Download pdf - Getting Started

IIBA CBAP Exam Prep Boot Camp

The Importance ofa RequirementsManagement Plan

Tips onEstimating

RequirementsPlanning for aCOTS Solution

the CONNECTING BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS TO TECHNOLOGY

Fall 2007

New Course

Getting StartedPlanning for Business Analysis

Getting StartedPlanning for Business Analysis

theBridge707b 8/20/07 10:23 AM Page 2

letter from the editors

The year 2007 is shaping up to be another big year for thebusiness analysis community. As the business analysis profession

matures and organizations are really seeing our value, BusinessAnalysts are being involved in projects very early, sometimes beforethere is even a “project” defined. To increase our skill on this earlyproject work, we have dedicated this issue of the bridge to businessanalysis planning. This is such a broad topic that we have decided tocontinue it in our next issue. Our main article is the first of a two-part discussion on creating a business analysis work plan. This firstpart focuses on stakeholder analysis and communication planning.

Additionally, Paula Harris, BA Certified™, from Wells Fargo haswritten a helpful article discussing the merits of having a requirements management plan and Marla Brus, with3M Information Technology, provides an insightful article about why it is important to have a requirementsplan for a COTS solution. We have also included articles on estimating business analysis time and keepingyour stakeholders happy.

The IIBA™ certification program is growing rapidly with exams taking place literally all over the world. Inaddition to expanding the certification program, the IIBA is working on revisions to the BABOK™ andimprovements to its infrastructure and membership system. See page 15 for an article from Kevin Brennan,vice president of the BABOK for an update.

With the excitement of the CBAP™ exam, we are happy to bring you an IIBA CBAP Exam Prep BootCamp for groups and a study guide for individuals. These products are designed for Business Analysts who areseeking CBAP certification. See page 19 for details about the boot camp and study guide. Visit our website tosee a preview of the study guide and our blog to get hints for completing the CBAP application.

The number of BA conferences continues to grow (how high can it go?). In the summer there was a ProjectWorld and World Congress for BAs in Boston attended by over 300 PMs and BAs. Spring and summerdelivered three BusinessAnalystWorld Regional conferences and symposiums in Washington, DC, Atlanta, andMinneapolis. This fall there will be a World Congress in Anaheim, CA, and a BusinessAnalystWorld inBoston, Chicago, and San Francisco. We hope to see you at one of these locations!

TINA JOSEPH

We don’t hire positions, we hire great people.

BARBARA CARKENORD

Certified Woman Owned Business

BARBARA CARKENORD and TINA JOSEPH

The IIBA logo, IIBA, and BABOK are trademarks belonging to the International Institute of Business Analysis.PMI and PMBOK are registered trademarks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.


The bridge is apublication of B2T Training.

Please send inquiries,suggestions, and address changes toMartha Scott, Editor-in-Chief,[email protected].

Editorial ContributorsThank you to all of the companies whocontributed articles andassistance for this issueof the bridge.

Design and ProductionDesign: MendenhallMitchell DesignPrint Production:Douglas W. LesherPrinted in the USA

©2007 B2T TrainingAll Rights Reserved.Reproduction of contentis not permitted withoutprior written permission.

t a b l e o f c o n t e n t sGetting Started: Planning for Business Analysisby Barbara Carkenord

The Importance of a Requirements Management Planby Paula Harris

Lost in TranslationImproper Communication with Your Stakeholders canSpell Disaster

Book ReviewA Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledgeby Project Management Institute

IIBA Update

Ask the ExpertsTips on Estimating

Requirements Planning for a COTS Solutionby Marla Brus


B2T Training • 11675 Rainwater Drive, Suite 325 • Alpharetta, GA 30004 • 866.675.2125

B2T Training is a woman-owned business based in Atlanta, GA. We offer a Business Analyst trainingcurriculum that focuses on proven skills and techniques to define and scope the business problem, elicit andanalyze requirements, document the requirements, model the requirements, and follow through with thedevelopment of business requirements test plans to ensure the project has met its defined objectives.

Our training is offered nationally and on a limited international basis. Most of our classes are taught onsiteand are tailored to the unique environments of each organization. Public classes are also available in variouscities around the US.

CEO Tina Joseph

theFall 2007

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the bridge l Fall 2007 2

PresidentBarbara A. Carkenord

Vice PresidentAngie Perris

volume 4 l issue 2

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To subscribe to the bridge, please visit www.b2ttraining.com.t

TM

New!


You’ve been assigned to a new project and you are anxious to prove the value of your role as a Business Analyst, how do you get started? What should you do first? Who are you going to talk to? What areyou going to produce? How long will this take? One way to help

answer these questions is to create a business analysis work plan. This plan will help you:

• Develop a clear approach to your business analysis work.• Estimate the amount of time required to complete the work.

Taking a few minutes up front, even on a small project, will result in a bigpayoff for the team because it will set expectations about what will be done andhow much time the analysis work will take.

Without a plan, some stakeholders may not understand why you need somuch time to complete your work. Many people do not realize that businessanalysis work involves a lot more than just “gathering” the requirements. Inaddition, if you have a structured plan and approach to eliciting, analyzing,documenting, reviewing, and validating your requirements you are less likely tomiss any major requirements or stakeholder areas. You are also less likely to godown the wrong path and build the wrong solution for the business problem athand.

Business analysis planning should be done for every assignment but it doesn’thave to be a huge, time consuming burden. Planning your work will becomesecond nature as you work on more and more projects. Many of the planningtasks can be done very quickly; some may require a little research andinvestigation. A “business analysis work plan” may exist only in the mind of the

BY BARBARA A. CARKENORD, , CBAP

PRESIDENT, B2T TRAINING,

BABOKTM CORE TEAM

GettingStartedPlanning for Business AnalysisReady…Set…Go!


BA or may be documented formally. Theimportant thing is that the BA thinks abouthow her goal will be accomplished beforeshe begins the work. This is so critical inbusiness analysis work becausethe work is not concrete orwell defined. When BAs saythat they are going to do some“analysis,” it is unclear whatwork they are going to do andwhat results they are going to produce.

When BAs receive a new assignment, weare at a “starting line.” We are expected tostart running towards the finish line eventhough no one knows exactly where thatline is. Business analysis planning suggeststhat we pause for a moment, look for thefinish line, and then take the most directroute.

Regardless of the project size thebusiness analysis work plan should includethree sections:• Stakeholder analysis and communication

planning • Clear definition of the project scope and

tasks to be performed by the BA • A list of the deliverables that will be

produced

The result of an excellent plan is that youwill be able to estimate the amount of timeand the stakeholder resources needed tocomplete the work.

