Business analysis plays a key role in ensuring project success and delivering business value. Effective business analysis includes defining business needs, capturing requirements, and ensuring solution designs meet requirements. Weak business analysis is a leading cause of project failures, as solutions may not satisfy business needs. Throughout a solution's lifecycle, from design to operation, ongoing requirements management by business analysts helps maximize business value.
Business Intelligence Dashboard Design Best PracticesMark Ginnebaugh
Microsoft BI expert Dan Bulos spoke on Dashboard Design Best Practices to the Bay Area Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group.
This presentation shows techniques for displaying data in a dashboard for maximum impact. Dan also discusses various tools available in the Microsoft BI stack – Reporting Services, Excel, PerformancePoint and the new entry, Power View.
Taking a Performance-Based Services Approach to Improve the Effectiveness of ...Alan McSweeney
Performance-Based Services Contracting (PBSC) is concerned with the structured of the results and measurable outcomes to be achieved rather than the manner by which the work is to be performed.
Performance-Based Services Contracting approach is about defining what the required results of a service will rather than how the contractor will perform the tasks.
Project Management vs Account ManagementRich Whalen
Difference between Project Management and Account Management in professional services organization. Geared more towards marketing and advertising, this model will show the differences in roles and when it makes sense to separate.
Business Intelligence Dashboard Design Best PracticesMark Ginnebaugh
Microsoft BI expert Dan Bulos spoke on Dashboard Design Best Practices to the Bay Area Microsoft Business Intelligence User Group.
This presentation shows techniques for displaying data in a dashboard for maximum impact. Dan also discusses various tools available in the Microsoft BI stack – Reporting Services, Excel, PerformancePoint and the new entry, Power View.
Taking a Performance-Based Services Approach to Improve the Effectiveness of ...Alan McSweeney
Performance-Based Services Contracting (PBSC) is concerned with the structured of the results and measurable outcomes to be achieved rather than the manner by which the work is to be performed.
Performance-Based Services Contracting approach is about defining what the required results of a service will rather than how the contractor will perform the tasks.
Project Management vs Account ManagementRich Whalen
Difference between Project Management and Account Management in professional services organization. Geared more towards marketing and advertising, this model will show the differences in roles and when it makes sense to separate.
This is a presentation I gave at the October 2007 Enterprise Architectures Conference. The presentation covers approache sto developing multi-year roadmaps for implementing business strategy.
Business Improvement initiatives are getting a lot of press these days: “..our projects saved over $10M in the first 12 months of deployment using BPM” . It seems logical for an organization to jump onto the process improvement bandwagon. Much is promised of business improvement efforts, and there are many capable consultants and companies willing to support a company’s BPM deployment that can last months to years. But how does an organization know that the business improvement efforts will really result in a quantifiable benefit to the business? Process improvement initiatives are not inexpensive to start or sustain over many years, and most executives require the clear identification of benefits to justify the expenditure of training resources and driving project work before approving a long-term initiative.
This presentation was conducted by Peter Glynne to the Yorkshire & North Linconshire APM membership providing a practical insight into the realisation of benefits
Too many IT projects in progress or in the queue with too few getting done on time, within budget and delivering the capabilities your organization needs? Really use your CPIC Pre-Select process to quickly assess incoming IT requests... before expending too many resources. Differentiate between Pre-Select and Select phases!
Enterprise Analysis is a series of tasks that analyzes the business situation to fully understand the problems and opportunities. Enterprise analysis outputs provide context to requirements analysis and to solution identification for a given initiative or for long-term planning. Enterprise analysis is often the starting point for initiating a new project and is continued as changes occur and more information becomes available. It is through enterprise analysis activities that business requirements are identified and documented.
This is a presentation I gave at the October 2007 Enterprise Architectures Conference. The presentation covers approache sto developing multi-year roadmaps for implementing business strategy.
