Business Analysis
Body of Knowledge (BOK)
Introduction
What is Business Analysis?
What is BABOK?
The three concepts that involve Business Analysis
The history of Business Analysis
Fundamentals of Business Analysis
What is Business Analysis?
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
recommended solutions that enable the
organization to achieve its goals.
What is BABOK?
The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge is the sum of
knowledge within the profession of Business Analysis
and reflects what is considered currently accepted
practice.
Solution
A solution meets a business need, by solving
problems or allowing the organization to take
advantage of an opportunity. A solution can be
subdivided into components, including the
information systems that support it, the processes
that manage it, and the people who operate it.
Scope
The term “scope” is used to mean a number of
different things, but two definitions predominate.
There is the Solution Scope and the Project Scope:
Solution scope is the set of capabilities a solution
must support to meet the business need.
Project scope is the work necessary to construct and
implement a particular solution.
Requirement
Requirements are broken into 3 sub definitions:
A condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to solve a
problem or achieve an objective.
A condition or capability that must be met or possessed by a
solution or solution component to satisfy a contract, standard,
specification, or other formally imposed documents.
A documented representation of a condition or capability as in
(1) or (2).
The History of Business Analysis
Business Analysis was born out of the fact that IT change
projects started to go wrong in the 1980s.
There were many limitations such as:
Storage of the electronic data was expensive
The way data was stored was cumbersome (flat files read
sequentially in one direction only).
Programs were difficult to write in abstract languages
There was only a limited set of functionality based around
mainframe processes
User interfaces were delivered on basic green-screens
Fundamentals of Business Analysis
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Description
• Describes how to determine which activities are necessary
to perform in order to complete a business analysis effort.
• It covers identification of stakeholders, selection of BA
techniques, the process we will use to manage our
requirements, and how we assess the progress of the work
in order to make necessary changes in work effort.
• BA planning is a key input to the project plan, and project
management responsibilities.
BAP-M Continued
Purpose
Plan the execution of business analysis tasks
Update or change the approach to business analysis as required
Assess effectiveness of and continually improve business
analysis practices
What is a Business Analyst?
A business analyst works as a liaison among stakeholders in order
to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for
changes to business processes, policies and information systems.
BAP-M Tasks, Input and Output
Tasks Purpose Inputs Outputs
Conduct Stakeholder Identify stakeholders who • Organizational • Stakeholder list
Analysis may be impacted by a standards • Stakeholder roles and
proposed initiative or who • Defined Business responsibility
share a common business Problem/Opportunity designation
need.
Plan Business Analysis Determines which • Stakeholder list Business Analysis for:
Activities activities are required to • Stakeholder roles and • Enterprise Analysis
define the solution to a responsibility • Business Analysis
business problem, how designation Planning and
those activities will be • Organizational Monitoring
carried out, the work effort Standards • Elicitation
involved, and an estimate • Requirements
of how long the activities Analysis
will take. • Solution Assessment
and Validation
• Requirements
Management and
Communication
Tasks Purpose Inputs Outputs
Plan Business Analysis Determine what • Stakeholder list Business Analysis
Communication information the various • Stakeholder roles and Communication Plan
stakeholders need to be responsibility
provided about the results designation
of business analysis and the • Business Analysis
forms it should take Plan(s)
(verbal, written, etc.)
Plan Requirements Describes how to determine • Organizational Requirements Management
Management Process the appropriate Standard Plan
requirements process for a • Business Analysis
particular initiative. It Plan(s)
describes how we
determine what is currently
in place, and how to create
the process if it doesn’t
exist
Plan, monitor and Report Determine which metrics • Organizational • BA Performance
on Business Analysis will be used to measure the Performance Standards Assessment
Performance work performed by the • Actual Performance • Lessons Learned
business analysts. It Metrics • Process improvement
includes how we track, • Business Analysis recommendations
assess, and report on the Plan(s)
quality of the work • Requirements
performed by business Management Plan
analysts and take steps to
correct any problems that
may crop up.
Enterprise Analysis
Description
• Describes how we take a business need, refine and clarify the
definition of that need, and define a solution scope that can
feasibly be implemented by the business.
• It covers problem definition and analysis, business case
development, feasibility studies, and the definition of a
solution scope.
Purpose
Identify and propose projects that meet strategic needs and
goals.
EA Tasks, Purpose
Tasks Purposes, Input
Inputsand Output
Outputs
Identify Business Need • Evaluate the internal • Business Architecture Defined Business
and external • Business Goal(s) Problem/Opportunity
environment
Internal:
Define/refine
current/future business
architecture
Assess the current state
of technology
(infrastructure and
applications)
External:
Benchmark analysis
Competitive studies
• Fully define business
problem/opportunity
Determine Solution • Identify potential • Business Architecture Solution Approach
Approach solutions • Defined Business
• Analyze feasibility of Problem/Opportunity
options
• Recommend viable
business solution
• Validate with decision
makers
Tasks Purpose Inputs Outputs
Define Solution Scope • Context diagram • Business Architecture Solution Scope
• Product Breakdown • Defined Business
Structure Problem/Opportunity
• Solution Approach
Develop the Business • Define project • Business Architecture Business Case
Case objectives and • Business Goal(s)
expected business • Defined Business
benefits Problem/Opportunity
• Develop project scope • Solution Scope
• Estimate time, cost,
resources
• Analyze cost vs.
benefit
• Evaluate risk
Elicitation
As a Knowledge Area
Elicitation Definition
Elicitation: The manner in which Business Analysts work and
interact with their stakeholders to ensure that they have
entirely understood and analyzed the stakeholder’s needs.
