https://modernanalyst.com RSS feeds for Business Analyst Community & Resources | Modern Analyst 60 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/7009/Keep-Your-Eyes-on-the-Interfaces.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=7009 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=7009&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/7009/Keep-Your-Eyes-on-the-Interfaces.aspx Business analysts must identify external interfaces and the constraints they impose on architecture and detailed designs. Conscientious designers will ensure that all the pieces of a complex system fit together correctly across their mutual interfaces. New components that developers integrate into an existing system must also conform to established interface conventions. adrian Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:7009 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6259/Smart-Ideas-for-Effective-Business-Analysis-Documentation.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=6259 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6259&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6259/Smart-Ideas-for-Effective-Business-Analysis-Documentation.aspx Effective documentation is essential for successful business analysis, as it ensures that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the goals, requirements, and processes. In addition, it helps identify potential risks and issues early on, so they can be addressed before they become major issues. It also allows  tracking changes and decisions over time. There are many kinds of documents business analysts create and maintain, including functional and non-functional requirement documents, release notes, design documents, feature overviews, process flow documents, etc. adrian Mon, 24 Apr 2023 00:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6259 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6171/How-to-Apply-Evidence-Based-Problem-Solving-to-Improve-the-Outcomes-of-Your-Projects.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=6171 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6171&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6171/How-to-Apply-Evidence-Based-Problem-Solving-to-Improve-the-Outcomes-of-Your-Projects.aspx Being “data-driven” doesn’t help create project success; being evidence-based does.  Evidence-based problem solving reduces the risk of blind spots and confirmation bias and increases the chances of achieving the desired outcomes. In high-stakes projects, risks can be dramatically reduced when a business analyst is willing to apply first principles thinking, hypothesis testing, and information value analysis to integrate the best evidence into the decision-making process. Transform VA Mon, 12 Dec 2022 01:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6171 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6128/3-Ways-to-Get-Out-of-the-Trap-of-Solving-Problems.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=6128 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6128&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6128/3-Ways-to-Get-Out-of-the-Trap-of-Solving-Problems.aspx As Business Analysts, when we’re at the sharp end of solution delivery that doesn’t match a customers needs, at that time it just can’t be rectified and we can’t help thinking that we might have been able to prevent this at the early stages. In this article we’ll explore 3 ways to get out the trap of being solution oriented up front to shift more into the problem and needs to get better requirements.  adrian Sun, 04 Sep 2022 22:34:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6128 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6095/The-Role-of-a-Business-Analyst-in-Digital-Transformation.aspx#Comments 2 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=6095 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6095&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6095/The-Role-of-a-Business-Analyst-in-Digital-Transformation.aspx We hear the buzzword “business transformation” everywhere. It has become almost expected of any organization to announce they are on their digital transformation journey. What does it mean? There are many definitions of digital transformation. This abundance points to a broad interpretation of the term. The ambiguity of these statements reflects vague expectations of many organizations embarking on their “digital transformation journeys”. Transform VA Sun, 14 Aug 2022 09:07:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6095 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6094/How-A-Problem-Statement-Kept-Me-In-Control-Of-My-Analysis.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=6094 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6094&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/6094/How-A-Problem-Statement-Kept-Me-In-Control-Of-My-Analysis.aspx When engaging on projects we need to lead our clients to get the outcomes we need for analysis. If we act passively and don’t take charge then they’ll take things all over the place and create chaos. In this article we’ll explore how a problem statement acts as a powerful tool to keep control of our engagement and analysis right through the project lifecycle. Transform VA Sun, 24 Jul 2022 22:07:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6094 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5996/An-Overview-of-the-Underlying-Competency-of-Business-Knowledge.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=5996 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5996&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5996/An-Overview-of-the-Underlying-Competency-of-Business-Knowledge.aspx Business knowledge is simply knowing your business—its facets, strengths, weaknesses, competition, challenges, positioning within the market, and readily available solutions to its daily problems. Strong business knowledge should inform everything you do.  So, what you learn and hear in discovery should be filtered through your business knowledge. What you define in your requirements should also be informed by your business knowledge. As one business analysis writer puts it, “I’ve always been of the opinion that I’d like to know as much as I can about whatever I can because you never know when something you learned may come in handy.”[2] The following four areas are the ones, specifically, according to BABOK, that you’ll want to apply yourself to. Transform VA Sun, 30 Jan 2022 20:04:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5996 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5754/An-Object-Oriented-Analysis-Of-The-BABOK.