Developing a business analysis workplan is iterative. Pieces of it will be draftedand it will continue to develop as eachsection is refined. The amount of timespent and the formality of the businessanalysis work plan will be directlydependent on the type, size, and criticalityof the project.

Before you can even think aboutplanning, you must review any work thathas already been done. If there is a projectcharter or project initiation statement, youhave a starting point. If these documentsare not available, draft a one or twosentence statement of purpose for the workas you understand it. You should verify thiswith your project manager and/or executivesponsor as soon as possible and then start

planning your work. While both the PMand BA participate in the development of stakeholder analysis and communicationplanning, the BA concentrates on these from

a requirements perspective.See the note below aboutproject plan components fora breakdown of planningwork between the PM andthe BA.

Planning for business analysis work is soimportant and there are so many differentaspects to it that it cannot be adequatelycovered in one article. This article, the firstin a two-part series where we will discusssome of the suggested planning work thatBAs should perform, focuses on twocomponents of a business analysis plan:stakeholder analysis and communicationplanning.

Stakeholder Analysis andCommunication PlanningPeople are the most important componentof any project. The BA needs to identify all of the people with whom she will beworking (the stakeholders). ThePMBOK™ defines the word stakeholders


Business Analysis Plan Componentsn Stakeholder analysis for business analysis

- RACI for the requirementsn Communication planning for business analysisn Requirements resource needsn List of requirements deliverablesn List of other deliverables (UAT, training, etc.)n Business analysis task listn Business analysis schedule with estimated

completion dates

Project Management Plan Componentsn Project chartern Human resource planningn Stakeholder analysis - RACI for the projectn Communication planning for the projectn Cost budgetingn Change management planningn Risk management planningn Quality planningn Work break down structuren Activity resource estimatingn Project schedule with estimated completion

dates

Project Plan ComponentsBusiness AnalystPlan Components

Project ManagementPlan Components

Important note about projectmanagement: Ideally the BA and PMwork together to develop an overallproject plan. A project plan is larger andbroader than a business analysis workplan. The project plan includes a workbreakdown structure for all of the tasksand dependencies required to completethe entire project. It also contains plansfor managing risks, costs, quality, humanresources, etc. The business analysiswork plan contains only thosecomponents that involve businessanalysis work. The Fall/Winter 2005 issueof the bridge, pg 11, included an articleabout scoping your project from theperspective of the PM and BA. This piechart highlights some of the planningcomponents for which the BA and PMare responsible.

The important thing is that the BA thinksabout how her goal will be accomplishedbefore she begins the work.


to include anyone who will be impacted byor can impact the project. For the BA, amore narrow definition would be anyonewho is impacted by or can impact therequirements. This may include SMEs,software users, the executive sponsor,outside customers, vendors or suppliers,solution providers, quality assurance staff,technical writers, and anyone else who hasanything to do with the project. Listeveryone that you can think of. Start yourlist immediately and continue to add to it as you develop your business analysiswork plan.

By creating a list of stakeholders you arestarting an activity commonly referred to as stakeholder analysis. This is a phrase that is also used by PMs. It is a criticalcomponent of planning because carefullyconsidering all of the people involved witha project is one of the techniques that helpsensure success.

Stakeholder analysis involves thinkingabout each stakeholder or stakeholdergroup in terms of several characteristics.These characteristics will help you decidewhich elicitation techniques will be mostappropriate and how best to communicatewith each stakeholder. Some characteristicsare objective (factual) and some aresubjective.

Exhibit 1 (below) lists some exampleobjective stakeholder characteristics. Thesecharacteristics will help with schedulingrequirements gathering sessions anddeveloping your elicitation questions.

There are also characteristics about each

stakeholder that are subjective. Exhibit 2(below) lists some example subjectivestakeholder characteristics. Use discretionbefore documenting sensitive subjectivestakeholder characteristics. These areimportant considerations in developing the

business analysis work plan but shouldoften remain only in the mind of the BA!

Use these characteristics to draft aninitial communication plan. For eachstakeholder or stakeholder group, what willbe the best communication approach?Think about which elicitation technique(s)will be appropriate (i.e., interviews,surveys, facilitated sessions). As you thinkabout each stakeholder, ask yourself: Will it

be most effective to ask questions one-on-one or in a group? Will it be useful to meetwith stakeholders from different levels ofthe organization at the same time orindependently? Will it be productive tobring stakeholders from different areas of

the organization together or meet withthem separately?

Exhibit 3 (page 7) shows a partialcommunication plan. The decisions abouthow best to communicate also depend onthe number of stakeholders in the group,their physical location, their business area,and their time available for work on theproject. The IIBA BABOK Knowledge

5 Fall 2007 l the bridge

Exhibit 1: Objective stakeholder characteristics

Characteristic of the stakeholder Reason this is important

Physical location Location will affect face to face meeting availability. The time zone will affect meeting schedules. Availability for project work If the stakeholder is only available for the project a few hours a week, the project schedule must reflect this

limitation.Subject matter expertise The level of expertise of the stakeholders will help determine how much of their time is needed for elicitation,

reviewing, and approving requirements. This will also help formulate questions. Technical team experience If a developer on the team has never worked with formal requirements before, plan to spend time doing walk

throughs explaining detailed needs.External vs. internal External stakeholders may not be allowed access to confidential information. Experience on previous projects If the stakeholders have had good experience working on previous projects they will be very helpful. If they

have had bad experiences or no experience they may need more time to learn the process.Level of formality Some stakeholders will like casual communications/notes, while others will prefer very formal, documented

work products.Decision making authority Does this person have authority to make decisions for this project?Preferred mode of communication Does this stakeholder prefer talking on the phone, using instant messaging, or face to face conversations?

Exhibit 2: Subjective stakeholder characteristics

Characteristic Reason this is important

Value to the organization If this stakeholder group is the main talent/revenue generator of the organization, it will be treated with more respect/kid gloves than other stakeholders.

Culture/language Understanding the native language and culture of each stakeholder will help the BA improve communications. Be careful not to offend stakeholders in various cultures. Learn local customs whenever possible.

Relationship to other stakeholders If there are negative issues between stakeholders, plan more time for building consensus.

Emotional commitment to the project If the stakeholder is not excited about a change, plan more time for requirements elicitation and organization change management.

Technical team skill level If a developer on the team does not have much knowledge in the solution technology, plan for more detailed functional requirements.

