B2T Training Course Catalog (2011)

TrainingCourse Catalog

We Get it. We’ll Help You Get it Too.

i n T r o d u C T i o n

results driven Approach – A Complete SolutionB2T Training’s approach leads your organization to your desired level of business analysis expertise. With the right level of investment and commitment you can fundamentally transform your organization’s business analysis practice in order to meet your company’s goals. Our goal is to ensure your staff has the nec essary skills to be confident and credible to provide positive impact to your business. The program begins with an assessment of your needs by understanding the gap between where you are today and your end goal.

In order to realize the full value of business analysis in your organization and achieve improved project success and customer satisfaction, management needs to understand how they can support the business analysis discipline. We offer seminars for your management group to discuss the role of business analysis and specifics for incorporating the discipline into your organization.

Our core and advanced courses combined, provide a comprehensive training curriculum for the skills needed to be an excellent BA. The transformation does not stop in the classroom. To support students in their transition from the classroom to their projects we provide individualized

mentoring, on-demand learning modules, and business analysis consulting.

Our relationship with you is a long term partnership and we will work with you to capitalize on your business analysis development investment.

B2T Training overview and History Since its inception in 2000, B2T Training has focused solely on providing business analysis training and professional development. We bring over 25 years experience in business analysis to our offerings. A certified women-owned business, B2T Training was established to provide the highest quality business analysis training and support for ongoing development of business analysis professionals.

n We developed the first comprehensive business analysis training program in North America.

n We have instructors, mentors, and course developers that are business analysis experts.

n We are founding members of the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®).

As experts in the field, B2T Training continues to shape the Business Analysis discipline and the careers of BA professionals in major corporations across the globe through its high impact training sessions and valuable resources.

We get it. We’ll help you get it too.

ADVANCED COURSESCORE COURSES

ON-GOING EDUCATIONAND SUPPORT

GETTING STARTEDAssessment

BAOn-Demand

ModulesMentoring Consulting

OnlineResources

TA B l e O f c O N T e N T SB2T Training Curriculum ......................................................................... 3

Certification............................................................................................... 4

IIBA® BABOK® Alignment .................................................................... 5

n Core Courses

Essential Skills for Business Analysis .................................................. 6

Business Process Analysis .....................................................................8

Detailing Business Data Requirements ............................................. 10

Use Case Modeling and Solution Requirements .............................. 12

n Advanced Courses

Developing a Business Analysis Work Plan ...................................... 14

Business Analysis in an Agile Environment .......................................16

Facilitating Requirements for Business Analysis ............................. 18

n Specialized Courses

Overview of Business Analysis ........................................................... 20

Developer’s Introduction to Business Analysis ................................ 22

Business Analysis Essentials for Project Managers ........................24

Requirements Validation ....................................................................... 26

Self Study Options.................................................................................. 28

Mentoring ............................................................................................... 29

CBAP® Study Guide ............................................................................. 30

B2T Training • 866.675.2125 • www.b2ttraining.com 2


T r A i n i n g C u r r i C u l u m

B2T Training Curriculum We provide a cohesive learning experience that takes the extremely complex elements of business analysis and simplifies

them into manageable learning components. All of our courses include hands-on workshops giving students many

opportunities to experience the techniques in class so students can return to their desks with the ability to better do their

job. Students are encouraged to bring their projects to class to help reinforce the concepts being taught. Our curriculum

is developed utilizing business analysis subject matter experts as well as education specialists. This brings together the

knowledge of best practices and techniques, with the emphasis on education and adult learning.

Core CoursesOur core training program is appropriate for new or experienced business analysts. These courses are written for organizations looking to level-set the business analyst role in their companies and for individuals seeking a solid foundational skill set. Our BA Associate program and study guides are based on these courses.

n essential Skills for Business Analysis – 4 days

n Business Process Analysis – 3 days

n Detailing Business Data Requirements – 3 days

n Use case Modeling and Solution Requirements – 3 days

Advanced CoursesOur advanced courses are designed for students who have completed the core courses and/or individuals who are experienced in business analysis.

n Developing a Business Analysis Work Plan – 3 days

n Business Analysis in an Agile environment – 2 days

n facilitating Requirements for Business Analysis – 3 days

Specialized CoursesThese courses and seminars are ideal for organizations with specific training needs, and provide management and technical teams an understanding of the business analysis role.

n Overview of Business Analysis – ½ day

n Developer’s Introduction to Business Analysis – 1 day

n Business Analysis essentials for Project Managers –

3 days

n Requirements Validation – 2 days


C e r T i f i C AT i o n

CertificationB2T Training’s certification program validates an individual’s knowledge of critical analytical concepts and skills necessary to perform their role as a business analyst. This certificate is an independent expert verification of your knowledge and skills. Our program has proven to be a valuable measurement of business analysis performance across organizations.

The certification program consists of two levels of certification.

n The first level, BA Associate, covers the core or foundational concepts and skills for business analysis.

n The highest level, BA certified, includes more advanced concepts and techniques which require knowledge and years of experience to master. An individual achieving BA certified will be prepared to complete the IIBA® cBAP® certification.

The cost of obtaining BA Associate and BA certified is included in the cost of attending training. A test out option is available for the core classes. The graphic below illustrates our certification process.

BA Associate™The BA Associate is a certificate program that recognizes business analysts who possess foundational knowledge of business analysis topics and skills taught in our core courses. It is designed for both new and experienced

business analysts “to raise the level of core competencies”. Obtaining the BA Associate certificate requires students to pass all online proficiency exams for our core courses. Upon completion of the core courses and exams you will receive a certificate recognizing your achievement and, with your permission, you will be listed on our Web site in the certification directory.

BA Certified™After obtaining the BA Associate certificate, students are required to attend 2 of the advanced courses. BA certified is awarded upon successfully demonstrating their skills through the completion of class specific

activities, such as facilitating a session or preparing a BA work plan, and passing a comprehensive final exam. The BA certified exam covers all topics in the B2T Training curriculum and is aligned with the IIBA cBAP. completing the BA certified exam will help prepare students for the ccBA® and cBAP® exams. Students will receive the B2T Training cBAP Study Guide as a resource to prepare for the BA certified and IIBA® exams.

The cost of obtaining BA Associate and BA certified is included in the cost of attending training. Being BA certified entitles recipients the use of the BA certified logo and the ability to use our organization as a reference. With a student’s permission, certification can also be easily verified on our Web site through the certification directory.Attend 2 of the Advanced Classes

Business Process Analysis3 days

Pass Proficiency Exam

Detailing Business Data Requirements3 days


Use Case Modeling and Solution Requirements3 days


Essential Skills for Business Analysis4 days


Developing aBusiness Analysis

Work Plan3 days

Complete PerformanceBased Activity

FacilitatingRequirements for

Business Analysis3 days


Pass Final Comprehensive Exam

Business Analysisin an Agile

Environment2 days


5

B A B o k A l i g n m e n T

iiBA® Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® and B2T Training Courses CORE COURSES ADVANCED COURSES

IIBA BABOK – Version 2.0 Business Framework Tasks Essential Process Data Use Cases and Work Plan Agile Facilitating Skills Analysis Solution Reqts BA Planning and MonitoringPlan business analysis approach 3 3 Conduct stakeholder analysis 3 3 3 3

Plan business analysis activities 3 3 3 3

Plan business analysis communications 3 3 Estimate requirements activities 3 3 Plan requirements management process 3 3 Manage business analysis performance 3

ElicitationPrepare for elicitation 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Conduct elicitation activity 3 3 3 3 3 3

Document elicitation results 3 3 3 3 3

Confirm elicitation results 3 3 3 3 3 3

Requirements Management and CommunicationManage solution and requirements scope 3 3 3 3 3 Manage requirements traceability 3 3 3 3 3 Maintain requirements for re-use 3 3 3 Prepare requirements package 3 3 3 3 Communicate requirements 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Enterprise AnalysisDefine business need 3 3 3 3 3 Assess capability gaps 3 3 3 Determine solution approach 3 3 3 Define solution scope 3 3 3 Develop the business case 3 3

Requirements AnalysisPrioritize requirements 3 3 3 3 3 3

Organize requirements 3 3 3 3 3 Specify and model requirements 3 3 3 3 3 Determine assumptions and constraints 3 3 3 3 Verify requirements 3 3 Validate requirements 3 3

Solution Assessment and ValidationAssess proposed solution 3 3 Allocate requirements 3 3 Assess organizational readiness 3 3 Define transition requirements 3 3 Validate solution 3 Evaluate solution performance 3

Underlying CompetenciesAnalytical thinking and problem solving 3 3 3 3 3 3 Behavioral characteristics 3 3 Business knowledge 3 3 3 3 Communication skills 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Interaction skills 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Software applications 3 3 3 3 3


C o r e C o u r S e

essential Skills for Business AnalysisOverviewTo identify the best solutions for real business needs, this course provides an extensive inventory of tools and techniques for use in business analysis work. The business analysis skill set includes critical thinking skills, elicitation techniques and requirements analysis and management. equally important are communication and relationship building skills, whether they be in person or virtual environments. expertise with analysis tools and techniques becomes even more necessary in today’s fast-paced environment. It is further complicated by the use of dispersed or outsourced teams, complex business processes, time-driven business initiatives, new agile software development approaches, and poorly integrated legacy applications.

