cbap Flashcards
(200 cards)
1
Q
What is the purpose of the Evaluate Solution Performance task?
A
Evaluate functioning solutions to understand the value they deliver and identify opportunities for improvement
1
Q
Solution evaluation involves what?
A
Investigating how a solution is actually used after it is deployed, and assessing the effect it has had, both positive and negative
2
Q
When performed immediately following the completion of a project, Solution evaluation is also known as what?
A
Post-implementation assessment
3
Q
What are the inputs to the Evaluate Solution performance task?
A
There are 4+B20Business Requirements Identified Defects Solution Performance Metrics Solution [deployed]
4
Q
What is the role that business requirements play when evaluating solution performance?
A
They form the baseline for functionality to compare against what the system is actually doing
5
Q
Solution Performance Metrics represent what?
A
The criteria by which the performance of the solution is to be assessed
6
Q
There are two types of solution performance metrics. What are they?
A
Qualitative and Quantitative
7
Q
What are examples of Qualitative solution performance metrics?
A
Measures of time, volume, revenue, errors found
8
Q
What are examples of Quantitative solution performance metrics?
A
User or customer satisfaction, recommendations
9
Q
The Evaluate Solution performance task cannot be performed until what occurs?
A
The solution has been deployed
10
Q
What are the elements of the Evaluate Solution Performance task?
A
There are 3: Understand Value Delivered by Solution Validate Solution Metrics Solution Replacement or Elimination
11
Q
What does the element Understand Value Delivered by Solution consist of?
A
The analyst must gather the actual metrics that describe the performance of the solution in order to determine whether the system is performing optimally, under-performing or over-performing
12
Q
Why is an additional validation of the metrics that are used to validate the solution necessary?
A
There are occasions in which the metrics are not properly defined or aligned with the solution; thus the reporting of the metric data becomes skewed
13
Q
Why might the solution be a candidate for elimination?
A
This may occur because an IT system or other technology component has reached the end of its useful life, services are being insourced or outsourced, the solution is not fulfilling the business goals set for it
14
Q
What are issues that impact the decision about replacing a solution?
A
Ongoing Cost versus Initial Investment Opportunity Cost Necessity Sunk Cost
15
Q
What is sunk cost?
A
It describes the money and effort already committed to an initiative
16
Q
Sunk Cost is irrelevant when considering future action why?
A
Because the cost cannot be recovered
17
Q
What is an example of Necessity with regard to making a decision about solution replacement?
A
Obsolescence. There are occasions where the cost of maintaining a current solution is too high or the capability to do so is impossible
18
Q
What is Opportunity Cost?
A
It represents the potential value that could be realized by pursuing alternative courses of action
19
Q
What are the techniques used in the Evaluate Solution Performance task?
A
There are 4: Decision Analysis Focus Groups Observation Survey/Questionnaire
20
Q
How is the Operational Support stakeholder utilized in the Evaluate Solution Performance task?
A
This person will be involved in monitoring the performance and effectiveness of a solution or its components.
21
Q
What is the purpose of the Underlying Competencies knowledge area?
A
It provides a description of the behaviors, characteristics, knowledge and personal qualities that support the practice of business analysis
22
Q
What are the types of Underlying Competencies?
A
There are 6: Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving Behavioral Characteristics Business Knowledge Communication Skills Interaction Skills Software Applications
23
Q
What are the various forms of the Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving underlying competency?
A
There are 5: Creative Thinking Decision Making Learning Problem Solving Systems Thinking
24
What is the purpose of creative thinking?
To be effective in generating new ideas for approaches to problem solving and in generating alternative solutions
25
What are the measures of effectiveness of creative thinking?
Successful generation and productive consideration of new ideas. Application of new ideas to resolve existing problems. Willingness of stakeholders to accept new approaches.
26
What is the purpose of decision making?
Business analysts must be effective in understanding the criteria involved in making a decision, in making decisions, and in assisting others to make better decisions
27
When is a decision necessary?
Whenever it becomes necessary to select an alternative or approach from two or more options
28
Decision Analysis includes what?
gathering information relevant to a decision breaking down the information relevant to a decision making comparisons and tradeoffs between similar and dissimilar options identifying the option that is most desirable.
