Seven steps to mastering business analysis : the essentials

281 Pages·2020·14.518 MB·English

by  Jamie Champagne, Barbara A. Carkenord

Seven Steps to
Mastering
Business Analysis
The Essentials
Second Edition
Jamie Champagne

CBAP®, PMP®, PMI-PBA®
Copyright © 2020 by J. Ross Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-60427-160-7
Printed and bound in the U.S.A. Printed on acid-free paper.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Champagne, Jamie, 1982– author. |
Title: Seven steps to mastering business analysis : the essentials / by
Jamie Champagne.
Description: 2nd Edition. | Plantation : J. Ross Publishing, 2019. |
Revised edition of Seven steps to mastering business analysis, c2009. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019033993 (print) | LCCN 2019033994 (ebook) | ISBN
9781604271607 (paperback) | ISBN 9781604278156 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Business analysts. | Business planning. | Organizational
effectiveness.
Classification: LCC HD69.B87 C37 2019 (print) | LCC HD69.B87 (ebook) |
DDC 658.4/01—dc22
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019033993
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019033994
This publication contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted
material is used with permission, and sources are indicated. Reasonable effort has been made to publish
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validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use.
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Titles in the
Business Analysis Professional Development Series
This series is for those interested in developing a career in business analysis. Each book
within the series will help practitioners develop the knowledge, skills, competencies,
and capabilities needed to master the typical business analysis career path. These in-
structional texts are designed for use in professional training, continuing education
courses, and self-learning.
Successful Business Analysis Consulting:
Strategies and Tips for Going It Alone
by Karl Wiegers
Mastering Business Analysis Standard Practices:
Seven Steps to the Next Level of Competency
by Kelley Bruns and Billie Johnson
Mastering Business Analysis Standard Practices Workbook
by Kelley Bruns and Billie Johnson
Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis, 2nd Edition
by Jamie Champagne
Mastering Business Analysis Versatility:
Seven Steps to Develop Advanced Competencies and Capabilities
by Gina Schmidt
Agile Business Analysis: Enabling Continuous Improvement
of Requirements, Project Scope, and Agile Project Results
by Kevin Aguanno and Ori Schibi
iii

