You're reading from CCBA® and CBAP® Certifications Study Guide

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Published inMay 2020

PublisherPackt

ISBN-139781838825263

Edition1st Edition

Tools

Tableau

Concepts

Business Intelligence

Author (1)

Esta Lessing

Techniques (Part 1)

This chapter discusses the techniques that support the successful execution of business analysis tasks in the workplace. It outlines the purpose of each technique and what it entails as well as some example tasks that use each technique to achieve a particular goal.

By the end of this chapter, you will know what these techniques are and understand the common purposes of each technique in the context of practical business analysis tasks.

More specifically, we will cover the following primary techniques:

Acceptance and evaluation criteria
Backlog management
Balanced scorecards
Benchmarking and market analysis
Brainstorming
Business capability analysis
Business cases
Business model canvas
Business rules analysis
Collaborative games
Concept modeling
Data dictionary
Data flow diagrams
Data mining
Data modeling
Decision analysis
Decision modeling
Document analysis...

Techniques for the exam

As you know, there are many analysis techniques that are applicable to many different contexts and scenarios of business analysis. It is quite a vast topic area and so it can be quite challenging to prepare for the CCBA®/CBAP® exam.

There are a few things to keep in mind in terms of technique when preparing for the exam:

You don't necessarily have to be proficient in using every technique but it is essential that you understand the purpose of each technique and have a good understanding of what the elements of each technique are. You should be able to tell someone what the technique is, why you use it, and when it should be used.
You may need to carry out some financial analysis calculations in the exam. Make sure you can apply the formulas described as part of each technique.
Understand the techniques well enough so that you are able...

Acceptance and evaluation criteria

When learning about acceptance and evaluation criteria, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's start with the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of acceptance and evaluation criteria is as follows:

"Acceptance criteria are used to define the requirements, outcomes, or conditions that must be met in order for a solution to be considered acceptable to key stakeholders...Evaluation criteria are the...

Backlog management

When learning about backlog management, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's start with the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of backlog management is "to record, track, and prioritize remaining work items."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Balanced scorecards

When learning about balanced scorecards, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of backlog management is "to manage performance in any business model, organizational structure, or business process."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Benchmarking and market analysis

When you learn about benchmarking and market analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of benchmarking and market analysis is "to improve organizational operations, increase customer satisfaction, and increase value to stakeholders."

Key things...

Brainstorming

When learning about brainstorming, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, brainstorming is "an excellent way to foster creative thinking about a problem. The aim of brainstorming is to produce numerous new ideas, and to derive from them themes for further analysis."

Key things to...

Business capability analysis

When you learn about business capability analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of business capability analysis is to provide "a framework for scoping and planning by generating a shared understanding of outcomes, identifying alignment with strategy, and providing a scope and prioritization filter."

...

Business cases

When you learn about business cases, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You should know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of business cases is to provide "justification for a course of action based on the benefits to be realized by using the proposed solution, as compared to the cost, effort, and other considerations to acquire and live with that solution."

...

Business model canvas

When you learn about business model canvases, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You should know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of a business model canvas is to describe "how an enterprise creates, delivers, and captures value for and from its customers."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Business rules analysis

When you learn about business rules analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of business rules analysis is "to identify, express, validate, refine, and organize the rules that shape day-to-day business behavior and guide operational business decision making."

...

Collaborative games

When you learn about collaborative games, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of collaborative games is to "encourage participants in an elicitation activity to collaborate in building a joint understanding of a problem or a solution."

Key things to know when...

Concept modeling

When you learn about concept modeling, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of concept modelling is "to organize the business vocabulary needed to consistently and thoroughly communicate the knowledge of a domain."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Data dictionary

When you learn about data dictionaries, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You should know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of a data dictionary is "to standardize a definition of a data element and enable a common interpretation of data elements."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Data flow diagrams

When you learn about data flow diagrams, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You should know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of data flow diagrams is to "show where data comes from, which activities process the data, and if the output results are stored or utilized by another activity or external entity."

...