Business Improvement initiatives are getting a lot of press these days: “..our projects saved over $10M in the first 12 months of deployment using BPM” . It seems logical for an organization to jump onto the process improvement bandwagon. Much is promised of business improvement efforts, and there are many capable consultants and companies willing to support a company’s BPM deployment that can last months to years. But how does an organization know that the business improvement efforts will really result in a quantifiable benefit to the business? Process improvement initiatives are not inexpensive to start or sustain over many years, and most executives require the clear identification of benefits to justify the expenditure of training resources and driving project work before approving a long-term initiative.
This presentation was conducted by Peter Glynne to the Yorkshire & North Linconshire APM membership providing a practical insight into the realisation of benefits
Too many IT projects in progress or in the queue with too few getting done on time, within budget and delivering the capabilities your organization needs? Really use your CPIC Pre-Select process to quickly assess incoming IT requests... before expending too many resources. Differentiate between Pre-Select and Select phases!
Enterprise Analysis is a series of tasks that analyzes the business situation to fully understand the problems and opportunities. Enterprise analysis outputs provide context to requirements analysis and to solution identification for a given initiative or for long-term planning. Enterprise analysis is often the starting point for initiating a new project and is continued as changes occur and more information becomes available. It is through enterprise analysis activities that business requirements are identified and documented.
How the relationship with a BUsiness Analyst is important in all phases of a project and how a Project Manager can use this relationship to be successful
This is a talk about automated tests and quality in the agile software development process.
Talk by Ciro Nunes: twitter.com/cironunesdev
Audio file: http://bit.ly/2c0CteR
Learn more about CrossEngage: www.crossengage.io
Beyond Project and Portfolio Management, Identifying other high value perform...Dave Healey
Microsoft’s rich technology platform makes it the perfect toolset for organizing, integrating and automating business processes and systems to drive improved organizational performance. Yet it remains poorly understood and significantly underutilized as an enabler of business strategy, value creation and ongoing process improvement.
Through a number of real-world case studies this session will demonstrate a consistent, comprehensive and repeatable approach to improving the performance of your clients organizations with the Microsoft stack, helping you
- Discover more opportunity in existing accounts,
- Improve utilization of resources, and
- Strengthen your trusted partner relationship.
With many organisations re-thinking the execution of their innovation lifecycles in an attempt to gain better productivity, some of the key questions that keep recurring are:
• When does a BA get allocated to a new business initiative?
• When does the business initiative become a project and require some form of project management?
• How does enterprise analysis fit into the systems development lifecycle?
• Who creates a business case?
• Who is assigned first: PM or BA?
Robin Grace, a business analysis principal consultants at IndigoCube, contributor to an IIBA white paper, CBAP, and author of Aligning Business Analysis, Assessing business analysis from a results focus, tells all.
Integrating Strategic Planning Targets with Operational Budgeting and Forecas...Alithya
This presentation flows through the strategic planning process to operational budgeting and forecasting. Mija demonstrates how the solution plugs right into the Oracle EPM framework allowing users to share reports, analysis and dashboards across the enterprise as well as integrate results with other business processes.
Let's dive deeper into the world of ODC! Ricardo Alves (OutSystems) will join us to tell all about the new Data Fabric. After that, Sezen de Bruijn (OutSystems) will get into the details on how to best design a sturdy architecture within ODC.
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
Epistemic Interaction - tuning interfaces to provide information for AI supportAlan Dix
Paper presented at SYNERGY workshop at AVI 2024, Genoa, Italy. 3rd June 2024
https://alandix.com/academic/papers/synergy2024-epistemic/
As machine learning integrates deeper into human-computer interactions, the concept of epistemic interaction emerges, aiming to refine these interactions to enhance system adaptability. This approach encourages minor, intentional adjustments in user behaviour to enrich the data available for system learning. This paper introduces epistemic interaction within the context of human-system communication, illustrating how deliberate interaction design can improve system understanding and adaptation. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the potential of epistemic interaction to significantly advance human-computer interaction by leveraging intuitive human communication strategies to inform system design and functionality, offering a novel pathway for enriching user-system engagements.
