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The Standard
BABOK Guide
BABOK Applied
Agile Extension
Business Data Analytics
Product Ownership Analysis
The Standard
BABOK Guide
BABOK Applied
Agile Extension
Business Data Analytics
Product Ownership Analysis
10. Techniques
Introduction 10.1 Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria 10.2 Backlog Management 10.3 Balanced Scorecard 10.4 Benchmarking and Market Analysis 10.5 Brainstorming 10.6 Business Capability Analysis 10.7 Business Cases 10.8 Business Model Canvas 10.9 Business Rules Analysis 10.10 Collaborative Games 10.11 Concept Modelling 10.12 Data Dictionary 10.13 Data Flow Diagrams 10.14 Data Mining 10.15 Data Modelling 10.16 Decision Analysis 10.17 Decision Modelling 10.18 Document Analysis 10.19 Estimation 10.20 Financial Analysis 10.21 Focus Groups 10.22 Functional Decomposition 10.23 Glossary 10.24 Interface Analysis 10.25 Interviews 10.26 Item Tracking 10.27 Lessons Learned 10.28 Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 10.29 Mind Mapping 10.30 Non-Functional Requirements Analysis 10.31 Observation 10.32 Organizational Modelling 10.33 Prioritization 10.34 Process Analysis 10.35 Process Modelling 10.36 Prototyping 10.37 Reviews 10.38 Risk Analysis and Management 10.39 Roles and Permissions Matrix 10.40 Root Cause Analysis 10.41 Scope Modelling 10.42 Sequence Diagrams 10.43 Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas 10.44 State Modelling 10.45 Survey or Questionnaire 10.46 SWOT Analysis 10.47 Use Cases and Scenarios 10.48 User Stories 10.49 Vendor Assessment 10.50 Workshops

2. Mindset for Effective Business Analysis

Principles to Adopt

The Business Analysis Standard

The following business analysis principles are important ingredients for an effective mindset:

  • See the whole;
  • Think as a customer;
  • Analyze to determine what is valuable;
  • Get real using examples;
  • Understand what is doable;
  • Stimulate collaboration and continuous improvement; and
  • Avoid waste.

These are detailed in the Agile Extension to the BABOK® Guide but apply to all business analysis work.Agile Mindset Head-outlined-text.svg

Principle

Description


See the Whole
  • Analyze needs in the big picture context and identify why a change is necessary.
  • Desired outcomes are created by understanding the context, the solution and the stakeholders.
Think as a Customer
  • Understand customer experience needs in order to build solutions that address those needs.
  • The team starts with a high-level view of customer needs and breaks them down into detailed understanding that is used to evolve the emerging solution.
Analyze to Determine What is Valuable
  • Continuously assess and prioritize work to maximize the value being delivered.
  • The value in the change is realized by understanding the context, the needs, the stakeholders, and the solution possibilities.
Get Real Using Examples
  • Assessing real examples is important for building a shared understanding of the need and how the solution will satisfy that need.
  • Examples can also be used to derive acceptance criteria, help design the solution, and provide a foundation for testing the solution.
Understand What is Doable
  • Understand how to deliver a solution within constraints by continually analyzing needs and the solutions that can satisfy a prioritized need.
  • Constraints also need to be considered within the operational environment to ensure that the solution delivers the value intended.
Stimulate Collaboration and Continuous Improvement
  • Help create an environment where all stakeholders contribute to value on an ongoing basis.
  • Use continuous feedback to adapt the solution and its processes to increase the delivered value.
Avoid Waste
  • Identify activities that add value and those that don’t.
  • Remove activities that do not contribute to satisfying the need.