The mistakes Pieter Made or The Value of BA Standards

or
The Value of BA Standards
The Mistakes Pieter
Made …

http://markjowen.com 2
Mark Owen,
CBAP
New Zealander | Blogger | Nice Guy
My blog: http://markjowen.com
LinkedIn (https://nl.linkedin.com/in/markjowen)

http://markjowen.com
More Information
3
Prior to, and after, the DREAM event, I wrote
several posts on my blog:
o The value of BA Standards
o 22 reasons why I'm Attending the DREAM15 event
o 22 redenen waarom ik deelneem aan DREAM15
o The DREAM15 Conference – my experience

4
It shouldnÜt feel
like youÜre working
for a different
company on every
project!

Part I Part II Part III Part IV
Tell a
Story
Look at
the
problems
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories

Tell a
Story
Tell a
Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

Let me tell you a story ... a story
about a young man called Pieter
Pieter was a brilliant developer
and could write amazing code

Before Pieter could code, he had to talk with
the end-users to understand what they
needed.
Pieter thought that he was really
good at this. So good, in fact, that he
decided ...

The company had several departments that
worked independent of each other.
Each had their own Business Analysts

Pieter got assigned to his first project -
creating a super social-collaboration-
information sharing portal for a legal firm.

At the kick-off meeting the Project Manager
introduced Pieter to the sponsor of the project
Helen, and the IT manager, Brian.
The sponsor talked about what her vision for
the system was.

Everyone got
to drink cups
of tea ...
… and eat
stroopwafels

Brian, the IT
Manager, has a
lot of good
ideas
Requirements
Elicitation
... the next day

What now??

Requirements
Document
for
Project Y
- a super library book
sorting program

Makes
assumption
s
Changes some of
the existing
requirements
Rewords
some of
the text
Changes
name of
Project &
Customer
Adds extra
Requirements
Adds an extra
section with the
names of the
developers

Project Manager
(angry)
“Fluffy”
Content!!
New
Requirements!!
Assumptions

The document is
in here ...
somewhere ...

Tell a
Story
Tell a
Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

Tell a Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at
the
problems
Look at
the
problems

What was wrong?

Peter was unskilled and
unaware of the Fact

Pieter did not perform
adequate
requirements elicitation.

Pieter didn’t have the
knowledge to write
proper documentation.

Pieter did
what he was told to do.
... not what he should do.

There were too many
“silos”.
Each department worked
independently from the
others.

There was no “standard”
for documentation that
ensured a level of quality.

The company did not have
an accepted standard
of quality for
BA work.

There was no formal, or
INFORMAL, peer support.

There was no document
governance.

WAS there anything that
I missed?

Tell a Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at
the
problems
Look at
the
problems

Tell a Story Look at
some
solutions
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

37
How can this
situation be
improved?

39
Standard
Methodologies
Processes
Templates
Techniques

40
Standard Processes
Identify the activities that a
Business Analyst does when
performing BA work.

41
Standard Processes
Examples include:
Preparing for a project - what needs to be done?
What artifacts should be created?
BA communication - with the project team, and
with the stakeholders.
How is peer review carried out, and when? Who is
involved?

42
Standard Templates
Can include both deliverable, and
non-deliverable, artefacts.

43
Standard Templates
Examples include:
Stakeholder
Analysis
Business Analysis
Approach Plan
Use Case Scenarios
Lessons Learned
Business Requirement
document
Test Plans

44
Checklists
While templates are useful for defining a
“look and feel”, the BA should still be
able to modify it as necessary to suit the
situation.
Often, a checklist that describes the
content required in artefact is a good
idea.

45
Standard Techniques
A common understanding of the
methods that BA’s can use to
perform business analysis tasks.

46
Standard Techniques
Examples include:
SWOT Analysis Functional Decomposition
Document Analysis Workshops
Data Flow Diagrams Acceptance & Evaluation
Criteria

48
Standard Knowledge
Ensure that all BAs have a minimum
standard of shared knowledge
This allows for consistency in the way
business analysis work is carried out.

49
Standard Knowledge
Ways to achieve this:
Certification – IIBA, IREB, BCS, PMI (more on
this in a later slide)
Regular sharing of ideas
Define competency levels for Business
Analysts

51
Standard Tools
A tool is something that is used to
perform a task.
Having standard tools that all Business
Analysts use allows for increased
efficiencies

52
Standard Tools
Examples include:
Diagramming: Visio
Modelling Tool Star UML
Wireframing Axure
Requirements Management Rational Requisite Pro

53
Communities
of Practice
&
Centres of
Excellence

Community of Practice
BA
Community
of Practice
Share
experiences,
ideas and
resources
No real
structure
or
authority
All
Business
Analysts
may
participate
A group of people with a common interest, and
with the goal of improvement

Centre of Excellence
BA
Centre of
Excellence
Consistent BA
Methodologies,
Tools &
Knowledge
A structured team of people and resources that has
been put in place by the organization
All BAs are part
of it, & report
to a BA Practice
Director
Must
demonstrate
value, or will be
viewed as a
cost

Benefits of Certification
It demonstrates a prescribed level of
knowledge
People who have done the training speak the
same language
Recognition as a member of a professional
group
Personal satisfaction.
As a way to measure your own knowledge and
capabilities.