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=5754 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5754&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5754/An-Object-Oriented-Analysis-Of-The-BABOK.aspx Consider the situation where you are the business analyst who is planning project work according to the BABOK guidelines. The project manager wants to plan their time spent on business analysis activities. You produce a report of the BABOK that shows tasks that the project manager is expected to contribute to. This article describes an analysis I performed of the Business Analysis Body Of Knowledge v3 (BABOK). The result of this analysis is a model contained in the Visual Paradigm modeling tool. This model captures 461 pages of the BABOK, from the Business Analysis Key Concepts chapter through to the end of the Techniques To Tasks Mapping chapter. adrian Mon, 11 Jan 2021 04:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5754 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5475/How-Will-It-Work-The-Future-How-Viewpoint.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=5475 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5475&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5475/How-Will-It-Work-The-Future-How-Viewpoint.aspx The intention of these viewpoints is to make it easier to see and understand the real business problem. This article focuses on the fourth viewpoint, the Future-How, which looks at the solution to the business problem. It does this by assessing alternatives, and then choosing the best solution to that real business problem. Transform VA Sun, 08 Dec 2019 23:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5475 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5444/Trips-R-You-Web-based-Flight-Booking-Case-Study.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=5444 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5444&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5444/Trips-R-You-Web-based-Flight-Booking-Case-Study.aspx The purpose of the Trips-R-You Flight Booking Case Study is to provide an integrated, end-to-end set of requirement examples. In IIBA® BABOK® V3 terminology, end-to-end means from Business Requirements to Stakeholder Requirements to Solution and Transition Requirements. This case study, and associated artefacts, use the more traditional business terms Goals, High-level Requirements (HLRs), and Detail Requirements. Only functional requirements are addressed, and only within the context of a project chartered to deliver an IT-based solution. adrian Sun, 29 Sep 2019 05:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5444 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5032/Analyzing-with-Job-Task-Instructions.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=5032 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5032&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/5032/Analyzing-with-Job-Task-Instructions.aspx The success of process improvement projects is greatly influenced by good planning for gathering requirements or user stories. Part of the planning is identifying which of the analysis techniques will be effective for the elicitation of business needs with stakeholders. One objective for these techniques is to enhance project team collaboration by establishing a common understanding of the business process, thus providing a knowledge basis for developing changes. This article explores using job task instructions as an analysis technique for supporting project team collaboration by providing a platform to keep team members informed with the decisions on workplace changes. Transform VA Sun, 06 May 2018 12:15:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5032 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3859/The-Goal-Is-to-Solve-the-Problem.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=3859 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3859&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3859/The-Goal-Is-to-Solve-the-Problem.aspx A requirement is “a condition or capability needed by a user to solve a problem or to achieve an objective” (AKA a goal). Thinking in terms of problems and goals thus is a core competence for the requirements engineer. But what in fact is a problem or a goal? This may seem to be a rather philosophical question. As requirements engineers we should be quite specific on this point as the problems and goals of our clients are the raison d’être for our work. adrian Sun, 15 Oct 2017 04:30:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3859 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3772/The-Crucial-Art-of-Pre-Project-Problem-Analysis.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=3772 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3772&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3772/The-Crucial-Art-of-Pre-Project-Problem-Analysis.aspx Business analysis is a broad discipline and we have a whole range of tools and techniques at our disposal. We may get involved within projects, but also outside of them. Many BA teams are actively seeking earlier engagement—when we are engaged prior to a project being initiated we can work with our stakeholders to ensure that the problem space is thoroughly understood. We can encourage stakeholders to think about many possible solution options, and can work with them to ensure that the option that is chosen is the best fit and has the best chance of delivering maximum benefit. Early engagement also helps us avoid the 'first solution trap'. Transform VA Sun, 13 Aug 2017 19:47:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3772 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3747/Crossing-the-Imaginary-Line--Design-Thinking-in-Business-Analysis.aspx#Comments 4 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=3747 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3747&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3747/Crossing-the-Imaginary-Line--Design-Thinking-in-Business-Analysis.aspx I take the approach that as Business Analysts, the line between requirements and design is an imaginary line. We need to be pragmatic (abandon purist thinking) and not be afraid to wear the design cloak, to adopt design thinking.    So how do we incorporate design thinking in Business Analysis in a value-add way? Take the following thoughts into consideration when working on your next project that involves building or significantly updating a customer-centric application. Author: Michael Roy, Business Analysis Professional / Requirements Leader Michael is a solutions-focused Business Analysis professional with extensive experience leading change initiatives at a tactical and strategic level.   michael_r_roy01 Sun, 04 Jun 2017 15:50:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3747 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2117/Defining-Scope-with-Feature-Levels-and-Events-Scope-Part-2.