Level 1: Business Analysis Foundations

Overview
Recent studies confirm a key reason for project failures is inadequate business analyst skill development. Here is the only 4-level integrated Business Analysis curriculum, with 4 two-day hands-on workshops to (1) thoroughly analyze business systems needs and solutions, (2) elicit, define, and write crisp requirements, (3) apply a Use Case model and (4) facilitate a Requirements Workshop using Joint Application Design. These team based workshops take learners from beginner to advanced levels with sound easy to apply methodology, tools, reference materials and case studies.

Objective
Business Analyst Fundamentals provides proven analysis tools and techniques, including methods to define the problem using a systematic approach, analyze the business process, and create a conceptual solution that is applicable in virtually any software environment. This repeatable framework will ensure your requirements are consistently complete and accurate. Pragmatic solutions to keep the customer involved in the process include facilitation, questioning, listening, business need identification, problem solving, and presentation of the effective solution.

Practical and realistic hands-on exercises and activities allow you to refine and enhance your requirements discovery and writing skills. Working in small groups, you and your peers will identify and discuss strategies and tactics that your organization should be using to better define project scope, and to discover and document requirements.

Key Learning Points

• Comprehend the changing role of Business Analyst
• Define your business and systems processes; identify project scope
• Select the appropriate model for your process, choosing the right techniques for your system
• Understand, analyze, and articulate the "as-built" and "future-state" system
• Target your analysis and understand the consequences of the solutions
• Gather required information through multiple methods; conduct efficient interviews
• Ask targeted questions to discover the root causes, not just symptoms
• Conduct effective meetings to capture and verify requirements
• Use consistent documentation based on industry best practices
• Present clear, unambiguous potential solutions to real business needs
• Use visual representations of business process, workflows, and data models for clarity
• Improve communication skills through hands-on practice
• Apply analysis techniques to any methodology or data modeling technique
• Bring business people and technology solution providers together

Recommended for
Business Analysts or those preparing to become one or for anyone needing more formal training in business analysis. Also useful for business customers and partners, users, project managers, systems architects, and application developers who need to upgrade business analysis skills.