Ability/speed of decision making Understand if this stakeholder is comfortable making decisions quickly or takes more time and thought to come to a conclusion.

(Continued, see Planning page 7)




Area: Requirements Elicitation contains agreat description of severalcommonly used elicitationtechniques. Thecommunication plan willalso include requirementsresponsibility (i.e., RACI –responsible, accountable, consulted,informed) and estimated time needed fromeach stakeholder.

Work with other BAs on your projectand your PM as you develop yourcommunication plan. Your first draft willbe based on knowledge about yourstakeholders but the plan cannot befinalized until you make decisions aboutwhich requirements deliverables will becreated. There are many options available

for presenting requirements: textualdescriptions, data models, workflow

diagrams, use cases, etc. Deciding whichdeliverables are appropriate for the projectwill be covered in the second article in this series.

SummaryBecause BAs work to solve businessproblems, understanding businessstakeholders and technical stakeholders is acritical first step in planning for projectsuccess. Stakeholder analysis is the activity

during which we take time to think aboutall of the project stakeholders and consider

individual situations andconcerns. When weunderstand the people fromwhom we will be elicitingrequirements, we will bebetter able to effectively derive

the true requirements and solve the truebusiness problems. Having acommunication plan shows managementhow we plan to use stakeholder time; anexpensive corporate resource. The secondarticle in this series will be in the next issueof the bridge. It will discuss the remainingcomponents of the business analysis workplan: identifying the tasks to be performedby the BA, and a list of the deliverablesthat will be produced. n

Exhibit 3: Partial Communication Plan

Stakeholder Group Impact on requirements Best communication approaches

Executive Sponsor Final signoff on project objectives and high-level design Executive summariesHigh-level presentations

New product development Main source of detailed business and functional Facilitated sessions to elicit business requirements(Managers and supervisors) requirements Review sessions to validate requirements

Customer service representatives Main users of software Usability testing (observation)UAT participants Formal training on software changes

IT developer Uses functional requirements to make Walkthrough requirementsthe software changes Review unit test results

“It happened to me . . .”The most knowledgeable SME on my project was a person who explains things very quickly and gets frustrated when he has to slowdown and re-explain procedures to people who learn less quickly. My first strategy for requirements elicitation with this stakeholder was

to schedule individual interviews so that he could talk as fast as he wanted! But ourmethodology dictates that we do prototyping/screen storyboarding when designing newscreens so I had to conduct JAD (joint application design) sessions. My communicationplan for the stakeholder included a couple of initial individual interviews and thenparticipation in the facilitated sessions. I tried to accommodate his fast pace as best Icould while still getting input from the rest of the stakeholders.

– Anonymous BA

BA readers of the bridge would like to hear your experiences. Send business analysisexperiences that you would like to share, in 100 words or less, to [email protected].

(Planning, continued from page 5)

Submit an article to the bridge!

The bridge is published twice a year and focuses on a particular area of interest withinbusiness analysis. Articles relevant to the topic area are preferred; however, any articlesabout best practices, project success stories, or BA resources (books or tools) will also beconsidered. Submission deadline for the 2008 spring issue is January 29, 2008. To submitan article send an email to [email protected].

Understanding business stakeholders andtechnical stakeholders is a critical firststep in planning for project success.



Planning Skills for the Business Analyst This course leads students through the development of a structuredbusiness analysis plan. BAs create a strategy for their approach to eliciting,analyzing, documenting, reviewing, and validating requirements. With abusiness analysis plan the BA is less likely to miss major requirements orstakeholder areas. The team is less likely to go down the wrong path andbuild the wrong solution for the business problem at hand. This course willhelp BAs plan for and estimate the business analysis effort for varioustypes of projects and situations.

Course Outline

3 Days

ComingSpring2008

Introduction – 1 hr• Business analysis planning

•• Overview of business analysis planning activities

•• Discuss the relationship of the PM and the BA in planning

•• Use of the people, project, and process approach to planning

• The business analysis work plan • Getting started – a checklist to assess the

project and to help get started

Project - Understanding the projectcharacteristics – 3 hrs• Project characteristics – What is the business

impact? (size, importance, risk)• Project initiation documentation – Is the project

clearly defined? • Enterprise analysis – understand how this

project fits into the organizational strategy • Group workshop – assess the business impact

of a sample project

People - Stakeholder Analysis and theCommunication Plan – 4 hrs• Why plan for stakeholder interactions? • Assess the project executive sponsor • Identify both primary and secondary stakeholders• Determine effective communication practices

for each stakeholder group: •• Which elicitation technique(s) will be most

effective? •• What requirement presentation format will be

most comfortable for each group? • Establish the communication plan

•• When and where will communications be most effective?

•• What are the best communication techniques for each stakeholder?

• Group workshop – identify and analyze thestakeholder groups for an example project anddevelop the communications plan

Process - Planning theanalysis activities – 3 hrs• Identify which

sections of therequirementspackage are necessary

• Consult organizational standards/methodologies for required deliverables

• Develop a list of deliverables for the project • Develop a list of business analysis tasks for the

project • Review requirements planning template• Develop the requirements management plan • Group workshop – develop a task list of analysis

and requirements activities for a sample project

Advanced Project Initiation Requirements – 3 hrs• Learn techniques to identify strong project

objectives • Learn a technique to help SMEs scope a

project with unclear boundaries • Learn to assess a project request and select the

appropriate requirements components

Estimating the analysis time – 3 hrs• Using past history to predict analysis time • Reviewing estimation techniques (by

stakeholder, deliverable, and businessobjective)

• Identifying negotiation areas • Getting signoff on the plan • Baselining the plan and initiating change control

Planning for different types of projects – 3 hours• Enhancement or maintenance projects• COTS (commercial of the shelf software) project• Outsourced or off-shore development project • A project using a RUP style/iterative style

development methodology • Large development project • Reporting or data warehouse project • Process improvement effort • Infrastructure upgrade

Intended AudienceThis course is intended foranyone who is interested inlearning a practical approach toplanning the business analysistasks necessary for theirprojects.

PrerequisitesBAs registering for this coursemust have attended EssentialSkills for the Business Analyst,or have at least 2 yearsexperience in requirementselicitation, analysis anddocumentation, usingstructured techniques. ContactB2T Training if you would liketo pass out of theseprerequisites.



Definition of RequirementsPlanningWhat is requirements planning?Requirements planning, in my own words, is a strategy or roadmap of howrequirements will be managed over the life of a project.

