International Diploma in Business Analysis (Viva)

Question 1

Why is business analysis important?

aka. What benefit do BAs bring? What’s the downside of not having BAs? What business problem does BA solve? How would you convince a skeptical manage of the virtues of BA?

Answer 1

• Business too ‘busy’ with BAU
• Dealing with stakeholders and the search for options takes time and skill
• Holistic, objective approach is desirable.
  
  • Can challenge status quo
  • Can consider the context and all implications
• Business-focused, IT-literate
  
  • Liaison with IT providers
  • Champion for sensible use of technology
  • Creates a feasible IT solution
  • Taking into account ‘soft’ issues
  • Business benefit driven

Question 2

What services do business analysts perform?

Answer 2

• Situation investigation and problem analysis
• Feasibility assessment and business case development
• Requirements definition
• Business acceptance testing
• Business process improvement
• Business chance deployment

Extended:
- Strategy analysis and execution
- IT requirements specification

All allow organisations to generate better questions, answers and options for the problems and opportunities that they face at all levels.

Question 3

Explain the holistic view of a business system and describe its application?

aka. explain what is meant by a holistic approach to business change. What are the main topics to focus on when specifying business change.

Answer 3

Aspects of a holistic view: POPIT
i. People eg. skills and motivation?
ii. Process eg. defined and efficient?
iii. Organisation eg. supportive management approach?
iv. Information eg. to make decisions and operate
v. Technology eg. communication mechanism to get information where it’s needed.
Information and technology, while related and often intertwined in modern organisations, are separate elements.

Holistic, objective approach is desirable.
- Can challenge status quo
- Can consider the context and all implications

Question 4

What are the competencies of a business analyst and why are they important to the role?

Answer 4

‘T-shaped’ professionals: deep skills in specialist discipline and broad generic skills across other disciplines. Makes them adaptable and aid holistic thinking.

a. Business knowledge. eg. organisation structures, domain knowledge, commercial awareness
b. Personal qualities. eg. communication, leadership, facilitation, attention to detail, problem solving, resilience
c. Professional techniques. eg. project management, investigation techniques, requirements engineer, gap analysis

Question 5

What is a business analyst?

Answer 5

According to BCS, BAs are internal consultants that carry out some or all of the services within the business analysis services framework in order to ensure effective deployment of business changes and use of technology in line with the needs of the organisation.

Question 6

What are the guiding principals of business analysis?

Answer 6

• Root causes, not symptoms
• Business improvement, not IT change
• Options, not solutions
• Feasible, contributing requirements, not meeting all requests
• Entire business change lifecycle, not just requirements definition
• Negotiation, not avoidance

Question 7

Demonstrate professionalism in business analysis

Answer 7

BCS plays a critical role in professional development of business analysts - professional body, qualifications, standards and a code of conduct. The four principals of this are:
- Public interest: make IT for all
- Professional competence and integrity: show what you know and learn what you don’t
- Duty to relevant authority: respect the organisation/individual you work for
- Duty to the profession: encourage and support others in the profession

Question 8

How can SWOT help with the analysis of the organisational environment?

Answer 8

A SWOT analysis is used to analyse the current state of both the internal and external organisational environment. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses which exist internally, and the opportunities and threats external which exist in externally helps the analyst to understand the strategic context around their activity.

Question 9

What are the main sectors of the economy?

Answer 9

Private
Public
Not for Profit

Question 10

Gives examples of some legislation relevant to business analysis.

Answer 10

• Data protection eg. GDPR
• Equality and anti-discrimination eg. disability access provisions
• Business compliance