Dealing with Impossible Deadlines – A Business Analyst’s Approach
Are you coping with impossible deadlines? Learn how to communicate, plan and decide on the best approach for dealing with impossible deadlines.
Business Analysis Toolkit
How to Get People Engaged in Change Activities to Generate Ideas and Make Decisions
So often projects go wrong precisely because change is not managed. And when the people – for whom a system is developed – do not accept the change, the entire project can fail! Its one of the big risks that all too often is not even considered. I have seen projects where hundreds of thousands of dollars basically just go down the drain – all because people did not understand the importance of winning over, not just the stakeholders, but the day to day users
Fishbone Analysis Example: Identify Root Causes Fast
When you have a problem to investigate and need to structure your thinking quickly, a fishbone diagram is one of the most effective tools in a BA’s kit. This article walks through a concrete fishbone analysis example using a real product defect scenario, covering all four steps from problem definition through to analysis and prioritisation. Follow the process and you can run your own session today.
Mind Mapping Technique in Business Analysis
Mind mapping is one of the most practical techniques I reach for when a problem feels too tangled to tackle head-on. It lets you put a central idea on the page and pull every related thought out of your head before you start making assumptions. This article walks you through exactly how to build and use a mind map on a real BA project, including what to do when stakeholders push back on where the analysis is heading.
Five Whys Technique: Get to the Root Cause Fast
The five whys technique is one of the most powerful tools in a BA’s kit for stopping a project from solving the wrong problem. This article walks through how to apply it in practice, what to do when stakeholders push back, and why the question you ask before you start eliciting requirements can change everything. If you have a problem statement in front of you right now, this is where to start.
Business Driver Examples for ICT Projects
If you are starting an ICT project and cannot yet articulate why the organisation is investing in it, you need to nail down your business drivers before anything else moves. This article walks through the most common business driver examples, how to surface them through executive engagement, and what happens when you get the stakeholder buy-in wrong. Use it to complete that first critical step of your analysis.
How to Set Up a Business Analysis Project
Setting up a business analysis project correctly means establishing what you are actually trying to produce before you touch a single requirements template. Get that wrong and everything that follows is misdirected effort. This article walks through the practical steps I use to frame, scope, and orient a new BA engagement from the very first conversation.