Importance of RequirementsPlanningThe importance of gathering requirementsbefore implementing huge initiatives has

become a focus area in many organizations.It has been, in some organizations,common practice to develop an idea for aproject and implement a solution in thequickest way possible. In most cases theproblem that a project is trying to solve isso badly strained that a new solution isneeded almost immediately. This tactic ismore reactive than proactive. However,organizations are realizing that this methodof project implementation is not veryeffective. If more time is spent in actuallyplanning for the project, some of thefailures can be avoided.

Requirements are really not a newconcept. The new concept is thatorganizations are beginning to see value in spending the necessary time to planappropriately for analysis in each uniqueproject. The plan first starts with a scope,which should set the boundaries for theproject. From that point the Business

Analyst will meet with different membersof the project team to gather their needsand features. In the past this portion of the project may be glossed over because the solution was already in mind.Requirements are the foundation of anyproject and can determine the fate of itssuccess. Taking the time upfront to bethorough can eliminate pain in reworkduring later stages of the project. I’m sure,if you are a Business Analyst or even aProject Manager you can remember

projects that would have progressed moresmoothly if adequate time was spent inplanning. According to the BABOK™, thevalue of requirements planning is to“specify how the business analysis team willconduct its business analysis activities over thelife of the project.” While this may seem tobe a simple task, often times it is one of the most challenging parts of a project –especially if the project carries a significantprice tag.

Creation of a RequirementsManagement PlanOne tool that I have found essential tohelp aid in requirements planning is theRequirements Management Plan (RMP).This plan will describe how the businessanalysis team will conduct its activities.Some information that is contained in thisplan includes: the project scope, projectrequirements (business needs and features),

assumptions, risk assessment, versioncontrol, approval processes for anydocuments, and any other pertinentinformation that relates to therequirements. In my experience the RMPnot only includes ideas from the BA, it also includes any ideas that the projectteam may have concerning requirementsplanning. Even though the BA might“own” the document, input from others ishelpful. Since the RMP is created for theentire project team, getting team members’

input allows themto feel a sense ofRMP ownership.

Now, howdoes a BA create auseful RMP? Theeffectiveness ofany RMP isdriven by theproject team.

Personal ExampleThe timing of when the BA becomesinvolved in a project can make the creationof an RMP difficult. It would be ideal ifthe Business Analyst was engaged in everyproject at the very beginning. Unfortunatelythat is not always the case. Engaging the BAlate in the project makes it more difficult totake the time necessary to create an RMP.

An example of a project that did notsucceed as expected is one on which I wasnot engaged at the very beginning. Thebusiness was on an aggressive schedule andthe deliverables were due within a coupleof months from when I joined the project. Prior to my involvement, an RMP wascompleted, but was not approved. Thiscaused stumbling blocks on the projectbecause there was no agreement. Thingsthat should have been addressed in the planwere not. During project design we had to

The Importance of aRequirements Management Plan

“To some a new concept… to others a path to a successful project”

BY PAULA HARRIS, , WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE, SERVICING PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Investing time up front inrequirements planning on a projectwill save time and pain later in theanalysis and design phases.



rework processes, make changes, obtainapprovals, and examine roles andresponsibilities. Because this particularproject had a phased approach, the reworkadded another level of complexity, furtheremphasizing the importance of creating anRMP that captures all of the moving partsof the project.

Best PracticesBusiness Analysts have a tough job.Requirements planning is not easy. Some ofthe best practices that have worked for meare as follows:

1. Know your audience.Hopefully the Business Analyst has metwith the business lead or project sponsorto gain an understanding of allstakeholders’ roles on the project. Thishelps the BA understand their preferredcommunication styles. For example,some stakeholders on the project team

may be extremely visual. In this case,using PowerPoint presentations or Visiodiagrams to show the requirementsmanagement approach may be ideal.

2. Re-evaluate the strategy during therequirements process.In some projects, once requirementsgathering is started, the BA might seewhere the strategy can be tweaked,documents might be changed, oradjustments could be made because ofcost constraints. As the BA works withthe project team more and more itbecomes apparent what approaches work best.

3. Leave room for flexibility.Even though the RMP is a roadmap orstrategy, there should be room left forflexibility. Some strategies may appear tobe a good idea at first but over time maynot be appropriate. This doesn’t mean

you have failed. Actually it shows howdiscerning you are because you haveacknowledged that something needs tobe changed to make the project asuccess.

Okay, I can’t give out all of my secrets.

Last Words Give requirements planning sufficient timein the beginning of a project. Investingtime up front in requirements planning ona project will save time and pain later inthe analysis and design phases. n

Paula is a Senior Business Analyst for Wells FargoHome Mortgage. She has over seven years businessanalysis experience and is BA Certified throughB2T Training. She works on many large andmedium-sized projects.

A “must have” reference toolThe Requirements Template Roadmap may be used as acompanion to B2T Training’s Requirements PackageTemplate. Using this Roadmap as a guideline or “map” forthe requirements templates will help Business Analysts

determine:

• What to include in a requirements package

• Who should prepare which sections of the package

• When and why the requirements components should beprepared

Available for purchase at www.b2ttraining.com.

Provides examples ofcompleted requirements

templates.

$19.95


Unhappy stakeholders - who wantsthem? Not me. Entire projects can fail

when we have not established goodworking relationships with ourstakeholders. Our best intentions to elicitexcellent requirements can be “lost intranslation.” One thing that I have learnedis that project success comes down to ashared vision of project goals whichrequires people communicating andcollaborating throughout the project.Unfortunately there are many mistakes wecan make when it comes to communicatingwith our stakeholders.

Sometimes no communication ispreferred over poor communication. Whenour communication style is not in syncwith our audience, we fail. They will tuneus out. For a work session, if we invite thewrong people, too many people, or mix thewrong groups together, we may lose theirconfidence and cooperation. Impromptumeetings without clear purpose frustrateand confuse participants. Disrespect forstakeholder time away from their daily jobscan create hard feelings. If we cannot relateto stakeholders’ critical needs, suggestions,or “hot” buttons, we are in for a bumpyride. When we over promise and underdeliver our relationships, our requirements,and our projects may end with a big loudthud!

One of the first things we should do isget to know our stakeholders. We need toknow which business areas or organizationsthey represent. Although it is good to makea list of the stakeholder business areainterests, we should concentrate more onthe people who will be involved on ourproject rather than the departments.Individuals often have their own personalagendas. Stakeholders have their uniqueexpertise and each has his or her ownpreferences, personality, and specific

communicationstyle. Eachstakeholder onyour projectcan be a

positive or negative force that you need tomanage. Below are a few tips to help uswork through this challenge:

1. Identify all your stakeholder roles.Whose views need to be represented onthe project?

2. Influence the selection of stakeholdersfor each role. Do you know people whowork in the business area who reallyknow their stuff? Is there anyone whocan champion the project? What aboutthose whom you have successfullyworked with previously?

