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New Post 4/12/2010 5:17 AM
User is offline Michiel Erasmus
13 posts
thebusinessanalystpodcast.blogspot.com
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Please, advise on creating a Impact Analysis 

Recently in a job ad, they asked for skill to perform a Impact Analysis. The job was regarding a startup electricity provider (4 employess in total). Other skills asked was the usual requirements gathering, writing use cases etc.

Lets assume a small backoffice order entry system developed in MS Access has to be upscaled to multi-user environment.

What is mean by a Impact Analysis?
In which phase of a project would one do a Impact Analysis?
How does it come about?
Who is involved?
Why would you do it?
What would be the contents of a Impact Analysis (document)?
With whom would you be communicating it?

 
New Post 8/22/2010 3:48 AM
User is offline Goldie
15 posts
9th Level Poster


Re: Please, advise on creating a Impact Analysis 

This is a combination of current-state to target-state and scenario planning.

You have developed a current-state map according to criteria and a target-state according to where you want to go and be. You have done a gap analysis between the two. 

Then you have a choice of implementations that will take you towards the target-state, according to strategic or other considerations (which is why you're upscaling your MS Access to a multi-user environment).

Then you identify targets that your implementation will impact, for example, stakeholders, processes etc. Your targets need to be understood on more than just a one-dimensional level (for example, with stakeholders, look at all the models used to analyse them).

Then you use various models to demonstrate the impact (benchmarks, perception maps, qualitative, quantitative, processes, financial etc).

Here, it's using all the methodologies of scenario analysis. Various scenarios lead to various outcomes.

For example, stakeholders can initially be analysed as hot and cold and various degrees in between. You can show how the particular project action plan moves cold stakeholders to hot, moves resistant stakeholders to aligned etc.

An "Impact Analysis" is much more complicated than these two words make it sound. There are hundreds of potential criteria that your implementation will impact. You will likely have to include financial impacts, so a good idea of financial ratios will help etc etc etc.

In a way it's common sense, but you won't make it "professional" unless you apply the models to it (you won't be taken seriously if you use uneducated terminology and structures; your bosses won't think you're "adding value"; you won't be offered a job or be promoted), which indicates that you need a good understanding of them. See www.clickok.org for a range of models.

Hope this helps.

 

 
New Post 8/24/2010 7:26 PM
User is offline [email protected]
22 posts
9th Level Poster


Re: Please, advise on creating a Impact Analysis 

Impact analyis mainly involves a gap analysis and the results from it. To do this you need to understand the current state and then the future state

 

This is manily done in Initiation/Dicovery phase. During the initiatiin, the high level scope of the project is analyzed and any impact that it may have on the tripple constraint are made clear.The result of the gap /impact analysis is a gap analysis document, risk register . The gate review done during phase leads to next phases like requirement, developlement etc....

 

It is created by applying BPMN techniques. To learn more on BPMN contatc me at [email protected]

 

Usually the analyst and the PM of the project is responsible for creating this document with brainstorming sessions with stakeholders

The document is communicated or used by r management to make ome critical decisions about the project or the work that is involved

 

Supriya

[email protected]

Busines Analysis and Project Management training provider

 
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