The following six-part series of articles explores business analysis skills and domain concepts, such as needs assessment, goal development, and setting SMART goals. At the onset, this subject may appear redundant, as many assume we have the skills needed and understand the concepts necessary to be a business analyst. However, as we delve deeper into the actual tactics of being an effective business analyst, it will become clear that customer satisfaction relies equally on soft business analysis skills as much as hard process skills.
Each article in the six-part series will cover one of the six domains, as stated below, and the value of each, including a needs assessment, goal development, and setting SMART goals:
Part 1 – Needs assessment
Part 2 – Information gathering/goal development techniques
Part 3 – Planning
Part 4 – Analysis
Part 5 – Traceability and monitoring
Part 6 – Evaluation
Let’s start off with the basic business analysis domains and related tasks and then apply the business analysis skills needed to fulfill the concepts courtesy of the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Needs assessment
The needs assessment domain includes five key activities related to understanding a business problem or opportunity and evaluating different inputs to aid the development of an effective solution. The five business analysis skills are as follows:
Task 1: “Define or review a business problem or opportunity using problem and opportunity analysis techniques to establish a solution scope statement and/or to provide input to create a business case” (PMI, 2013).
Task 2: “Collect and analyze information from different sources using valuation tools and techniques to contribute to determining the initiative’s value proposition” (PMI, 2013).
Task 3: Collaborate in developing project goals and objectives by clarifying business needs and solution scope to align the product with the organization’s goals and objectives.
Task 4: Identify stakeholders by reviewing goals, objectives, and requirements in order to ensure that the parties are appropriately represented, informed, and involved.
Task 5: Use elicitation techniques to determine stakeholder values regarding the product, providing a baseline for prioritizing requirements.
Task 1: Opportunity definition/review
After the needs assessment stage, you will want to sit down with the primary stakeholder and have a conversation. Let the stakeholder tell their story so you can better empathize with their situation. This conversation will enable you to write a ‘Problem Statement.’ The basic problem statement format is: The problem of W (goal/root cause) affects X (users/stakeholders), the impact of which is Y (outcomes suffered as a result of the problem), so a successful solution would be Z.
ALSO READ: THE ULTIMATE ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS GUIDE + TEMPLATE FOR EFFECTIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING
Task 2: Collecting and analyzing data
PMI suggests a variety of techniques and tools that should be included in your business analyst’s toolkit. Some of those techniques to elicit information from the stakeholders are:
- Brainstorming
- Document analysis
- Focus groups
- Interface analysis
- Interviews
- Workshops
- Reverse engineering
- Surveys
In Part 2, we will discuss these information-gathering techniques in more detail. You will probably use more than one or two of these techniques with most clients.
Task 3: Goal Development for Projects
At this point, it is important to acknowledge the large dependency of Task 3 on the proper execution of Task 2. If not done properly, it could be the biggest reason your project may fail. It is incumbent on business analysts and Stakeholders (s) to have clear, concise, attainable, and realistic SMART goals. The project goals will also be critically important to any future project managers who will be tasked with completing the project.
There are five basic approaches to setting SMART goals that will help you complete your projects.
1. SMART Goals
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Results-focused
- Time-bound
2. OKR Approach
- Objectives
- Key results
3. BSQ Method
- Think BIG
- Act SMALL
- Move QUICK
4. ABC Goals
- Achievable
- Believable
- Controllable
5. FRAME Goals (similar to SMART goals)
- Few
- Realistic
- Agreed
- Measured
- Explicit
We will discuss these in more detail later in the guides.
Task 4: Stakeholder identification
A logical follow-up to Task 3 will be the identification of other stakeholders. Stakeholders are usually responsible for parts of the business model that have a vested interest in implementing a successful solution, and they are required to have complete buy-in. Business analysts are also responsible for ensuring that stakeholders have a crystal clear understanding of their requirements. An effective business analyst must ensure that the stakeholders are informed and involved. The project manager will use this level of involvement to develop his communication plan.
Task 5: Requirements Prioritization
Now that you have identified and enlisted other stakeholders in Task 4, the agreed-upon requirements must be baselined on prioritization. Agreement on the priority list of requirements will significantly enhance a smooth project plan design and execution. By paying attention to the responses and nonverbal communications of the stakeholders, an astute business analyst will have valuable insights into the inner workings of the business. You will be able to ascertain the placement of the stakeholders into the RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed). Again, it is no big surprise that the RACI chart is another deliverable the project manager must have before project kickoff/execution.
In Part 2, we will discuss information-gathering and goal-development techniques.
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