3. Learn as much as you can about yourstakeholders. You want to understandhow often they like to receivecommunication about the project.Understand their viewpoints, needs,concerns, and preferred communicationstyles. Find out their personal agendas.Will they be positive or negativeinfluences? Be careful with private notesabout each stakeholder.

4. Engage your stakeholders early in yourproject. Carefully manage theirexpectations from the beginning. Gainconsensus from stakeholders about thescope and high level priorities up front.When they get off track remind themagain of the project purpose, objectives,and benefits they will receive. Never overpromise and under deliver.

5. Develop relationships of trust andmutual respect.Do not divulgeconfidentialinformation thatthey provide you.Be sincere in

your interaction, and do what you sayyou are going to do. Value and respecttheir time and their knowledge. Behumble. Do your homework. Do notask silly questions (yes, there is such athing as a bad question, especially to anot-onboard-yet stakeholder!) Plan wellfor each work session. Frequently involvestakeholders to validate theirrequirements.

6. Balance the types of stakeholders youhave in any given work session orinterview. It’s ok to have resisters (e.g.,those resistant to change) and supportersin the same work sessions and on theproject. The resisters may challenge youand the others with insights that mayhelp uncover hidden requirements orcomplex issues. Differing viewpoints onyour project help ensure success.

7. Listen carefully to what yourstakeholders are trying to say. Theycan’t always remember to tell youeverything you need to know in onesitting. Read between the lines and askintelligent questions. Watch their bodylanguage in face-to-face meetings andlisten to their tone of voice onconference calls. Try to hear what theydo not say.

Lastly, remember stakeholders are justpeople like you. Try to put yourself in theirshoes to really get to know them. Theyhave their own strengths and weaknessesand they just want to be heard andunderstood. You can manage theirexpectations successfully if you plan well,get to know them, engage them early, andreally listen to their needs. n


lost in translation Improper Communication with Your Stakeholders can Spell DisasterBY ANGIE PERRIS, VICE PRESIDENT, B2T TRAINING, , CBAP, PMP




t

• October 6 – 9, 2007PMI Global Congress North America – Atlanta, GA – For more information visit www.pmi.org

• October 15 – 18, 2007Project Summit & BusinessAnalystWorld – San Francisco, CA –For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

• October 29 – November 1, 2007Project Summit & BusinessAnalystWorld – Boston, MA – For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

• November 5 – 8, 2007 Project World & BusinessAnalystWorld – Vancouver, BC – For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

• November 12 – 15, 2007 Project Summit & Business Analyst World – Chicago, IL – For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

• November 13 – 16, 2007Project World & World Congress for BAs – Anaheim, CA – For more information visit www.iirusa.com/projectworld

• Spring 2008BusinessAnalystWorld – Philadelphia, PA – For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

• Spring 2008BusinessAnalystWorld – Minneapolis, MN – For more information visit www.businessanalystworld.com

Upcoming Business Analyst and Related Events

IndigoCube is B2T Training’s exclusiveSouth African partner and licensee.For training in South Africa, contactRobin Grace, Principal Consultant, [email protected].

Visit www.indigocube.ca.za for moreinformation.

AchieveBlue is B2T Training’s exclusiveCanadian partner and licensee. For training in Canada, contact Mona Mitchell, President, [email protected] or call416.915.3112.

Visit www.achieveblue.com for moreinformation.

B2T Training International Partners



book reviewA Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third edition, PMBOK® Guideby Project Management InstituteREVIEWED BY ANGIE PERRIS, VICE PRESIDENT, B2T TRAINING, , PMP, CBAP

This issue of the bridge focuses onplanning business analysis work for

projects and we want to feature a book thatserves as a great referenceon the topic. Most booksabout planning are specificto how a project managerplans a project. ProjectManagers are thought of asthe project planners yetBusiness Analysts must alsoplan their business analysiswork for a project. This isan example of the skills andcompetencies that ProjectManagers and BusinessAnalysts share.

The PMBOK may seem like a strangechoice for a business analysis book review,but I believe that every good BusinessAnalyst should be familiar with itscontents. As a PMP I may be a bit

prejudiced; but I think the PMBOK,similar to the BABOK, is a greatfoundational reference for the Business

Analyst who works closelywith the Project Manager.The PMBOK includes thevernacular that PMPs usethroughout the projectlifecycle. Understandingthe vocabulary of theProject Manager as well asthe project managementprocesses and knowledgeareas helps the BA tounderstand not only thePM role, but we can see

where our own role needs involvement inmany project management processes.Additionally, the PMBOK has been refinedover time and allows us to learn goodpractices we can leverage in our role tocontribute to project success. The PMBOK

Guide provides a great context for howprojects can be initiated, planned,executed, controlled, and closed. Althoughthe PMBOK is just a guide and does notprovide all the details we may want aboutcertain topics, I find it provides a greatoverview and introduction to the processes,tools, and deliverables required to initiate,plan, and scope a project.

When we need clarification aboutproject management terms like projectcharter, work break down structure,management reserve, risk managementplan, communications management plan,earned value, contingency, bottom-up ortop-down estimating, rolling waveplanning, or Gantt chart, the PMBOK is agreat reference. n

B2T TRAINING RATING: HHH

(scale is 1-4; 4 is the best)

We are pleased to highlight the latest individuals who have earned the title of BA Certified since the last issue of the bridge.

To date, we have more than 4,500 people in our program, with over 250 who have completed and received certification. We

have an additional 700 candidates who have obtained BA Associate and are in the final stage of the certification process.

Individuals who are BA Certified have demonstrated knowledge and application of business analysis. We congratulate them

on their success.

Jane Algard

Brian Allen

Jackie Boeding-Tewes

Steven Bosso

Mary Lou Bradna

Timothy J. Broderick

Greg Busby

Jen Christy

Sarah Condiff

Robin Crocker

Victor Cruz

Deborah DeWanz

Nancy Famiglietti

Susan Fancy

Helen Fridman

Thomas D. George

Robin Grace

Chris Keith

Darrell McMath

Jared McMurray

Cathleen Neag

Thanh Nguyen

Joyce Prebis

Christine Radasch

Shelley Ruth

Tim Spears

Janice S. Stifelman

Carmen Urish

Samuel N. Yamoah

Shaohua Zhang

New BA Certified


The BABOK committee is working tofinalize the scope of the Business

Analysis Body of Knowledge in preparationfor a final, stable release toward the end of2007. Based on the feedback we’ve received,we decided to realign the knowledge areas(KAs) although most of the content will besimilar to that in version 1.6.