"Impact of front-end architecture on development cost", Viktor TurskyiFwdays
I have heard many times that architecture is not important for the front-end. Also, many times I have seen how developers implement features on the front-end just following the standard rules for a framework and think that this is enough to successfully launch the project, and then the project fails. How to prevent this and what approach to choose? I have launched dozens of complex projects and during the talk we will analyze which approaches have worked for me and which have not.
DevOps and Testing slides at DASA ConnectKari Kakkonen
My and Rik Marselis slides at 30.5.2024 DASA Connect conference. We discuss about what is testing, then what is agile testing and finally what is Testing in DevOps. Finally we had lovely workshop with the participants trying to find out different ways to think about quality and testing in different parts of the DevOps infinity loop.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
When stars align: studies in data quality, knowledge graphs, and machine lear...
Key Role of BA in Project Success
1. The Key Role of Business
Analysis in Project Success
and Achieving Business
Value
Alan McSweeney
2. Objectives
• To define the importance of effective business analysis in
ensuring project success and delivery of business value
June 25, 2010 2
3. IT Challenge to Deliver Business Value
Provides Alignment
• IT is viewed as a provider and Between Business and IT
enabler of business value
Managing IT for
• IT faces pressure to deliver Managing IT Like
Business
a Business
value Value
− Additional revenue
− Reduced or avoided costs
− Greater productivity
− Reduced risk
− Respond quickly to changing
business environment and
Managing the IT Managing the IT
business needs Budget Capability
• IT needs to structure itself to
deliver business value Provides Metrics to Close
the Loop on Value
June 25, 2010 3
4. Familiar View of Project and Project Portfolio
Management
Project
Demand Management
Management Methodology
Project
Approvals
Programme and People
Strategic Project Portfolio
Project Management
Alignment Management
Management and Education
Project
Requests
Supply Organisation
Management Prioritising Managing Projects Enablers
Projects Successfully
• Contains the implicit assumption that the solutions being delivered by the projects are
designed properly, are implementable and operable and meet business requirements
• Is this correct? Is this the complete picture?
• More is need than just the right project managed the right way
− The solution being delivered by the project must meet business needs
June 25, 2010 4
5. Aligning the Solutions Being Delivered to Business
Needs and Delivery of Business Value
• Need more than project management
− Not the complete picture
− Cannot treat project management in isolation
• Need to ensure that the solution being managed meets business
requirements
• Need to ensure business requirements are captured
• Need to ensure that solutions are designed to deliver business
requirements and comply with organisation’s enterprise architecture
• Fundamentally the project exists to manage the delivery
of the solution that has been designed to meet agreed
business requirements that assist with delivery of the
business plan to achieve business value
June 25, 2010 5
6. Business Analysis and Design Builds Bridge From
Business to Solution
Problem
Requirement Business Analysis:
Elicit Requirements
Current State Analyse
Communicate
Business Validate
Analysis and
Solution Design
Solution Design:
Translate
Requirements into Solution
Solution
Desired Future
State
• Business analysis is a key driver of business value
• Solution delivery start with business analysis
June 25, 2010 6
7. Weaknesses in Business Analysis Capabilities and
Competencies at the Root of Many Project Failures
Poor Size/Capacity/ Poor Strategic
Requirements Complexity Alignment
Poor Analysis Large Project, Inadequate Business
Practices Complex, Difficult Case, Undefined
Changes and Processes Problem/Need
Business Requirements Large Project Team and Business Benefits Business Needs
Not Captured Multiple Stakeholders Not Measured Not Met
Opportunities
Lost
Investment
Inadequate Resource Unproven Technology Inadequately Explored Wasted
Allocation and Solution Options
Prioritisation
Inadequate Business Dynamic, Changing Solution Design Not
Involvement Environment Aligned to Business Needs
Poor Focus on Uncertainly/ Poor Solution
Business Needs Ambiguity Design
June 25, 2010 7
8. Analysis-Related Causes of Failures
Poor Size/Capacity/ Poor Strategic
Requirements Complexity Alignment
Poor Analysis Large Project, Inadequate Business
Practices Complex, Difficult Case, Undefined
Changes and Processes Problem/Need
Business Requirements Large Project Team and Business Benefits Business Needs
Not Captured Multiple Stakeholders Not Measured Not Met
Opportunities
Lost
Investment
Inadequate Resource Unproven Technology Inadequately Explored Wasted
Allocation and Solution Options
Prioritisation
Inadequate Business Dynamic, Changing Solution Design Not
Involvement Environment Aligned to Business Needs
Poor Focus on Uncertainly/ Poor Solution
Business Needs Ambiguity Design
June 25, 2010 8
9. Consistent Approach to Business Analysis
• Adopt a consistent and robust framework in business analysis
− Enables effective benefits realisation through a solution which meets the
business need
• Key elements
− Establish enterprise standards, procedures and governance
− Standardise on infrastructure, analysis methods and operational procedures
− Develop competence and skills
• Key benefits
− Implement solutions that meet business needs
− Increase the ability of the business to adapt quickly to changes
− Reduce risk, complexity, redundancy and support complexity
− Align business and IT
− Enable re-use and faster time-to-market
− Present one face to the business (customer)
− Increase business value
June 25, 2010 9
10. Business Analysis Role Key Skills and Abilities
Business Analysis
Role Skills and
Abilities
Business Analysis
Personal Underlying Techniques and
Role-Specific
Competencies and Tools Experience
Performance
Characteristics and Skills
Competencies
June 25, 2010 10
11. What Makes a Good Business Analyst and Business
Analysis Function?