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2117 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2117&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2117/Defining-Scope-with-Feature-Levels-and-Events-Scope-Part-2.aspx The context diagram and the use case diagram are two useful techniques for representing scope. This article describes two other methods for documenting scope: feature levels and system events. Transform VA Mon, 01 Aug 2016 01:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2117 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3534/Beyond-Requirements-Development.aspx#Comments 4 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=3534 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3534&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3534/Beyond-Requirements-Development.aspx So you’ve developed a set of requirements for some portion of your next systems development project. Now what? Experienced project managers and software developers understand the value of translating requirements into rational project plans and robust designs. These steps are necessary whether the next release represents 1 percent or 100 percent of the final product. As shown in Figure 1, requirements serve as the foundation for project plans, designs, code, and tests. In addition to these connections, there is a link between the requirements for the software to be built and other project and transition requirements. Those include data migrations, training design and delivery, business process and organizational changes, infrastructure modifications, and others. Transform VA Mon, 23 May 2016 06:13:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3534 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2116/Defining-Project-Scope-Scope-Part-1.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2116 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2116&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2116/Defining-Project-Scope-Scope-Part-1.aspx Every software team talks about project scope and team members often complain about unending scope creep. Unfortunately, the software industry lacks uniform definitions of these terms, and the requirements literature is short on clear guidance regarding how to even represent scope. I confront scope head-on in this series of three articles... Transform VA Sun, 08 May 2016 14:21:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2116 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3489/Get-with-the-BABOK.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=3489 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=3489&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3489/Get-with-the-BABOK.aspx Gathering and documenting requirements to develop software is often seen by business analysts as their core task. Actually, they are there to deliver value to the business—everything else is secondary. Transform VA Thu, 07 Apr 2016 01:31:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:3489 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2693/Five-Easy-Lessons-for-System-Design.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2693 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2693&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2693/Five-Easy-Lessons-for-System-Design.aspx I never really understood the hubbub associated with system design. People tend to look upon it as a complicated process. Actually it's not, yet the corporate landscape is littered with disastrous system projects costing millions of dollars, all because developers overlooked some rather simple principles for design and focused on technology instead. timbryce Wed, 07 Aug 2013 06:39:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2693 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2490/The-Twelve-Shades-of-the-Business-Analyst-BA-Facilitator.aspx#Comments 5 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2490 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2490&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2490/The-Twelve-Shades-of-the-Business-Analyst-BA-Facilitator.aspx This article reviews the complexity of the role of the business analyst (BA) facilitator in obtaining a stakeholder agreement (i.e., a consensus or a compromise) on solution features and/or user requirements. The BA facilitator achieves this agreement by maintaining a neutral posture in guiding the stakeholders though a dialogue in a series of meetings. Transform VA Mon, 11 Feb 2013 11:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2490 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2366/Solution-Scope-An-Insight.aspx#Comments 3 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2366 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2366&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2366/Solution-Scope-An-Insight.aspx Most of the projects inevitably struggle at some point or the other if the scope is not defined properly. The right note to start a project is to have a clear Project and Solution/Product scope at hand. It is very critical for a Business Analyst to clearly understand and define the Solution Scope in black and white before even going into the Requirement Elicitation phase. This article focuses primarily on key aspects of understanding and defining Solution Scope in traditional methodologies.   Transform VA Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:47:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2366 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2307/Business-Analyst-Checkpoints-Checkpoint-Beta.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=2307 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2307&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/2307/Business-Analyst-Checkpoints-Checkpoint-Beta.aspx Checkpoint Beta is not mandatory. It is, however, extremely helpful for the business analyst. Checkpoint Beta is also an informal meeting, this time with the solution team. It is held prior to committing the solution to the final, formal solution document andobtaining final confirmation from the business community. Transform VA Mon, 03 Sep 2012 10:29:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2307 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1714/A-Data-Driven-Approach-to-Specifications.aspx#Comments 3 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1714 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1714&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1714/A-Data-Driven-Approach-to-Specifications.aspx Business requirements are usually captured in narratives and graphics that, regardless of how detailed, structured, cross-referenced and validated, are fundamentally imprecise. A data-driven approach to specifications has the potential to help avoid these problems and subsequently decrease the risk and increase the return on companies' IT investments. speeditonline Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1714 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1344/Six-Simple-Steps-for-Accelerating-and-Perfecting-Requirements-A-Framework-a-New-Model-and-Visualization.aspx#Comments 2 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1344 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1344&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1344/Six-Simple-Steps-for-Accelerating-and-Perfecting-Requirements-A-Framework-a-New-Model-and-Visualization.aspx We present a requirements framework and methodology that may be different from what you are doing. Its three prominent characteristics are a framework, a new model, and visualization. The framework ensures completeness of all requirements. The new model is the Decision Model, transforming important business thinking into a tangible and manageable business requirement. The visualization simulates user scenarios, alleviating the need for abstract specifications or models.   