Business Analysis Planning is the KAthat covers how we determine whichactivities are necessary to perform in order

to complete a business analysis effort. Itcovers identification of stakeholders,selection of business analysis techniques,the process we use to manage ourrequirements, and how we assess theprogress of the work in order to makenecessary changes. Business analysisplanning is a key input to the project plan,and the PM is responsible for organizingand coordinating business analysis activitieswith the needs of the entire project team.

Enterprise Analysis describes how wetake a business need, refine and clarify thedefinition of that need, and define a solutionscope that can feasibly be implemented bythe business. It covers problem definitionand analysis, business case development,feasibility studies, and the definition of asolution scope.

Elicitation KA has been renamed toclarify that elicitation techniques are usedfor more than defining requirements.Elicitation describes how we work withstakeholders to determine their needs and

ensure that we have correctly andcompletely understood those needs. Thetask structure of Elicitation is broken downinto greater detail since the release ofversion 1.6 of the BABOK, but the scopeof the KA remains much the same.

Requirements Analysis describes how weprogressively elaborate the solution definitionto enable the project team to design andbuild a solution that will meet the needs ofthe business and stakeholders. To do that, we

have to analyze the stated requirements of ourstakeholders to ensure that they are correct,assess the current state of the business toidentify and recommend improvements, andultimately verify and validate the results.

Solution Assessment and Validationcovers the role of business analysis once theproject team is ready to propose a solution.It describes how we assess proposedsolutions to determine which solution bestfits the business need, identify gaps andshortcomings in solutions, and determinenecessary workarounds or changes to thesolution. It also describes how we assessdeployed solutions to determine how wellthey meet the original need, enablingbusinesses to assess the performance andeffectiveness of projects.

Requirements Management andCommunication is our final KA. Itdescribes how we manage conflicts, issuesand changes, and ensure that stakeholdersand the project team remain in agreementon the solution scope. Depending on the

complexity and methodology of theproject, this may require that we manageformal approvals, baseline, and trackdifferent versions of requirementsdocuments, and trace requirements fromorigination to implementation.

The BABOK committee will work withour expert advisors and conduct surveys tovalidate this revised structure. Once that iscomplete, we will publish a detaileddescription of the new structure and a

document that maps the contentfrom 1.6 into version 2. We will thenrevise existing material and draft newsections to cover the gaps, and putthose drafts through a careful reviewprocess. Our goal remains tocomplete and “freeze” the BABOKby the end of 2007 or early 2008.

During this time, the certificationteam will be planning the necessarywork to revise the CBAP exam toincorporate this new structure. The

exam will continue to be based on version1.6 until that work is complete and a newedition is published. While we don’t yethave a firm date, this will not occur untilsome time in 2008. The date will beannounced in plenty of time for prospectiveCBAPs to ensure they study the correctedition of the BABOK. If you’re currentlyplanning to take one of the scheduledexams, version 1.6 is the only version youneed to be concerned with.

It’s been a slower process than weoriginally planned, but version 2 of theBABOK will be a much stronger and morerobust document than 1.6. We can promisethat it will be worth the wait, and that itwill be a solid basis for building the businessanalysis profession in the years to come. n

Kevin Brennan has ten years experience as aBA in multiple industries, including mortgagebanking, auto manufacturing, energyretailing, and regulatory agencies. You mayreach him at [email protected].


U P DAT E

The “New “ BABOKTM RevealedBY KEVIN BRENNAN, CBAP, PMP, VICE PRESIDENT, BODY OF KNOWLEDGE, I IBA



Question: How should I go aboutestimating my business analysis work for aproject?

Answer: Estimating is not an exactscience because you are trying to predicthow something will actually happen in thefuture, made more difficult by the fact thatyou do not have control over yourstakeholders’ schedules and priorities.There are some guidelines you can followthat will increase your likelihood of beingrealistic in determining the amount of timethe business analysis work will take.

Identifying the tasks to be completedand the deliverables to be created is thefirst step in estimating the time requiredfor business analysis work. Your best sourceof time estimates is past history on similarprojects. BAs will benefit from keepingtrack of how much time they spend onindividual tasks and using that informationon future projects. If you have no historical

information available, interviewing thosewho have had experience with similarprojects is the best way to determine howmuch time will be needed for each task.Ask other BAs in your organization forhelp when you are getting started.Depending on your organization, yourProject Managers may maintain historicalinformation about previous projects andthat information may also help guide youthrough the estimating process.

A common technique for estimatingtime is the WAVE formula. WAVE(weighted average value estimate) calculatesan average value from the best case (BC),worse case (WC) and most likely (ML)estimates: (BC + WC + 4ML)/6.

Creating a complete task list is the firstcritical success factor in estimating. Includeitems even if you are not sure that they willbe necessary. Anything that you may haveto spend time on during the course of theproject must be included in this list if you

want your estimate to be realistic.The second critical success factor is

obtaining buy-in from your stakeholdersthat they will be available on the dates andtimes that you need their participation.You can use your communication plan toprovide this information to yourstakeholders.

A third factor to successfully estimatethe business analysis work for your project,is that proper consideration must be givento the project’s unique characteristics,scope, importance to the organization, andrisk factors. Also consider the skills,knowledge, and availability of the peoplewho will be eliciting requirements andthose who will be providing requirements.

This topic will be covered in moredetail in our next issue of the bridge (Spring2008). n

Send your questions to Ask the Experts [email protected].

ask the experts Tips for Estimating



“Why do we need to gatherrequirements on a project when

we already know that our solution will be aCOTS solution (commercial-off-the shelf )?I don’t see why we need to spend timegathering requirements. We just need tolook at a few vendor offerings and make aquick decision,” commented a MarketingManager. It was my first week on a highprofile project seeking to introduce a newKnowledge Share system across thecompany. With executive visibility andsponsorship, there was great pressure todeliver the new system quickly. As a result,the business team wanted to eliminate anyunnecessary work that would delay deliveryof the system.

Effective requirements gathering canhelp reduce significant project risks.Whether the solution is a COTS or acustom application development,requirements gathering plays a critical rolein successful software development andimplementation. In the case of this project,it was important to educate several businessteam members on the critical role ofrequirements gathering. To begin educatingthe team, to gain their support, and tobegin requirements planning for theproject, I began developing therequirements plan for the project.