Business Analysis Role
Skills and Abilities
Business Analysis Role- Personal Underlying
Techniques and Tools
Specific Performance Competencies and
Experience and Skills
Competencies Characteristics
Business Analysis
Requirements and
Planning and
Information Elicitation
Monitoring
Requirements
Requirements Analysis Management and
Communication
Solution Assessment
Enterprise Analysis
and Validation
June 25, 2010 11
12. Business Analysis Key Skills
Business Analysis Role Skills
and Abilities
Business Analysis Role- Personal Underlying
Techniques and Tools
Specific Performance Competencies and
Experience and Skills
Competencies Characteristics
Analytical Thinking and
Organisation and Trust
Problem Solving
Business, Industry and
Communication Skills
Organisation Knowledge
Facilitation, Negotiation,
Leadership, Influencing and Analysis Tools
Teamwork
June 25, 2010 12
13. Business Analysis Key Skills
Business Analysis Role Skills
and Abilities
Business Analysis Role- Personal Underlying
Techniques and Tools
Specific Performance Competencies and
Experience and Skills
Competencies Characteristics
Data and Process Modelling Interviewing
Functional and Non-
functional Requirements Requirements Workshops
Analysis
Vendor and Software Metrics and Key
Assessment Performance Indicators
Acceptance and Evaluation
Prototyping
Criteria Definition
June 25, 2010 13
14. Business Analysis Challenges
• Lack of advance planning for projects and initiatives
• Lack of formal training for business analysts
• Inconsistent approach to business analysis
• Outsourcing and relying on external contractors to
perform major roles in system development
• Impatience with the analysis/design/planning process
• Gap between what business analysts are assigned to do
and what they should be assigned to do
June 25, 2010 14
15. What is a Project Failure?
• Over schedule
• Over budget
• Project cancelled
• Solution ultimately not used and withdrawn
• Does not deliver on business case
• Does not deliver on business benefits
• Does not deliver business value
• Poor system usability and/or high error rates requiring
rework
June 25, 2010 15
16. Business Analysis Contribution to Project Failure
• Root cause analysis of many project failures
− Poor focus on business needs that means the project is not what
the business needs and will therefore use
− Poor requirements capture and definition
− Poor strategic alignment that means the business case is not well
constructed
− Poor solution design that means the solution does not deliver on
the specified requirements
• Business analysis failures are at the root of these failures
• Well-executed business analysis fully integrated into the
project management process ensures projects deliver on
the expected benefits
June 25, 2010 16
17. Maximising Solution Value Throughout Lifecycle
Good Solution
Delivery
Good Analysis and
Poor Solution Design Followed by
Delivery Poor Solution
Delivery is Better
Good Analysis Than Poor or
and Design Achievement Inadequate
of Business Good Solution Analysis and Design
Value Delivery Followed by Good
Solution Delivery
Poor or
Inadequate Poor Solution
Analysis and Delivery
Design
June 25, 2010 17
18. Maximising Solution Value Throughout Lifecycle
Solution Solution Solution Solution
Design Development Transition Operation
Improved Delivery of
Business Needs
Improved
Management
of Transition
Achievement
of Business Improved
Value Solution
Design
Improved
Business
Analysis
June 25, 2010 18
19. Maximising Solution Value Throughout Lifecycle
• Good solution and project definition delivers superior
business value
• Poor solution and project definition results in lower
business value, even if it is followed by good project
management
• Good project management does not make a bad solution
good
June 25, 2010 19
