Authors sometimes make things longer and more complicated than necessary. Some readers might feel that I’ve been guilty of this myself. The third edition of my book Software Requirements, co-authored with Joy Beatty, is about 245,000 words long, nearly 640 pages in a rather small font. Maybe that seems like overkill, but to be fair, […] The post The 6 Most Important Requirements Practices appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

I’m a fan of live music, and I particularly enjoy music festivals. If you’ve never been to a music festival, you’re missing out. They usually involve multiple days of listening to music, dancing and having fun. There’s often multiple stages so one challenge is deciding which bands to listen to. I was reminded of this […] The post Do You Consider “Opportunity Cost” In Your Analysis? appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

Any process model is so much more than a flowchart. It is an abstraction of current or future real-world operations. Process modeling is one of the core competencies of any capable business analyst. Both the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Business Analysis Standard[1], and the Project Management Institute (PMI) Guide to Business Analysis[2] call […] The post Your Next Process Model’s Degree of Abstraction appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

Business analysis is an evolving profession characterized by change. However, not all businesses embrace evolution and change in the same way. This can result in business and delivery practices constraining the use of newer, more agile approaches to business analysis. This article presents some ideas and techniques to help business analysts identify, understand, and work […] The post Delivering Analysis: Working With the System appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations constantly seek ways to improve their processes, products, and services. Business Analysis and Product Management are two key areas essential to achieving these goals. Traditionally, these functions have been viewed as separate disciplines, with Business Analysts focusing on identifying and analyzing business requirements, while Product Managers focus on the […] The post Business Analysis Amalgamation with Product Management appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

I work with “business sponsors” in my company.  Some of them are old hands at going through the process of requesting a new application, or a rewrite, or enhancing an existing application.  Others, though, may never have been involved in requesting software, whether it’s a custom-built application, or something offered by a third party vendor.  […] The post Prioritizing Requirements: An Analogy appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

Root Cause Analysis is a method of identifying the underlying cause of a problem or fault. It is a systematic process that involves gathering information, analyzing data and identifying the root cause of the problem. The goal of Root Cause Analysis is to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again in the future. […] The post 3 Effective Techniques for Root Cause Analysis appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

With the economic landscape ever-evolving and uncertainty in the air, it pays to know which business analysis skills are essential for success. In such a business environment, having the right skills can be the difference between success and failure. As 2023 approaches, it’s more important than ever to develop the right business analysis skills that […] The post Top Business Analysis Skills To Learn in 2023 To Thrive in a Volatile Economy appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

Elicitation is a key business analysis skill. Whether it’s one-on-one interviews, workshops, observation or one of the many other techniques, elicitation is a key source of information. As BAs, it’s easy to think that we are highly attuned listeners, carefully scouring the airwaves for tasty morsels of relevant information. Of course, this is probably true. […] The post Deep Listening: Avoid Hearing What You Want To Hear appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more

Well, quite a lot actually. I’m not saying we’ve all got the swagger of Liam Gallagher, or the Ziggy Stardust fashion sense of Bowie. Nor, do we all play guitars, or know our way around a recording studio (although some do). And I’d confidently say, none of us are going around with diva-like demands or […] The post What Do Business Analysts and Rockstars Have in Common? appeared first on Business Analyst Articles, Webinars, Templates, Jobs ..read more