adrian Tue, 04 May 2010 04:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1344 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1259/Business-Rules-vs-System-Design-Choices.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1259 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1259&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1259/Business-Rules-vs-System-Design-Choices.aspx Until business analysts really begin to understand the difference between rules of the business (business rules), and choices about system design, we’ll keep falling to the same requirements and legacy traps as always. In my previous column I looked closely at the meaning of business rule. Now let’s probe the two fundamental categories of business rules: behavioral and definitional. adrian Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:14:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1259 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1235/Using-Extreme-Inspections-to-Significantly-Improve-Requirements-Practice.aspx#Comments 6 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1235 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1235&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1235/Using-Extreme-Inspections-to-Significantly-Improve-Requirements-Practice.aspx Extreme Inspections are a low-cost, high-improvement way to assure specification quality, effectively teach good specification practice, and make informed decisions about the requirements specification process and its output, in any project. The method is not restricted to be used on requirements analysis related material; this article however is limited to requirements specification. It gives firsthand experience and hard data to support the above claim. Using an industry case study I conducted with one of my clients I will give information about the Extreme Inspection method - sufficient to understand what it is and why its use is almost mandatory, but not how to do it. I will also give evidence of its strengths and limitations, as well as recommendations for its use and other applications. adrian Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1235 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1187/An-Introduction-to-the-Business-Analysis-Body-of-Knowledge-BABOK-20.aspx#Comments 2 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1187 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1187&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1187/An-Introduction-to-the-Business-Analysis-Body-of-Knowledge-BABOK-20.aspx The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK® 2.0) is the definitive guide to the profession of business analysis. Every business analyst can profit from it, and few analysts can afford to be without it. adrian Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:10:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1187 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1032/Agile-Business-Analysis-in-Flow--The-Work-of-the-Agile-Analyst-Part-2.aspx#Comments 8 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1032 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1032&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1032/Agile-Business-Analysis-in-Flow--The-Work-of-the-Agile-Analyst-Part-2.aspx In Part 1 of  this article, I talked about the new skills and attitudes business analysts need to bring to agile development... Now it's time to talk specifics. What exactly do BAs do in agile development? How will your activities differ from those of traditional development? Let's take a look at agile business analysis from the perspective of the activities that make up requirements development and management, comparing traditional with agile analysis.   adrian Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1032 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1000/The-Sound-of-Valid-Requirements.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=1000 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=1000&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/1000/The-Sound-of-Valid-Requirements.aspx If requirements management practices were songs entering a popularity contest, requirements validation would hardly be a favorite contender. It's easy to understand why: validation is usually a tedious, time consuming task, and, as with nearly every quality control activity, it is supposed to reveal defects, going against our natural desire of being right, not making mistakes, and singing in tune. adrian Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:1000 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/597/Ten-Application-Definition-Best-Practices.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=597 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=597&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/597/Ten-Application-Definition-Best-Practices.aspx The ubiquity of software project failures – with failure defined as projects that fundamentally failed to meet business-sponsor expectations, missed scheduled completion dates, or exceeded budget – is a pronounced theme in any number of independent research reports on custom software development. The Standish Group, for example, cited that only 31% of projects delivered 100 percent of the expected value, were on-time, and on-budget and a report from the Aberdeen Group found 90 percent of projects came in late, of which 30 percent were simply cancelled before delivery. Analysts and users alike cite inaccurate, incomplete and mismanaged requirements as the number one reason for software project failure. The Standish Group’s annual CHAOS report indicates three of the top five reasons for project failure are related to requirements. Requirement miscommunications is also the primary factor behind the prevalence of rework, which according to industry