Mastering Business Analysis Versatility

Seven Steps to Developing Advanced Competencies and Capabilities

Eugenia C. Schmidt

• Publisher: J. Ross Publishing
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781604278132
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Project Management
• Index: Business

This volume in the Business Analysis Professional Development Series by leading expert Eugenia Schmidt is for experienced business analysis practitioners and others conducting business analysis activities at an intermediate level who wish to master the essential art of versatility and develop other advanced capabilities and leadership skills needed to further their careers to the expert competency level. Practitioners will learn to develop the enterprise-level mindset required to accurately identify an organization's needs; determine the best solutions; and adapt the best approach, tools, and techniques to fit the project, culture, risks, and ever-changing situations that may arise. This guide will provide practitioners with the skills to perform successfully on virtually any project, in any organization and industry, and lead others to achieve desired results.

1

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE OF BUSINESS ANALYSIS

Business analysis is not a new discipline, but it is one that can challenge even the most seasoned analysts. Many companies today define individual career paths for those who are performing these activities. Professional associations provide business analysis certifications, and universities provide educational certificates and degrees. The reality is that for those who pursue this career, there may be no a single road to success or a special recipe, but there are many different paths that can lead to success as well as to the mastery of the profession.

Being an Expert

So, what does it mean to be an expert in your field? Consider the difference between a cook and a chef. The chef is the expert in the kitchen, and he or she is just as concerned about a successful outcome as the cook who is preparing the meal. They both want to achieve a pleasant, delicious meal for their customer. However, a chef has the experience and ability to adapt and adjust to changing circumstances, while the cook may have a more limited ability to do so. The chef not only knows about the inner workings of the kitchen, but also understands the importance of the vendors who supply the fresh ingredients, the need to follow the community’s food service regulations, the obligation to know the tolerances of the restaurant owner, the significance of the geographical location, and even the cultural impacts of taste preferences, etc.

Although the chef and the cook both start with an initial recipe, the chef’s expertise allows for the creation of a full menu by making necessary changes and adaptions based on elements such as customer feedback and tolerance for changes to the menu, customer cost constraints, the need for innovation, available equipment, etc. The chef must have a good understanding of how changes will be managed. Some changes may require the involvement of the owner for reviews and approvals, a full revamp of the menu based on customer feedback, and refinement of kitchen processes. In other words, some changes may have a large impact and several risks. But the owner and chef may identify many smaller changes that can be done incrementally, such as modifying a menu item each week to check the reaction with a small focus group of patrons. If a vendor runs out of a needed ingredient and it will be unavailable for months, how does this impact the processes and value to restaurant patrons? As the chefs, we as business analysts (BAs) should have the confidence to adapt and make changes, to make substitutions if needed, and know what we have available to us to make it work. We may have even predicted this and have a backup plan. Our advanced preparation in anticipating change gives us the courage to make the needed adjustments without a fear of failure because we are ready to improvise. We are willing to take on the risks for the rewards.

To be a master chef is to go beyond the doors of the restaurant. It is about looking at food trends and new opportunities; constantly reviewing our menus, cooking processes, and techniques for potential improvements; evaluating the customer’s response to changes in our menu items; and making the needed adjustments to provide more value to not only the restaurant patrons, but to the restaurant owner as well. A true master chef networks with other chefs to share ideas, pursues new certifications and award opportunities, and writes and shares recipes with the community. Finally, in order to be that master chef, the chef must mentor others in their mastery by ensuring that they at least know the basic techniques of food preparation and that they can grow to be creative and innovative in combining different techniques and even creating techniques of their own—all in an effort to keep their knowledge fresh and to be innovative in their passion.

Similarly, as we experience the implementation of our business analysis activities, we learn to perform retrospectives and adjust. As we gain valuable experiences, we determine what information is valuable to retain and use in other roles. We prepare by understanding all the situations that might occur and we work to have the necessary tools in our tool chest as we navigate challenges. We learn to foresee signs of problems and find ways to circumvent them. We see the smoke before the fire.

Business Analysis as a Process

Business analysis is all about knowing how to help the business achieve its goals. It’s about identifying your stakeholders and helping them get to the right solution by understanding their structure, processes, policies, and operations. It’s about helping to produce a quality solution that provides value while staying within the constraints of time, money, and resources. Eliciting requirements by using proven methodologies can reduce rework and will result in business confidence. An in-depth understanding of the business needs enables the translation of needs into solution options. Utilizing a repeatable requirements process will not only facilitate and present a professional image of service delivery, but also a true quality product. However, keep in mind that these requirement processes must also be versatile enough to address the uniqueness of the organization and their initiatives. Consistently evaluating and improving requirement processes will increase the likelihood of a business partner reaching out to the BA earlier in the idea generation phase—this is when the BA can become a trusted advisor. If an organization is looking to lower solution delivery costs, consideration should be given to bringing in business analysis best practices and then continually improving them.

