Overview

Course Summary

Low quality requirements lead to cost overruns, schedule delays and project rework. Programs and projects are often abandoned because the requirements associated with the intended solution are no longer linked to their original performance objectives. Fixing the requirements problem can cost up to 24 times the cost to do it effectively - wasting millions (perhaps billions) of program funding.

We have designed an inclusive 2-day introduction to business analysis (BA) that will equip you with all the basic skills for performing effective analysis.

You will be introduced into business analysis best practice and the role of the Business Analyst. You will learn how a best practice approach and how to apply techniques to address the requirements problem across the entire business improvement lifecycle. You will also learn valuable approaches to determine the business problem, root cause identification, solution definition strategy, business case preparation, requirements gathering and documentation, quality management and developing implementation timelines.

This course is consistent with the body of knowledge developed by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). It is also excellent preparation for the new Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) professional designation.

Course Structure

Introduction

• What is BA and who is a Business Analyst?
• Distinguish between Business Analysis and project management
• Steps for performing BA work
• Overview of the main BA deliverables
• Good habits for BA
• New trends in BA
• International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Body of Knowledge

• Understanding the business
• What is the business problem?
• What is the impact of the problem on the company's objectives and goals?
• To which business process does this problem relate?
• Utilizing root cause analysis
• How to document and confirm the problem

• Best practice methods for determining likely solutions to business problems
• Identifying likely solutions and boundaries
• Evaluating the options to determine the most viable solution
• Determining high-level requirements for the implementation of viable solution

• What is a business case?
• Common approaches for preparing business case
• Developing the business case to present the viable solutions
• Cost/benefit analysis
• Presenting your business case
• Considerations by management

• What is a requirement?
• Types of requirements
• Understanding the scope
• Approaches for eliciting business requirements
• Common methods for validating and documenting requirements
• Requirements specification - what is it and why is it important?

• What importance does Quality Management have in BA?
• Role of BA in quality management
• Test planning and test scenarios

• The difference between Business Analysis and writing project requirements
• Understanding Requirements
• Incorporate a Model-Driven, Structured Business Analysis Project Approach
• Understand the Value of Business Analysis/ Requirements Tools

• Understanding the Art of Requirements Elicitation
• Determine the Nature and Scope of the Project
• Understand the Business Process
• Managing Business Rules through Decision Models
• Managing Information and Data Requirements
• Capturing Functionality through Use Cases / User Stories

• Describing Functionality through Use Cases / User Stories
• Modeling Interfaces from the System Perspective
• Modeling Interfaces from the User Perspective
• The Role of the Requirements Advocate
• The Business Case of Business Analysis

Course Benefits - What do I learn?

Participants will gain practical skills to:-

• Identify and use business analysis steps and good habits.
• Decide suitability of deliverables for various analysis situations.
• Distinguish between business analysis and project management.
• Determine and document a business problem, root cause, and impact.
• Determine and evaluate viable solutions.
• Utilize basic cost/benefit analysis.
• Prepare and present a business case.
• Determine high-level requirements for implementation.
• Efficiently elicit requirements from a business.
• Use various methods for documenting and validating requirements.
• Differentiate between requirements and specifications.
• Implement quality planning and management, including approaches for testing requirements.
• Understand what business analysis means - the need, the value and the benefits
• Understand the role, value, responsibilities and competencies required of today's Business Analysts
• Understand the components and importance of a structured, repeatable, and comprehensive approach for conducting business requirements analysis on a project
• Apply a Requirements Life Cycle Process to generate high quality work products and deliverables
• Understand Business Analysis capabilities