1. My life as a Business Analyst - Presentation to IIBA Members
By: Scott A. Mackay

2. Purpose
Introduce you to the typical things that I do in my work as a Business Analyst. Note that your experiences could be different.

3. Introduction My degree is in Industrial Engineering
I have worked in process improvement & best practices for over 30 years
Most of my recent work has been in developing new or improving existing software applications

4. Most Recent Projects Health Assessment Tool
Maintenance Man Dispatching Tool
Hotel Reservation Tool
Catering & Banqueting Tool
Vessel & Pipeline Reliability Predictor Tool
Time & Attendance Tool(s)
On-line Training Creation Tool(s)
Truss & Wall Panel Estimating Tool
Prescription Drug Data Publishing Tool
Field Engineering Support Tool
Tax Return Processing System
Business Intelligence Dashboard

5. Current Project Process Surveillance & Analysis Tools Business Case
Business Requirements Document
Minimal Master Data Management
Tool Selection & Implementation (as RFP Lead)
User Training
Effectiveness Assessment

6. The Artifacts I Create
These are the artifacts (deliverables) that I create for most projects. Sometimes I work alone, and sometimes the work is distributed across a team of BAs.

7. Develop a Business Case
Some projects require a Business Case prior to starting
The Business Case presents:
Clear statement of the problem to be solved
Proposed solutions (with Context Diagrams)
Cost benefits analysis (Tables & Graphs)
Risk analysis
Recommendation
Project timeline (Gantt Chart)

8. Create the Project Statement of Work
Statement of Work (aka Business Requirements Document) should include:
Goal of project
Business/User needs to be satisfied
Features to be added or improved
Other tasks to be accomplished
Assumptions & Constraints
Time line goals

9. Model the Business Process
Create Process Maps
Top level flows with swim lanes
Create Process Activity Flows
Lower level flows
Hierarchical if needed
Typically focused on the Future State
Document the As-is if needed

10. Create Business Object Model
Build one or more diagrams showing:
Business Objects
Business Object Attributes
Business Operations
Relationships

11. Create the Use Case Model
Build one or more diagrams showing:
Actors
Use Case Titles
Relationships

12. Create a Storyboard Build User Interface Mock-ups showing:
New screens and operations
New fields and operations on existing screens
Animation of screen flow (Behavior Model)
Usually done in a workshop setting
Faster & more effective if done using rapid visualization technique

13. Create the Use Cases Write User Stories for simple operations such as:
Open, save, delete, exit, cancel
Write Use Case Narratives for complex operations such as:
Creating a Business Object
Viewing or Editing a Business Object

14. Create A Glossary Write a Dictionary of Unique Terms
Collect terms unique to the business process
Define each term
Get agreement of each definition

15. The Activities I Perform
These are the activities I perform most often for each project.

16. Conduct Stakeholder Workshops
I use these to:
Examine a business problem
Who are the actors in the business process?
How do they do things today?
What exactly is the problem to be solved?
Brainstorm solutions to a business problem
Agree on next steps
Promote support for the project

17. Conduct Process Assessments
I use these to:
Understand the current business process
Collect current process metrics
Document all significant inputs & outputs

18. Conduct Requirements Kick-off
I use these to:
Transmit management’s endorsement
Introduce everyone to the project goals
Explain the activities that they will be involved in
Explain the time commitments that are needed

19. Conduct Interviews I use these to: These can be done:
Flowchart the current process
Identify activities affected by the project
Develop process changes
Storyboard the new process
Promote ownership of the solution
These can be done:
1 on 1
1 with many

20. Conduct Use Case Reviews
I use these to:
Get final inputs
Promote ownership
Get concurrence on the solution

21. Conduct Development Kick-off
I use these to:
Transmit management’s endorsement
Introduce Developers and Testers to the project goals
Explain the:
Process Map
Activity Flows
Use Case Model
Object Model
Storyboard

22. Conduct Requirements Peer Reviews
I use these for each requirements document to:
Get Stakeholder concurrence
Get Developer concurrence
Get Tester concurrence
Might do many documents as a set
ex: All User Stories & Storyboards for the next Sprint

23. Attend Design Peer Reviews
I try to assure:
Proposed designs meet requirements
Actors are comfortable with the designs
Any proposed changes are desirable, acceptable, and followed up by changes to requirements if needed

24. Conduct Build Reviews I use these to: Get feedback
Assess completeness of the business solution
Identify things missing
Identify unexpected things
Assure business requirements are being met
Shake out bugs prior to formal testing

25. Conduct User Acceptance
I use these to:
Get user concurrence with the solution
Get feedback for future changes or new features

26. Conduct User Training
I use this to prepare users for transition to the new business process:
Explain the expected benefits of the new business process
Introduce each change in the process
Let each user try the new process in a training environment

27. Audit Results I use this to:
Validate that the business process changes worked as predicted
Document productivity savings
Assess user acceptance
Collect feedback for future changes

28. Ancillary Activities I am occasionally asked to do more:
Project Estimates & Cost Accounting
Project Planning & Control
Lead Requests for Proposals
Develop Test Plans & Scripts
Facilitate Customer Acceptance
Facilitate Daily Scrums

29. Assessing the Infrastructure
This is an activity that I often get involved with as a consultant coming into a new company

30. Assess current process
Assure the best practices are in place:
Lean Development Methodology
Project Management Process
Change Control Process
Configuration Management Process
Quality Assurance Process
Visual Modeling Capabilities
Peer Review Process

31. Assess current process steps
Assure the key validation steps are in place:
Statement of work peer review
Requirements peer review
Design peer review
Developer’s testing
User’s build review
Quality control testing
User training
User acceptance

32. Assess current process steps
Assure the key management activities are in place:
Status meetings
Issues meetings
Risk assessment updates
Iteration planning meetings
Iteration post mortem meetings

33. Assess current tools Assure the needed tools are in place:
& Appointment tool
Shared document storage tool
Document editing tool
Presentation editing tool
UI modeling tool
UML modeling tool
BPMN modeling tool

34. Assess Working Environment
Assure facilities are available:
Conference Room
PC Projector
Speaker phone
Quiet workspace

35. My Skills Set
These are the skills that I use most often

36. My Skills Set is: Business process flow charting Storyboarding
Object & Use Case modeling
Meeting facilitization
Requirements elicitation
Requirements writing
Use Case writing

37. I also need: Imagination Motivation Visualization Spelling & grammar
Creativity
Patience & listening
Public speaking
Ego control
Attention to details
Time management
Motivation
Spelling & grammar
Math
Leadership

38. My secrets to success Work fast Work cheaply Keep quality high
Affect the company’s bottom line
Stay flexible to changes

39. Questions?