Introduction into BA

Question 1

What are the 4 views of the holistic approach to business analysis?

Answer 1

1. Organisation
2. People
3. IT
4. Processes

Question 2

What are the 5 stages of the business life cycle?

Answer 2

1. Alignment
2. Definition
3. Design & Development
4. Implementation
5. Realisation

Question 3

What are the characteristics of agile systems development?

Answer 3

• Individuals and interactions over proesses and tools
• working software over comprehensive documentation
• customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• responding to change over following a plan

Question 4

What are the general repsposibilities of a BA? (3)

Answer 4

1. Investigate business processes
2. Identify actions required to improve business systems
3. Document business requirements for IT support

Question 5

What are additional advanced tasks of a BA?

Answer 5

• Strategy implementation (Define effective business systems to support business strategy)
• Business process redesign (Business process management and operation)
• Business case production (Work with finance specialists to define cost benefits)
• IT requirements specification (Standard modelling techniques such as data modelling or use case modelling)

Question 6

What are the guiding principles of a BA?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What are the core competencies of a BA?

Answer 7

• Personal qualities
• Business knowledge
• Professional techniques

Question 8

Describe the T-Shaped Professional

Answer 8

• Deep Skills in your dicipline (professional techniques)
• Broad generic skills aross other disciplines (personal qualities & business knowledge)

Question 9

Describe the Business Change Lifecycle in more detail

Answer 9

Alignement - Enterprise architecture, business environnment, business strategy
Definition - Define business and solution requirements
Design & Development - Specification, Development and testing of solution; get user buy-in
Implementation - Planning, preparation and deployment of changes
Realisation - Benefits review, Ensure that the planned change has happened, Benefits realisation

Business strategy - continously check strategic direction of organisation & ensure change is strategic fit