As you explore job roles, are you curious about the difference between a business analyst and a subject matter expert (SME)? Are you unsure if your skills qualify you as a subject matter expert or a business analyst? If you have proven yourself as a subject matter expert, a career as a business analyst could be a great next step for you and allow you to break into more interesting project work to steward lasting changes in your organization. In this video, I’m sharing the difference between a business analyst and a subject matter expert and how you can potentially move from one to the other ..read more

You’ve likely heard about ChatGPT, the free tool released by OpenAI. Imagine being able to expand your thinking, create draft documentation with ease, and streamline your work as a business analyst. This is all possible with ChatGPT, and despite the industry-wide fear of AI replacing business analysts, I think a better question is “how can we use these tools to increase our efficiency and effectiveness as a business analyst?” In this video, I’m sharing how to use these tools to expand our thinking and make our job as business analysts way easier! I share my experience creating a Use Case with ..read more

Are you working with new stakeholders in a new company or project? As a business analyst, building rapport with critical stakeholders is one of the best ways to get a new project started effectively and set yourself up for success. It’s a built-in insurance policy against future project mishaps and challenges. In this short video, you’ll learn Laura’s top three tips for building rapport with critical stakeholders that you can begin implementing today.   In tip #2, Laura shares the importance of actively understanding the different perspective and communication styles of the stakeholders ..read more

As a business analyst, you can make a huge difference in how change is managed and save your teams a lot of re-work while neutralizing the negative energy often associated with change. In this short video, you’ll discover a simple 4-step process to manage change requests so they don’t derail the success of your project.   My number one tip when it comes to change requests is: Manage change or it will manage you. Outside of the four tips I share in the video, I highly suggest a Change Request Form that you can use across your organization. My go-to Change Request Form is included in the B ..read more

As a business analyst, it’s your role to analyze the To Be Business Process and help your stakeholders define how work will flow once the new solution is in place. Is your organization rolling out a new technology that impacts that business? Is your organization deploying a new product or service that your organization needs to figure out how to deliver? If so, this is where analyzing the To Be Business Process comes into play. In this short video, I’ll share exactly how to do this. You’ll learn: The definition of a To Be Business Process How to analyze a To Be Business Process Where to start ..read more

As a business analyst, it’s your job to analyze the As Is Business Process in your organization to help everyone get on the same page. If customers are getting frustrated with your organization’s level of service or if business users are confused about the right process and steps to take in a given situation, this is your sign that it’s time to analyze the As Is Business Processes in your organization. In this short video, you’ll learn the definition of an As Is Business Process, as well as how and when to analyze an As Is Business Process. The best news is that you don’t have to start from s ..read more

Today we meet Amelia McHenry, a Business Analyst, who completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® program where she gained the confidence to go from a technical writer to a lead business analyst while increasing her salary and her confidence. What we love about Amelia’s story is that when she was faced with a crossroads in her career, The Blueprint program provided her the tangible skills to succeed in her new role. As a technical writer at the top of the pay scale, Amelia was laid off from her role when her boss encouraged her to pursue business analysis. After some research, she discovered Bri ..read more

Today we meet Dave Gallant, an ACBA and Business Analyst for the Federal Government from Ontario, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® certification program where his biggest takeaway was an increase in confidence in knowing what to do for deep analysis work. What we love about Dave’s story is that he was at a crossroads in his career. With a background in software development, he was trying to decide if business analysis was the career path he wanted to continue down or if he wanted to seek out another career. Once he identified some holes in his knowledge, he found The Blue ..read more

Today we meet Dave Gallant, an ACBA and Business Analyst for the Federal Government from Ontario, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® certification program where his biggest takeaway was an increase in confidence in knowing what to do for deep analysis work. What we love about Dave’s story is that he was at a crossroads in his career. With a background in software development, he was trying to decide if business analysis was the career path he wanted to continue down or if he wanted to seek out another career. Once he identified some holes in his knowledge, he found The Blue ..read more

Whether you’re learning about business architecture for the first time or dreaming of ways to grow your BA career into a business architecture role, my conversation with Whynde Kuehn will help you discover the value of this role in an organization and what you can do to bridge that gap in your career. In this video, you’ll discover: The difference between business architecture and business analysis The foundational skill sets needed as a business architect How to become a business architect If you’re interested in learning more about business architecture, be sure to check out Whynde Kuehn’s ..read more