It can be difficult to keep up with the most popular business analysis techniques. Do you know which methodology analysts have the most experience using? How about diagramming techniques? We conducted a survey of over 1,100 business analysts (68% with over 5 years experience) which gave some interesting results as to what business analysis techniques are the most popular. Methodologies When it comes to software development methodologies, 68% said they had experience with waterfall development, 46% said iterative whilst object-oriented…
Continue ReadingBPMN vs UML vs DFD – which one is best?
While many large companies still describe their requirements using the written word, there is a huge amount of evidence that pictures (i.e. modelling languages) are a clearer and more reliable method of communication. A 2016 survey of Australian business analysts across 30 organisations (government, big business, SMEs) found that while 14% used one or more of the popular languages (DFD, UML, BPMN) regularly, the vast majority 76% did not or only very occasionally. This shows that a small number of…
Continue ReadingStakeholder Communications – Pictures not Words
Many people on our Business Analysis workshop ask why we use dataflow diagrams (DFDs). Why not Use Case…or even BPMN? After all DFDs have been around for 20 years, surely the world has moved on? Well, has it? The primary purpose of a business analyst is to communicate – to stakeholders and to solution providers – and when it comes to communication we all know that pictures (diagrams) are much more effective and less ambiguous than words. Remember the phrase “A…
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