58
What
Certifications are
there for Business
Analysts?

BA Certifications
Organization Certification Information Requirement
IREB
(International
Requirements
Engineering Board)
CPRE
(Certified
Professional for
Requirements
Engineering)
Aimed at individuals
working in
Requirements
Engineering, Business
Analysis and Testing.
Three levels:
Foundation,
Advanced & Expert.
Foundation
Examination
Advanced
Examination
Assignment

BA Certifications
Organization Certification Information Requirement
BCS The
Chartered
Institute for IT
BCS
International
Diploma in
Business
Analysis
Uses a modular
approach. A specified
combination of core
and specialist
modules are required,
BCS offers modules
at four different
levels: Foundation,
Practitioner,
Professional,
Consultant and
Expert.
Combination of written
and oral exams
(depending on the
module)
(refer BCS website for
more information)

BA Certifications
Organization Certification Information Criteria
IIBA
(International
Institute of
Business Analysts)
CCBA
(Certificate of
Competency in
Business Analysis)
CBAP
(Certified Business
Analysis Professional)
Both these
certifications are
based on the BABOK
(Business Analysis
Body of Knowledge)
• Min 3750/7500 hours of
BA work experience over
last 7 years
•Min 21 hours of
Professional Development
in past 4 years
•Two references
• Examination (3.5 hr, 150
multi-choice)

BA Certifications
Organization Certification Information Criteria
PMI
(Project
Management
Institute)
PMI-PBA
(PMI – Professional in
Business Analysis)
Focused on Business
Analysis at the
requirements
management, and
project level
• 7500/4500 hours of
business analysis
experience
• 2,000 hours working on
project teams
• 35 contact hours of
education in business
analysis
• Examination ((4 hr, 200
multi-choice)

Business Value
64
Introducing Business Analysis standards
has a positive impact on the organization:

More projects
completed annually
Customers
get what they
want
High-quality
workforce
Increased
efficiencies
Reduction of
Waste
Projects are aligned
with organizational
mission, goals &
strategies
Sells the value of
Business Analysis
and Requirements
Analysis

Tell a Story Look at
some
solutions
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

Tell a Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

I’d really like to hear your
what you think (Mag ook in het Nederlands)
Do you feel that you are working for a different
company on every project?
Where you work, is there a Centre of Excellence, or a
Community of Practice? What are the positive things
about it?
...
Does the company you work for encourage, and
support, BA certification?

Tell a Story
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories
I want to
hear your
stories
Look at the
problems

Tell a
Story
Look at
the
problems
Look at
some
solutions
I want to
hear your
stories

71
It shouldnÜt feel
like youÜre working
for a different
company on every
project!

More Information
72
Prior to, and after, the DREAM event, I wrote
several posts on my blog:
o The value of BA Standards
o 22 reasons why I'm Attending the DREAM15 event
o 22 redenen waarom ik deelneem aan DREAM15
o The DREAM15 Conference – my experience

Thank you
New Zealander | Blogger | Nice Guy
Check out my blog posts on: http://markjowen.com
or find me on LinkedIn (https://nl.linkedin.com/in/markjowen)

Attributions
74
Cover slide
Dozer. (2009) image 1
Davor Radic
https://flic.kr/p/6ps2Cq
Modification: silhouette
Slide 18 (background)
I don't Even know my Name
Samm DeLawe
https://flic.kr/p/e7ypRF
Slide 19
wtf-am-i-supposed-to-do-wit
Kris Krug
https://flic.kr/p/2Ec95
Storytelling
ReRiksen
https://flic.kr/p/eSbLji
Slide 13
Meet Me in the Park
Fran Taylor
http://flic.kr/p/dMzbj9
Future City
Niel Kremer
https://flic.kr/p/9midWr
Magnifying glass
http://goo.gl/LmdGGo
Slide 16
Modified Document
https://goo.gl/imB4Sp
Factory
http://goo.gl/wyhMrm
Typing
Hillary
https://flic.kr/p/8nP5VB
Paris Tuileries Garden Facepalm
statue.jpg
By Alex E. Proimos
http://flic.kr/p/7p7raq
Slide 11
Kickoff meeting
https://flic.kr/p/vX4y8y
Modification: Selective focus
Table - BACoE Types
Source: The BA Practice Lead
Handbook 5 - Getting Organized.
What Structure is Right for You
During the Start-up Phase?
Kathleen P. Haas
http://goo.gl/nKMGbJ

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