Business Analysis Fundamentals

Length:

In-person classes – 3 days / Virtual (Live online) and Anytime Learning – 6 sessions

Overview: 

Whether you are new to business analysis, or are experienced and want a more formal approach, it’s essential to know and practice the “fundamentals.”  This course provides participants with the skills needed to help business clients articulate their needs and wants, to document those wants and needs clearly, concisely, and completely, and to learn a repeatable process for verifying that those requirements are included in the final solution. By grasping these core Business Analyst (BA) skills, BAs can contribute significantly to successful projects and the products they create.

Through the use of a realistic case study, participants will discover (elicit) and then practice writing “good” requirements.  Attendees will also learn a simple process for validating and verifying requirements to ensure they are well-documented. The course also provides techniques on how to optimize stakeholder communication, how to create a “requirements package” for maximum communication value, and how to construct a traceability matrix for the optimal management of requirements.

For analyzing requirements, this course introduces people to the concept of “concurrent modeling,” using four standard types of models that provide the most benefits.  A key skill taught is how to best read models concurrently for a complete requirements “package.”  After models are presented, class participants find inconsistencies, interview the sponsor, and document and trace new requirements that are discovered.  These models are: Business Process, Use Case, Data, and Interface Modeling.  Note: Specifics of how to construct each type of model are contained in separate courses.

Pre-requisites: Participants should have worked at least one project

Skill Level: Basic

Audience:

People that have project experience working with a variety of roles (BA, QA, PM, sponsors) but have not had formal BA training. New business analysts (transferred from the business, or from a different IT job) and have had some formal BA training will also benefit. Experienced BAs and project managers who want a more formal and industry-standard business analysis approach will gain new skills and methods from this course.

PDUs/CDUs: 21    
CEUs: 2.1

Certificate Programs:

  • Associate Certificate in Business Analysis
  • Masters Certificate in Business Analysis
  • Masters Certificate in Project Management

Format: 

To help assimilate the tools and techniques learned, there is a mixture of individual and team exercises throughout the course. A lively role play and case study help reinforce concepts learned. Students will need to be prepared for a high level of participation. Each participant will receive a comprehensive student guide complete with examples and workshop solutions.

WHAT YOU’LL RECEIVE

Both our Traditional and Virtual classes use the same materials.

  • Comprehensive study guide with PowerPoint slides and detailed notes to serve as both an in-class guide and on-the-job reference.
  • Example case study running throughout the course.
  • A second workshop case study designed to give practice in applying business case skills.
  • Workshop solutions that serve as an example business case.
  • Comprehensive business case template to use on the job to jump-start your real-life business cases.
  • Class discussions and exercises to reinforce the information presented.

Content:

Welcome

Requirements Foundations

  • Business Analysis Overview
    • Business Analysis defined
    • BA competencies
    • Exercise: Key activities and artifacts of a BA
    • BA Body of Knowledge model
    • Simplified requirements process model
    • Exercise: Art versus science
  • Requirements Defined
    • Requirements defined
    • Requirements classifications
      • Business
      • Stakeholder
      • Functional
      • Non-Functional
      • Transition
      • Analysis vs. design
      • Exercise: Practice distinguishing different types of requirements
  • Business Rules
    • Business rules defined
    • Business rule checklist
    • Business rule categories
      • Structural assertions
      • Derivations
      • Constraints
    • Requirement vs business rule
    • Exercise: Identify business rules in your organization
  • COTS Considerations

Define the Business Need

  • Understanding the business need
  • Defining business requirements
    • Business requirements
    • Business goals vs objectives
    • Writing good business goals
    • Writing SMARTER business objectives
    • Identify problem or opportunity
    • Example business problem & opportunity statement
    • Business requirements questions
    • Case Study Workshop: Elicit and identify business requirements

Plan for Business Analysis

  • Requirements approaches
    • Waterfall (plan-driven)
    • Incremental & Iterative
    • Agile (change-driven)
  • BA planning activities
  • Understanding project context
    • Context for requirements
    • Understand project background
    • Questions to ask
    • Where to start
    • Anatomy of project objectives, actions and deliverables
    • Case Study Workshop: Identify and understand project context
  • Define solution scope
    • Defining solution scope
    • Process scope diagram
    • Context diagram
    • Use case diagram
    • Case Study Workshop: Create a scope diagram for the solution
  • Analyzing stakeholders
    • Techniques to identify stakeholders
    • Selecting stakeholder representatives
    • Case Study Workshop: Identify key stakeholders
  • Communicating with Stakeholders
    • Communication considerations
    • What to communicate
    • Communication tips
    • Exercise: Communication exercise

Eliciting requirements

  • Elicitation defined
  • Prepare for elicitation
    • Elicitation prep checklist
    • Elicitation techniques
    • Exercise: When to use or not use each technique
    • Prepare questions
    • Case Study Workshop: Prepare for eliciting requirements and business rules
  • Conduct elicitation and document results
    • Conduct
    • Document results
    • Confirm elicitation results
    • Case Study Workshop: Conduct requirements interviews and document results

Document and Analyze Requirements

  • Requirements analysis and design tasks
  • Documenting requirements
    • Quality characteristics of “good” requirements
    • Exercise: Analyzing requirements
    • Requirement formats (templates for writing each category of requirement):
    • Writing guidelines
    • Case Study Workshop: Writing “good” requirements & business rules & captures assumptions

Model Requirements

  • What is a model?
  • Benefits of modeling
  • Modeling guidelines
  • Current solution modeling
  • Business Process Models
    • Case Study Workshop: Eliciting, documenting, and tracing new requirements
  • Data Models
    • Case Study Workshop: Eliciting, documenting, and tracing new requirements
  • Use Case Models
    • Case Study Workshop: Eliciting, documenting, and tracing new requirements
  • Interface Models/Prototypes
    • Case Study Workshop: Eliciting, documenting, and tracing new requirements

Manage & Communicate Requirements

  • Requirements lifecycle management & communication tasks
  • Trace requirements
    • Traceability
    • Benefits
    • Traceability alignment
    • Organization components
    • Types of relationships
    • Traceability / organization matrix
    • Case Study Workshop: Create traceability matrix
  • Prioritizing requirements
    • Benefits of prioritization
    • Prioritization challenges
    • Basis for prioritization & techniques
    • Case Study Workshop: Prioritize requirements
  • Validate & verify requirements
    • Validation vs verification
    • Validation checklist
    • Verification checklist
    • Tools
    • Case Study Workshop: Validate and verify requirements
  • Creating a requirements package
    • Package process
    • Considerations for packaging
    • Communication channels
    • Common package components
    • Case Study Workshop: Requirements Package outline
  • Review and approve requirements
    • Why conduct reviews
    • Effective review planning
    • Review approaches
    • Validation vs verification & checklists
    • Effective requirement review tips
    • Case Study Workshop: Conduct a requirements review session
  • Maintain documentation
    • Manage requirements documentation and approvals
    • Maintain requirements for reuse
    • Assess requirements changes
    • Case Study Workshop: Manage a new change request

APPENDIX

  • Appendix A; Sample Exercise Answers
  • Appendix B: Elicitation Prep List & Technique Comparison
  • Appendix C: Sample Data, Process and Use CaseQuestions
  • Appendix D: Sample Requirements Package               

HANDOUTS

  • Non-functional Requirements Checklist
  • Case Study Mini Charter & Scope Statement
  • 101 Eliciting Requirements Questions
  • Case Study Workshop Models
  • Solution Requirements Modeling Diagram

 This outline is subject to change.