Purpose: Explore, identify and document stakeholder needs.
Example: Vodacom as an enterprise.
Eliciting Requirements
A big part of a business analyst’s job is the gathering
and documentation of user requirements.
Requirements include:
Functionality
Conditions
Products or services for internal or external use.
Why are Projects Failing?
Question:
Why do you think projects are failing?
Reasons Why Projects Fail
Process of Elicitation
Tasks:
Prepare for Elicitation
Conduct Elicitation
Document Elicitation
Confirm Elicitation Results
Prepare for Elicitation
Purpose Inputs Outputs
Ensure all needed Stakeholder list Scheduled resources
resources are made Roles and responsibilities Supporting materials
available. Defined business plan /
opportunity
Elicitation plan
Examples: Examples: Examples:
Transport Vodacom shareholders Hiring of researchers
Mobile devices list Car access for travelling
Offices / boardrooms Mr. K Jones – CEO Booked venues
Researchers of a specific Plan of increasing
field production by 10% in SA
Conduct Elicitation
Purpose Inputs Outputs
Meet with stakeholders Supporting materials Elicitation activity results
Organizational Risks + constraints
standards defined
Defined business Documentation based on
problem/ opportunity used technique.
(interviews, surveys ect)
Examples:
Meeting with the CEO of
Vodacom and the partners
with regards to solving or
meeting requirements.
Document Elicitation
Purpose Inputs Outputs
Keep the requests by Elicitation activity results Stated requirements
the stakeholders on record
for use in analysis
Examples: Examples:
Keep findings about the The set statistics of
sales requests by Vodacom Vodacom users in the set
to analyze it. vicinities around SA.
Confirm Elicitation Results
Purpose Inputs Outputs
Follow on to validate List of the stated Certified requirements
that stakeholder goals have requirements list
been correctly interpreted
Requirements Analysis
Requirements analysis: The way in which BAs progressively
elaborate the solution definition in order to enable the
project team to design and build a solution that will meet
the needs of the organization and stakeholders.
It is important to analyze stated requirements belonging to
shareholders.
Requirements Analysis cont.
Purpose:
Validate requirements to meet the business needs.
Verify requirements of a good acceptable quality.
Elaboration of stated requirements to a sufficient level of
detail, accurately defining the business need.
Process of Requirements Analysis
Tasks:
Organize Requirements
Prioritize Requirements
Specify and Model Requirements
Determine Assumptions and Constraints
Verify Requirements
Validate Requirements
Solution Assessment and
Validation
This is when the proposed solutions are evaluated to
determine which solution best fits the business need,
identifying gaps and shortcomings in solutions and
determining necessary changes to the solution.
Purpose: evaluating solutions to ensure that strategic goals
are met and requirements are satisfied.
Solution Assessment and Validation
cont.
“Are we building the product right” Assessment
Solution Assessment and Validation
cont.
“Are we building the right product” Validation
Tasks to be done
Develop alternative solutions
Evaluate technology options
Facilitate the selection of solution
Ensure usability of solution
Communicate solution impacts
Requirements management and
communication:
Describes how we manage conflicts, issues and change and
ensuring stakeholders and the project team remain in
agreement on the solution scope.
Purpose: Recognize that communication takes place
throughout all knowledge areas and is important for
managing requirements. And ensure stakeholders have
access to business analysis products.
Example:
Involves communication between project team members
Prevent one class from overriding another.
CONCLUSION
Qs & As
Business analysis
Why Business Analysis?
Successful business change
Broader business perspective
Provide an objective view of the company
Identify solutions to business issues & opportunities
Predict business benefits
Responsibilities
Besides business analysts, business analysis may be
performed by?.......
System Analyst
Project manager
Developer
Consultant
Process Analyst
Among others
Solution
A solution can be divided into components……..
Information systems that support it
Processes that manage it
People who operate it
Requirement
A requirement is…?
A condition or capability needed by a stakeholder to
solve a problem or archeive an objective
Task
What is a Task…..?
An essential piece of work that must be performed as
part of business analysis
Technique?
Techniques describe how tasks are performed under
specific circumstances
A technique must be related to at least one task
Knowledge Area
True || False
A knowledge area groups an unrelated set of tasks and
techniques
False
Related set of tasks and techniques
Enterprise Analysis (Input)
Which of the following is NOT an input of Enterprise
Analysis?
A. Business Architecture
B. Solution Approach
C. Business Goal(s)
Elicitation
What is the Purpose of Elicitation?
Explore, identify and document stakeholder needs
Requirements Analysis
Which of the following is NOT a purpose of
Requirements Analysis?
A. Validate requirements meet the business need
B. Verify requirments are acceptable quality
C. Fail E-Businness Test
Requirements Management &
communication
Description………..
Describes how to manage conflicts, issues and
changes and ensure that stakeholders and the project
management team remain in agreement on the
solution scope
Final Word
Systems Analysts will take over the Business Analyst
role and develop analysis products fit for their
purposes (developing computerized systems) and not
necessarily fit for business purposes .
References
www.esi-intl.com Eight Things Your Business Anaylsts
Need to Know [Date accessed 12 August 2014 ]