Regardless of the person’s title, the need for strong business analysis skills is necessary for companies to remain competitive in any economy. Through education and practice business or technical professionals will develop and enhance their analytical skills and provide significant value to projects and the business enterprise.

This course teaches business analysis essentials to both new and experienced practitioners. It supports and expands on the standards outlined in the IIBA BABOK® Guide V2.0. Mentor-led workshops allow students to practice the techniques as they learn them. Depending on the participant’s skill level, the workshop cases and discussions inspire learning insights for every level of experience. Students are requested to bring their own projects to class to use in developing a personal post-class action plan for taking their project to the next step.

In this course students will learn to: n Analyze and scope the area of analysis, working with

project managers and business sponsors to clarify the level and complexity of the business analysis effort needed for the project.

n Select the appropriate elicitation technique to efficiently identify critical requirements.

n Analyze and refine business and functional requirements.

n Ask the right questions through the use of interviewing templates developed specifically for business analysis elicitation.

n Identify the five core components necessary to analyze a business area.

n Plan an approach for analyzing, categorizing, and managing requirements. Determine the level of formality required and consider options for documenting and packaging requirements based on project type, priorities, and risks.

n Identify techniques and documentation options appropriate for various software development approaches and project types (cOTS, maintenance, business process improvement, new development, etc).

n Define testing objectives and verify requirements are testable.

n conduct effective requirements reviews to improve the quality of requirements deliverables.

n Build strong relationships with project stakeholders.

n Apply new communication strategies for eliciting and interacting with virtual teams.

n Anticipate issues, think proactively, and use critical thinking skills to plan stakeholder elicitation sessions.

Intended audience:This course is designed for business analysts, project managers, business systems analysts, system architects or any other project team member involved with analysis. New practitioners will learn the tasks they are expected to perform and why each task is important. experienced practitioners will learn new techniques and more structured approaches to improve their requirements activities. This course may also be appropriate for individuals who manage analysis activities and business stakeholders who need a more in-depth understanding of the requirements process and deliverables.

Prerequisites: None

Earn 28 IIBA CDUs and PMI PDUs

Public Class Pricing: $2395

Public Class Schedule:

feb 28 – Mar 3, 2011 • Dallas, TX

Mar 14 – Mar 17, 2011 • Louisville, KY

Apr 11 – Apr 14, 2011 • Atlanta

May 16 – May 19, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL

Jun 20 – Jun 23, 2011 • Orlando, FL

Aug 1 – Aug 4, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL

Oct 17 – Oct 20, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV

Dec 5 – Dec 8, 2011 • Atlanta

Visit www.b2ttraining.com for other dates and to register!

4 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr•Whatisbusinessanalysis?•Reviewthemajortasksperformedbythebusiness

analyst.•Definetheessentialskillsneededtoperformtheir

tasks.

Project Participants and their Role - 1 hr•Identifyprojectstakeholdersandtheirroles.•Discusshowthebusinessanalystinteractswith

these participants.

Elicitation Techniques - 3 hrs•Learntouseanddeterminetheappropriate

elicitation technique: o One-on-one interviews o Requirements workshops o Surveys o Brainstorming o Document analysis o Focus group o Job shadowing/observation o Competitive analysis o Interface analysis o Reverse engineering•Learntoproactivelyplaninteractionswith

stakeholders to make the most effective use of their time.

Scoping the Project from the Business Analyst’s

Perspective - 5.5 hrs•Understandwhytheprojectisbeingdone.

Without this understanding it will be difficult for business analysts to elicit and document the right requirements and focus their business analysis work in the appropriate areas. Get an introduction to Enterprise Analysis.

•Understandtheorganizationalenvironment.Identifythe business stakeholders who will be involved in the project and how they will impact business analysis.

•Learntoaskprobingquestionsabouttherequirements scope and facilitate a discussion with project stakeholders using visual representations of the requirements boundaries.

•Learnthecontextleveldataflowdiagramtechniqueto identify and scope “what is” and, more importantly, “what is not” to be analyzed. Analyze interfaceswithpeople,otherorganizations,existingsystems, and other software applications.

•Discusshowabusinessanalystshouldcollect,organize, and maintain requirements for efficient analysis and reuse on future projects.

•Workshop-Scopetheclasscasestudyproject.•Workshop-Reinforcetheanalysistechniqueson

a current project. Students will leave class with a draft visual representation of their current business area along with a list of follow up questions.

Defining and Detailing Requirements - 4 hrs•Whatisarequirement?Whyisitimportantto

gatheranddocumentrequirements?Whatarethecriteriausedtojudgethequalityof“excellent”requirements?

•Learnhowsoftwaredevelopersuserequirements•Understandthedifferencebetweenanalysis

and design or “business” vs. “technological” requirements. Why is it necessary to understand the business problem before deciding on a solution?

•Learnthe5corerequirementcomponents,whatthey describe, and why they are important.

o Entity o Attribute o Process (use case) oExternalAgent(actor) o Business Rule Requirements Analysis Techniques - 5 hrs•Learntherecommendedapproachtocategorizing

requirements. Why should requirements be categorized?Whouseseachcategory?Whyisitdifficulttocreatedistinctcategories?

o Business Requirements o Functional Requirements o Non-functional Requirements o Technical Requirements•Learntheconceptoftraceabilityofrequirements.•Discussthemostcommonlyusedanalysis

techniques to organize and refine requirements. Businessanalystsshouldhaveexpertiseinmanyanalysis techniques to be able to adapt to different types of projects and businesses.

oStructuredtextualtemplates(process descriptions, data descriptions, business rules, use cases)

o Entity relationship diagram o Decomposition diagram o User stories, use case diagram and use case

descriptions oWorkflowdiagram(UML,BPMN,ANSI,swim

lane) o Prototyping•Consideroptionsandlevelofformalityfor

packaging requirements and choosing the appropriate documentation techniques for each project.

•Reviewcurrentlyavailablesoftwaretoolsthatcanbe used for requirements management.

•Workshop-Putintopracticeseveraloftheanalysistechniques on the course case study requirements.

Conducting a Requirements Review - 2 hrs•Learnhowtoconductarequirementsreview:Who

shouldparticipate?Whataretherequiredsteps?Howisasessionconducted?Whatarethecommonchallenges?

•Workshop-Reviewasamplerequirementspackage.

o Identify missing or incomplete requirements. o Identify potential test cases. o Document issues and develop an approach for

going forward.

Validate the Requirements - 2hrs•Understandtheroleofbusinessanalysisin

validating requirements and software testing.•Introductiontosoftwaretesting:Whyistesting

important?Whatisthebusinessanalyst’sroleintesting?Whatistheprimaryobjectiveoftesting?Whatarethephasesandtypesoftesting?

•Learntoverifythatthebusinessrequirementsarecomplete by identifying test cases.

•Practiceidentifyingtestcasesandrefiningrequirements based on quality assurance principles.

Analysis Communication Skills - 2.5 hrs•Learntheimportanceofbuildingstrong

relationships with project stakeholders. How should businessanalystscommunicatewithusers?Howshould business analysts communicate with the technicalteam?

•Improveyourabilitytodevelopin-depth,detailedquestions for stakeholders by identifying the appropriate source of information, deciding on an approach, and using clear, consistent language.

•Reviewselectedanalysistechniquestoframequestions driving stakeholders to reveal core needs and problems. Ask the right questions through the use of interviewing templates developed specifically for business analysis.

•Recognizeactivelisteningasthemostpowerfulelicitation communication skill, learn to listen for key phrases that reveal specific types of requirements.

•Improvelisteningskillsbyrecognizingcommonbarriers to listening, understanding verbal and nonverbal messages, acknowledging the message, and responding with appropriate feedback.

•Learntoeffectivelyplancommunicationsandfacilitate groups to consensus.

•Workshop-Practiceactivelisteningandreceivefeedback from the instructors and other students.

Working with Virtual Teams - Optional•Understandwhatconstitutesavirtualteam.•Learnaboutvirtualteamstructuresand

terminology.•Learnabouttechnologyrequirementsforvirtual

teams o Define Webinars, web conferencing, webcasting. o Understand the uses for collaboration tools.•Considerbusinessanalysisprocesschangesfor

virtual team work o Set policies for the team. oUtilizetheSixThinkingHats®technique.•Effectivelyutilizethepeopleonthevirtualteam o Understand the critical success characteristics. o Tips for conducting virtual meetings successfully. o Choose the appropriate elicitation techniques for

virtual teams.

