The Agile Perspective
The Business Intelligence Perspective
The Information Technology Perspective
The Business Architecture Perspective
The Business Process Management Perspective
Understanding How This Applies to Your Projects
Summary
Exam Essentials
Key Terms
Review Questions
9
Appendix A Advice on Completing Your Exam Application
The Competency-Based Certification Model
CBAP® Experience Requirements
CCBA™ Experience Requirements
Calculate Your Experience Hours
Additional Exam Eligibility Requirements
The Exam Application Process
Appendix B Knowledge Areas, Tasks, and Elements
Review the Six Knowledge Areas
Knowledge Areas, Tasks, and Elements
Appendix C Mapping Techniques, Stakeholders, and Deliverables to
Knowledge Areas and Tasks
Techniques
Stakeholders
Deliverables
Appendix D Summary of Business Analysis Techniques
Business Analysis Techniques
Appendix E Summary of Business Analysis Outputs
Business Analysis Outputs
Appendix F Answers to Review Questions
Chapter 1: Foundation Concepts
Chapter 2: Controlled Start: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Chapter 3: Controlled Start: Strategy Analysis
Chapter 4: Overarching Tasks: Requirements Life Cycle Management
Chapter 5: Controlled Middle: Elicitation and Collaboration
Chapter 6: Controlled Middle: Requirements Analysis and Design
Definition
Chapter 7: Controlled End: Solution Evaluation
Chapter 8: Underlying Competencies
Chapter 9: Five Perspectives on Business Analysis
Advert
EULA
10