2/8/2011 ACHIEVING TRUE BA COMPETENCY: FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE DOUGLAS JACKSON, VICE PRESIDENT DOREEN EVANS ASSOCIATES 1

1

2 / 8 / 2 0 1 1

ACHIEVING TRUE BA COMPETENCY: FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION, NOT

JUST THE PEOPLE

D O U G L A S J A C K S O N , V I C E P R E S I D E N TD O R E E N E V A N S A S S O C I A T E S

BVUGBlueprint Virtual Users Group

2

Today’s Presentation

Purpose :Show how Business Analysis Competency can be justified and established within your organization.

Presentat ion Goals : Show how you can “make the case” for BA Competency Show why the findings and business case should become the

charter for your BA Competency effort Emphasize the value of communication mechanisms to realize

BA Competency.

Limit :1 hour: 35 minute presentation, 25 minutes for Q/A

3

About Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.

Founded in 1992 with a single focus to provide a solution to the requirements problem

DEA’s only business (20 years in February) is as a provider of Business Analysis Solutions Providing experienced business analysts to

work on client projects Helping our clients establish a business

analysis best practice discipline

Endorsed Education Providers (EEP) of the IIBA

Blueprint Strategic Partner

Douglas Jackson, CBAPVice Presidentwww.doreenevans.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasjackson

Presenter:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasjackson

http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasjackson

4

What is BA Competency?

Business Analysis Competency is the set of people, process, technology and organizational

capabilities which will be need to effectively implemented to ensure mature business

analysis practices within the organization.

5

Why is BA Competency Needed ?

If you are on this webcast, you likely are a competent business analyst,

Because you are a Blueprint client, you have a strong technology foundation in place,

Good things are happening…

6

BA Competency Benefit

…so BA Competency is really about getting your organization to adopt the business analysis discipline to achieve its organizational objectives in a consistent, repeatable, and scalable way

7

“The Requirements Mess”

7

“Analysts report that as many as 71% of software projects that fail do so because of poor requirements management, making it the single biggest reason for project failure – bigger than bad technology, missed deadline or change management fiascos…”

8

Project Risks

50 – 60% of projects fail to meet the needs of the business costing US businesses at least $30B every year!!!

53% of projects cost 189% of their original estimate

56% of software defects can be attributed to requirements

• Standish Group’s 2009 CHAOS Report• Forrester Research

9

A Holistic, Integrated Approach

People – Making sure the right people are continuously educated on the latest practices

Process – Ensuring a defined process for requirements definition, collaboration and management in is place

Technology – Ensuring a common set of tools is in place for requirements and that there is education approach which supports the toolset

Products – Managing product information (rules, lifecycles, etc) are when changes are made within the organization

Organization – Ensuring integration takes place between the BA roles and those of the PMO, Architecture team, Strategy, and product management (governance)

10

Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects

Establish BA Competency: A Proven Roadmap

Discovery / Planning

Making the Case

BA Competency Development

Projects

BA Competency Improvement

Institutionalization

BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement

Program

Area of Focus Today-If this part is done right, rest will be much easier

11

BA Competency Assessment - Stakeholder Checklist

User Experience Product Management Enterprise Architecture PMO Development Testing BA Community Compliance Fill in blank here ___________

Very Important!

Why?

Because getting these folks involved early sets the foundation for BA Competency governance – a critical component to ensure success for the program.

12

Common Business Challenges

13


Step 2: Elicitation / Verification


Making the Case


Projects




Program

Quantify the effect BA

Competency will have on these

objectives

14

Techniques for Project Risk Analysis

① Understand the Project Portfolio

② Determine the causes of project failure / abandonment (causal factors)

③ Map the business analysis practices that should be done and how they would reduce the risk to the related causal factor(s)

④ Determine the cost to implement the practices

Which costs less? Same approach, or Spend money to

implement a BA discipline, reducing risk of additional project cost

15

Use a Survey to Get Relevant Metrics from Stakeholders

Key Questions to Ask: How many projects are

abandoned? What was their value? How many ran significantly

over budget? On average, by how much? How many ran significantly

behind the promised delivery date?

When are software ‘anomalies’ (bugs, defects, etc.) found in the software development lifecycle?

When project are abandoned, what would you think are the likely causes?Note: Need to link to

goals

16

Analyze Organizational Process

17

Analyze the Process

Do have a defined process that allows each work effort to

define roles and responsibilities, determine usage of existing templates, evaluate best approach for business analysis activities

given project characteristics ?

Project Challenge

Risk-o-Meter

Sure

18

Analyze the Process

Can you show it to me?