20. Solution Life Cycle Cost Composition
LIFE CYCLE COST
SYSTEM ACQUISITION
COST •Operations
PROCUREMENT COST •Internal Support
•Planning, Research, •Disposal
TOTAL SYSTEM COST •External Support and Analysis and Design
Maintenance •Ongoing Test
BASIC SYSTEM COST •Training •Subscription Facilities
•Documentation
•Hardware •Support Facilities
•Software •Parallel Running
•Development and •Warranty
Implementation
•Management
•Installation
•Transition and
Cutover
•Conversion
June 25, 2010 20
21. Solution Life Cycle Costs
Total Cost of Ownership
System Acquisition Cost Operating and Support Cost
COST
YEARS
• Depending on the life of the solution being implemented, the
operating costs can be 1-3 times the cost of acquisition
• Getting the solution design right at the start delivers very significant
increased benefits throughout the solution’s life
June 25, 2010 21
22. IT Investment Management and Project and
Solution Lifecycle
Structured Capture
and Management of
Cost Effective Requirements and
Operation of Business Analysis Cost Benefit Analysis
Delivered Solution of Solution Costs
and Effective Solution
Retirement/ Operation
Replacement/
Upgrade Decisions
Key Phase
in Solution
Delivery to Design/Selection of
Cost Effective
Drive Solution Solutions to Meet
Business Architecture and Requirements
Including
Cost Effective Design
Delivery of Programme and Value Evaluation of All
Projects and Options
Project
Management of Management
Costs
Project Portfolio Prioritisation of
Management Projects and
Investment
Decisions
June 25, 2010 22
23. Ensuring Strategic Project Alignment to Projects
Programmes and projects
Business Vision and
cascade from business vision to
Goal ultimate operation and service
delivery
Strategy
Business Analysis identifies
the business needs and
Business Plan document the requirements
of the solution
Programmes and projects need
Programmes for
to be aligned to the
Strategic Objectives
overarching business vision
and goal
Projects
Business Analysis we
ensures that the right
solution is designed Operation of Solution
June 25, 2010 23
24. Hierarchy of Requirements – from Enterprise to
Project/Initiative
Solutions delivered by
Business Vision and Re programmes and projects
qu
Goal ire cascade from business vision
me
nts to ultimate operation and
Hie service delivery
Strategy rar
ch
y –f
rom
Bu
Business Plan s in
ess
to
De Sp
liv eci
ery Programmes for fic
an Ini
dO
Strategic Objectives tia
tiv
pe es
Solutions delivered by rat
programmes and projects ion Systems and
need to be aligned to the Solutions
overarching business
vision and goal
Operation of Solution
June 25, 2010 24
25. From Strategy to Business Value to Business Benefits
Business Vision and
Goal
Strategy Defines Organisational
Targets
Defines Business Value Gains to
Business Plan the Organisation - Accumulated
Net Business Benefits
Calculates Defines Business Benefits
Programmes for Delivered and Contribute
Strategic Objectives to the Delivery of
Business Value
Calculates Systems and
Solutions
Calculates Operation of
Solution
June 25, 2010 25
26. From Strategy to Business Value to Business Benefits
Ag
ree
Va and
lue D
to efin
be e N
Strategy Defines Organisational De ee
liv d a
Targets ere nd
d
Defines Business Value Gains to
Business Plan the Organisation - Accumulated
Net Business Benefits
Calculates Defines Business Benefits
En Programmes for Delivered and Contribute
sur Strategic Objectives to the Delivery of
eN
Va ee Business Value
lue ds
Ge are Systems and
ne Me Calculates
rat t a Solutions
ed nd
Calculates
June 25, 2010 26
27. Complete Picture of Project Selection and Delivery
• Need to consider all aspects of project selection and
delivery:
− What the business wants (requirements)
− What the business gets (solution that delivers on requirements)