Requirements PlanThe requirements plan is acommunication toolused to help gainagreement on therequirements gatheringapproach that will beused on a specificproject. Therequirements plan hastwo benefits. First, ithelps educate non-ITstakeholders howrequirements gatheringactivities fit into theoverall project delivery.

Second, it helps Project Managers betterunderstand the requirements workbreakdown structure for project planning.

Components of a RequirementsPlanThere are several components to aneffective requirements plan. For a givenproject, the requirements plan describes:• Requirements gathering objectives • Requirements gathering processes• Roles and responsibilities for

requirements activities• Requirements deliverable list• Methods and tools

Requirements ObjectivesRequirements objectives describe thecriteria that must be met for requirementsgathering to be successful. Expressingobjectives in measurable terms helpscommunicate the overall goals. Forexample, the objectives for the KnowledgeShare system requirements gatheringincluded:• Elicit requirements from 8-12 future end

users with experience in differentproduct lines.

• Elicit requirements from 2-3 systemstakeholders representing CorporateResearch and Corporate Marketing.

• Document desired feature requirementsfor inclusion in a request for proposal

(RFP) to send to vendors.• Document detailed system requirements

to support the configuration andcustomization of a COTS package.

Requirements Gathering ProcessThe requirements plan describesrequirements management for a givenproject. Additionally, it describes howrequirements gathering is integrated intothe overall project plan. One way tocommunicate this information is todevelop high-level process maps for:

• Eliciting requirements• Verifying requirements• Resolving conflicting requirements• Managing requirement changes

Exhibit 1 (below) provides an example of aprocess flow for eliciting requirements forthe Knowledge Share system.

Communicating and sharing these high-level process maps provides several benefits.First, the process maps help explainrequirements gathering activities and howeach activity relates to the other. Second,the process maps help educate teammembers so they can understand what toexpect. Third, establishing a process forresolving conflicting requirements and formanaging requirements changes helps theteam move to resolution more quickly.

Requirements Planning for a COTS SolutionBY MARLA BRUS, PMP, PROJECT LEAD/BUSINESS ANALYST, 3M INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Exhibit 1: Eliciting Requirements for the Knowledge Share System



Requirements Resources, Roles,and ResponsibilitiesThe requirements plan clearlycommunicates the resources, roles, andresponsibilities needed to makerequirements gathering successful. Sharingthis information up front, allowsstakeholders and team members to betterunderstand their role. One way tocommunicate this information in therequirements plan is to include arequirements resource plan and aresponsibility assignment matrix.

The resource plan describes who needsto be involved and how much of their timeis needed. It also indicates whether or notthat resource is available to participate.Exhibit 2 (right) gives a sample resourceplan for the Knowledge Share systemproject.

The resource assignment matrixdescribes the expected responsibilities ofthose participating in requirementsgathering. Exhibit 3 (below) shows theresource assignment matrix for theKnowledge Share system project.

Requirements Deliverable ListThe requirements plan should include a listof key deliverables. This helpscommunicate the work results of therequirement process. It also helps theproject manager identify the keyrequirement milestones for the project

plan. For the Knowledge Share systemproject key deliverables included vision,system feature list, use case diagram, usecases, graphical user interface specification,and data map.

Methods and ToolsThis section of the requirements planshould identify any organizationalstandards, methods, or tools used tosupport requirements activities. Oneexample from the Knowledge Share systemis that all requirements deliverables usedthe templates as defined by the company’sstandard new system introductionmethodology.

ConclusionThe requirements plan helps communicate,plan, and educate others regardingrequirements management.Communicating the requirementsobjectives, processes, roles and

responsibilities, deliverables, tools, andmethods help others better understand thecritical role these activities play in theoverall project.

About a year after the initial release of

the Knowledge Share system, the sameMarketing Manager stopped me in thehallway. “Would you mind coming to themeeting next week? Would you be able toput together a requirements plan? We mayneed to add some new features to thesystem. The whole process goes betterwhen we follow the requirements plan yououtlined.” n

TS Solution

Exhibit 2: Sample Requirements Resource Plan for the Knowledge Share

Role Resource Needed Committed

Business Analyst Jane Doe 80% 80%

Corporate Marketing John Doe 10% ?

Research & Development Rick Smith 10% 10%

Division A Jean Jones ? ?

Division B John Smith 10% 10%

Division C Bill Nelson 20% 15%

Future Stakeholders Business Project Business Technical Users Team Management Analyst Staff

Process Mapping I I P A

Requirements Workshop I P P A

Requirement Prioritization P P I R A

Use Cases S S A R

Supplemental Specs S S A R

Requirement Verification R P A

A = Accountable, R = Review Required, I = Input Required, P = Participant, S= Signoff Required

Exhibit 3: Resource Assignment Matrix for the Knowledge Share System



OverviewAccelerate your preparation for the CBAP exam byattending the IIBA CBAP Exam Prep Boot Camp. Developedand facilitated by CBAP instructors, this boot camp provides anin-depth, structured approach to understanding the BABOK. This intense 4-day boot camp concentrates on the key areas of the BABOK and providesuseful memory exercises and discussions to reinforce the concepts detailedin the BABOK. The CBAP exam consists of 150 questions. This boot campincludes 450 practice questions with feedback written by Certified BusinessAnalysis Professionals. Attendees will learn test taking strategies, gain anunderstanding of the exam format, and review the types of questions thatare asked on the CBAP exam. Attendees receive a free copy of ourcomprehensive CBAP Exam Prep Study Guide.

This interactive boot camp includes:• 450 practice questions including a full practice exam

• Answers to questions include feedback for the correct and incorrect answers

• Review session after each set of practice questions• CBAP Exam Prep Study Guide • Memory exercises and discussion to reinforce core concepts • Pass guarantee! Students who have prior approval to sit for the CBAP

exam are guaranteed to pass the exam within 3 months after attending the boot camp or they may attend the boot camp again for free.

• Proven test taking strategies• Overview of the CBAP exam format and question types

Intended AudienceThis boot camp is designedfor individuals who areseeking the CBAP certificationand want a focused,structured session to ensurea thorough understanding ofthe BABOK and to preparefor the CBAP exam.

PrerequisitesIndividuals must meet the IIBA’s applicationrequirements to sit for theCBAP exam including workexperience, areas ofexpertise, education andprofessional development, and references. See therequirements listed on the IIBA website atwww.theiiba.org for details.Attendees should read theBABOK prior to attending the boot camp and bring acopy with them.

4 Days

New!

