The Business Analysis Framework Wendy Waker Stand 138

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The Business Analysis FrameworkWendy
WakerStand 138
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Why do we still have these sort of problems with
Change Projects.

• The average project exceeds its planned schedule
  by 120
• 52.7 of projects will cost 189 of their
  original estimate
• Only 16.2 of projects will be completed on time
  on budget
• 30 of projects are cancelled before completion

Source Calculating your return on investment
from more effective requirements management IBM
article Dec 2003
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Reasons for problems with change projects

• The Standish Group Chaos Report (1994)
• 365 executive managers
• 8,380 applications
• all major industry segments including banking,
  retail and wholesale.

Some of the contents of this slide were taken
from www.it-cortex.com
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Business Analysis mitigates the top 6 reasons for
project failure

• Incomplete requirements
• Measure of success for Business Analysts! Target
  Zero.
• Lack of user involvement
• BAs scope a project including who is impacted and
  therefore who needs to be engaged
• Unrealistic expectations
• Poorly defined? Open to misinterpretation? Blame
  the BA!
• Lack of senior exec support
• If the project objectives dont matter to the
  exec, they wont support
• BA must ensure the exec define SMART measures and
  targets
• SMART the T is To-Die-For!
• Changing requirements
• Measure of success for Business Analysts! Target
  minimise.
• Lack of planning
• At least the analysis should be planned properly!
• Business Analysis the analytics engine of your
  projects

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Business Analysis Proverbs

• Delivery is not the best time to analyse
  requirements
• Urban Wisdom

• A factor present in every successful project and
  absent in every unsuccessful project is
  sufficient attention to requirements.
• Suzanne James Robertson
• Requirements-Led Project Management

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What is sufficient attention to
requirements? (I)
Average actual effort spent on each stage of the
development cycle
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Requirements Analysis
Design
Code/test
based on a study by Staffordshire University
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What is sufficient attention to
requirements? (II)
Average Proportion of Errors Built in During
Development
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Requirements Analysis
Code/test
Design
based on a study by James Martin
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What is sufficient attention to
requirements? (III)
Relative Cost of Correcting Requirements Errors
sourced from Barry Boehm
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How Much Poor Analysis can Cost

• Half of all bugs can be traced to requirement
  errors
• fixing these errors consumes 75 of project
  rework costs
• Maybe thats why
• The average project exceeds its planned schedule
  by 120
• 52.7 of projects will cost 189 of their
  original estimate
• Only 16.2 of projects will be completed on time
  on budget
• 30 of projects are cancelled before completion

Source Calculating your return on investment
from more effective requirements management IBM
article Dec 2003
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• The typical project
• expends least effort on change requirements
  analysis
• which is where most errors originate
• and whose errors cost most to fix!

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So projects are all doomed?
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The tool for discovering new knowledge is the
Scientific Method

• Construction of theories
• Observation and experimentation of isolated facts
  and results
• Creating generalised hypotheses
• Testing hypotheses through observation and
  experimentation
• Methods and approach vary by discipline
• Physics Vs Psychology
• The top level process remains the same

The tool for defining change requirements
is...? There are many methods and approaches all
for defining change requirements
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Definition of terms for Business Analysis

• Business why Business?
• should it be Change Requirements???

Analysisthe process of breaking a concept down
into more simple parts, so that its logical
structure is displayed (OED)
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So how do you do analysis?

• You can pay your money and take your pick of the
  various methods approaches
• Our Training Taster Day gives examples of
  documentation for
• Problems/opportunity analysis
• Objectives analysis
• Requirements Analysis
• but how is not the issue, proving that the
  analytical products deliver project objectives is

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Chain Of Reasoning

• Change Requirements must be assumed to be wrong
  until they are proved to be right

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Scope of analysis of change requirements

• Change requirements can be for
• Processes
• Organisation units
• Locations
• Data
• Applications
• Technologies
• Non-functionals
• oh and the valid intersections!!!

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All the Links in the Chain Of Reasoning
Driver
The problems / opportunities that the business
face
Addressed as measured by
The measures and targets that will enable us to
declare the change project has been successful
Project Objective
Delivered by
Definitions of what changes are required that
will affect the measures of success (objectives)
sufficiently for the project to be declared
successful
Project Requirement
Enforces
What rules must be implemented by the changes
specified in the requirements
Business Rule
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How to forge links in the Chain Of Reasoning
Driver
Problem / opportunity analysis
Addressed as measured by
Specific there is a precise definition of the
objective Measurable there are units that the
objective will be measured in Achievable the
measures can be achieved in the real
world Relevant this project will actually
affect this objective To-die-for the project
has failed if it does not achieve the objective
Project Objective
SMART objectives
Delivered by
Project Requirement
Enforces
Business Rule
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If

• If you can map all your analysis to
• components in the Chain of Reasoning
• If there are no gaps AND no breaks in the chain
• If those who can kill your project agree with
  your
• analysis
• Then your analysis is correct and whats more you
  are a Business Analyst my (per)son.
• Sorry Rudyard!

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The secrets of doing Business Analysis

• Agree the analysis method and approach (if any!)
  you will use
• Get some trained Business Analysts
• Plan how, when and who to do the analysis
• Do the analysis
• Use the analysis products to develop and
  implement the solutions
• Er thats it.

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So Business Analysis is needed what next?
There are a number of steps to take to establish
an operational Business Analysis function
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How can BA Solutions help?
Design of the Business Analysis function Terms of
reference Business Analyst Profile
Design B.A. Function
and we can bespoke solutions for individual
clients
Recruitment of permanent and contract
analysts Source candidates internally and
externally Qualify CVs Interview conduct them
or just assist with them Assessment
centres Manage contracted analysts placed by BAS
Recruit B.A. Function
Training courses for analysts Training needs
analysis Fundamentals of Business
Analysis Process Modeling Data Modeling ISEB
accreditation Introduction to Testing BPMN Essent
ial soft Skills for Business Analysts including
Workshop Facilitation Conflict resolution
Taster Day training an intensive 1 day
introduction to Business Analysis Refresher day
training based around your projects
Train B.A. Function
try before you buy BA Solutions Training Taster
Day!
CASE tool recommendation - independent
Assessment of requirements Recommendations and
benefits assessment
Equip B.A. Function
Mentor and Support for analysts Phone and email
post training Refresher training Facilitated
workshops Mentoring Q/A reviews of analysis
deliverables
Mentor and Support BA Function
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Who Are Business Analyst Solutions?

• BA Solutions are highly experienced Business
  Analysts
• We have extensive practical experience in a wide
  range of industry sectors including retail,
  banking, utilities, software houses
• We have worked in IT departments and within
  Businesses at every level from Majority
  Shareholder/Owner to Managing Director to shop
  floor workers
• and what is the Business Analyst Solutions
  vision?
• To support the whole Business Analyst life
  cycle and provide whatever services clients need
  in order to set up and run an effective Business
  Analyst function.

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Why choose Business Analyst Solutions?

• Training material development and training
  delivery is all done by highly experienced and
  active Business Analysts
• We are a niche supplier for all things related to
  Business Analysis and provide support end-to-end,
  not just training
• We have a track record of high customer
  satisfaction (92 average) and references are
  available
• We have worked in all major industry segments
• We are adaptive to client requirements bespoking
  solutions as required
• We know the value of doing effective Business
  Analysis
• We care! We care about Business Analysis and do
  whatever we can do to get it being done
  effectively.

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• Come and see us on Stand 138
• If you would like to discuss anything further
• mail Guy_at_BA-Solutions.co.uk
• phone [phone]
• web www.BusinessAnalystSolutions.com