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6/5/2008 10:33 PM

	Craig Brown
560 posts
www.betterprojects.net

BA Lifecycle models

Modified By Adrian M. on 6/6/2008 12:43:44 AM)

A recent blog post got me thinking about models around how BAs do their jobs. As a result I have posted three models on BetterProjects.

If you are into these sorts of things have a look at tell me what you think.

Link: http://www.betterprojects.net/2008/06/business-analysis-life-cycles.html

6/9/2008 6:45 AM

	Tony Markos
493 posts

Re: BA Lifecycle models

Craig:

When I took the Yourdon course on data flow diagramming, the instructor emphasized that ninty-eight percent (98%) of the required work in a software project is coming up with a comprehensive, integrated understanding of the "as-is" . Such as always been my experience for larger scale efforts. Therefore, I say a model of what a BA should do should consist of one really, really big function box labled something like "caputure the as is", and a set of much smaller boxes for scope, requirements spec, design, develop, implement, etc.

Without proper emphasis, the typically situation is the most important task gets very shortchanged. I have seen this time and again. The urge to implement is just too strong.

Tony

6/10/2008 4:13 AM

	Craig Brown
560 posts
www.betterprojects.net

Re: BA Lifecycle models

I am very much a fan of starting with the big picture.

I like to start my investigation with documemnts like the organisation's strategy, values and similar.

Guy remnded me that not all projects are related to the big picture. Some might be more mundane like applcaition upgrades, or fixing broken business processes. (I reckon there still should be a link, but it can get a bit academic sometimes, so yes I agree with you Guy.)

Regardless of the context of your project, it really is good practice to start at the highest levels and work your way down. If you know the big picture you can take more educated guesses when you hit the grey zones later.

Have any readers come across develoeprs who have never actually met a user? Who don't understand the business at all, beyond a series of use cases? Next time you are talking to the developers, have a gerneral dicussion about what the users do, and what day to day issues they find challenging, even if it's not specific to your projects and see what they say.

(Of course this is not always the case, but it does occur with an increasing frequency.)

6/11/2008 7:47 AM

	Tony Markos
493 posts

Re: BA Lifecycle models

A related question: Have any readers come across Business Analysts - even very senior level - who have never actually created and verified a set of use cases?

I recently lead a couple of larger scale across-system integration efforts at a very big company. In doing such, I had as an input the requirements specs for all the systems that were within the scope of my efforts. This represented the work of probably a couple dozen BAs. With just one exception: No use cases - just text based requirements docs, with maybe a vaugue functional model (you know, with clouds, lightening bolts, unlabled arrows, and graphics of PC's and Mainframes). This was dispite the fact the company teaches an on-going and continually well attended course on requirements elicitation that focused on using use cases

Unfortunately, many in IT, BA's and developers alike, need to be grounded in the implementation details. To venture into the higher levels of abstraction is too risky for most.

Tony