Project Challenge

Risk-o-Meter

Oh….then maybe we don’t have a defined

process…

19


Step 3: Solution Requirements


Making the Case


Projects




Program

Determine the BA Competency

practices that fit the needs of your

organization

20

Document Risks

21

Creating the Link

Causal Factor Factor

Risk Reduction of Better BA Practices* Examples of BA Practice Areas that would boost capability & reduce risk

Lack of User Input 8.80% 10% Business Context, Stakeholder Analysis, Requirements PlanningIncomplete Requirements and Specifications 15.00% 90% Process Definition, Requirements TraceabilityChanging Requirements and Specifications 19.17% 85% Requirements Change Control Process, Elicitation / Documentation

Lack of Executive Support 3.63%30% Scoping Analysis, Goals as Requirements, Linkage to Business Case

Assertions

Technology Incompetence 5.63% 30% System Context, Requirements Flexibility for Build/Buy

Lack of Resources 9.50%10% Scoping Analysis, Defined Requirements Process Support for SDLC and PMLC

Unrealistic Expectations 9.67% 30% Scoping Analysis, Requirements Visualization, Process Analysis

Unclear Objectives 8.07%60% Linkage to Business Case Assertions, Goals as Requirements, Requirements

Traceability (to Goals)

Unrealistic Time Frames 14.00% 10% Requirements Planning, Requirements Prioritization, TraceabilityNew Technology 5.70% 15% System Interface Analysis (early in process), Business Process AnalysisOther 0.83% na Needs to be defined.

100%

Weighted Quantified Risk Reduction (1 year engagement) 44.3967%Benchmark Note: Per Gartner, Requirements are typically around 60 to 80% of the root cause of project failure

* Percentage will be determined from DEA BACoE based on BPM with Pain Points

BA Practice Implementation Will

Reduce Risks to Identified Project Challenges

22

Compare to Benchmarks

CBA to Reduce Project AbandonmentRisk Reduction Method Steps CalculationProject Portfolio (Expense Over 1 year time frame) $90,000,000 Percent of projects that will be abandoned 24%Abandoned Project Expense $21,600,000 Risk reduction associated with better business analysis practices (all areas, weighted)*

44%

Cost avoidance for the portfolio associated with better BA practices $9,589,680

Note: NPV values would be calculated between the time when the costs were incurred for planning and pilot and the benefit when the area applied to other projects

* Note that 60% is considered average by Gartner

CBA to Improve Challenged ProjectsRisk Reduction Method Steps CalculationProject Portfolio Budget $90,000,000 Percent of projects that will be come “challenged” 44%“Challenged” project budget $39,600,000

Extra costs for challenged (Average 189% according to Standish) $35,244,000

Risk reduction associated with better business analysis practices (all areas, weighted)

44%

Cost avoidance for the portfolio associated with better BA practices $15,647,161

$15,647,161$9,589,680

--------------$25,236,841

23

Create Discovery and Planning Deliverables

ESTABLISHING BUSINESS ANALYSIS COMPETENCY BUSINESS CASE TABLE OF CONTENTS SAMPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – BA COMPETENCY PROJECT

BUSINESS PROBLEM SUMMARY ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES FROM PROPOSED PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING PROPOSED PROJECT PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS TEAM CORE TEAM STAKEHOLDERS

PROBLEM DEFINITION PROBLEM STATEMENTS ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT – FINDINGS BA COMPETENCY RECOMMENDATIONS

PROJECT OVERVIEW BA COMPETENCY PROJECT DESCRIPTION (PEOPLE, PROCESS, TECHNOLOGY,

ORGANIZATION) GOALS AND OBJECTIVES PROJECT PERFORMANCE/ MEASUREMENT PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS PROJECT CONSTRAINTS PROJECT RISKS/ MITIGATION STRATEGY MAJOR PROJECT PHASES/ MILESTONES

DISCOVERY/ PLANNING BA COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROJECTS BA COMPETENCY IMPROVEMENT BA COMPETENCY INSTITUTIONALIZATION

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT – BAC AND THE ORGANIZATION COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF PROJECT – METRICS/

JUSTIFICATION FOR UNDERTAKING PROJECT PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS APPROVALS

Process analysis findings

Roadmap for moving forward

Business case

24

Communicate!

DEA has found a key difference between success and failure of a BA Competency effort is related to one thing:

A communication plan that is approved and used.

25


Step 4: Solution Assessment / Verification


Making the Case


Projects




Program

Implement practices increment

ally on projects,

while

Creating a BA

Competency “asset” for that can be

applied on other

projectsBenefit: BA Competency is being developed while projects are being executed – minimizing cost and political scrutiny

26

Communicating BAC Improvements

Set up requirements governance bodies

Use business case as charter

Follow an accepted communication plan

Use status reports to show incremental improvements

Periodically reassess risk

27


Step 5: Solution Optimization


Making the Case


Projects




Program

Optimize the BA Competency practice asset from Lessons Learned and integrate it as part of your

organization’s requirements process

Note: Project is considered completed when all practices identified are in place and optimized.

28

Risks Drive BA Competency Improvements

Communicate incremental strategy improvements via status reports

29


Step 5: Solution Optimization


Making the Case


Projects




Program

Note: Project is considered completed when all practices identified are in place and optimized.

30

Keys to Establishing BA Competency

Treat the establishment of BA Competency as a project

Need to make the case with the team that will govern

Make sure to quantify expectations in the form of a business case

Incrementally show progress against the agreed expectations using progress reports and your governance team.

Communicate the good word!

31

Q&A

For questions after this webcast, join the community on Linked in: RequirementsFIRST

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/RequirementsFIRST-4257373?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr

32

For more information contact me at [email protected] or call us at

Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.31 St James Ave Suite 1007

Boston, MA 02116617-482-4444

THANK YOU!

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

2/8/2011 ACHIEVING TRUE BA COMPETENCY: FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE DOUGLAS JACKSON, VICE PRESIDENT DOREEN EVANS ASSOCIATES 1