Visual Modeling Essentials

Length:

In-person classes – 2 days / Virtual (Live online)  – 4 sessions

Overview: 

To paraphrase an expert, “If you don’t get the requirements right, nothing else matters on the project.” This course presents many methods, tools, models, and techniques to help elicit and analyze requirements. Participants will practice analyzing and modeling requirements as they work through an engaging case study. In addition, attendees will practice validating their models by conducting numerous walk-throughs.

Students will learn and practice industry-standard modeling types. The categories of models in this class follow the concurrent modeling framework, emphasizing process, data, interaction, and interface requirements. The benefits of concurrent modeling promote quicker and more complete requirements analysis back on the job. 

Objectives:

  • Discuss the business analysis framework, including the BABOK® context for Business Analysis, and the BABOK® Requirements classification structure.
  • Explain how concurrent requirements modeling provides a repeatable, practical framework for modeling of requirements.
  • Use a systematic process for analyzing and modeling requirements that are critical to business success.
  • Name and use four techniques for keeping business process modeling sessions focused.
  • Create a scope diagram to facilitate the processes in-scope and out-of-scope for a project.
  • Modeling business processes, creating “as-is” and “to-be” process maps.
  • Gather information requirements to support the business processes.
  • Create basic Entity-Relationship Diagrams to model data requirements.
  • Create a use case diagram to show the scope of use cases and the actors who interact with them.
  • Write narrative flows of events to depict the primary and alternate path scenarios for interaction requirements.
  • Create low-fidelity prototypes to document interface requirements.
  • Use a low-fidelity prototyping technique to elicit business requirements and clarify previously elicited requirements. 

Pre-requisites: Participants should have worked on the analysis, development, and maintenance/ enhancement of at least one software application. No technical experience is necessary, but an understanding of applications development is required.

Skill Level: Basic

Audience:

This workshop is designed to quickly provide essential modeling skills for business analysts, project managers, developers, and anyone involved in software development projects.  It also provides excellent information for business clients and sponsors, quality assurance analysts, and other stakeholders who need or want to learn more about modeling. 

PDUs/CDUs: 14   CEUs: 1.4

Certificate Programs:

  • Associate Certificate in Business Analysis
  • Masters Certificate in Business Analysis

Format: 

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


Content:

Requirements Context

  • Introducing the Business Analysis Framework
  • Requirements Defined
  • The Need for Requirements Context
  • Classification of Requirements to go from High-Level to Detailed: Business, Stakeholder, Functional, Non-Functional, Transition, Business Rules with examples
  • Concurrent Requirements Modeling
  • Exercise
  • Introduction to Requirements Analysis through Modeling
  • Survey of Requirements Modeling Techniques
  • Exercise
  • Workshop to understand case study and provide context for modeling

Process Mapping

  • Process Definitions
  • Process Mapping Conventions - Booklet Review
  • The top Nine Process Symbols for virtually every process map
  • Tips and do’s and don’ts for Process Modeling
  • Keeping Focused in Process Modeling Sessions
  • Documenting Process Scope with Scope Diagrams
  • Primary and Alternate Paths Defined
  • Developing Primary and Alternate Paths
  • Variations Parking Lot
  • Process and Tips for Process Modeling
  • Workshop

Modeling Data Requirements

  • Eight-step Process to Model Data Requirements
  • Model Data Requirements to depict:
    • Entities
    • Attributes
    • Relationships
  • Workshop
  • Document Data-Oriented Business Rules
  • Translating Cardinality and Optionality Rules, Referential Integrity Rules, Edit Rules, Attribute Constraints
  • Workshop

Use Cases

  • Purpose and Context of Use Cases
  • Use Case Model and Steps
  • Constructing a Use Case Diagram, including Actors and Associations
  • Workshop
  • Use Case Iterations
  • Narrative Flow of Events
  • Primary, Alternate, and Exception Flows
  • Examples
  • Use Cases and Test Cases
  • Workshop

User Interfaces and Prototyping

  • Interface Requirements in Context
  • UI Planning using a Matrix
  • Actors, Objectives, and Scenarios
  • Best and Worst UIs and Examples
  • Workshop
  • Purpose of Prototyping
  • Prototyping Roles
  • Prototype Review Sessions
  • Prototyping Process and Example
  • Workshop 

 

NOTE: We are constantly improving our course offerings to ensure the best training possible and to keep you abreast of the latest industry trends. As a result, this outline is subject to change.