Develop Your Action Plan / Course Summary - 2 hrs•ReviewBusinessAnalyststasksandskills.•Workshop-DraftaninitialBusinessAnalysis

Communications Plan for a CRM project.•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepsonthe

student’s current project.•Studentquestions/discussiontopics.

Course Outline

This class is a part of the B2T Training Business Analyst certification Program. for more information on the program, see page 4.


C o r e C o u r S e

Business Process AnalysisOverviewDid you know the six costliest words in business are “we’ve always done it that way”? In this class you will learn techniques to help your business look at how things are being done and create solution options to improve the business processes. creating AS IS and TO Be workflows gives the business analyst a strategic view of business architecture which is essential in Agile, SOA, BPM, and any type of process improvement or cOTS project. Workflows are also the foundation for documenting Six Sigma, lean, and Value Stream process maps.

Business process analysis is a fundamental activity in defining changes to existing business systems, business process improvement activities, or performing gap analysis for cOTS. It provides the analyst an understanding of the core business processes they can use to suggest alternative solutions which meet core business needs and fit with existing IT infrastructure. Management can then evaluate each alternative for its potential return on investment and the cost of implementation. every business is searching for better ways of getting work done. Improving efficiency, decreasing costs, increasing productivity and customer service are goals that are universal.

evaluating the business process may result in software changes, procedural changes, organizational changes, personnel changes, etc. The best way to improve business operations is to: 1) study the current procedures, 2) find the core or essential work being done, and 3) define how this essential work will be accomplished. This course teaches a proven approach which gives the business analyst the confidence and credibility to offer and promote the right solution to solve the business problem or opportunity.

In this course students will learn to: n Identify and document complex business process steps

in an easy-to-review diagram using industry standard notation, BPMN.

n Schedule and conduct discovery/elicitation sessions to learn about current business processes (AS IS).

n Identify areas for process improvement by reviewing AS IS models.

n Develop process re-design strategies and present them for approval (TO Be).

n Ask detailed questions to get a complete understanding of business procedures, business rules, information use, and events that impact the business processes.

n Initiate a process modeling effort with clear objectives and an agreed upon goal.

n Define key terms used by the business domain to improve communications within the business.

n Decompose complex processes into lower level tasks and sub-processes.

n Identify the most important business component: essential Processes.

n conduct a review of a process model to assure accuracy.

Please Note: If students prefer and have experience using MS Visio to draw diagrams, they may bring their laptops with MS Visio to use during some of the workshops. This is not a requirement.

Intended audience:This course will be beneficial to any person, in any size organization, hoping to improve their business processes. The techniques presented can be used without any sophisticated software to quickly identify areas for improvement and fix broken processes.

Prerequisites: We recommend that students first attend our Essential Skills for Business Analysis class or have experience in project scope definition, eliciting requirements from subject matter experts, and understanding how business requirements fit into the entire systems development effort.




Mar 21 – Mar 23, 2011 • Orlando, FL

May 16 – May 18, 2011 • Louisville, KY

Nov 14 – Nov 16, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL


3 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr•IntroductiontoBusinessProcessAnalysis•Definestudentlearningobjectives.•Definebusinessprocessanalysis.•Solidifystrongprojectobjectivesandgoals.•Learntheimportanceoftheglossarytoprocess

modeling.

AS IS Workflow Analysis - 5 hrs•Utilizeworkflowanalysistounderstandthecurrent

business process (AS IS). o Discuss key terms in process modeling and their

subtle differences (process, sub-process, function, activity, essential process, task, procedure).

o Discuss the reasons for creating AS IS diagrams and models.

•LearntocreatedetailedBusinessProcessModels. oLearnthekeyBPMNsymbolsandtheirusage

(tasks, connections, events, gateways). o Discover and analyze tasks in the business

domain. o Identify events within the business process

including delays, communications, and triggers. oDecomposecomplexprocessesintosub-

processes and create related diagrams. o Use data artifacts to collect and analyze

information currently used by the business o Collect metrics or measurements to establish the

business process baseline.•Learntocapturebusinessrulesduringanalysisand

document them in a useful fashion.•Learntoreviewabusinessprocessmodellooking

for process improvement opportunities.•Learnanapproachtomanagingyourworkloadona

large business process modeling project.•Workshop:CreateanASISBusinessProcess

Model for the course case study and present it to the class.

Discovering Business Rules - 3 hrs•Learntolistenforbusinessruleswheneliciting

business process requirements.•Learntoaskdetailedquestionstoclarifybusiness

rules.•Considerseveralapproachestoorganizing,

documenting and getting confirmation on business rules.

•Usedecisiontablestorepresentcomplexbusinessrules.

•Workshop:Identifybusinessrulesfromcasestudy.

Essential Business Process Modeling - 3 hrs•Learntoidentifyessentialbusinessprocesses.An

essential business process is a core requirement of the business area necessary to re-design the process for improvement. Each process must be clearly defined, consistently named, and completely described.

•Learntoextractessentialprocessesfromdetaileduser descriptions and the AS IS process models.

•Learntoidentifyredundantandreusableprocesses.

•Useaninterviewingtemplatetodocumentbusinessnarratives for each essential process.

Process Analysis - 3 hrs•Learntoorganizeandcommunicateessential

business processes using a process outline or a decomposition diagram.

•Learntodecomposebusinessprocessesintosub-processes and tasks.

•Workshop:Identifyandpresentessentialprocessesfor the class case study.

TO BE Workflow Analysis - 5 hrs•ReviewASISModelsandtransitiontoaTOBE

Model. o Evaluate the business value of each process step

followingtheprinciplesofSixSigma, Lean,ValueStreamMapping,etc.

o Identify areas for improvement from the AS IS Models.

• UseRootCauseAnalysistofindthetruereason for each problem.

• Reviewcurrentprocessmetrics. • Examinehandoffsandcommunications

between process participants. o Prioritize areas for improvement. o Brainstorm on TO BE alternatives. o Create TO BE models with a re-design of the

business procedures supporting the essential processes.

•Collaboratewithstakeholderstodevelopalternative solutions and evaluating each one.

•Performgapanalysistoanalyzegapsbetweenthe AS IS Process and the recommended TO BE Process.

•Identifytransitionrequirements.•Workshop:CreateaTOBEBusinessProcessModel

for the course case study and present it to the class.

Develop Your Action Plan / Course Summary - 1 hr•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepsonthe



Course Outline


C o r e C o u r S e

detailing Business data requirements OverviewUnderstanding and documenting business data requirements is a critical component in defining complete requirements. eliciting information needs often uncovers additional processes and business rules. every business process uses data and almost all business rules are enforced by data. Missing a critical piece of data or incorrectly defining a data element contributes to the majority of maintenance problems and results in systems that do not reflect the business needs. This course teaches students an in-depth approach to data modeling: identifying and defining all necessary data components using both textual templates and an entity relationship diagram. This course teaches business analysis techniques for eliciting, analyzing, and documenting data requirements to both new and experienced practitioners. Students will be given data templates with a suggested documentation structure for defining Business Data Requirements. It supports and expands on the techniques in the IIBA BABOK® Guide V2.0. Mentor-led workshops require students to practice the techniques as they learn. Students are encouraged to bring their own projects to class.

“... the data sees the big picture, while the various people and machines and organizations that work on the data see only a portion of what happens. As you go about doing a Structured Analysis, you will find yourself more and more frequently attaching yourself to the data and following it through the operation. I think of this as “interviewing the data.”’ It is usually more productive than any other single interview.”

Tom DeMarco

The course provides business analysts the knowledge to:

n Identify core data requirements beginning with project initiation.

n Identify excellent data requirements at the appropriate level of detail.

n Detail the data requirements (using a data dictionary and data model).

n Detail complex data related business rules.

n Assist with the transition of business data to database design.

n Utilize easy normalization techniques (without all the mathematical theory).

n Validate data requirements with activity (process or use case) requirements.

even if your organization has a data administrator or data warehouse team who is responsible for documenting and managing the organization’s information needs, every project uses a subset of that enterprise information in its own unique way. Business analysts must understand the importance of data in all of their projects and include data requirements in their business requirements documentation. failing to document which data elements need to be used in a calculation, or displayed on a report, leaves the developer the responsibility of choosing the correct pieces of business data from hundreds if not thousands of available fields. These missing requirements often lead to expensive and lengthy project delays during the testing phase.

Intended audience:This course is designed for business analysts, systems analysts, data administrators, database administrators, or any other project team member involved with business analysis. This course may also be appropriate for individuals who manage business analysts or those who work with the business requirements document and need a more in-depth understanding of the process and documentation.

Prerequisites: We recommend that students first attend our Essential Skills for Business Analysis class or have experience in project scope definition, gathering requirements from subject matter experts, and understand how business requirements fit into the entire systems development effort.




