Course Overview
Whether you are new to business analysis, or are experienced and want a more formal approach, it’s essential to know and practice the “fundamentals.” This course trains participants to help business clients articulate their needs and wants, and to document them clearly, concisely, and completely. By grasping this core Business Analyst (BA) skill, BAs can contribute significantly to successful projects and the products they create. Through a realistic case study and interviews, participants discover and then practice writing “good” requirements. The course also explores and lets attendees practice a simple process for validating and verifying requirements to ensure they are well-documented. Also, attendees learn the importance of traceability and how to construct a traceability matrix.
Course Objectives
- Articulate the key activities and artifacts of a business analyst.
- Increase project success by better defining the business needs.
- Plan the requirements effort to ensure optimal productivity.
- Reduce rework by eliciting and discovering requirements correctly the first time.
- Document “good” requirements by writing them clearly, concisely, and completely using simple templates.
- Trace requirements to ensure they link to business value and to manage the requirements throughout the project.
- Reduce gaps in understanding requirements by properly validating and verifying them.
- Use standard, core models to quickly uncover additional requirements.
- Present a complete “package” to the business for their approval.
Prerequisites
Participants should have worked at least one project
Course Benefits
To help assimilate the tools and techniques learned, there is a mixture of individual and team exercises throughout the course. A lively role play and case study help reinforce concepts learned. Students will need to be prepared for a high level of participation. Each participant will receive a
comprehensive student guide complete with examples and workshop solutions.
Target Audience
- People that have project experience working with a variety of roles (BA, QA, PM, sponsors) but have not had formal BA training.
- New business analysts (transferred from the business, or from a different IT job) and have had some formal BA training will also benefit.
- Experienced BAs and project managers who want a more formal and industry-standard business analysis approach will gain new skills and methods from this course.
Examination (optional)
The BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is available via examination on the final day of the Course. The exam duration is one hour, and the paper consists in 40 multiple choice questions. Candidates should score at least 26 correct answers in order to pass the examination.
Course Content
1. Requirements Foundations
2. Define the Business Need
3. Plan for Requirements
4. Eliciting requirements
5. Document and Analyze Requirements
6. Model Requirements
7. Manage & Communicate Requirements
Examination (optional)
The BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is available via examination on the final day of the Course. The exam duration is one hour, and the paper consists in 40 multiple choice questions. Candidates should score at least 26 correct answers in order to pass the examination.
Course Content
1. Requirements Foundations
2. Define the Business Need
3. Plan for Requirements
4. Eliciting requirements
5. Document and Analyze Requirements
6. Model Requirements
7. Manage & Communicate Requirements