− Delivered according to business priority (project portfolio
management)
− Implemented properly (project management)
• Cannot take an individual view without risking problems
• Need to emphasise the importance of the solution whole
lifecycle and the interdependence of the roles
June 25, 2010 27
28. Business Analysis Through the Solution Lifecycle
• Need to do more than capture requirements initially
• Requirements management needs to take place
throughout the delivery lifecycle to confirm business needs
and being met and business value will result
• Requirements changes must be managed throughout the
solution lifecycle
June 25, 2010 28
29. Business Analysis Approach to Business Requirements
Collection and Management During Solution Delivery
Lifecycle
e
tur
Cap
As s e
Gather Analyse Review
ss
Cha
nge
Requirements Definition Requirements Management
• Gather – Collecting requirements • Capture – Ensure that the new
requirements or change requests are
• Analyse – Analysing, categorising and
captured
specifying requirements
• Assess – Evaluate whether the changes
• Review – Review and agree exactly
will be actioned and approve or reject
what the requirements are
• Change – Undertake the changes
June 25, 2010 29
30. Relative Cost of Fixing Errors During Project Lifecycle
1000
• Errors/gaps/omissions
become significantly
(Logarithmic Scale)
100
more expensive to fix at
later stages of project
lifecycle 10
1
t
n
n
g
g
ts
en
tio
sig
tin
in
en
st
m
es
ta
De
m
Te
oy
en
rT
ire
pl
em
em
e
qu
De
Us
st
Re
pl
Sy
Im
t/
en
pm
lo
ve
De
Low Cost Estimate High Cost Estimate
June 25, 2010 30
31. Business Analysis is a Key IT Competency
• Business analysis function manages the entire solution
requirements lifecycle from understanding the business need to
ensuring that the delivered solution meets business needs and adds
business value
• Projects all too frequently experience difficulties not from lack of
technical expertise but from an a failure to gather, understand,
analyse and manage business requirements, and convert them into
realistic achievable solution specifications
• Projects are all too frequently initiated and solution design and
implementation started before there is a clear understanding of the
business need
• High tolerance and acceptance of inadequate and ever-changing
requirements leading to requirements and scope creep
June 25, 2010 31
32. Business Analysis is a Key IT Competency
• Business analysis focuses on adding value to the business
− Business analysis provides
− Detailed project objectives
− Business needs analysis
− Well defined and structured requirements
− Requirements trade-off analysis and requirements feasibility and
risk analysis; and cost-benefit analysis
• Without business analysis poor requirements definition
happens, resulting in a disconnect between what the
business needs and what solution is delivered
• Effective business analysis is a combination of technical,
analytical, business and leadership skills
June 25, 2010 32
33. Business Analysis Skills
• Identify and understand the business problem and the impact of the
proposed solution on operations of the organisation
• Document project scope, objectives, added value and benefit
expectations
• Translate business needs and objectives into system requirements
• Design and develop high quality business solutions
• Liaise with customers/stakeholders/users during installation and
testing of new systems and services
• Evaluate business needs and contribute to strategic planning of
information systems and technology directions
• Assist in determining the strategic direction of the organisation
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34. More Information
Alan McSweeney
alan@alanmcsweeney.com
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