Mar 7 – Mar 9, 2011 • Atlanta

Jul 18 – Jul 20, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL

Oct 11 – Oct 13, 2011 • Atlanta


3 DAyS

11

Introduction - 1 hr•Whatisabusinessdatarequirement?Whyare

theserequirementsimportant?•Reviewrequirementscategoriesand

classifications.•Whatisthedifferencebetweenbusinessdataand

databasedesign?•Reviewthe7characteristicsof“excellent”

requirements.•Reviewthecorerequirements

components.

Entities and Attributes - 5 hrs•Reviewthecomponentsofexcellentproject

initiation and scope analysis.•Learntousethecontextleveldataflowdiagramas

a starting point for identifying data requirements.•Entitytypesarethebasicbuildingblocksofthe

business data. This section defines entities, gives suggested naming guidelines, teaches the importance of entity definitions, gives criteria to evaluate potential entities, describes entity unique identifiers, and has students identify and document entities from the case study.

•Attributetypesarecharacteristicsofentitytypes.This section defines attributes, a data dictionary, gives suggested naming guidelines and class words, gives criteria to evaluate attributes, and has students identify and document attributes from the case study.

•Templatesforanalyzinganddocumentingdatarequirements are provided.

Entity Relationships and Diagramming Conventions - 4 hrs•Learnhowbusinessdatarequirementsare

displayed in an entity relationship diagram.•Relationshipsaredataassociationsthatdefinethe

business rules of the project as they relate to data. This section defines relationships and business rules, gives suggested naming guidelines, teaches relationship cardinalities, and has students identify and document relationships from the case study.

•Reviewcommondiagramnotationsfordatarelatedbusiness rules.

•Learnaboutanalternativemodel:theclassdiagram.

Detailing the Data Requirements - 5 hrs•Detailingrepeatingdataelements.Repeating

attributes must be broken down into their components, properly named, and clearly documentedwithexampledatavalues.Studentswill refine their requirements document based on additional business requirements.

•Detailingcomplexbusinessrules.Complexbusiness rules (many-to-many relationships) should be properly named and clearly documented withexampledatavalues.Studentswillrefinetheir requirements document based on additional business requirements.

•Detailingsub-categoryentities.Somebusinessdata naturally falls into sub-categories and should be documented as such.

•Reviewtechniquesfordocumentingdataconversion, interface requirements and perform gap analysis.

Transition from Business Data to a Physical Design - 2 hrs•Learnhowtolinkthedataandprocesselementsto

identify missing or incomplete requirements. Each essential process must use data, and each data element must be used by at least one essential process.

•Howdoesbusinessdatabecomeadatabasedesign?Reviewthedatarequirementsforcompleteness, understand how logical components are translated to physical components, and develop a strategy for maintaining the business requirements.

•Introductiontodatabasedesign.•Scopethedesignareausingsubjectareas.•Whatisde-normalization?Whyde-normalizea

databasedesign? Workshop - Identify and document data requirements for the case study - 4 hrs•Identifyanddocumententities.•Identifyanddocumentattributes.•Identifyanddocumentdatarelatedbusiness

rules.

Appendix - Data Normalization - Optional•Whatisdatanormalizationandwhyisitimportant?•Whataretherulesofnormalization?


Course Outline

B2T Training • 866.675.2125 • www.b2ttraining.com


C o r e C o u r S e

use Case modeling and Solution requirements OverviewUse case modeling is a commonly used analysis technique which results in functional requirements and a framework for test case development. When the solution to a business problem or opportunity involves a software component, the solution team must determine how software will best support the business. This class focuses on the business analysis work which includes defining functional, non-functional, and transition requirements which describe the solution and roll out needs.

This course supports and expands on the techniques in the IIBA BABOK® Guide V2.0. Specifically techniques for communicating the business requirements to the solution team, tracing each business requirement to the supporting solution component, assessing the solution applicability and planning for a smooth transition to the solution.

Mentor-led workshops require students to practice the techniques as they learn. Students are encouraged to bring their own projects to class.

In this course students will learn to:

n Use business requirements to identify, evaluate and present alternative design solutions which meet customer needs.

n Prioritize requirements for inclusion in the software development phase using plan-driven (traditional) and change-driven (iterative and agile) techniques.

n elicit, analyze, and communicate functional requirements that specify how users will interact with the software and how the software will respond.

n Deliver consistent, detailed use case descriptions.

n Incorporate usability principals when developing prototypes.

n Identify non-functional requirements appropriate for each project.

n learn to assess organizational readiness and build a transition or rollout plan to smooth the implementation of new software for the business.

Intended audience:This course is designed for business analysts, systems analysts, or any other project team members responsible for developing functional, non-functional, and transition requirements. Students are encouraged to bring examples of their requirements documents to the class for review and feedback. This course may also be appropriate for individuals who manage business analysts. Developers and solution implementers will benefit from an understanding of how functional and non-functional requirements are elicited and analyzed.

Prerequisites: We recommend that students first attend our Essential Skills for Business Analysis class or have experience in project scope definition, eliciting requirements from stakeholders, and understanding how business requirements fit into the entire systems development effort. We also recommend that students attend Business Process Analysis before attending this class.




Jul 11 – Jul 13, 2011 • Louisville, KY

Jul 25 – Jul 27, 2011 • Atlanta

Sep 12 – Sep 14, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL


3 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr•Definestudentslearningobjectives.•Whataresolutionrequirements?Whatare

transitionrequirements?•Reviewrequirementscategoriesand

classifications.•Whatarethedifferencesbetweenbusinessand

functionalrequirements?•Discussrequirementsimplicationsbasedonthe

type of solution being developed (COTS, in house development, maintenance, BI)

•Learnaboutthesoftwaredevelopmentapproachesused by the team (change driven vs. plan driven) as it relates to solution requirements.

Determine the Solution Scope - 4 hrs•Definethesolutionscopemodel.Useapproved

business requirements to define a solution and allocate the solution components to each requirement (traceability).

•Learnasix-stepapproachtobringingthebusinessdomain stakeholders and implementation stakeholders to consensus about the definition of the solution scope:

o Determine the functionality desired. o Elicit the business priority of each function. o Assess technical priority and estimated cost of

the desired functionality. o Break project into phases or iterations. o Create a scope model using a use case diagram: •Defineactorsinvolvedwiththeapplication.•Identifyactorinteractions.•Determineusecaseswithineachphaseor

iteration. o Obtain approval.•Reviewthebacklogandlearnthechangedriven

approach to iteration planning•Allocatetherequirementstothesolution

components.

Defining Functional Requirements - 4 hrs•Learntoelicituserstoriesandscenarios.•Learntoidentifyusecases.•Outlineeachusecaseforahigh-level

understanding of broad behavior. •Identifyprimarypath,alternatepath,andexception

paths. •Decomposelargeusecasesintosmallersub-sets,

identifying reusable use cases where possible. •Learnhowandwheretodocumentsystemuser

messages. •Learntocreatedetailedusecase

descriptions.

Designing User Interfaces - 2 hrs•Learntoidentifywhereprototypesarenecessary.•Createanddocumentprototypes.•Learntodocumentreportrequirements,including

ad-hocandpredefined.Learnthedefinitionofbusiness intelligence.

•Learntodocumentfieldeditsandscreenfunctionality.

•Incorporateusabilityprincipalsintouserinterfaces.

Analyze Interface Requirements - 3 hrs•Identifyrequiredinterfacesbasedonthephase/

iteration plan.•Determinehoweachinterfaceisaffectedbythe

solution design.•Writeinterfacerequirementsforeach

interface.

Identifying Non-Functional Requirements - 2 hrs•Identifyrequirementsnotpreviouslyaddressed

by business, functional, or technical requirement categories:

• Performancerequirements • Securityrequirements • Qualityrequirements • Scalability•Considerwhichnon-functionalrequirementtypes

are important for your project.•Discussthebusinessanalystroleinthe

development of these requirements.

Develop Transition Requirements - 3 hrs•Identifyrequirementsforasmoothrolloutofthe

solution to the business • Considerschedulingandtimingissues • Determinethetimingofinterfacetransitionand

data conversion • Considerparalleloperationsvs.cutover • Developanimplementationplan

Develop Action Plan/Course Summary Workshop - 2 hrs•ReviewBusinessAnalysistasksandskillslearned.•Workshop:Whatwouldyoudo?Determineanalysis

approach based on case study.•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepsonthe

student’s current project.


Course Outline


A d vA n C e d C o u r S e

developing a Business Analysis Work PlanOverviewHaving trouble getting started with your business analysis work? Unsure about how much time to request from your project manager?

