Business Analysis Foundations
(course code BANF3)

Overview

Whether you are new to business analysis, or are experienced and want a more formal approach, it’s essential to know and practice the “fundamentals.” This course trains participants to help business clients articulate their needs and wants, and to document them clearly, concisely, and completely. By grasping this core Business Analyst (BA) skill, BAs can contribute significantly to successful projects and the products they create.

Through a realistic case study and interviews, participants discover and then practice writing “good” requirements. The course also explores and lets attendees practice a simple process for validating and verifying requirements to ensure they are well-documented. Also, attendees learn the importance of traceability and how to construct a traceability matrix.

For analyzing requirements, this course introduces people to the concept of “concurrent modeling”, using four standard types of models that provide the most benefits. A key skill taught is how to best read models concurrently for a complete requirements “package.” After models are presented, class participants find inconsistencies, interview the sponsor, and document and trace new requirements that are discovered. These models are: Business Process, Use Case, Data, and Interface Modeling. Specifics of how to construct each type of model are contained in separate courses.

The course concludes with considerations and techniques for organizing, prioritizing, and “packaging” requirements for maximum communication value. Plus, attendees also learn a repeatable process for verifying that requirements are included in the final solution.

Course Objectives

By the end of this short course, participants will be able to:

• Document “good” requirements by writing them clearly, concisely, and completely;
• Use simple templates for writing good requirements of various types;
• Use standard, core models to quickly uncover requirements, then analyze them, document and trace those requirements, and present a complete “package” to the business for their approval;
• Increase project success by better defining requirements that meet business needs;
• Reduce rework by discovering requirements correctly the first time;
• Reduce gaps in understanding requirements by properly validating and verifying them.

Who Should Attend

People who have project experience working with a variety of roles (BA, QA, PjM, sponsors) but have not had formal BA training. People moving into the BA role from the business.

Prerequisites

Participants should have some experience of working in a project environment.

Course Content

• Requirements Foundations:
  
  • Context of requirements;
  • Requirements Defined;
  • Requirements process;
  • Requirements approaches.
• Stakeholders:
  
  • Identifying and categorizing stakeholders;
  • Using RACI to clarify roles and responsibilities;
  • Building trust;
  • Introduction to case study: creating a RACI diagram.
• Eliciting requirements:
  
  • Requirements context: business requirements;
  • Workshop eliciting and documenting business requirements;
  • Elicitation techniques.
• Writing Good Requirements:
  
  • Characteristics of “good” requirements;
  • Common documentation challenges;
  • Traceability;
  • Types of requirements defects;
  • Workshop: writing “good” requirements;
  • Requirement formats;
  • Templates for writing each category of requirement;
  • Writing pitfalls;
  • Workshop: writing requirements.
• Analyzing Requirements:
  
  • What is Concurrent modeling?;
  • How to Leverage Models to Elicit Requirements;
  • Business Process Models;
  • Use Case Models;
  • Data Models;
  • Interface Models/Prototypes;
  • Organizing requirements;
  • Prioritizing requirements.
• Packaging Requirements:
  
  • Considerations for Packaging;
  • Stakeholder preferences;
  • Using color wheel “style” of stakeholders to prepare a package;
  • Workshop: package outline;
  • Validation and verification;
  • Reviewing requirements package;
  • Workshop: review package with business;
  • Obtaining Requirements Signoff/Approval;
  • Workshop on packaging requirements.
• Verifying Requirements with a Solution:
  
  • Software Testing Overview;
  • Mapping Requirements to Test Cases and Design Phases;
  • Verifying Requirements from Test Cases;
  • Updating Traceability Matrix;
  • Software Package Selection Considerations;
  • Workshop verifying and finalizing requirements.
• Course Summary

Certification Exams

There are no exams with this course.

Course Fees

We offer a range of delivery styles and packages for this course. Please go to the Packages and Inclusions page to review the inclusions provided with each package.

Professional Development

Successful completion of this course may entitle you to credits in various professional development programmes:

• For AIPM CPD points, check here;
• For PMI PDUs, check here (see page 11).

Follow-on Courses

We recommend that delegates who complete this course should proceed with the Planning and Managing Requirements course.