1. Whys Guys & Change Agents
What is a Business Analyst and
Why You Need This Role in Your Organization
Presented by: Gary Bellamy, CBAP
Association of Public Sector Information Professionals
Professional Development Week
May 22, 2015 – Ottawa
2. Overview
• The Power of “Why?”: A True Story
• Why Business Analysis?
• What is Business Analysis?
• The Role of a Business Analyst
• Business Analysis Body of Knowledge
• Business Analysis Certification
• Business Analyst Academic Programs
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3. The Power of Why
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4. Why Business Analysis?
“There is nothing quite so useless,
as doing with great efficiency,
something that should not be done
at all.” (Peter Drucker)
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5. Why Business Analysis?
• Requirements errors are the greatest source of
defects and quality problems. (Schwaber, 2006)
• 75% of organizations surveyed waste over one in
three dollars spent in IT development and
implementation annually as a result of poor
requirements maturity. (IAG Consulting, 2009)
• Inaccurate requirements gathering remains a
primary cause of project failure (47 percent)
(Project Management Institute, 2014)
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6. Why Business Analysis?
• Business Analysis is the most important IT role
for the decade. (Forrester Research, 2010)
• 53 percent of organizations report an increase
in the demand for business analysts.
(Project Management Institute, 2014)
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7. What is Business Analysis?
Business Analysis is the practice of enabling
change in an enterprise by defining needs and
recommending solutions that deliver value to
stakeholders.
(International Institute of Business Analysis)
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8. Who is a Business Analyst?
• Any person who performs business analysis tasks,
no matter their job title or organizational role
• Responsible for discovering, synthesizing, and
analyzing information from a variety of sources
– tools
– processes
– documentation
– stakeholders
• Responsible for eliciting the actual needs of
stakeholders in order to determine underlying
issues and causes
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9. The Role of a Business Analyst
Whys Guys
• Why are we doing this?
[Business Need Definition]
• Why is that a problem?
[Impact Analysis]
• Why does this problem occur?
[Root Cause Analysis]
• Why is this the best solution approach
[Options Analysis]
• Why is this necessary to provide value
[Requirements Analysis]
Change Agents
• Liaison between area requesting
change and solution providers
• Assess gaps between current state
and desired future state
• Assess impact of change on
different stakeholder groups
• Translate solution requests into
requirements or designs
• Prioritize requirements and trace
back to business need
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10. The Role of a Business Analyst
Pre-project
• Business Need
• Capability Gaps
• Change Strategy
• Options Analysis
• Feasibility Study
• Cost/Benefit Analysis
Project
• Assumptions
• Constraints
• Business Rules
• Requirements
- Elicit
- Analyze & Model
- Prioritize
- Trace
- Allocate
- Verify & Validate
• Design Specifications
• Change Assessment
Post-project
• Benefits Realization
• Solution Evaluation
• Opportunity
Identification
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11. Relation to Other Project Roles
BA
Scope
Quality
Domain
Design
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Eng. Tester
SME
PM
17. Business Analysis Techniques
Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Backlog Management
Balanced Scorecard Benchmarking and Market Analysis
Brainstorming Business Capability Analysis
Business Cases Business Model Canvas
Business Rules Analysis Collaborative Games
Concept Modelling Data Dictionary
Data Flow Diagrams Data Mining
Data Modelling Decision Analysis
Decision Modelling Document Analysis
Estimation Financial Analysis
Focus Groups Functional Decomposition
Glossary Interface Analysis
Interviews Item Tracking
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18. Business Analysis Techniques
Lessons Learned Metrics and Key Performance Indicators
Mind Mapping Non-Functional Requirements Analysis
Observation Organizational Modelling
Prioritization Process Analysis
Process Modelling Prototyping
Reviews Risk Analysis and Management
Roles and Permissions Matrix Root Cause Analysis
Scope Modelling Sequence Diagrams
Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas State Modelling
Survey or Questionnaire SWOT Analysis
Use Cases and Scenarios User Stories
Vendor Assessment Workshops
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26. BA Certification
Certified
Business
Analysis
Professional
(CBAP)
Minimum 7500 hours of business analysis
work experience in the last 10 years
Minimum 900 hours in 4 of the 6
knowledge areas
Minimum 21 hours of professional
development in past 4 years
Two references from a career manager,
client or CBAP
Signed Code of Conduct
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27. BA Certification
Certified
Competency
in Business
Analysis
(CCBA)
Minimum 3750 hours of business analysis
work experience in the last 7years
Minimum 900 hours in 2 of the 6
knowledge areas or 500 hours in 4 areas
Minimum 21 hours of Professional
Development in the past four years
Minimum high school education or
equivalent
Two references from a career manager,
client CBAP
Signed Code of Conduct
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28. Business Analyst Academic
Recognition Programs
Academic
Certificate
in Business
Analysis
People who have no prior business analysis
experience
Individuals who want a solid introduction to
business analysis
College and university students seeking a
fundamental understanding of the profession
Employers seeking new graduates prepared
for a career in business analysis
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29. Business Analyst Academic
Recognition Programs
Academic
Diploma in
Business
Analysis
Designed for students who have chosen
business analysis as their profession
Provides both foundational and applied
knowledge in business analysis
Offers hands-on experience through co-ops,
internships or progressive case studies
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