Data mining

When you learn about data mining, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of data mining is "to improve decision making by finding useful patterns and insights from data."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Data modeling

When you learn about data modeling, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of data modeling is to describe "the entities, classes or data objects relevant to a domain, the attributes that are used to describe them, and the relationships among them to provide a common set of semantics for analysis and implementation."

...

Decision analysis

When you learn about decision analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of decision analysis is to formally assess "a problem and possible decisions in order to determine the value of alternate outcomes under conditions of uncertainty."

Key things to know when...

Decision modeling

When you learn about decision modeling, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of decision modeling is to show "how repeatable business decisions are made."

Key things to know when using this technique

A decision...

Document analysis

When you learn about document analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of document analysis is "to elicit business analysis information, including contextual understanding and requirements, by examining available materials that describe either the business environment or existing organizational assets."

...

Estimation

When you learn about estimation, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of estimation is to be "used by business analysts and other stakeholders to forecast the cost and effort involved in pursuing a course of action."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Financial analysis

When you learn about financial analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You should know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of financial analysis is "to understand the financial aspects of an investment, a solution, or a solution approach."

Key things to know when using this technique

...

Focus groups

When you learn about focus groups, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You need to know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of focus groups is "to elicit ideas and opinions about a specific product, service, or opportunity in an interactive group environment. The participants, guided by a moderator, share their impressions, preferences, and needs."

...

Functional decomposition

When you learn about functional decomposition, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You need to know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of functional decomposition is "to help manage complexity and reduce uncertainty by breaking down processes, systems, functional areas, or deliverables into their simpler constituent parts and allowing each part to be analyzed independently."

...

Glossary

When you learn about glossaries, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You need to know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of a glossary is "to define key terms relevant to a business domain."

Key things to know when using this technique

It is important to develop...

Interface analysis

When you learn about interface analysis, you need to make sure you are well versed in its primary purpose. You need to know what it entails and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of interface analysis is "to identify where, what, why, when, how and for whom information is exchanged between solution components or across solution boundaries."

Key things to know...

Interviews

When you learn about interviews, you need to make sure you are well versed in their primary purpose. You need to know what they entail and be able to explain when (that is, in what types of scenarios related to business analysis tasks) it is relevant to apply this technique.

Let's consider the purpose of this technique.

What is the purpose of this technique?

According to the BABOK® v3 guide, the purpose of the interview technique is to carry out "a systematic approach designed to elicit business analysis information from a person or group of people by talking to the interviewee(s), asking relevant questions, and documenting responses. The interview can also be used for establishing relationships...

Summary

You now have a comprehensive understanding of the purpose, key aspects, and application of every business analysis technique covered in this chapter. You are able to situate each technique in the context of relevant business analysis tasks and you understand when each technique is used in practice.

In this chapter, we covered the acceptance and evaluation criteria, backlog management, balanced scorecard, benchmarking and market analysis, brainstorming, business capability analysis, business cases, business model canvas, business rules analysis, collaborative games, concept modeling, data dictionary, data flow diagrams, data mining, data modeling, decision analysis, decision modeling, document analysis, estimation, financial analysis, focus groups, functional decomposition, glossary, interface analysis, and interview techniques.

In the following chapter, we will cover...

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Author (1)

Esta Lessing

Esta Lessing is a passionate educator and facilitator, helping business analysts meet the increasing demand for up to date skills and capability. She founded her company, Business Analysis Excellence Pty Ltd in 2013 and focusses on providing BA education. Esta was one of the first to achieve her CBAP designation in Australia and New Zealand and served as a Certification Role Delineation Committee member for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). She has a B. Com (Hons) Informatics degree at the University of Pretoria and the London School of Economics and has multiple British Computer Society (BCS) certifications to her name. She has worked as a Business Analyst in South Africa, UK and is currently based in Australia. Estas most recent achievement is developing an innovative strategic planning and analysis methodology that engages team creativity and deliver strategic roadmaps for achieving a teams future vision.
Read more about Esta Lessing

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