29
When making decisions or analyzing options for a decision, business analysts must be aware of what kind of traps?
those that can impede successful decision-making, including the tendency to accept the initial framing of a problem the sunk cost fallacy the tendency to place greater weight on evidence that confirms existing impressions.
30
What is the purpose of learning?
Business analysts must be effective at learning about business domains and how they function, and then translate that learning into an understanding of how to benefit an organization.
31
What is the official definition of learning, according to the BABOK 2.0?
The process of gaining knowledge or skills.
32
With regard to business analysis, a business analyst must be able to describe what?
Level of understanding of the business domain and be capable of applying that level of understanding to determine which analysis activities need to be performed in a given situation
33
Once learning about a domain, the business analyst must be able to do what?
Be able to synthesize the information to identify opportunities to create new solutions and evaluate those solutions to ensure that they are effective.
34
What are the effectiveness measures of learning?
Agreement by stakeholders that analysis models effectively and completely describe the domain Identification of related problems or issues from multiple areas in the domain Rapid absorption of new information or new domains.
35
What is the purpose of problem solving?
Business analysts must be effective at defining and solving problems in order to ensure that the real, underlying problem is understood and that solutions actually address that problem
36
Defining a problem involves what?
Ensuring that the nature of the problem is clearly understood by all parties and that underlying issues are visible
37
How does an analyst ensure all parties understand the nature of a problem that is to be solved?
Articulate and address conflicts between goals and objectives Identify and test underlying assumptions
38
What are the measures of effectiveness of problem solving?
Confidence of the participants in the problem-solving process that a selected solution is correct New solution options can be evaluated effectively using the problem solving framework Selected solutions meet the defined objectives and solve the underlying problem. The problem-solving process avoids making decisions based on preconceived notions, organizational politics, or other traps that may cause a sub-optimal solution to be selected.
39
What is the purpose of Systems Thinking?
Business analysts must be effective at understanding how the people, processes and technology within an organization interact in relationships and patterns to create a system as a whole
40
Systems theory and systems thinking suggest what?
That the system as a whole will have properties, behaviors and characteristics that emerge from the interaction of the components of the system, and which are not predictable from an understanding of the components alone
41
The term system includes what factors?
the people involved the interactions between them the external forces affecting their behavior all other relevant elements and factors
42
What are the measures of effectiveness of system thinking?
Understanding of how a change to a component affects the system as a whole Identification of reinforcing and compensating feedback loops Understanding of how systems adapt to external pressures and changes
43
What are the types of the underlying competency behavioral characteristics?
There are 3: Ethics Personal organization Trustworthiness
44
What is the purpose of ethics?
A business analyst must be able to behave ethically in order to earn the trust and respect of stakeholders, and be able to recognize when a proposed solution or requirement may present ethical difficulties.
45
Ethics requires an understanding of what?
moral and immoral behavior the standards that should govern one\_s behavior the willingness to act to ensure that one\_s behavior is moral or meets those standards
46
Why are ethics an important part of an analyst\_s underlying competencies?
Business analysts need to consider the impact that a proposed solution will have on all stakeholder groups and work to ensure that those groups are treated fairly
47
Fair treatment requires what?
that the affected stakeholders understand the reasons for the decision that they are not deceived about the outcome that decisions which are made are made in the best interest of the organization
48
What are the measures of effectiveness of ethics?
Decisions are made with due consideration to the interests of all stakeholders Reasons for a decision are clearly articulated and understood Prompt and full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest Honesty regarding one\_s abilities, the performance of one\_s work, and accepting responsibility for failures or errors.
49
What is the purpose of personal organization?
Personal organization skills assist the business analyst in effectively managing tasks and information.
50
Personal organization involves what?
the ability to readily find files or information timeliness management of outstanding tasks appropriate handling of priorities
51
Effective time management requires what characteristics?
effective time management requires effective prioritization elimination of procrastination clarity of goals and expectations
52
What are some common approaches toward good time management?
action plans to-do lists setting priorities
53
What are the effectiveness measures of personal organization?
Ability of the business analyst to find information Regular on-time completion of tasks Efficiency in the completion of work The ability to easily identify all outstanding work and the status of each work item.
54
What is the purpose of trustworthiness?
Earning the trust of key stakeholders is necessary to ensure that the business analyst is able to elicit requirements around sensitive issues and to ensure that recommendations are evaluated properly.