CONTENTS
Preface .................................................................................xi
Acknowledgments ......................................................................xv
About the International Institute of Business Analysis™......................................xvi
About the Author......................................................................xvii
WAV™ Page............................................................................xix
1
Your First Step—Understand Business Analysis: the Role and the Work Involved . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What Is Business Analysis?................................................................2
Business Analysis’s Relationship to IT...................................................3
The Role of the BA...................................................................3
BA Traits ...........................................................................4
History of Business Analysis...........................................................5
Where Do BAs Come From? ..........................................................6
Where Do BAs Report?...............................................................8
What Makes a Great BA? ................................................................11
BA Suitability Questionnaire .........................................................15
BA Career Progression...............................................................17
Key Business Analysis Terms/Concepts ....................................................18
What Is a Requirement? .............................................................18
Core Requirements Components......................................................19
Why Document Requirements?.......................................................21
Why Do Requirements Need to Be Detailed? ...........................................22
What Is a Project?...................................................................23
What Is a Product?..................................................................24
What Is a Solution?..................................................................24
What Is a Deliverable?...............................................................25
System Versus Technology ...........................................................26
It Depends .........................................................................27
Business Analysis Certification ...........................................................27
Business Analysis Foundational Material...................................................28
Summary of Key Points..................................................................29
Bibliography ...........................................................................30
Additional Reading and References .......................................................30
v
vi Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis
2
Your Second Step—Know Your Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Establish Trust with Your Stakeholders ....................................................32
With Whom Does the BA Work? .........................................................33
Business Executives .................................................................33
Product Owners ....................................................................34
Project Sponsor.....................................................................35
PM ...............................................................................37
Other Business Analysis Professionals .................................................42
SMEs and Users ....................................................................42
Quality Assurance Analyst ...........................................................50
Usability Professionals...............................................................51
Scrum Master ......................................................................52
Solution Architects..................................................................52
IT Developers and Various IT SMEs...................................................54
Testers.............................................................................58
Trainers ...........................................................................60
Vendors and External Consultants ....................................................60
Customers .........................................................................62
Stakeholder Analysis ....................................................................62
Balancing Stakeholder Needs.............................................................63
Understanding the Political Environment ..............................................65
Working with Dispersed Teams...........................................................65
Physical Distance ...................................................................66
Time Zone Differences ..............................................................66
Nationality and Cultural Differences...................................................67
Language Differences................................................................67
Using Team Collaboration Tools ......................................................68
Summary of Key Points..................................................................70
Bibliography ...........................................................................71
Additional Reading and References .......................................................71
3
Your Third Step—Know Your Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Why Has the Organization Decided to Fund this Project? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Business Case Development ..........................................................74
Project Initiated Because of a Problem .................................................78
Project Initiated to Eliminate Costs (Jobs)..............................................80
Project Initiated by Outside Regulation ................................................82
Project Initiated by an Opportunity ...................................................83
Projects for Marketing or Advertising..................................................84
Contents vii
Projects to Align Business Processes...................................................85
Projects to Deliver Organizational Strategy .............................................87
Strategic Planning ......................................................................87
Portfolio and Program Management...................................................88
How Does Your Project Relate to Others? ..............................................89
Enterprise Architecture ..............................................................89
Business Architecture................................................................91
Information Architecture ............................................................91
Technology Architecture.............................................................93
Communicating Strategic Plans.......................................................94
Project Identification ................................................................95
Project Initiation .......................................................................95
Initiation...........................................................................96
Approach or Methodology ...........................................................96
Statement of Purpose................................................................97
Objectives..........................................................................97
Problems/Opportunities .............................................................97
Stakeholders........................................................................98
Business Risks......................................................................99
Items Out of Scope.................................................................100
Assumptions ......................................................................100
Scope of the Business Value .........................................................100
Context of the Change..............................................................101
Revisit Scope Frequently ............................................................104
Summary of Key Points.................................................................105
Bibliography ..........................................................................105
Additional Reading and References ......................................................106
4
Your Fourth Step—Know Your Business Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
How Does a BA Learn About the Enterprise?..............................................108
Read the Organization’s Marketing Materials ..........................................109
Read the Organization’s Financial Reports.............................................109
Review the Corporate Strategic Plan..................................................110
Seeing Things from the Business and Customer Perspective .................................110
How a BA Learns the Business and Customers: Elicitation Techniques ........................111
Technique: Document Analysis ......................................................112
Technique: Observation.............................................................113
Technique: Interviews ..............................................................115
Technique: Context Diagrams .......................................................117
Technique: Surveys and Questionnaires...............................................118
viii Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis
Technique: Facilitated Sessions.......................................................118
Technique: Focus Groups ...........................................................120
Technique: Competitive and Market Analysis..........................................122
Technique: Collaboration Games.....................................................122
Technique: Job and Persona Analysis .................................................123
Technique: Process Modeling........................................................124
Learn the Current (As-Is) System ........................................................125
What Is a Business Process?.............................................................127
Describing a Process ...............................................................129
Formality of the Capture and Use of Business Processes.................................133
Seeing Things from the Top and from the Bottom......................................133
Implementation Planning ...........................................................134
Summary of Key Points.................................................................134
Bibliography ..........................................................................135
Additional Reading and References ......................................................135
5
Your Fifth Step—Know Your Technical Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Why Does a Business Analyst Need to Understand the Technical Environment?................138
Understand Technology but Do Not Talk like a Technologist.............................140
What Does a Business Analyst Need to Know About Technology?............................140
Software Development and Programming Terminology .................................141
Software Development Methodologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
An Organization’s Formal Methodology...............................................150
An Organization’s Informal Standards ................................................150
Technical Architecture..............................................................151
Key Technology Terms..............................................................153
Working with IT.......................................................................162
Summary of Key Points.................................................................163
Bibliography ..........................................................................164
Additional Reading and References ......................................................165
6
Your Sixth Step—Know Your Requirements Analysis Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Beginning Your Requirements Analysis...................................................168
Planning Requirements Analysis Work................................................168
Business Analysis Governance .......................................................169
Technique: Estimation..............................................................171
Categorizing Requirements .............................................................172
Developing a System for Organizing Requirements .....................................173
Business Requirements .............................................................175
Solution Requirements..............................................................176
Contents ix
Technical Requirements.............................................................177
Transition Requirements............................................................178
Categorization of Requirements on Iterative or Incremental Projects......................179
Categorization of Requirements on Agile or Adaptive Projects ...........................179
Analysis Techniques and Presentation Formats ............................................181
Technique: Traceability Matrices .....................................................182
Technique: Process Modeling and Analysis ............................................184
Technique: Functional Decomposition................................................186
Technique: Business Rules Analysis...................................................188
Technique: Decision Modeling and Analysis...........................................189
Technique: Glossary................................................................190
Technique: Data Requirements and Analysis...........................................191
Technique: Use Cases and Scenarios..................................................195
Technique: Interface Analysis........................................................197
Technique: Prototypes ..............................................................197
Technique: User Stories and Backlogs.................................................198
Technique: Storyboarding...........................................................199
Choosing the Appropriate Techniques ................................................200
“As-Is” Versus “To-Be” Analysis .........................................................205
Packaging Requirements................................................................206
How Formally Should Requirements Be Documented?..................................206
What Is a Requirements Package? ....................................................207
Characteristics of Excellent Requirements.............................................209
Getting Sign-Off...................................................................210
Requirements Tools, Repositories, and Management....................................210
Summary of Key Points.................................................................211
Bibliography ..........................................................................212
Additional Reading and References ......................................................212
7
Your Seventh Step—Increase Your Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Build Your Foundation .................................................................213
Skill: Planning Your Start ...........................................................213
Technique: BA Assessments, Lessons Learned, and Retrospectives........................216
Skill: Think Analytically ............................................................218
Skill: Try New Techniques...........................................................219
Technique: Brainstorming...........................................................219
Skill: Systems Thinking .............................................................220
Value Your Time.......................................................................220
Skill: Prioritization .................................................................220
Technique: Time Boxing and Grouping ...............................................222
Skill: Understand the 80/20 Rule .....................................................223