With so many sourcing options in the industry, it takes deliberate workforce visioning to set sourcing guidelines that enable goal achievement. Whether an organization decides to work with external vendors or an in-house workforce structure, it is important to manage the risk of knowledge leakage. This can be done by retaining and improving capabilities within an organization while also improving individual competencies. Who knows their businesses as well as BAs do? They know how work really gets done, how decisions really get made, and what will really work within the constraints of business culture and the project. In order to advance these capabilities, competencies must improve, and the organization must allow for the application of business analysis best practices in their environment.

THE NEED FOR ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES

Business needs must be anticipated by understanding the complex business challenges and the impact that technology advances can have on the company’s ability to deliver products or services. Producing solution options is a unique value that BAs provide. Without these knowledgeable resources, organizations would be forced to depend on external service providers to bridge the gap. So, when is it critical to have these knowledgeable resources in-house? Organizations should consider improving in-house business analysis capabilities when:

• There is great effort and money expended with little results
• It is unknown if a feature or function was implemented
• Meetings continue to produce solution ideas without implementable requirements
• Frequently only one solution option is provided
• Rework is accepted and is common in environments where there are frequent vendor or internal organizational conflicts—especially disputes over who is paying for rework costs
• Scope disagreement continues even after validation of the solution has already started
• Stakeholders feel they are not receiving the value expected in return for their investment

What do business analysis knowledgeable resources look like? How can they help the organization address issues such as those in the previous list? A competent and knowledgeable BA should be able to:

• Reduce product risks by using methods, tools, techniques, and checklists selected specifically for the initiative that is being undertaken
• Drive to the right level of requirement detail, determine the right models to use, and identify the best questions to ask based on who is providing and receiving the requirements
• Ensure business analysis activities are properly identified, estimated, well justified, and incorporated within the overall planning process so that appropriate time is allocated
• Capture the complete set of requirements so that solutions address all stakeholder needs, not just those with specific or hidden agendas
• Know how to drive out effective requirements when given a solution idea, a preference, a high-level requirement, or an ambiguous requirement
• Define, communicate, and manage expectations around solution scope—early and often
• Know the status and take ownership of every requirement throughout the life of the requirement
• Uncover and validate assumptions by eventually turning them into questions or specific requirements
• Look for opportunities to assist in solution idea generation
• Easily switch between roles, communicate role changes, know how to prioritize role activities, and address role conflicts
• Recognize the effect of rework and help reduce unplanned rework by effectively conducting business analysis activities
• Share knowledge to improve team and organizational competencies in business analysis

That is quite a list—and it would be difficult to accomplish without the support of an organization. Just as a BA can help an organization, an organization can impact the ability of the BA to perform their role. Chapter 7 will address both individual competencies and organizational capabilities. Most of this book will focus on the BA as an individual, which includes identifying seven steps (each in its own chapter) that can help the BA become more effective and confident in both a strategic and tactical setting, in various governance environments, and in applying different life-cycle approaches.

BEHAVIORS TO ADVANCE PROFESSIONAL CAPABILITIES

Which business analysis behaviors are needed to advance our career? How are these behaviors different from the ones we currently possess? How can current behaviors be changed to make us and our organization more successful? What do we need to do more proficiently? How can we be more versatile? There are many desired behaviors that are defined by business analysis associations. These behaviors, as elaborated upon in the upcoming paragraphs, are ones specifically needed for more advanced competencies. They can be applied in many other roles, but the focus will be specifically on the performance of business analysis activities within each chapter of the book for maintaining versatility in an advanced business analysis role. These behaviors include: be a leader, build trust, exhibit courage and confidence, promote collaboration, and accept change.

Be a Leader

What does it mean to be a leader in the business analysis profession and in different situations? There are various definitions of leadership, but one simple perspective is that leadership is about encouraging a group of people to work together. Leadership could be measured based on how clearly the group sees the shared strategy, mission, or goal so that group members are all heading in the same direction and on how likely they are to make changes in their path in order to work together. Do members influence one another to consider the shared objectives?

Unfortunately, leadership isn’t that easy, and there are many factors that can affect how we lead. One of these is the leader’s position of influence. BAs are rarely in a position of power in the organization. Typically, BAs are positioned either at a tactical level or at a strategic level (see Figure 1.1). At the tactical level, BAs work within project or program environments. At the strategic level, BAs will work within enterprise-wide initiatives or other more global interactions. Yet, leadership can occur within any of these environments. According to John C. Maxwell in The 360 Degree Leader, there are five levels of leadership.¹ The BA may likely be at the lowest level of influence based on Maxwell’s model. The position level gives you the right to lead, and often people follow because they must (otherwise, it might hurt their career). Maxwell’s four other levels—permission, production, people development, and personhood—show how influence can increase through individual relationships, achievements, helping others, and earning respect.

Figure 1.1 Understand BA leadership environments

Although a BA may typically be placed at the lowest level of the spectrum, there are roles that would a...