55
What are the measures of effectiveness of trustworthiness?
Stakeholders involving the business analyst in decision-making Stakeholder acceptance of the business analyst\_s recommendations Willingness of stakeholders to discuss difficult or controversial topics with the business analyst Willingness of stakeholders to support or defend the business analyst when problems occur.
56
What are the forms of the Business Knowledge underlying competency?
There are 3: Business Principles and Practices Industry Knowledge Organization Knowledge
57
What is the purpose of Business Principles and Practices?
Business analysts require an understanding of fundamental business principles and best practices, in order to ensure that they are incorporated into and supported by solutions.
58
Business principles are what?
Business principles are those characteristics that are common to all organizations with a similar purpose and structure, whether or not they are in the same industry. They typically apply to many common areas in an organization.
59
What are some of the common functional areas in an organization?
Human Resources Finance :Information Technology Supply Chain Mgmt
60
What is the purpose of Industry Knowledge?
Business analysts should have an understanding of the industry that their organization is in so that they may understand new challenges that may be posed by competitive moves, and which solutions have proven effective elsewhere.
61
Industry Knowledge is defined as what?
The understanding of the competitive forces that shape an industry
62
What must a business analyst understand to have an effective industry knowledge base?
various customer segments that the industry services demographic or other characteristics common to that segment common industry trends
63
What is the purpose of Organization Knowledge?
Business analysis is significantly assisted by an understanding of the organization for which it is being performed.
64
Organization Knowledge is defined how?
Organization knowledge is an understanding of the business architecture of the organization that is being analyzed
65
Organization Knowledge includes what factors?
understanding of the business models that the organization (that is, how the organization generates profits or otherwise accomplishes its goals) the organizational structure that is in place, the relationships that exist between business units and the persons who occupy key stakeholder positions informal lines of communication and authority
66
What is the purpose of Solution Knowledge?
Business analysts can use their understanding of existing solutions in order to identify the most effective means of implementing a change.
67
Why is solution knowledge important for a business analyst?
A business analyst who is familiar with the workings of a solution may be able to more easily identify and recommend changes that can be implemented easily while still providing concrete benefits. Familiarity with the range of commercially available solutions or suppliers can assist with the identification of possible alternatives
68
What are the effectiveness measures of solution knowledge?
Reduced time or cost to implement a required change Shortened time on requirements analysis and/or solution design Understanding when a larger change is justified based on business benefit Understanding how additional capabilities present, but not currently used, in a solution can be deployed to provide business value.
69
What are the various types of Communication Skills?
There are 3: Oral Communication Teaching Written Communication
70
What is the purpose of Oral Communication?
Oral communication skills enable business analysts to effectively express ideas in ways that are appropriate to the target audience.
71
Oral communication skills are used to do what?
Verbally express ideas, information, or other matters
72
Effective oral communication skills include what?
The ability to make oneself understood and the active listening skills that ensure that the statements of others are accurately understood.
73
What are the effectiveness measures of oral communication?
Effectively paraphrasing statements to ensure understanding Effectively facilitating sessions, ensuring success through preparedness and coordination Developing and delivering powerful presentations by positioning content and objectives appropriately (i.e. positive verses negative tone) Can communicate the criticality or urgency of a situation in a calm, rational manner with proposed solutions.
74
What is the purpose of teaching?
Teaching skills are required to ensure that business analysts can effectively communicate issues and requirements and to ensure that the information communicated is understood and retained
75
Teaching requires an understanding of what?
How people learn and the ability to use this understanding to effectively facilitate the learning experience
76
What are the three types of learning?
auditory visual kinesthetic
77
What are the effectiveness measures of teaching?
Verifying that learners have acquired information that has been imparted to them Ability of learners to use new skills or demonstrate new knowledge.
78
What is the purpose of written communication?
Written communication skills are necessary for business analysts to document elicitation results, requirements, and other information for which medium-to-long term records are required.
79
Written communication involves the use of what?
Symbols to communicate information. It includes the ability to write effectively for various contexts and audiences
80
Written communication is required when?
When information will be used at a time or place that is remote from the time and place it was created
81
What are the effectiveness measures of written communication?
Ability to adjust the style of writing for the needs of the audience Proper use of grammar and style Appropriate choice of words Ability of the reader to paraphrase and describe the content of the written communication.
