1、The Top Ten Skills your Mother forgot to tell you that you needed to be a Business AnalystA founding member of theWho is Kathleen Barret?1 12 2Senior Business Consultant,Requirements Management/Business Analysis Centre of Competency Lead,BMO Financial GroupPresident,International Institute of Busine
2、ss Analysis(IIBA)Who is BMO Financial Group?lFounded in 1817 as Canadas first chartered bank,BMO Financial Group is one the largest financial services providers in North AmericalAssets$256 billionlEmployees 34,000lInformation Technology 3,500lServices include:lBMO Bank of Montreal -Personal&Commerci
3、al Banking(Canadian)lBMO Nesbitt Burns-Investment&Wealth Management(Canadian)lHarris Bank Financial Services(Mid-West US)lHarris Nesbitt Investment Bank(US)IntroductionlSo you want to be a Business AnalystWhat is a Business AnalystBusiness Analysts are responsible for identifying the business needs
4、of their clients and stakeholders to help determine solutions to business problems.The Business Analyst is responsible for requirements development and requirements management.Specifically,the Business Analyst elicits,analyzes,validates and documents business,organizational and/or operational requir
5、ements.Solutions are not predetermined by the Business Analyst,but are driven solely by the requirements of the business.Solutions often include a systems development component,but may also consist of process improvement or organizational change.The Business Analyst is a key facilitator within an or
6、ganization,acting as a bridge between the client,stakeholders and the solution team.Business analysis is distinct from financial analysis,project management,quality assurance,organizational development,testing,training and documentation development.However,depending on an organization,an individual
7、Business Analyst may perform some or all of these related functions.The 10“Skills”lAnalystlFacilitatorlNegotiator lArtist/ArchitectlPlanner lCommunicatorlDiplomatlExpert/ConsultantlStrategistlRevolutionary Describe each role Identify the skill or activity required Provide an example of the type of t
8、raining available to support its developmentThe Analystl“Help determine solutions to business problems”lThe ultimate problem solverThe AnalystAnalytical&Systems ThinkinglUnderstand&make judgments about a situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces or by tracing the implications of a situation
9、 in a step-by-step waylOrganize the problem,opportunity or situation in a systematic waylSet prioritieslIdentify causal or If-Then relationshipslSynthesize the component parts in the context of a whole systemTrainingProblem Solving&Decision MakinglProvide participants with the skills and tools they
10、need to determine root issues and plan for success lIdentify and find solutions to problems lApply creative thinking skills,resulting in improved solutions lApply decision-making methodology lAnticipate&plan for problems before they occur lUse a process tool to analyze situations,separate concerns,e
11、stablish priorities&initiate appropriate action The Facilitatorl“Key facilitator within an organization”l“Elicits requirements”lEnsures positive,continuous discussion&progressThe FacilitatorFacilitation/Requirements Elicitation lFacilitationlCreate a positive and constructive group environmentlMaint
12、ain the group focuslLead the discussion toward stated goalslElicitation lUse questioning techniques and other tools to discover process and data from a group of users or stakeholdersTrainingFacilitating Client RequirementslProvide the methodology and skills needed to discover client requirements in
13、a meeting environmentlElicit business&system requirements from stakeholders using a variety of meeting management techniques bases on the types of meeting(e.g.,modeling,kick-off,status,etc.)lUse group management methods to ensure an productive requirements gathering sessionThe Negotiatorl“Act as a b
14、ridge between the client,stakeholders&solution team”lMaintain balance between potentially conflicting needs of various stakeholdersThe Negotiator Consensus&Agreement Building lHelp others reach agreement around a project or a set of ideaslTake on contentious issues or entrenched interests to bring a
15、bout a beneficial resolutionlNegotiation:Ensuring win-win solutions when two parties start from different positionslConsensus and Agreement Building:Working together,assisting others,to reach a common understanding and commitmentlConflict Management:Bringing disagreements into the open to help diffu
16、se themTrainingPower CommunicationslCommunicate effectively with team members,manage client expectations to reach consensus&to ensure successful project outcomeslUtilize influence and communication skills to manage client and peer relationships lManage difficult conversations&more effectively deal w
17、ith conflict lPractice negotiation skills that result in consensus with your client and stakeholderslHandle objections effectivelylUnderstand Emotional Intelligence and how it applies to self management and effective communicationThe Artist/Architectl“Solutions often include a systems development co
18、mponent but may also consist of process improvement or organizational change”lThe BA contributes to the successful solution of the problemThe Artist/ArchitectModelinglData ModelinglDevelop an accurate representation of the business information needslProcess ModelinglDevelop an accurate representatio
19、n of the business processeslFunctional/User-Centered DesignlDemonstrate and apply knowledge of usability factors and techniqueslProfile targeted user groups to understand who will be using the productTrainingBusiness Process ModelinglDescribe the various methods of modeling business processeslCreate