Developing a business analysis work plan will prevent major problems by ensuring that all of the appropriate stakeholders are involved and the requirements will be analyzed and presented using the most effective communication approaches. This class teaches students to consider all of the project and stakeholder characteristics before deciding on appropriate deliverables and producing a time estimate. The work plan also helps the business analyst develop realistic time estimates based on the chosen deliverables. These estimates provide detailed justification for negotiation with project managers and project sponsors. During class students are presented the Business Analysis Planning framework™ and are given worksheets to guide their planning efforts.

Students are encouraged to bring their own project initiation documentation for a current or past project to the class. During the workshops, students will develop their business analysis work plan. If students do not have a project, a class case study is available and should be reviewed prior to the first day of class.

Regardless of when the BA joins a project or the project type, this class will guide planners to deliver an intelligent business analysis work plan to the project manager and have a detailed roadmap upon which they can immediately begin to execute. The business analysis work plan may be a single sheet of brief notes on a small project or a more formal document on larger projects. Regardless of the output produced, an excellent business analyst thinks through the plan before starting work.

This course supports and extends the techniques in the IIBA’s BABOK® Guide V2.0.

“Rowing harder doesn’t help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.”

- Kenichi Ohmae, management consultant

Intended audience:This course is intended for anyone who is interested in learning a practical approach to planning the necessary business analysis tasks for their project.

Prerequisites: Business analysts registering for this course must have attended Essential Skills for Business Analysis, or have at least 2 years experience in requirements elicitation, analysis, and documentation using structured techniques. contact B2T Training if you would like to pass out of these prerequisites.




May 2 – May 4, 2011 • Atlanta

Nov 7 – Nov 9, 2011 • Dallas, TX


3 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr• Businessanalysisplanning. o Overview of business analysis planning activities. o Discuss the relationship of the project manager

and the business analyst in planning.•UseoftheBAPlanningFramework™approachto

planning. o Project - Understanding the project characteristics. o People - Identifying stakeholders and planning for

communications. o Process - Planning the analysis activities.•Rootcauseanalysisandthefishbonediagram.•Thebusinessanalysisworkplan.

Planning for Different Types of Projects - 4 hrs•Introducetheconceptsofplandrivenvs.change

driven approaches to projects.•Planningarounduniqueprojectcharacteristics: o A large development project. o Enhancement or maintenance projects. o A COTS (commercial off-the-shelf software)

project. o A reporting or data warehouse project. o A process improvement or re-engineering effort. o An infrastructure upgrade (getting a new e-mail

or operating system).•Planningaroundmethodologyandprocess

characteristics: o An outsourced or off-shore development project. o Iterative style development methodology. o Agile style development process.•Groupworkshop:Discussplanningconsiderations

for case study projects.

Project - Understanding the Project Characteristics - 4 hrs•Let’sgetstarted-Achecklisttoassessthecurrent

state of the project and to help get started.•TheProjectOverviewWorksheet-Istheproject

clearlydefined? o Business objectives o Problems/opportunities o Requirements scope o High-level business processes•TheBusinessImpactWorksheet-Whatisthe

relativeimportanceoftheprojecttotheorganization? o Size (number of stakeholders, number of business

processes involved, number of business rules). o Importance (estimated cost, potential

benefits, criticality of business area, level of key stakeholders).

o Risk analysis (project, business, technology).•Enterpriseanalysis-Understandinghowthis

project fits into the organization’s overall strategy.•Groupworkshop-Assesstheprojectandscorethe

business impact of a sample project.

People - Stakeholder Analysis and the Communication Plan - 4 hrs•Whyplanforstakeholderinteractions?•Assesstheprojectsponsor•Identifybothprimaryandsecondarystakeholders: o Searching for all stakeholders, not just the

obvious ones o Understanding each stakeholder’s area of

concern o Documenting stakeholder’s needs o Consider the characteristics of each stakeholder

group•Determineeffectivecommunicationpracticesfor

each stakeholder group: o Is this group providing requirements, using

requirements, or supporting the project work?

o Which elicitation technique(s) will be most effective?

o What requirement presentation format will be mostcomfortableforthisgroup?

•TheStakeholderAnalysisWorksheet o When and where will communications with each

stakeholderbemosteffective? o What are the best communication techniques for

eachstakeholder?•Groupworkshop-Identifyandanalyzethe

stakeholdergroupsforanexampleprojectandidentify the appropriate communication techniques.

Process - Planning the Analysis Activities - 3.5 hrs•Plantheanalysisactivities o Step one - Assess which requirements

componentsareneeded? o Step two - Determine which deliverables are

neededusingtheDeliverableList Worksheet

o Step three - Develop an approach for creating each deliverable using The Deliverable Worksheet

•Consultwithorganizationalstandards/methodologies for required deliverables.

Creating the Business Analysis Work Plan - 3 hrs•Stepone-Createthebusinessanalysistasklist•Steptwo-Estimateanalysistime oUsinghistoricalandexpertdatatoestimate o Tracking actual time to estimate •Stepthree-Finalizethebusinessanalysiswork

plan •Groupworkshop-developatasklistofanalysis

and requirements activities for a sample project.•Intelligentnegotiationskills.•Gettingsignoffontheplan.•Baseliningtheplanandinitiatingchange

control.

Ongoing Requirements Management - 1 hr•WhatisRequirementsManagement? o Using a requirements repository o Develop a requirements management plan oReusingexistingrequirements oReusingexistingdata o Identifying requirements attributes•Planforrequirementstraceability oLearnabouttraceabilitymatricesand

requirements links o Understand the purpose of forward and backward

traceability o Determine which requirements should be

“traced” o Determine the appropriate approach for

managing traceability oExercise:Performimpactanalysisusing

traceability

Course Summary - 0.5 hr•Finalthoughts•PlanningWorksheetMap•OptionalExercises

Appendix - Advanced Project Initiation Requirements - Optional•Advancedprojectinitiationrequirements:•Learntechniquestoidentifystrongproject

objectives. •Learnatechniquetohelpsubjectmatterexperts

scope a project with unclear boundaries. •Groupworkshop-scopeanunclear

project.

Appendix - Advanced Topics - Optional•Developingacost/benefitanalysisforabusiness

case•Evaluatingsoftwareapplicationsforpurchase

(COTS)


Course Outline



Business Analysis in an Agile environment OverviewAgile environments are causing a shift in how teams are formed and the roles individuals have on their teams. While some agile teams do not have a formal role called Business Analyst, business analysis skills are still needed on agile teams. BAs possess unique skills including clear communication, organization, facilitation, requirements elicitation, critical thinking, and requirements analysis and management skills.

This course is designed to show how business analysis fits in an agile environment and highlights the reality that business analysis activities are absolutely necessary. for the Business Analysis practitioner you will understand how the skills you have will help you become a valued agile team member.

Students will gain knowledge and skills by practicing techniques and soft skills needed to operate effectively in a requirements-driven agile environment.

Students will learn:

n Agile approaches, key principles, practices and terminology focusing on Scrum.

n How to map traditional skills and tasks of a Business Analyst to agile task and skills.

n How a Business Analyst adds value to an agile project.

n To develop user stories and specify acceptance criteria to assist the Product Owner and business stakeholders.

n How requirements are managed in an agile environment pre and post the product backlog.

n How to assist Product Owner and delivery team with four types of agile planning: Strategy and product planning, release planning, Sprint/Iteration Planning, daily planning during the Stand-up Meeting.

n To communicate requirements in different ways, adjusting the level of detail and elaborating requirements iteratively as needed while developing just enough documentation.

n To prioritize the Product Backlog and handling new requests.

Intended audience:This course is designed for business analysts, systems analysts, product owners, project managers or any other project team member involved with requirements on an agile project. This course may also be appropriate for individuals who manage business analysts and need a more in-depth understanding of the process and skill set a business analyst can bring to an agile project.

Prerequisites: This is an advanced class. We recommend students first attend our core classes or have equivalent experience.


Public Class Pricing: No public classes currently scheduled.


No public classes currently scheduled.


2 DAyS

17

Introduction - 1 hr•Definestudentslearningobjectives.•Understandstudentsknowledgeofbusiness

analysis techniques and agile.

The Agile Environment - 3 hrs•Learnhowplan-driven(traditional)vs.change-

driven (iterative, agile) development approaches impact business analysis tasks and priorities.

•Overviewofagileprinciples,methodologiesandterminology.LearnvaluesandprinciplesfromAgileManifesto.

•DiscussbusinessandITbenefitsforusingalightagile framework versus traditional development approach.

•Workshop:Createlistofchallengesmovingfrom a traditional environment to an agile environment.

Business Analysis Skills for Agile Projects - 3 hrs•ReviewthemajortasksandskillsneededbyBA

professionals for traditional and agile projects. •DiscussalignmentwiththeIIBA®BABOK®.•DiscusstheBA’srelationshipwiththeotherproject

members.•LearntotransferBAskillsfromtraditional

methodologies to an agile approach.•Workshop:CreateaProductVision.

Requirements on an Agile Project - 4 hrs•DefinethelevelsofAgileplanning-Thefocuswill

beexploringhowtheBAwillassistwithProductand Release Planning.

•DevelopaProductandSprintBacklog.•Learnhowtoreplaceformalrequirements

documents with face-to-face communication where appropriate.Learnhowtouseinformalmodels.Don’t strive for requirements perfection.

•WritingUserStoriesattheappropriatelevelof detail following guidelines of 3 Cs (card-conversation –confirmation)- and INVEST techniques.

•Learngoodstorywritingtipsandwhattoavoid.•Workshop:Breakdownoneitemonaproduct

backlog into user stories.

Business Analysis Roles - 2 hrs•Understandwhatactivitiesareperformedby

a Business Analysis Practitioner in an Agile environment

•LearnhowtheBAsupportstheProductOwner.•Workshop:Createlistofideashowyoucanbestbe

utilized on an agile project.

Develop Your Action Plan - 1 hr•Discussroleadaptationyouwillhavetomaketobe

successful in an agile environment.•Discussyourskilldevelopmentopportunities(Cross

functional, Project Management, technical skills, etc.).

•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepsonthestudent’s current project.


Course Outline




facilitating requirements for Business Analysis OverviewThe art of bringing people together, face-to-face or remotely, to elicit requirements and gain consensus on solutions is a critical success factor for all business analysis professionals. This course teaches facilitation techniques that can be used for structured sessions and “facilitation-on-the-fly.” This course goes beyond traditional facilitation training by focusing on facilitation techniques specific to gathering business and functional requirements.

This class is limited to 8 students, allowing each student the opportunity to practice facilitating multiple requirements sessions in a “safe” environment with personalized feedback. Students will spend 60% of class time participating in interactive, real-world business case studies and performing each key role in at least one session.

The workshops in this course require students to plan the requirements workshop, develop the correct questions to ask the group, and facilitate the group to a consensus on the requirements using one of the learned techniques. Students will conduct a requirements workshop for at least one requirement deliverable (i.e., context level dataflow diagram, workflow diagram). This course supports and expands on the techniques in the IIBA BABOK® Guide V2.0.

In this course students will learn to:

n facilitate using proven techniques for eliciting detailed business, functional and non-functional requirements.

n Identify when and how to use each technique.

n Develop confidence and a skill set to conduct requirements workshops.

n Actively practice learned skills and techniques.

n Use a requirements planning session template.

n Prepare the participants for the requirements session.

n Perform each facilitation role through role playing each session.

n conduct the session to stay focused on the core requirement that was planned as a deliverable.

n Select which facilitation technique to use for each core requirement being gathered.

n complete checklists for managing and conducting the session.

n facilitate a requirements workshop.

Intended audience:This course is designed for experienced, knowledgeable business analysts involved with requirements elicitation and analysis. Students are expected to understand the purpose of business and functional requirements.

Prerequisites: We recommend that students first attend our Essential Skills for Business Analysis class or have experience in project scope definition, eliciting requirements from subject matter experts, and understanding how business requirements fit into the entire systems development effort.




Apr 18 – Apr 20, 2011 • Chicago-Oakbrook, IL

Sep 19 – Sep 21, 2011 • Atlanta


3 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr•Learnguidelinesforrequirementsfacilitators.•Setsessionrulesandmanagethesession.•Learnreactivetechniquestouseduringthe

session: o Encourage participation. o Manage group focus. oManagegroupconflict. o Consider remote facilitation techniques.

Student Workshop - 1.5 hrs•Conductamini-requirementsworkshop.•Practicetechniquesusedforrequirements

workshops.

Session Feasibility - 1 hr•Determinewhenrequirementsworkshopsare

appropriate: o Determine need/requirements deliverable

desired. o Determine commitment level. o Determine risks.•Practicedeterminingsessionneedusingreal-world

scenarios.•Reviewthecorerequirementscomponentsand

discuss how they are best gathered.•Learnwhennottouserequirements

workshops.

Planning and Preparing for a Facilitated Session - 4 hrs•Planthesession: o Determine the number session(s) needed and the

length of the session(s). o Document the purpose of the session. o Identify potential participants. o Define session requirements deliverables. o Document the plan using session planning

templates.•Prepareforasession: o Outline the goals and requirements deliverables. o Select session participants and determine if pre-

session interviews are appropriate.•Learnfacilitationtechniques: o Brainstorming o Consensus building o Flowcharting o Force field analysis o Hip pocket techniques o Nominal group o Root cause analysis o Storyboarding o Facilitating across distance•Developfocusedquestionstogatherrequirements: o Direct o Open-ended o Clarifying oLeading o Re-focusing•Createadetailedagendaforthefacilitationteam.•Learngroup-orientedfacilitationtechniques.•Createaformalagendaforthesessionparticipant.•Orientthefacilitationteam.•Preparethefacilities.

Student Workshop - 3.5 hrs•Eachstudentwillpracticeelicitationtechniquesin

a requirements workshop.•Personalfeedbackwillbeprovidedtodriveskill

development.

Conducting the Session - 1 hr•Learnthestagesofgroupdevelopment/productivity.•Facilitatedecisionmaking–worktoward

consensus. •Conductingthesession: o Introducing the session. o Managing the session. o Creating a follow-up action plan. •Review/approverequirements

deliverables.

Student Workshop - 8 hrs•Planandconductarequirementsworkshop.•Useoneormoreofthelearnedfacilitation

techniques.•Producetherequirementsdeliverableusingoneof

the facilitation techniques.•Personalfeedbackwillbeprovidedtodriveskill

development.

Session Follow-Up - 1 hr•Producethefinalrequirementsdocument.•Sharesessionfeedback.•Determinethenextstepstofinalizethe

requirements.


Course Outline


S P e C i A l i z e d C o u r S e

overview of Business Analysis OverviewIn order for business analysis to be successful in organizations, both the IT and business community must embrace the business analysis process. This seminar presents the business analysis role to managers and others who lead and work with business analyst professionals. The seminar can be used as a working session to discuss how your organization will implement the business analysis process and approaches for eliciting, analyzing and communicating requirements.

Both large and small organizations are realizing the benefits of using business analysis professionals on all of their application development projects. A business analysis professional acts as a liaison between business people who have a business problem and technology people who know how to create automated solutions. Improving the communication between your business areas and your IT team significantly increases the quality of the systems developed.

By understanding business analysis you will be able to maximize the impact your individual business analysis professionals and overall business analysis practice will have on your organization.

0.5 DAy

Intended audience:This seminar is a management overview of business analysis for managers, supervisors, and project managers who work with business analysis professionals.

Prerequisites: None

This course is customized for each organization’s unique environment to maximize the effectiveness of the business analysis practice.


Introduction - 1 hr•GroupExercise:Identifyproblemsandopportunities

that can be addressed by business analysis practices.

•Discusspositiveimpactsgoodbusinessanalysispractices have on organizations.

Business Analysis Role - 1.5 hrs•Learnthescopeofthebusinessanalysisrole.•Understandhowtheroleisusedintheindustry.•Discussthekeycharacteristicsofasuccessful

business analysis professional. Tips for Managing Business Analysis Professionals - 0.5 hr•Supporttherequirementselicitationprocess.•UnderstandthemostproductiveBAwork

environments.•Learntheimportanceofrequirementsreviewsand

collaboration.

Current Industry Trends - 0.5 hr•ProvideoverviewoftheInternationalInstituteof

Business Analysis (IIBA®). •LearntheProjectManagerandBusinessAnalysis

partnership framework.•DiscussconsiderationsforthePM/BAcombined

role.•UnderstandAgiledevelopmentapproachesandthe

impact on business analysis.

Develop Your Action Plan / Course Summary - 0.5 hr•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepstoimprove

your BA practice.•Studentquestions/discussiontopics.

Course Outline



developer’s introduction to Business Analysis OverviewThis class provides an overview of the Business Analyst role and a detailed review of the Requirements Document provided to the development team. To ensure an integrated team, IT developers need to understand the role of the Business Analyst. They should also be familiar with the requirements that Business Analysts are gathering and documenting. This includes understanding categories of requirements, the core requirement components, and the documentation formats used for each type of requirement. IT team members must also understand the testing life cycle and the personnel involved. This course gives students an overview of the role of the Business Analyst, requirements documentation, and software testing.

Intended audience:This course is designed for software developers, software architects, or any other project team member who will be using requirements documents for their development work. It is useful for both new developers and experienced developers. Developers will learn how Business Analysts gather, analyze, and document requirements.

Prerequisites: None

This course is customized for each organization’s unique environment to maximize the effectiveness of the business analysis practice.

1 DAy


Introduction - 1 hr•Whatistheroleofabusinessanalyst?•Reviewthemajortasksperformedbythebusiness

analyst.•Definetheskillsneededtoperformtheir

tasks.

Project Participants and their Roles - 0.5 hr•Identifyprojectparticipantsandtheirroles•Discusshowthebusinessanalystinteractswith

these participants.

Defining and Detailing Requirements - 1.5 hr•Whatisarequirement?Whyisitimportantto


•Understandthedifferencebetweenanalysisand design or “business” vs. “technological” requirements. Why is it necessary to understand the business problem before deciding on a solution?


o Entity o Attribute o Process (Use Case) oExternalAgent(Actor) o Business Rule

Documenting Requirements - 2 hrs•Learntherecommendedapproachtocategorizing


o Business requirements o Functional requirements o Technical requirements •Reviewasamplerequirementspackageincluding: oTextualtemplates o Entity relationship diagram o Decomposition diagram o Use case diagram and scenarios oWorkflowdiagram o Prototyping

Validate the Requirements - 1 hr•Introductiontosoftwaretesting:Whyistesting


•Learnthetwomaintestingdocuments:testplans,test cases.


Course Outline

24


Business Analysis essentials for Project managers OverviewThe best way to guarantee success of any type of project is to have a strong, experienced Project Manager and strong, experienced Business Analyst. These two individuals, working together from the beginning of the project, set the stage for success by accurately planning and clearly defining the expected outcomes. Both roles are necessary because they are each responsible for a different set of tasks and they each possess a set of skills that complement each other. The two roles are closely tied, but exactly what are the similarities and differences, and why does a project need both?

This course discusses the role of Business Analysts and the business analysis skills that a Project Manager should also possess. The business analysis skill set includes critical thinking skills, elicitation techniques and requirements analysis and management. experienced project managers may already possess some of these skills, but may apply them differently than BAs. Understanding the complexity of the business analysis role will allow the PM and BA to work seamlessly and increase the project efficiency.

Scoping is one of the most critical areas on which the PM and BA should work together. In addition to the project scope, as defined in the PMBOK™, the BA is responsible for defining the scope of business analysis. When these two components of scope are combined they define the entire boundary of the project. In this course, Project Managers will learn how Business Analysts define the scope of the area for which they will be performing analysis. This is just one example of a task with separate roles for the PM and BA. Understanding their unique roles is critical to project success.

In this course students will:

n learn to analyze and scope the area of analysis to clarify the level and complexity of the business analysis effort needed for the project.

n learn what is an excellent requirement and the difference between business and functional requirements.

n learn the five core components necessary to analyze a business area.

n Be introduced to the most commonly used analysis techniques.

n Discuss alternatives for traceability of requirements.

n Plan an approach for analyzing, categorizing, and managing requirements. Determine the level of formality required and consider options for documenting and packaging requirements based on project type, priorities, and risks.

n Identify techniques and documentation options appropriate for the various software development. approaches and project types (cOTS, maintenance, business process improvement, new development, etc).

n Understand how validating requirements impacts the project and the components of software testing.

n Review business analysis requirements to improve the quality of your deliverables.

Intended audience:This course is designed for Project Managers who are responsible for reviewing requirements, managing the business analysis efforts, overseeing the testing efforts, or obtaining sign-off on the business analysis deliverables. for PMs who are also responsible for gathering the business requirements, we recommend that they attend all of the core courses on business analysis.

Prerequisites: None





3 DAyS


25

Introduction - 1 hr•Whatisbusinessanalysis?•Reviewthemajortasksperformedbythebusiness

analyst.•Definetheessentialskillsneededtoperformtheir

tasks.

Project Participants and their Role - 1 hr•Identifyprojectstakeholdersandtheirroles.•Discusshowthebusinessanalystinteractswith

these participants.

Scoping the Project from the Business Analyst’s Perspective - 4.5 hrs•Understandwhytheprojectisbeingdone.

Without this understanding it will be difficult for business analysts to elicit and document the right requirements and focus their business analysis work in the appropriate areas. Get an introduction to Enterprise Analysis.

•Understandtheorganizationalenvironment.Identifythe business stakeholders who will be involved in the project and how they will impact business analysis.

•Learntoaskprobingquestionsabouttherequirements scope and facilitate a discussion with project stakeholders using visual representations of the requirements boundaries.

•Learnthecontextleveldataflowdiagramtechniqueto identify and scope “what is” and, more importantly, “what is not” to be analyzed. Analyze interfaceswithpeople,otherorganizations,existingsystems, and other software applications.

•Discusshowabusinessanalystshouldcollect,organize, and maintain requirements for efficient analysis and reuse on future projects.

•Workshop-Scopetheclasscasestudyproject.

Defining and Detailing Requirements - 4 hrs•Whatisarequirement?Whyisitimportantto


•Learnhowsoftwaredevelopersuserequirements.•Understandthedifferencebetweenanalysis

of the business and design of the solutions or “business” vs. “technological” requirements. Why is it necessary to understand the business problem beforedecidingonasolution?


o Entity o Attribute o Process (Use Case) oExternalAgent(actor) o Business Rule

Requirements Analysis Techniques - 5 hrs•Learntherecommendedapproachtocategorizing


o Business Requirements o Functional Requirements o Non-functional Requirements o Technical Requirements•Learntheconceptoftraceabilityofrequirements.•Discussthemostcommonlyusedanalysis

techniques to organize and refine requirements. Businessanalystsshouldhaveexpertiseinmanyanalysis techniques to be able to adapt to different types of projects and businesses.

oStructuredtextualtemplates(processdescriptions, data descriptions, business rules, use cases)

o Entity relationship diagram o Decomposition diagram o User stories, use case diagram and use case

descriptions oWorkflowdiagram(UML,BPMN,ANSI,

swim lane) o Prototyping•Consideroptionsandlevelofformalityfor

packaging requirements and choosing the appropriate documentation techniques for each project.

•Reviewcurrentlyavailablesoftwaretoolsthatcanbe used for requirements management.

•Workshop-Putintopracticeseveraloftheanalysistechniques on the course case study requirements.

Conducting a Requirements Review - 2 hrs•Learnhowtoconductarequirementsreview:Who

shouldparticipate?Whataretherequiredsteps?Howisasessionconducted?Whatarethecommonchallenges?

•Workshop-Reviewasamplerequirementspackage.

o Identify missing or incomplete requirements. o Identify potential test cases. o Document issues and develop an approach for

going forward.

Validate the Requirements - 2 hrs•Understandtheroleofbusinessanalysisin

validating requirements and software testing.•Introductiontosoftwaretesting:Whyistesting



•Practiceidentifyingtestcasesandrefiningrequirements based on quality assurance principles.

Course Summary - 2 hrs•ReviewBusinessAnalyststasksandskills.•Workshop-DraftaninitialBusinessAnalysis

Communications Plan for a CRM project.•DevelopanActionPlanwithnextstepsonthe


Appendix - Overview of Application Development Processes and Standards - Optional - as time allows•Discussvariousmethodologiesforapplication

development. •Learnwhichmodelsareusedineachmethodology: o Waterfall o Information Engineering o IDEF o RAD o Iterative/Agile o BPMN oObjectOriented-UML o Spiral/RUP

Course Outline




requirements validation OverviewThis course takes you through the steps to ensure that business requirements are validated, that the solution is usable and meets the business needs. Validating requirements improves the likelihood of project success, making sure that we are building the right solution. The cost to correct a software defect may be as high as 2900 times the cost to correct a requirement. finding missing requirements and requirements inconsistencies decreases the overall length and cost of the project.

Business analysis and quality assurance professionals must use risk assessments to prioritize requirements and requirements validation activities. The highest risk areas of the business must be addressed first. This course teaches business and quality analysts to design efficient requirements validation tests to make the best use of limited resources and time.

Solution Assessment and Validation is one of the key knowledge areas in the IIBA BABOK® Guide V2.0. This course addresses many of the important tasks in the knowledge area along with giving business analysts the ability to design efficient and effective tests to demonstrate that the application solutions meets their user’s needs.

This course answers many of the key questions about requirements validation including:

n How do we validate requirements?

n Which types of validation and verification processes are appropriate for my project?

n How does the team ensure that the solution meets the business stakeholder needs?

n Where does validation fit in the software development life cycle (SDlc)?

n What is software usability? Why is it important?

n How does the team correct problems when they are discovered?

n How do I work with technical members of the solution team? What do they need from a BA to be successful?

Intended audience:This course is designed for business analysts, quality analysts, project managers, or anyone interested in improving and validating the quality of their requirements.

Prerequisites: We recommend that the Business Analyst has already attended our 4 core courses (or at a minimum Business Process Analysis and Use Case Modeling and Solution Requirements) before enrolling for this course.





2 DAyS


Introduction - 1 hr•Whatarerequirements?•Understandthevalueofacceptanceandevaluation

criteria•Howdowevalidaterequirements?•Whenshouldrequirementsbevalidated?•Whovalidatesrequirements?

Validating and Testing Requirements - 3 hrs•Whatdoesitmeantovalidaterequirements? o Conducting effective structured walkthroughs

of requirements. •Reviewguidelines.•Examineasamplereviewinvitationandresults

form.•Reviewquestionchecklists.•Howdoreviewsimprovefutureprojects?•Workshop:validaterequirementsusingaformal

review o Introduction to usability testing. o Effective user acceptance testing (UAT). o Conduct a post implementation user assessment

to identify lessons learned.•Howtocorrectproblemsthatarediscoveredduring

requirementsvalidation? o Use a consistent problem tracking procedure. o Track defect/problem types to improve

requirements on future projects. o Assess each problem for its type, severity, and

status.

Usability Testing - 2 hrs•Learntheprinciplesofusability.•Learnhowusabilitytestingdiffersfromtraditional

testing.•Discussmethodsofusabilitytesting.•Learntouserequirementstodesignusabilitytests.•Workshop:Conductausabilitytest.

Working with IT Stakeholders - 3 hrs•CommunicatingwithITdevelopmentstakeholders. o Verifying requirements or specification. •Unittesting.•Integrationtesting.•Systemstesting.•Evaluatesolutionperformance-validatenon

functional requirements.•Validatesolutionagainstrequirements.•Businessrequirements.•Functionalrequirements.•Technicalrequirements.•Regressiontesting-re-testingafterachange. o Testing environments. o Common IT testing methods. •Whiteboxandblackboxtesting.•Positiveandnegativetesting.•Choosingdatavaluesfortesting.•WorkingwithQAstakeholders. oSoftwarequalityassurance(SQA)planningand

structure. oUtilizingSQApersonnelthroughoutthe

SDLC.

Documenting Requirements Validation Deliverables - 3 hrs•Designingarequirementsvalidationplan o IEEE testing templates. oWhatisatestdesign,testcase,testprocedure? o Identifying tests from requirements

documentation. o Using use case descriptions to develop testing

procedures. o Tracking test cases.•Workshop:Validatingrequirementsusingtest

cases.•Tracingtestcasestorequirements-crosschecking

the solution.•Designingarequirementsvalidationplan. o Planning considerations: •Whowillvalidaterequirements? •Howwillthisbeaccomplished? •Wherearethehighestrisks? •Wherewilltestsbeconducted? •Whowillconducttesting? •Whowillreviewtestresults? •Whattestdatawillbeused?

Solution Assessment and Validation BABOK Knowledge Area - 2 hrs•UnderstandingthetasksintheIIBABABOK-

Solution Assessment and Validation. o Assess the proposed solution o Allocate requirements. o Assess Organizational Readiness. o Define Transition Requirements. o Validate Solution. o Evaluate Solution Performance.

Course Outline


S e l f S T u d y o P T i o n S

Self Study options Study GuidesB2T Training offers study guides for experienced business analysts who would like to obtain certification.

The study guides help business analysts practice and review material to validate their understanding of business analysis techniques and approaches. Additionally, these study guides are appropriate for business analysts who are considering pursuing training, but are not sure at what level they should begin training. These study guides will help identify areas where business analysts may need to strengthen their knowledge.

each study guide includes an initial online assessment test and two online practice exams consisting of multiple choice questions that test a business analyst’s knowledge regarding each proficiency area. feedback provided for each response to the questions gives further assistance and insight for studying.

Additionally, each study guide consists of a textual file that includes high-level content review for each course’s proficiency area, a case study with analysis exercises, and a list of recommended additional study resources. This file will be made available for use to download as a “pdf.”

To purchase a study guide visit www.b2ttraining.com.

Requirements Template Roadmap each project that a business analyst works on is unique and may require different combinations of requirements components. Templates provide a checklist for planning requirements work. The Requirements Template Roadmap helps the business analyst choose appropriate templates to use for each project. To assist business analysts in documenting requirements, we offer a Requirements Package Template that is available on the “Downloads” section of our website. The templates in this package provide business analysts with a structured format for eliciting and documenting requirements. Standard, re-usable templates allow for faster and easier requirements review and approval.

The Requirements Template Roadmap may be used as a companion to B2T Training’s Requirements Package Template. This “Roadmap” serves as a reference tool for business analysts when completing the requirements package based upon the templates. Using this Roadmap as a guideline or “map” for the requirements templates

will help business analysts determine what to include in a requirements package, who should prepare which sections of the package, and when and why the requirements components should be prepared. Additionally, the

Roadmap provides examples of complete requirements templates.

The Requirements Template Roadmap is available for purchase at www.b2ttraining.com.

A “must have”reference tool $19.95


S e l f S T u d y o P T i o n S

education is on going.Go beyond the classroom with easy-to-access online resources!

B2T Training Web Siten BA Blog

n Downloadable templates

n library

n BA tools

n cBAP Study Guide

n the bridge archives

Online Communitiesn Business Analysis Times (www.batimes.com)

n linkedIn BA groups (www.linkedin.com)

n BA collective (www.bacollective.com)

n Business Rules community (www.brcommunity.org)

n Business Process Management (www.bpm.com)

n International Institute of Business Analysis (www.theiiba.org)

n Modern Analyst (www.modernanalyst.com)

n Project Management Institute (www.pmi.org)

n Requirements Networking Group (www.requirementsnetwork.org)

follow us on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/B2T_Training


m e n T o r i n g

Business Analysis mentoring Our classes include one hour of after class business analysis mentoring for each student. Students love having the opportunity to work with an industry expert to apply techniques learned in class to their unique situations during a one-on-one session.

effective business analysis training and mentoring can help companies raise employee results. Proper business analysis mentoring can give access to new ideas, tips and strategies that will help you build upon the team’s current skills and strengths to give you a competitive edge. learn how to drive more revenue by leveraging your business analysts.

Mentoring is available additionally as an on-demand service to jump start a new project, a new skill development effort, and to reinforce concepts or techniques. This real time service is provided by our experts at B2T Training onsite or virtually. Virtual mentoring can be purchased online.

Examples of mentoring assistance provided:

n Guidance for selecting the appropriate deliverables for your project

n Assistance in determining and estimating business analysis activities

n Strategies for effectively engaging all stakeholders and project team members

n coaching you to become a more agile BA

n Provide direction for adapting and customizing templates

n Help with roles, career paths and skill development identification

n Direction for building and sustaining a community of Practice or center of excellence

Contact us at 866.675.2125 or email [email protected] for more information.


C B A P S T u d y g u i d e

CBAP® Study guide v2.0 The cBAP Study guide is the “nucleus” of studying for the exam. This study guide provides tips, suggestions and other guidance needed to help prepare individuals for the cBAP exam.

Get prepared for the CBAP exam at your own pace by:

n Answering questions in each knowledge area to assess where your experience requires more development.

n learning valuable tips for exam prep and exercises to strengthen your memory skills

n Practicing over 450 sample cBAP exam questions written by cBAPs

n Understanding why an answer is correct or incorrect to reveal areas that may need more targeted conditioning

n Focusing on key BABOK® concepts to maximize your study effects

“After many years of no formal study, I found it almost impossible to concentrate on subject matter that I believed I already knew and had been practicing for years. Your study guide is not an alternative to the BABOK. It led me to read the BABOK several times; each time with an inquiring mind to examine how the authors’ views differed from mine.

High marks on the choice of the 450 questions. The ‘practice exam’ format perfectly prepared me to comfortably pace myself in the exam that I had ample time to recheck my answers.”

Purchase our CBAP Exam Prep

Study Guide v2.0 on our website for

only $149!

B2T Training’s Public ClassesCore Courses

essential Skills for Business Analysis – 4 days

Business Process Analysis – 3 days

Detailing Business Data Requirements – 3 days

Use case Modeling and Solution Requirements – 3 days

Advanced Courses

Developing a Business Analysis Work Plan – 3 days

Business Analysis in an Agile environment – 2 days

facilitating Requirements for Business Analysis – 3 days

LocationsAtlanta, GA • Chicago, IL • Dallas, TX • Des Moines, IA • Hartford, CT • Las Vegas, NV • Louisville, KY • Orlando, FL

RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUnT! 1. When you register and pay for three courses. 2. When groups of 3 or more employees from the same company register and pay for one course.

Visit www.b2ttraining.com for the latest public class schedule, pricing information, and to register.

B2T Training international Partners

InterdualBrazilian partnerVisit www.interdual.com.br for more information.

netmindSpanish partnerVisit www.netmind.es for more information.

IndigoCubeSouth African PartnerVisit www.indigocube.ca.za for more information.

PMWorksAustralia PartnerVisit www.pmworks.au for more information.

contact [email protected] if you would like to become an international partner.

11675 Rainwater Drive, Suite 325 Alpharetta, GA 30009

678.366.1363 • fax 678.366.1983

Documents

B2T Training Course Catalog (2011)