Test1 Flashcards
What is a BA?
BAs are responsible for discovering, synthesizing, and analyzing information from a variety of sources within an enterprise, including tools, processes,documentation, and stakeholders. The business analyst is responsible for eliciting the actual needs of stakeholders—which frequently involves investigating and
clarifying their expressed desires—in order to determine underlying issues and
causes.
Typical BA responsibilities
understanding enterprise problems and goals analyzing needs and solultions devising strategies driving change facilitating stakeholder collaboration
Common characteristics of BAs in the BA hall of fame
primarily non-IT people. all our hall of famers brought better solutions not better means to finding a solution.
Adam Smith
Asserted that all economy and business is ruled by the invisible hand of self interest
Herman Hollerith
Implemented hole punch cards for the census
Frederick Winslow Taylor
first to apply systematic observation to the workplace
Sherlock Holmes(written by Arthur Conan Doyle)
examining all the available data before coming to a conclusion about a solution
Mark Twain
provided guidance in gathering data and assembling facts from a reporting perspective
Phil Crosby, Armand Feigenbaum, William Edwards Deming
Quality Gurus
Alex Osborn
advertising manager who developed the brainstorming method, creative thinking, and problem solving methods
Michael Hammer and James Champy
coined the term business process re-engineering(BPR)
Bill Smith
Brought the attention of six sigma to the business and IT people
Pros of IT background
-independent from the influence of business management
-has good relation with technicians on solution team
-Can discern real problems from noise
=additional resource on solution team
Cons of IT background
- conflict of interest trying to represent bus. to IT project
- looks at solution instead of studying problem
- may not really care about the bus. as much as tech
- keeps solutions within the confines of existing systems and knowledge
- jumps to solution
Pros of business background(business area)
- bus. area gets a trusted resource
- more in depth knowledge of systems supporting bus. area
- can be an SME, relieving the bus. area from having to assign SMEs
- aid in transition from old process to changed process
- reduce risk by working within the confines of the bus.
Cons of business background(business area)
- Too influenced by single business entity
- Not enough breadth to determine impact outside bus. area
- solutions determined by how things are done now instead of evaluating new potential solutions
- accepts symptoms as problems instead of investigating thoroughly
- regarded as “one of them” by IT allies
- tends to see changes only as incremental improvements
positioning of BA function within the organization
A centralized BA group, operates separately from bus. or IT. allows it to solve bus. problem for the bus. as a whole pg. 37
core competencies of communication
verbal communication
non-verbal communication
written communication
listening
role of project manager
looks inward toward the solution team to make sure the solution is being built correctly,focused on efficiently solving it in a timely manner
role of BA
the BA looks outward to the customer and organization., filters changes, issues, and problems that come from the bus. community
role of a system analyst
focus on how the problem is going to solved: technologies, design, and code
different members of the bus. community
BUSINESS MANAGER
problem owner
process workers
The BA defines the problems that need to be solved by them
Technique for identifying the real problem
5 whys technique
Another technique for identifying the real problem(problem determination game)
- Gather all possible problem candidates
- determine problems that are out of scope
- determine problem owner
- determine relevancy
- distinguish between problems and requirements
- distinguish between problem and symptoms
language of the problem
- the problem should be stated negatively
- should be as unambiguous as possible
- stated in clear and concise language
- everyone involved should understand the same problem
product vision
the customer or problem owner have the vision and it is up to the BA to manage the expectations of that vision, it tells us when were done, helps focus efforts
When Blais says “stop requirements” he means:
Gather as much information as possible and then use that to define requirements
confirm elicitation results
involves ensuring that stakeholders have a
shared understanding of the outcomes of elicitation, that elicited information is recorded appropriately, and that the business analyst has the information sought from an elicitation activity. This task also involves comparing the information received with other information to look for
inconsistencies or gaps
business case
relies on the product scope and is essential to the project charter