20、 business process models based on case study exampleslAnalyze the process models for gaps,process improvements,and strategic significanceTrainingUser Centered DesignlDefine user-centered designlExplain the eight steps to web-design&the rules for good designlDefine effective web navigation and page l
21、ayoutlDescribe web accessibilitylList the key elements of usability testingTrainingData ModelinglDescribe data modeling&when to use itlIdentify different data modeling deliverables&how they fit into the processlDefine high-level data definition&detail data specificationThe PlannerlOr“Requirements Ma
22、nager”lThe BA is the“project manager”of the requirements activitieslThe BA needs to plan&manage his/her activities to ensure a successful outcome within the identified project constraintsThe PlannerRequirements Planning&Management lAssure the clients requirements for products or systems are accurate
23、ly identified,captured,and tracked throughout the project life cyclelPlanninglDefine,organize and schedule requirements management activities in a way that is consistent with the organizations culture and standardslManagelExecute planned requirements management activities while remaining flexible to
24、 changing requirements and project deadlinesTrainingProject Management FundamentalslDefine requirements scope&objectiveslDescribe tasks&activities required to meet the objectiveslEstimate resources required to complete taskslSchedule tasks&activitieslMonitor&modify plan as requiredThe Communicator l
25、Or“Translator”lThe BA draws out the needs of the various stakeholders,captures them in the form of a document&feeds it back for validation&agreementThe Communicator Verbal&Written Communications lVerbal communicationlUse discussion,conversations and interviews to further understandinglSpeak clearlyl
26、Actively listenlWritten communicationlCreate clear,complete and useable documentation to support the requirements management process and to report findings to other stakeholders TrainingA few courses contribute to the development of this roleWriting Effective Use CaseslDescribe the process,methods,s
27、teps&questions to use when employing a Use-Case driven approach to gathering and defining requirementsWriting Detail Requirements SpecificationslDescribe how to decompose the features&functions from the High Level Requirements Document into a Detailed Requirements SpecificationThe DiplomatlCombinati
28、on of other roleslFacilitatorlNegotiatorlPlannerlArtist/ArchitectlThe BA ensures the client is satisfied with the solutionThe DiplomatClient Relationship ManagementlEstablish&maintain a positive working relationship with the clientlConsider or anticipate the needs of the client throughout the requir
29、ements process lHave insight and appreciation of client needs,priorities,goals&competitive advantageTraininglA synthesis of the training provided for the other roles contributes to the development of this skilllFacilitating Client RequirementslPower CommunicationslProject Management lModelinglThis r
30、ole develops with maturityThe Expert/Consultantl“To help determine solutions to business problems”lThe BA needs to understand the:lBusinesslIndustrylCompetitionThe Expert/ConsultantProfessional Knowledge lUnderstand key business fundamentals,industry levers&the drivers of the financial health and vi
31、ability lDemonstrate working knowledge of the business/organization&of software and application development best practicesTrainingThis role develops with experience,maturity&an increased understanding of the industryFormalized training would be industry specificThe StrategistlThink outside of the“bo
32、x”lSee both the“forest”&the“trees”The StrategistStrategic Business PlanninglDevelop,link and communicate long-range visions,goals or plans to support achievement of business goalslTranslate visions&strategies into tactical planslAlign Current Actions with organizations strategic goalslThink in futur
33、e-oriented termslUnderstand external impact on internal strategylPlan actions to fit strategy&handle external eventsTrainingAs with the Consultant or Expert role,the Strategist develops with experience,maturity&an increased understanding of the industryRevolutionarylBy contributing to a solution,the
34、 BA introduces changelThe BA helps manage the impact of the changeThe RevolutionaryOrganizational Change ManagementlDiscover&define areas for changelConduct impact analyseslActively champion the cause for change TrainingOrganizational Change ManagementlProvides an understanding of organizational cha
35、nge management within system project lifecycle bylBuilding an understanding of the change processlExamining the factors critical to successful implementation of the changelIdentifying historical barriers that may impact this changelIdentifying the resistance to change&determine the causes of the res
36、istance lDeveloping an effective strategy to deal with resistanceThe BMO Financial Group CurriculumOrientation to Requirements ManagementSpecifying Client RequirementsEliciting Client Requirements(web-based)Facilitating Client Requirements Data Gathering Techniques(web-based)Power CommunicationsProb
37、lem Solving and Decision Making Understanding Information SecurityDetailed Requirements SpecificationData ModelingProcess ModelingUser Centered Design(web-based)Writing Effective Use Cases Organizational Change Management Level 1Level 2Level 3 Class room Simulation Process Assessment Knowledge Assessment Simulation AccreditationSo remember what your Mother saidlAnalystlFacilitatorlNegotiator lArtist/ArchitectlPlanner lCommunicatorlDiplomatlExpert/ConsultantlStrategistlRevolutionary