82
What are the various types of Interaction Skills?
There are 3: Facilitation and Negotiation Leadership and Influencing Teamwork
83
Leadership involves motivating people to do what?
Act in ways that enable them to work together to achieve shared goals and objectives
84
Effective leadership therefore requires that the business analyst be able to do what?
Develop a vision of a desired future state that people can be motivated to work towards and the interpersonal skills necessary to encourage them to do so
85
What are the effectiveness measures of Leadership and Influencing?
Reduced resistance to necessary changes Team members and stakeholders demonstrating a willingness to set aside personal objectives when necessary Articulation of a clear and inspiring vision of a desired future state.
86
What is the purpose of teamwork?
Business analysts must be able to work closely with other team members to effectively support their work so that solutions can be effectively implemented
87
Communications and trust can also be enhanced through understanding and awareness of facets such as?
The process of setting of rules for the team, team decision-making, formal and informal team leadership and management roles.
88
What are the two types of conflict?
The basic types of conflict are emotional and cognitive.
89
Emotional conflict stems from what?
Personal interactions, while cognitive conflicts are based upon disagreements on matters of substantive value or impact on the project or organization
90
Resolution of cognitive conflict requires the team to focus on what?
Examining the premises, assumptions, observations and expectations of the team members
91
What are the effectiveness measures of teamwork?
Fostering a collaborative working environment Effective resolution of conflict Developing trust among team members Support among the team for shared high standards of achievement Team members have a shared sense of ownership of the team goals.
92
What are the types of Software Applications?
There are 2: General Purpose Specialized
93
What are general purpose applications?
Business analysts use office productivity applications to document and track requirements.
94
What are the three categories of general purpose applications?
These applications generally consist of three components in a suite of tools: word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
95
What is the purpose of collaboration and knowledge management tools?
Collaboration and knowledge management tools are used to support the capturing of knowledge distributed throughout an organization and make it as widely available as possible.
96
What are some examples of collaboration tools?
document repositories (which integrate with office productivity software) wikis (which allow easy creation and link\_ing of web pages) discussion forums.
97
What are the effectiveness measures of general purpose applications?
Ability to apply an understanding of one tool to other similar tools Able to identify major tools in the marketplace and describe how they are used in any given situation. Understands and is able to use most of the major features of the tool Able to use the tools to complete requirements-related activities more rapidly than is possible without them.
98
Diagramming tools are designed to do what?
Support the rapid drawing and documentation of a model, typically by providing a set of templates for a particular notation which are used to develop diagrams based on it
99
Modeling tools facilitate the conversion of the model into a what?
Executable form, either by use of a proprietary engine for executing the model or by generating application code which can be enhanced by a developer.
100
What is the primary function of requirements management tools?
Requirements management tools are used to support change control, traceability, and configuration management of requirements and requirements artifacts.
101
What are the effectiveness measures of specialized software?
Ability to apply an understanding of one tool to other similar tools Able to identify major tools in the marketplace and describe how they are used in any given situation. Understands and is able to use most of the major features of the tool Able to use the tools to complete requirements-related activities more rapidly than is possible without them. Able to track changes to the requirements made through the tools.
102
According to the BABOK 2.0, techniques offer what to the business analyst?
Techniques alter the way a business analysis task is performed or describe a specific form the output of a task may take.
103
What is the purpose of the Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria technique?
To define the requirements that must be met in order for a solution to be considered acceptable to key stakeholders.
104
Acceptance Criteria is defined as what?
Acceptance criteria describe the minimal set of requirements that must be met in order for a particular solution to be worth implementing
105
Evaluation criteria are what?
Evaluation criteria are the set of requirements that will be used to choose between multiple solutions.
106
When are acceptance criteria used?
Acceptance criteria are typically used when only one possible solution is being evaluated and are generally expressed as a pass or fail.
107
When are evaluation criteria used?
Evaluation criteria are used to compare multiple solutions or solution components and allow for a range of possible scores
108
What are the elements of acceptance and evaluation criteria?
There are 2: Testability Determine Rank and Scoring
109
What does testability mean?
That the requirements are able to be tested and are expressed in a testable form
110
What is ranking?
Ranking is the process of determining the order of importance for all requirements
111
What technique is commonly used for ranking?