statistics, can add up to 40 percent of the total development effort within a given software project. A 2005 survey conducted by iRise and Decipher found that almost three-quarters (73%) of organizations budget for rework, thus, in effect, planning for failure. Moreover, almost one-third set aside more than 25% in their budgets for these change orders, money that could be funneled directly into innovation rather than re-doing work that should have been com¬pleted the first time. Ultimately, rework costs companies the ability to get to market quickly and saps competitive advantage; while companies are busy fixing applications, their competitors are busy capturing market share. The solution to these costly, frustrating problems is the creation of accurate requirements before development even begins. By allowing the business analyst to col¬laborate with stakeholders, users, architects, user expe¬rience designers and developers early on in the development process, all parties are involved in the definition of the product and all parties know what will be built long before a single line of code is written. adrian Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:597 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/353/Enterprise-Architect-for-Business-Analysts.aspx#Comments 7 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=353 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=353&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/353/Enterprise-Architect-for-Business-Analysts.aspx As a software architect and developer I’ve used Enterprise Architect (EA) from Sparx Systems (www.sparxsystems.com) for a number of years. In that time I’ve spent considerable time and energy trying to get our business analysts to do the same. While I’ve had some success I must admit it’s been an uphill battle. I suspect this is partly because EA is often seen as a technical person’s tool. And that’s not altogether surprising. Enterprise Architect – the name itself is completely misleading. EA is not only for people with the title ‘Enterprise Architect’. It’s for the entire project team, from BA’s to Testers and even for Clients. User Interface – for developers the user interface of EA is extremely familiar and intuitive. It looks like a lot of the tools they use already. For non-technical users more familiar with tools like Microsoft Office it is somewhat more intimidating. So, if you’re a Business Analyst looking for a tool that can help you do your job more effectively then read on. adrian Tue, 06 May 2008 04:35:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:353 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/292/Best-Practices-for-AgileLean-Documentation.aspx#Comments 2 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=292 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=292&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/292/Best-Practices-for-AgileLean-Documentation.aspx Ideally, an agile document is just barely good enough, or just barely sufficient, for the situation at hand. Documentation is an important part of agile software development projects, but unlike traditionalists who often see documentation as a risk reduction strategy, agilists typically see documentation as a strategy which increases overall project risk and therefore strive to be as efficient as possible when it comes to documentation. Agilists write documentation when that's the best way to achieve the relevant goals, but there often proves to be better ways to achieve those goals than writing static documentation. This article summarizes common "best practices" which agilists have adopted with respect to documentation. adrian Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:16:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:292 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/290/Agile-Requirements-Best-Practices.aspx#Comments 1 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=290 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=290&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/290/Agile-Requirements-Best-Practices.aspx To be honest, I'm not very enamored with the term "best practice". I believe that the term "contextual practice" makes far more sense because what is a "best practice" in some situations proves to be a "worst practice" in others. Having said that, people are interested in best practices so here they are when it comes to agile requirements modeling: Stakeholders actively participate Adopt inclusive models Take a breadth-first approach Model storm details just in time (JIT) Prefer executable requirements over static documentation Your goal is to implement requirements, not document them Create platform independent requirements to a point Smaller is better Question traceability Explain the techniques Adopt stakeholder terminology Keep it fun Obtain management support Turn stakeholders into developers Treat requirements like a prioritized stack Author: Scott W. Ambler adrian Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:09:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:290 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/289/Agile-Requirements-Modeling.aspx#Comments 0 https://modernanalyst.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=115&ModuleID=572&ArticleID=289 https://modernanalyst.com:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=289&PortalID=0&TabID=115 https://modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/289/Agile-Requirements-Modeling.aspx Many traditional project teams run into trouble when they try to define all of the requirements up front, often the result of a misguided idea that developers will actually read and follow what the requirements document contains. The reality is that the requirements document is usually insufficient, regardless of how much effort goes into it, the requirements change anyway, and the developers eventually end up going directly to their stakeholders for information anyway (or they simply guess what their stakeholders meant). Agilists know that if they have the ability to elicit detailed requirements up front then they can also do the same when they actually need the information. They also know that any investment in detailed documentation early in the project will be wasted when the requirements inevitably change. Agilists choose to not waste time early in the project writing detailed requirements documents because they know that this is a very poor way to work. Table of Contents Agile requirements modeling in a nutshell Where do requirements come from? Best practices Types of requirements Potential requirements artifacts Techniques for eliciting requirements Common requirements modeling challenges Agile requirements change management Author: Scott W. Ambler adrian Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:289