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My life as a Business Analyst- Presentation to IIBA Members
By: Scott A. Mackay
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Purpose
•Introduce you to the typical things that I do in my work as a Business Analyst. Note that your experiences could be different.
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Introduction
•My degree is in Industrial Engineering •I have worked in process improvement &
best practices for over 30 years•Most of my recent work has been in
developing new or improving existing software applications
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Most Recent Projects• Health Assessment Tool• Maintenance Man Dispatching Tool• Hotel Reservation Tool• Catering & Banqueting Tool• Vessel & Pipeline Reliability Predictor Tool• Time & Attendance Tool(s)• On-line Training Creation Tool(s)• Truss & Wall Panel Estimating Tool• Prescription Drug Data Publishing Tool• Field Engineering Support Tool• Tax Return Processing System• Business Intelligence Dashboard
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Current Project
•Process Surveillance & Analysis Tools▫Business Case▫Business Requirements Document▫Minimal Master Data Management▫Tool Selection & Implementation (as RFP
Lead)▫User Training▫Effectiveness Assessment
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These are the artifacts (deliverables) that I create for most projects. Sometimes I work alone, and sometimes the work is distributed across a team of BAs.
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Develop a Business Case•Some projects require a Business Case prior
to starting•The Business Case presents:
▫Clear statement of the problem to be solved▫Proposed solutions (with Context Diagrams)▫Cost benefits analysis (Tables & Graphs)▫Risk analysis▫Recommendation▫Project timeline (Gantt Chart)
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Create the Project Statement of Work•Statement of Work (aka Business
Requirements Document) should include:▫Goal of project▫Business/User needs to be satisfied▫Features to be added or improved▫Other tasks to be accomplished▫Assumptions & Constraints▫Time line goals
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Model the Business Process
•Create Process Maps▫Top level flows with swim lanes
•Create Process Activity Flows▫Lower level flows▫Hierarchical if needed
•Typically focused on the Future State▫Document the As-is if needed
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Create Business Object Model
•Build one or more diagrams showing:▫Business Objects▫Business Object Attributes▫Business Operations▫Relationships
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Create the Use Case Model
•Build one or more diagrams showing:▫Actors▫Use Case Titles▫Relationships
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Create a Storyboard
•Build User Interface Mock-ups showing:▫New screens and operations▫New fields and operations on existing
screens▫Animation of screen flow (Behavior Model)
•Usually done in a workshop setting▫Faster & more effective if done using rapid
visualization technique
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Create the Use Cases
•Write User Stories for simple operations such as:▫Open, save, delete, exit, cancel
•Write Use Case Narratives for complex operations such as:▫Creating a Business Object▫Viewing or Editing a Business Object
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Create A Glossary
•Write a Dictionary of Unique Terms▫Collect terms unique to the business
process▫Define each term▫Get agreement of each definition
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These are the activities I perform most often for each project.
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Conduct Stakeholder Workshops•I use these to:
▫Examine a business problem Who are the actors in the business process? How do they do things today? What exactly is the problem to be solved?
▫Brainstorm solutions to a business problem▫Agree on next steps▫Promote support for the project
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Conduct Process Assessments
•I use these to:▫Understand the current business process▫Collect current process metrics▫Document all significant inputs & outputs
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Conduct Requirements Kick-off
•I use these to:▫Transmit management’s endorsement▫Introduce everyone to the project goals▫Explain the activities that they will be
involved in▫Explain the time commitments that are
needed
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Conduct Interviews
•I use these to:▫Flowchart the current process▫Identify activities affected by the project ▫Develop process changes ▫Storyboard the new process▫Promote ownership of the solution
•These can be done:▫1 on 1▫1 with many
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Conduct Use Case Reviews
•I use these to:▫Get final inputs▫Promote ownership▫Get concurrence on the solution
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Conduct Development Kick-off
•I use these to:▫Transmit management’s endorsement▫Introduce Developers and Testers to the
project goals▫Explain the:
Process Map Activity Flows Use Case Model Object Model Storyboard
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Conduct Requirements Peer Reviews•I use these for each requirements
document to:▫Get Stakeholder concurrence▫Get Developer concurrence▫Get Tester concurrence
•Might do many documents as a set▫ex: All User Stories & Storyboards for the
next Sprint
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Attend Design Peer Reviews
•I try to assure:▫Proposed designs meet requirements▫Actors are comfortable with the designs▫Any proposed changes are desirable,
acceptable, and followed up by changes to requirements if needed
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Conduct Build Reviews
•I use these to:▫Get feedback▫Assess completeness of the business
solution▫Identify things missing▫Identify unexpected things▫Assure business requirements are being
met▫Shake out bugs prior to formal testing
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Conduct User Acceptance
•I use these to:▫Get user concurrence with the solution▫Get feedback for future changes or new
features
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Conduct User Training
•I use this to prepare users for transition to the new business process:▫Explain the expected benefits of the new
business process▫Introduce each change in the process▫Let each user try the new process in a
training environment
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Audit Results
•I use this to:▫Validate that the business process changes
worked as predicted▫Document productivity savings▫Assess user acceptance▫Collect feedback for future changes
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Ancillary Activities•I am occasionally asked to do more:
▫Project Estimates & Cost Accounting▫Project Planning & Control▫Lead Requests for Proposals▫Develop Test Plans & Scripts▫Facilitate Customer Acceptance▫Facilitate Daily Scrums
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This is an activity that I often get involved with as a consultant coming into a new company
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Assess current process
•Assure the best practices are in place:▫Lean Development Methodology▫Project Management Process▫Change Control Process▫Configuration Management Process▫Quality Assurance Process▫Visual Modeling Capabilities▫Peer Review Process
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Assess current process steps
•Assure the key validation steps are in place:▫Statement of work peer review▫Requirements peer review▫Design peer review▫Developer’s testing▫User’s build review▫Quality control testing▫User training▫User acceptance
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Assess current process steps
•Assure the key management activities are in place:▫Status meetings▫Issues meetings▫Risk assessment updates▫Iteration planning meetings▫Iteration post mortem meetings
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Assess current tools
•Assure the needed tools are in place:▫Email & Appointment tool▫Shared document storage tool▫Document editing tool▫Presentation editing tool▫UI modeling tool ▫UML modeling tool▫BPMN modeling tool
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Assess Working Environment
•Assure facilities are available:▫Conference Room
PC Projector Speaker phone
▫Quiet workspace
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These are the skills that I use most often
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My Skills Set is:
•Business process flow charting•Storyboarding •Object & Use Case modeling•Meeting facilitization•Requirements elicitation•Requirements writing•Use Case writing
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I also need:
• Imagination•Visualization•Creativity•Patience &
listening•Public speaking•Ego control•Attention to details•Time management
•Motivation•Spelling &
grammar•Math•Leadership
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My secrets to success
•Work fast•Work cheaply•Keep quality high•Affect the company’s bottom line•Stay flexible to changes
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Questions?