CBAP Exam Prep Study GuideKick-start your exam prep with our CBAP Exam Prep Study Guide. Written by Certified Business Analysis Professionals, this studyguide consists of 450 comprehensive practicequestions for all six knowledge areas andunderlying fundamentals of the BABOK.Additionally, the study guide provides anoverview of the structure of the exam, testtaking strategies, and memory exercises.

To purchase a study guide visit our online catalog at www.b2ttraining.com .

$149

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For more information on this course visit www.b2ttraining.com.tIntroduction – 1 hr• Overview of exam (question types, number of

questions, where questions are derived from,percentage of questions by knowledge area,etc.)

• Overview of boot camp format•• 450 test questions with feedback•• Exam simulation•• Tips and hints to reinforce concepts

and techniques•• Practice exercises•• Glossary of terms

Introduction to the BABOK – 30 min• Overview of the Knowledge Areas and their

relationships• Knowledge Areas relationship to solutions

lifecycle or SDLC• BABOK definitions

Enterprise Analysis – 4 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Enterprise Analysis• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and

feedback using questions from theassessment)

• Discussion based on missed questions

Requirements Planning and Management – 4 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Requirements Planning and

Management• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and



Requirements Elicitation – 3 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Requirements Elicitation• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and



Requirements Analysis and Documentation – 4.5 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Requirements Analysis and

Documentation• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and



Requirements Communication – 3 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Requirements Communication• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and



Solution Assessment and Validation – 3 hrs• Assessment test questions for Knowledge

Area (students self grade)• Key concepts of Solution Assessment and

Validation• Exercises• Practice test questions (with answers and



Business Analysis Fundamentals – 1 hr• How fundamentals are incorporated in exam

Practice Exam – 6 hrs• Practice exam • Discussion based on missed questions

Conclusion – 2 hrs• Key concept recurring themes “BABOKisms”

you want to know• More test taking strategies

Course Outline

Learn how you can host a CBAP examat your location. Contact B2T Trainingtoday at [email protected] or call 866.675.2125!



certified core courses

Essential Skills for the Business AnalystA Business Analyst’s main responsibility is to elicit, detail, and document requirements ina format that is useful to business stakeholders and technical developers. This firstcourse in our core series is designed as a foundational course to level set the students’understanding of the BA role in the industry and discuss how this may be different intheir organization.

Students attending this course will learn how to scope the project from a requirementsperspective and determine the appropriate level and complexity for each requirement.We will discuss various elicitation, analysis, and documentation techniques, learn how toconduct a requirements review, and learn how to ensure that requirements are at theappropriate level of detail. To enhance analysis communication skills, we discuss varioustechniques for gathering requirements and how to ask the right questions. This class isan excellent class for BAs with varied backgrounds and experience levels to discuss waysto improve their organizational BA processes.

Earn 28 IIBA CDUs and PMI PDUs

Detailing Business Data RequirementsMissing or poorly defined data requirements are the primary reason that most systemsfail. By definition, a process transforms data. The goal of this class is not to teach BAs tomodel or design physical databases; it is to fully understand data requirements and to beeffective at communicating with the developer and technical staff.

The second course in our core series teaches students how to identify the data elementswithin the project and detail them to the appropriate level, in the best documentationformat for the users to review and the developers to use. Depending on the project,various techniques are discussed for documentation. This class covers techniques oflogical data modeling and the use of requirements templates. A half-day workshop isincluded to reinforce the concepts learned.

Earn 21 IIBA CDUs and PMI PDUs

Detailing Process and Business Rule RequirementsOur third core course teaches BAs how to define various levels of processes and todocument the associated business rules. The techniques taught in this class define theessential business processes within the scope of a project and detail them into functionalrequirements. Techniques include decomposition diagrams, workflow modeling, use casedescriptions and scenarios, and prototypes. This course walks through the complexity ofhow to scope your project into phases if necessary and how to check the entirerequirements package for completeness. A half-day workshop is included to reinforce theconcepts learned.

Earn 28 IIBA CDUs and PMI PDUS

For more information on these courses visit www.b2ttraining.com.t

4 Days

4 Days

3 Days



advanced and specialized courses

Facilitating Requirements for Business Analysis This course teaches students to plan and conduct a facilitated session to elicit business andfunctional requirements. The art of bringing people together to elicit requirements and gainconsensus on solutions is a critical success factor for all BAs. The workshops in this courseensure students have the opportunity to conduct a requirements elicitation session for oneproject deliverable and to play each of the key roles in at least one session. This class islimited to 8 students and over 60% of the class time is spent on interactive, real-worldbusiness case study facilitated sessions.

Earn 21 IIBA CDUs

Requirements Validation This course takes the Business Analyst through the steps that ensure businessrequirements are validated and that the solution is usable and meets the business needs.Business Analysts will learn to design efficient requirements validation tests to make thebest use of limited resources and time. This course addresses many of the important tasksin the BABOKTM knowledge area Solution Assessment and Validation and equips BusinessAnalysts to design efficient and effective tests that demonstrate the application solutionsmeet their user’s needs.

Earn 14 IIBA CDUs

management/technical seminars

Overview of Business AnalysisThis seminar presents the Business Analyst role to managers and others who lead and workwith Business Analysts. In order for the Business Analyst to be successful, both the IT andbusiness community must embrace the business analysis process. The seminar can be usedas a working session to discuss how your organization will implement the business analysisprocess and approaches for documenting the requirements.

Developer’s Introduction to Business Analysis This class provides an overview of the Business Analyst role and a detailed review of therequirements document provided to the development team. To ensure an integrated team, ITdevelopers need to understand the role of the Business Analyst. They should also be familiarwith the requirements that Business Analysts are gathering and documenting. This includesunderstanding categories of requirements, the core requirements components, and thedocumentation formats used for each type of requirement. IT team members must alsounderstand the testing life cycle and the personnel involved. This course gives students anoverview of the Business Analyst role, requirements documentation, and software testing.

For more information on these courses visit www.b2ttraining.com.

3 Days

4 Hour Seminar

1 Day

2 Days

t



B2T Training’s public classes

B2T Training11675 Rainwater Drive, Suite 325Alpharetta, GA 30004

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Knoxville, TN

Core Courses

Essential Skills for the Business Analyst - 4 Days

Detailing Business Data Requirements - 3 Days

Detailing Process and Business Rule Requirements - 4 Days

Advanced and Specialized CoursesFacilitating Requirements for Business Analysis - 3 Days

Requirements Validation - 2 Days

IIBA CBAP Exam Prep Boot Camp - 4 Days

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