Moscow
112
What is scoring?
Scoring is the process of determining how well a solution meets a requirement
113
In ranking and scoring, who must agree not only on the criteria, but how the solution will be rated against them?
All stakeholders
114
What are the advantages of acceptance and evaluation criteria?
Agile methodologies may require that all requirements be expressed in the form of testable acceptance criteria. Acceptance criteria are also necessary when the requirements express contractual obligations.
115
What are the disadvantages of acceptance and evaluation criteria?
Acceptance and evaluation criteria may express contractual obligations and as such may be difficult to change for legal or political reasons
116
What is the purpose of benchmarking?
Benchmark studies are performed to compare the strengths and weaknesses of an organization against its peers and competitors
117
Benchmark studies compare what?
Organizational practices against the best-in-class practices that exist within competitor enterprises in government or industry.
118
The objective of benchmark studies is to determine what?
How companies achieve their superior performance levels and use that information to design projects to improve operations of the enterprise
119
Benchmarking is usually focused on what three things?
strategies, operations and processes
120
What is an advantage of benchmarking?
Benchmarking provides organizations with information about new and different methods, ideas, and tools to improve organizational performance
121
What are the disadvantages of benchmarking?
time consuming must have experience performing cannot produce innovative ideas
122
What is the purpose of the Brainstorming technique?
Brainstorming is an excellent way to foster creative thinking about a problem. The aim of brainstorming is to produce numerous new ideas, and to derive from them themes for further analysis.
123
What are the elements of brainstorming?
There are 3: Preparation Session Wrap-up
124
What kind of preparation is needed for a brainstorming session?
Develop a clear and concise definition of the area of interest Determine a time limit for the group to generate ideas; the larger the group, the more time required. Identify facilitator and participants in session Aim for participants (ideally 6 to 8) who represent a range of background and experience with the topic. Set expectations with participants and get their buy in to the process Establish criteria for evaluating and rating the ideas
125
What are the things that are important to the session element for brainstorming?
Share new ideas without any discussion, criticism or evaluation Visibly record all ideas Encourage participants to be creative, share exaggerated ideas, and build on the ideas of others. Don\_t limit the number of ideas as the goal is to elicit as many as possible within the time period.
126
What occurs in a brainstorming session wrap-up?
Once the time limit is reached, using the pre-determined evaluation criteria, discuss and evaluate the ideas Create a condensed list of ideas, combine ideas where appropriate, and eliminate duplicates Rate the ideas. Distribute the final list of ideas to appropriate parties.
127
What are the disadvantages of a brainstorming session?
Dependent on participants\_ creativity and willingness to participate. Organizational and interpersonal politics may also limit participation Group participants must agree to avoid debating the ideas raised during brainstorming.
128
What are the measures of effectiveness for Business Principles and Practices?
Understanding of business environments, operations, process and practices relating to Common business management and decision making concepts, principles activities and practices; typical organization structures, job functions and work activities; complex business functions and operations Understanding of relevant regulatory, compliance, and governance frameworks Understanding of auditing and security issues
129
What are the effectiveness measures of industry knowledge?
Understanding of industry related material and keeps abreast of what is taking place in the industry The ability to identify key trends shaping the industry Knowledge of major competitors and partners for the organization Knowledge of major customer segments Knowledge of common products and product types Knowledge of sources of information about the industry, including relevant trade organizations or journals Understanding of industry-specific resource and process documents Understanding of industry standard processes and methodologies Understanding of the industry regulatory environment.
130
What are the three types of specialized tools mentioned in the BABOK 2.0?
Diagramming Modeling Requirements Management
131
Name all 34 techniques in the BABOK 2.0
Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition Benchmarking Brainstorming Business Rules Analysis Data Dictionary and Glossary Data Flow Diagrams Data Modeling Decision Analysis Document Analysis Estimation Focus Groups Functional Decomposition Interface Analysis Interviews Lessons Learned Process Metrics and Key Performance Indicators Non-functional Requirements Analysis Observation Organization Modeling Problem Tracking Process Modeling Prototyping Requirements Workshops Risk Analysis Root Cause Analysis Scenarios and Use Cases Scope Modeling Sequence Diagrams State Diagrams Structured Walkthrough Survey/Questionnaire SWOT Analysis User Stories Vendor Assessment
132
What are the advantages of a brainstorming session?
