Business Analysis Fundamentals

• Business analysis enables change in an enterprise
• It defines the needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders
• Business analysis involves understanding the current state
• It also identifies the need for change
• It defines the desired future state, and facilitating the transition

Core Concepts

• Change is driven in an organization by identifying opportunities for improvement
• Needs are a problem or opportunity that requires a solution
• Business analysis helps to clearly define and articulate these needs
• Solutions satisfies one or more needs
• Business analysis involves identifying, defining, and recommending solutions that are aligned with the organization's goals
• A stakeholder is affected by the outcome of a change
• Value is the worth, importance, or usefulness of something to a stakeholder
• The goal is to ensure that the changes deliver value to stakeholders

Key Activities

• Elicitation is gathering information from stakeholders through techniques like interviews, surveys, workshops, and document analysis
• Analysis is evaluating and understanding the information gathered
• This includes identifying patterns, inconsistencies, and potential issues
• Documentation is recording and organizing the analyzed information into clear, concise, and easily understandable documents
• Communication is sharing information and insights with stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned and informed
• Solution Assessment and Validation is evaluating proposed solutions to ensure they meet the defined needs and deliver the expected value

Business Analysis Process

• Problem/Opportunity Identification involves identifying a problem or opportunity that warrants attention
• Requirements Elicitation is gathering detailed requirements from stakeholders
• Requirements Analysis is analyzing, documenting, and validating the requirements
• Solution Recommendation involves recommending a solution that best meets the identified needs and requirements
• Implementation Support is assisting with the implementation of the chosen solution
• Evaluation is evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented solution and identifying areas for further improvement

Business Analysis Techniques

• Brainstorming is a group technique used to generate a large number of ideas or solutions
• Interviewing involves one-on-one conversations with stakeholders to gather detailed information
• Surveys involves distributing questionnaires to a large group of stakeholders to collect data
• Workshops are facilitated sessions where stakeholders work together to define requirements and solutions
• Document Analysis is reviewing existing documents to understand the current state and identify potential issues
• Use Cases describe how users interact with a system or solution to achieve specific goals
• Process Modeling is visually representing business processes to understand and improve them
• Data Modeling is creating visual representations of data and its relationships to support data management and analysis
• SWOT Analysis is evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of a project or organization

Requirements

• Business Requirements are high-level statements of the goals, objectives, or needs of the organization
• Stakeholder Requirements are needs of stakeholders that must be met to achieve the business requirements
• Solution Requirements are characteristics of a solution that meet the business and stakeholder requirements
• Functional Requirements describe what the system should do (e.g., process payments, generate reports)
• Non-Functional Requirements describe how well the system should perform (e.g., security, reliability, performance)
• Transition Requirements are temporary capabilities needed to transition from the current state to the desired future state

Deliverables

• Business Requirements Document (BRD) outlines the high-level business needs and requirements
• Stakeholder Requirements Specification (SRS) details the specific requirements of stakeholders
• Functional Requirements Specification (FRS) describes the functional requirements of the solution
• Use Case Diagrams presents visual representations of how users interact with the system
• Process Flows are diagrams that illustrate the steps in a business process
• Data Models presents visual representations of the data structures and relationships

Skills of a Business Analyst

• Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving involves ability to analyze complex information and identify effective solutions
• Communication Skills involves ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels
• Facilitation Skills involves ability to lead and manage workshops and meetings
• Technical Skills involves understanding of technology and its application to business problems
• Business Acumen involves understanding of business principles and practices
• Requirements Engineering involves ability to elicit, analyze, and manage requirements

Business Analysis vs. System Analysis

• Business Analysis focuses on understanding the business needs and defining solutions that deliver value to stakeholders, which might or might not involve technology
• System Analysis focuses specifically on analyzing, designing, and implementing information systems to solve business problems

Business Analysis in Agile Projects

• Business analysis plays a critical role in agile projects, focusing on delivering value iteratively
• The Product Owner often takes on business analysis responsibilities, defining and prioritizing user stories
• User Stories provides short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the user
• Backlog Refinement is an ongoing process of reviewing and prioritizing user stories in the product backlog

Common Challenges in Business Analysis

• Unclear Requirements that are vague or incomplete can lead to solutions do not meet the needs of stakeholders
• Changing Requirements that are frequent changes to requirements can cause delays and increase costs
• Stakeholder Conflicts where conflicting needs and expectations among stakeholders can be difficult to manage
• Communication Breakdown where poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and misalignment
• Scope Creep involves an uncontrolled expansion of the project scope can lead to delays, cost overruns, and reduced value

Benefits of Business Analysis

• Improved Decision Making provides the information needed to make informed decisions
• Increased Efficiency streamlines processes and eliminates waste
• Reduced Costs identifies opportunities to reduce costs and improve profitability
• Improved Stakeholder Satisfaction ensures that the needs of stakeholders are met
• Better Alignment aligns projects with the organization's overall goals and objectives

Business Analysis Frameworks

• Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) provides a comprehensive guide to business analysis practices
• Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide extends the BABOK Guide to include agile business analysis practices
• Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology focused on reducing defects and improving quality

Learn the core concepts of business analysis, including change management and stakeholder value. Understand how business analysis defines needs, recommends solutions, and facilitates transitions to deliver value. Explore the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst.