My life as a Business Analyst- Presentation to IIBA Members

By: Scott A. Mackay

Purpose

•Introduce you to the typical things that I do in my work as a Business Analyst. Note that your experiences could be different.

Introduction

•My degree is in Industrial Engineering •I have worked in process improvement &

best practices for over 30 years•Most of my recent work has been in

developing new or improving existing software applications

Most Recent Projects• Health Assessment Tool• Maintenance Man Dispatching Tool• Hotel Reservation Tool• Catering & Banqueting Tool• Vessel & Pipeline Reliability Predictor Tool• Time & Attendance Tool(s)• On-line Training Creation Tool(s)• Truss & Wall Panel Estimating Tool• Prescription Drug Data Publishing Tool• Field Engineering Support Tool• Tax Return Processing System• Business Intelligence Dashboard

Current Project

•Process Surveillance & Analysis Tools▫Business Case▫Business Requirements Document▫Minimal Master Data Management▫Tool Selection & Implementation (as RFP

Lead)▫User Training▫Effectiveness Assessment

These are the artifacts (deliverables) that I create for most projects. Sometimes I work alone, and sometimes the work is distributed across a team of BAs.

Develop a Business Case•Some projects require a Business Case prior

to starting•The Business Case presents:

▫Clear statement of the problem to be solved▫Proposed solutions (with Context Diagrams)▫Cost benefits analysis (Tables & Graphs)▫Risk analysis▫Recommendation▫Project timeline (Gantt Chart)

Create the Project Statement of Work•Statement of Work (aka Business

Requirements Document) should include:▫Goal of project▫Business/User needs to be satisfied▫Features to be added or improved▫Other tasks to be accomplished▫Assumptions & Constraints▫Time line goals

Model the Business Process

•Create Process Maps▫Top level flows with swim lanes

•Create Process Activity Flows▫Lower level flows▫Hierarchical if needed

•Typically focused on the Future State▫Document the As-is if needed

Create Business Object Model

•Build one or more diagrams showing:▫Business Objects▫Business Object Attributes▫Business Operations▫Relationships

Create the Use Case Model

•Build one or more diagrams showing:▫Actors▫Use Case Titles▫Relationships

Create a Storyboard

•Build User Interface Mock-ups showing:▫New screens and operations▫New fields and operations on existing

screens▫Animation of screen flow (Behavior Model)

•Usually done in a workshop setting▫Faster & more effective if done using rapid

visualization technique

Create the Use Cases

•Write User Stories for simple operations such as:▫Open, save, delete, exit, cancel

•Write Use Case Narratives for complex operations such as:▫Creating a Business Object▫Viewing or Editing a Business Object

Create A Glossary

•Write a Dictionary of Unique Terms▫Collect terms unique to the business

process▫Define each term▫Get agreement of each definition

These are the activities I perform most often for each project.

Conduct Stakeholder Workshops•I use these to:

▫Examine a business problem Who are the actors in the business process? How do they do things today? What exactly is the problem to be solved?

▫Brainstorm solutions to a business problem▫Agree on next steps▫Promote support for the project

Conduct Process Assessments

•I use these to:▫Understand the current business process▫Collect current process metrics▫Document all significant inputs & outputs

Conduct Requirements Kick-off

•I use these to:▫Transmit management’s endorsement▫Introduce everyone to the project goals▫Explain the activities that they will be

involved in▫Explain the time commitments that are

needed

Conduct Interviews

•I use these to:▫Flowchart the current process▫Identify activities affected by the project ▫Develop process changes ▫Storyboard the new process▫Promote ownership of the solution

•These can be done:▫1 on 1▫1 with many

Conduct Use Case Reviews

•I use these to:▫Get final inputs▫Promote ownership▫Get concurrence on the solution

Conduct Development Kick-off

•I use these to:▫Transmit management’s endorsement▫Introduce Developers and Testers to the

project goals▫Explain the:

Process Map Activity Flows Use Case Model Object Model Storyboard

Conduct Requirements Peer Reviews•I use these for each requirements

document to:▫Get Stakeholder concurrence▫Get Developer concurrence▫Get Tester concurrence

•Might do many documents as a set▫ex: All User Stories & Storyboards for the

next Sprint

Attend Design Peer Reviews

•I try to assure:▫Proposed designs meet requirements▫Actors are comfortable with the designs▫Any proposed changes are desirable,

acceptable, and followed up by changes to requirements if needed

Conduct Build Reviews

•I use these to:▫Get feedback▫Assess completeness of the business

solution▫Identify things missing▫Identify unexpected things▫Assure business requirements are being

met▫Shake out bugs prior to formal testing

Conduct User Acceptance

•I use these to:▫Get user concurrence with the solution▫Get feedback for future changes or new

features

Conduct User Training

•I use this to prepare users for transition to the new business process:▫Explain the expected benefits of the new

business process▫Introduce each change in the process▫Let each user try the new process in a

training environment

Audit Results

•I use this to:▫Validate that the business process changes

worked as predicted▫Document productivity savings▫Assess user acceptance▫Collect feedback for future changes

Ancillary Activities•I am occasionally asked to do more:

▫Project Estimates & Cost Accounting▫Project Planning & Control▫Lead Requests for Proposals▫Develop Test Plans & Scripts▫Facilitate Customer Acceptance▫Facilitate Daily Scrums

This is an activity that I often get involved with as a consultant coming into a new company

Assess current process

•Assure the best practices are in place:▫Lean Development Methodology▫Project Management Process▫Change Control Process▫Configuration Management Process▫Quality Assurance Process▫Visual Modeling Capabilities▫Peer Review Process

Assess current process steps

•Assure the key validation steps are in place:▫Statement of work peer review▫Requirements peer review▫Design peer review▫Developer’s testing▫User’s build review▫Quality control testing▫User training▫User acceptance

Assess current process steps

•Assure the key management activities are in place:▫Status meetings▫Issues meetings▫Risk assessment updates▫Iteration planning meetings▫Iteration post mortem meetings

Assess current tools

•Assure the needed tools are in place:▫Email & Appointment tool▫Shared document storage tool▫Document editing tool▫Presentation editing tool▫UI modeling tool ▫UML modeling tool▫BPMN modeling tool

Assess Working Environment

•Assure facilities are available:▫Conference Room

PC Projector Speaker phone

▫Quiet workspace

These are the skills that I use most often

My Skills Set is:

•Business process flow charting•Storyboarding •Object & Use Case modeling•Meeting facilitization•Requirements elicitation•Requirements writing•Use Case writing

I also need:

• Imagination•Visualization•Creativity•Patience &

listening•Public speaking•Ego control•Attention to details•Time management

•Motivation•Spelling &

grammar•Math•Leadership

My secrets to success

•Work fast•Work cheaply•Keep quality high•Affect the company’s bottom line•Stay flexible to changes

Questions?