Ability to elicit many ideas in a short time period Non-judgmental environment enables creative thinking Can be useful during a workshop to reduce tension between participants
133
What is the purpose of the Business Rules Analysis technique?
To define the rules that govern decisions in an organization and that define, constrain, or enable organizational operations
134
What is a business policy?
A business policy is a non-actionable directive that supports a business goal
135
What occurs in business rules analysis?
Policies and rules direct and constrain the organization and operation of an organization
136
What is the definition of a business rule?
A business rule is a specific, actionable, testable directive that is under the control of an organization and that supports a business policy
137
A decision table or decision tree is used for what?
Expression and display of complex rules, rule sets and their interdependencies
138
What are characteristics of good business rules?
Stated in appropriate terminology to enable domain SMEs to validate the rules. Documented independently of how they will be enforced Stated at the atomic level and in declarative format Separated from processes that the rule supports or constrains. Maintained in a manner that enables the organization to monitor and adapt the rules as the business policies change.
139
What are the elements of Business Rules Analysis?
There are 2: Operative Rules Structural Rules
140
What are Operative Rules?
Operative rules are rules that the organization chooses to enforce as a matter of policy
141
Operative Rules oblige people to do what?
To take certain actions, prevent people from taking actions, or prescribe the conditions under which an action may be taken
142
True or False: it must be possible for people to violate an operative rule, even if there are no circumstances under which the organization would approve of them doing so?
TRUE
143
Structural rules are intended to do what?
Help determine when something is or is not true, or when things fall into a specific category.
144
Because they structure the knowledge of the organization, rather than the behavior of persons, structural rules cannot be what?
Violated
145
Structural Rules also describe what?
How information may be inferred or calculated based on other data available to the business
146
Clearly defining and structuring rules allows organizations to do what?
Make changes to policy without altering processes.
147
True or False: The impact of changes to business rules can be assessed more easily when they are documented as part of the processes they detail or the means used to enforce the rules.
FALSE
148
The following is an example of an Operational or Structural rule? \_An order must have one and only one associated payment method\_
Structural
149
The following is an example of an operative or structural rule? \_An order must not be placed when the billing address provided by the customer does not match the address on file with the credit card provider\_
Operative
150
What is a weakness of large amounts of business rules?
Business rules can contradict one another or produce unanticipated results when combined
151
What is the purpose of the Data Dictionary and Glossary technique?
A data dictionary or glossary defines key terms and data relevant to a business domain
152
Data dictionaries or glossaries are used to formally identify and define what?
All terminology used by the organization or organizational unit
153
What are the elements of the technique?
Data Dictionary and Glossary
154
Why is a glossary created?
To ensure that all stakeholders understood what is meant when certain words are used
155
What does a glossary consist of?
A glossary consists of a term relevant to the domain and a unique definition for each, as well as cross-referencing aliases
156
Data dictionaries include what?
standard definitions of data elements and their meanings allowable values. definitions of each primitive data element and indications of how those elements combine into composite data elements
157
What is a primitive data element?
The basic unit of data that includes information about an element: Name Alias Values/Meanings Description
158
What is a composite data element?
Composite data is assembled from primitive data elements
159
What are some examples of composite structures?
Sequences Repetitions Optional Elements
160
What do sequences do with regard to data?
Show primitive data in a specific order
161
What do repetitions do?
Show primitive data elements that occur more than once in a composite structure
162
What are glossaries and data dictionaries useful for?
A data dictionary or glossary is useful for ensuring that all stakeholders are in agreement on the format and content of relevant information
163
What is the purpose of the Data Flow Diagrams technique?
To show how information is input, processed, stored, and output from a system.
164
The Data Flow Diagram (DFD) provides a visual representation of what?
How information is moved through a system
165
What do data flow diagrams show?
External Entities that provide data to, or receive data from, a system The Processes of the system that transform data The Data Stores in which data is collected for some period of time The Data Flows by which data moves between External Entities, Processes and Data Stores
166
What are the elements of data flow diagrams?
There are 4: External Entities Data Store Data Process Data Flow
167
What is an external entity?
An external entity is a source or a destination of data. It is represented as a labeled rectangle.
168
What is a data store?
