SWOT analysis, a cornerstone of strategic planning, has been widely adopted by organisations due to its simplicity, versatility, and comprehensive perspective. Originating in the 1960s and popularised by Albert S. Humphrey, SWOT analysis helps businesses evaluate internal strengths and weaknesses alongside external opportunities and threats. This framework provides a holistic view that supports strategic alignment, facilitating informed decision-making and driving innovation and growth. Its enduring relevance lies in its ability to help businesses identify competitive advantages, mitigate risk ..read more

 by Business Analysis, We’ve spoken about the importance of process improvement. Aligning Value Streams to Customer Journeys and uncovering greater details by diving deeper into process modelling. But what is the value of this deeper dive? You might hear people talking about “workflow models” or “workflow diagrams.” These are basically just another way of using the same process modelling technique. Sometimes, people use “business process modelling” and “business process mapping” interchangeably, depending on who you ask. We use process maps to explain how things are done in business and ..read more

by Business Analysis, Businesses exist to provide products or services. They deliver these through a series of interconnected processes aligned to their product or service value streams. In the dynamic landscape of modern business, organisations are under constant pressure to adapt, innovate, and optimise their processes and operations to stay competitive. This is where the business process improvement—a strategic approach that combines analysis, creativity, and critical thinking to drive efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation come into play. By analysing and evaluating current processes, b ..read more

by Business Analysis, In the field of higher education, it is important to have a good understanding of the industry’s dynamics and strategic direction to navigate complex landscapes and evolving challenges. Recently, on 25 February 2024, the Hon Jason Clare MP released a 400 page Australian Universities Accord Final Report (available here) which focuses on addressing several key challenges and opportunities within the Australian higher education sector. These include the need to improve funding models, enhance student access, foster research, and innovation, and strengthen international educa ..read more

by Business Analysis,  As a business analyst, effective communication is key to building strong relationships, establishing trust, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. However, effective communication extends beyond verbal expression; and includes active listening.Active listening is a communication technique where the listener pays full attention to the speaker, understands the message being conveyed, and retains the information for further processing or response.  Active listening enables business analysts to build relationships, manage emotions, and navigate complex situations ..read more

by Business Analysis, Business architecture is a commonly used term in the business analysis domain as well in most organisations. This article describes in simple language what the term means and why it is so important. Like many things in the English language and in the business analysis world, the term “business architecture ” means many things to many people! This article attempts to disperse the general fuzziness that surrounds the discipline of business architecture and to convince you why it’s important to your business’s success. The BABOK describes business architecture as “Business a ..read more

by Business Analysis, The Art of Knowing Your Audience In the dynamic realm of business analysis, effective communication stands as the cornerstone of success. The ability to understand and connect with your audience is a crucial skill that can make or break a project’s success. In Barbara A. Carkenord’s book, “Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis,” Chapter 2 dives deep into the importance of knowing your audience. This blog post will explore the key insights from this chapter and shed light on the significance of tailoring communication for business analysts. Establishing Trust with You ..read more

by Business Analysis, The ability to extract information, facilitate discussions, and enable informed decisions is invaluable. One of the most powerful tools in a business analyst’s arsenal is the skill to know when and what questions to ask. This blog helps to explain different types of open and closed questions, along with practical examples of when and how to use them effectively in a business analyst role. Open Questions Open questions encourage detailed responses and invite stakeholders to share their perspectives, insights, and ideas. Question Description Example Recall Recall quest ..read more

by Business Analysis, Some of the changes to achieve the future state will require considering large initiatives as Epics, as containers capture the more substantial investments that occur within a portfolio. Business epics directly deliver business value. The agile culture preaches frequent feedback loops that can be applied globally (across the entire organisation) and locally (across all teams). The idea is to create a network of these short planning and learning cycles at various organisational levels so that you can review strategy, initiative risk, and delivery capabilities. This allows ..read more

by Business Analysis, A release is of paramount importance for a software project. It may contain new features, bug fixes, or performance improvements for the system. The stakeholders affected by the items in the release eagerly await the expected release, as business processes may be on pause due to the bugs or awaiting new features. During my time working on agile projects, I have often encountered situations where a release is not delivered on time. This always causes frustration among stakeholders and business users. This is often caused by poor release planning or a lack of release plann ..read more