An easy way to stay focused on this objective is to think of business analysis as a journey – a journey from an as is to a to be system – from a current to a future state. Software development methodologies (SDLC’s) such as agile, iterative, waterfall, etc. are the means of travel but you don’t have to be an expert in methodologies to have a successful journey. The following extract from IRM’s Business Analysis workshop is a simple guide which can be used (whatever the methodology) to help you keep a clear picture of what the successful BA journey entails – reaching your destination.

Read the full paper here: The Business Analyst Journey

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The post The BA’s Journey – From a Current to a Future State appeared first on IRM Training.

It’s easy to concentrate on the technical features of any project and lose sight of the reason for its existence. Every project exists to solve a problem. Either what you have doesn’t work well enough and needs improving, or you need to invent something totally new. After all, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Too often the pressures of deadlines and budgets lead us to bypass the important process of analysing business needs, and we leap straight into the technology. But how often do we find that the system doesn’t do exactly what’s required. Users are obliged to use workarounds, reducing some of the benefits we were supposed to provide which also affects our credibility. How often do we need to invest extra time and expense in providing Version 2 (and 3 and 4 and …), when some careful work might have exposed the real needs earlier?

Read full paper: Separating Analysis from Design

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