A data store represents a location where data is not moving or transforming, but is being stored passively for future use
169
What is a data process?
A data process is a process that transforms the data in some way, either combining the data, reordering the data, converting the data, filtering the data or other such activities.
170
What is a data flow?
A data flow identifies where data is being moved between a data process and an external entity, a data store or another data process
171
What are the strengths of data flow diagrams?
May be used as a discovery technique for processes and data, or as a technique for verification of a Functional Decomposition or Data Model that have already been completed. Most users find these diagrams quite easy to understand Generally considered a useful analysis deliverable to developers in a structured programming environment.
172
What are the weaknesses of data flow diagrams?
They cannot easily show who is responsible for performing the work. They cannot show alternative paths through the same process.
173
What is the purpose of the Data Modeling technique?
The purpose of a data model is to describe the concepts relevant to a domain, the relationships between those concepts, and information associated with them.
174
Data models visually present what information?
types of people places things concepts that are important to the business, attributes associated with them significant business relationships among all of the above
175
What two techniques often support the Data Model technique?
Data Dictionaries and Glossaries Business Rules Analysis
176
What are the two most common data models?
Entity-relationship diagram (ERD) and the class diagram
177
When working with relational databases, what is the preferred data model type?
Entity-relationship diagram (ERD)
178
Class Diagrams are typically used when performing what?
Object-oriented design and development
179
What are the elements of the Data Model technique?
There are 4: Concept Attributes Relationship Metadata
180
What is the definition of a concept?
Something of significance to the domain being described, about which the organization needs data. Concepts are referred to as entities in ERDs and as classes in class diagrams
181
What is an attribute?
A particular piece of information associated with a concept
182
What are relationships with regard to data modeling?
Relationships are significant business associations between concepts and define how information is used in the operation of the business, and indicate the important linkages that need to be managed and maintained in the solution
183
What is the definition of metadata?
Data about data that describes the context, use, and validity of business information and is generally used to determine when and why information stored in a system was changed
184
What are the advantages of data modeling?
flexibility of different levels of description consistent modeling approach that supports the transition through planning, analysis, design and implementation supported by rigorous rules for correctness and completeness which encourages accuracy
185
What are the disadvantages of data modeling?
can be complex deal with concepts that may be unfamiliar to people without a background in data modeling
186
What is the purpose of the Decision Analysis technique?
To support decision-making when dealing with complex, difficult, or uncertain situations.
187
Decision analysis examines and models what?
The possible consequences of different decisions in order to in make an optimal decision under conditions of uncertainty
188
For effective decision analysis, the business analyst must understand what?
The values, goals and objectives that are relevant to the decision problem The nature of the decision that must be made The areas of uncertainty that affect the decision and the consequences of each possible decision
189
What are the elements of the Decision Analysis technique?
There are 3: Outcomes Uncertainty Trade-offs
190
What are the two types of outcomes?
Financial Non-Financial
191
What are the examples of financial outcomes of Decision Analysis?
Discounted Cash Flow: future value on a specific data Net Present Value: future view of costs and benefits converted to today\_s value Internal Rate of Return: the interest rate (or discount) when the net present value is equal to zero Average Rate of Return: estimate of rate of return on an investment Pay Back Period: the amount of time it takes for an investment to pay for itself Cost-Benefit Analysis: quantification of costs and benefits for a proposed new solution
192
When does uncertainty becomes relative to a decision problem?
When it is impossible to know which outcome will occur.
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What is a common way to handle uncertainty?
To calculate the expected value of the outcomes. This involves estimating the percentage chance of each outcome occurring and them multiplying the numeric value associated with that outcome by that percentage
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What is a method to assess preferred outcome when multiple sources of uncertainty exist?
Decision tree
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When do trade-offs become relevant to a problem decision?
Whenever a decision problem involves multiple, possibly conflicting, objectives
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What are two common methods of making tradeoff decisions?
Elimination of dominated alternatives Ranking objectives on a similar scale
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What are some of the common functional areas in an organization?
Human Resources Finance Information Technology Supply Chain Mgmt
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What is the purpose of Organization Knowledge?
Business analysis is significantly assisted by an understanding of the organization for which it is being performed.
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Solution Assessment activities may be performed to assess and validate what?
business processes organizational structures outsourcing agreements software applications
