Barbara Craib
BLCraib@gmail.com
757 274 4233 (Cell)
Why have Business Analysts?
 Leverage value from investment in technology
 Further exploit existing technology and
information
Need for change….
 Technology
 Business Drivers
Investment
New
Technology
Expectation
Innovation
Efficiency
Obsolescence
Innovation
Business Analysts - benefits
 Know your business
 Identify opportunities and understand constraints
 Use coherent tools and techniques – better
development
 Articulate and prioritize requirements
 Inform evidence based decision making
 Improve end-to-end processes
When to bring in the BA?
 Strategic planning
 End-to-end from concept to capability
 Lifecycle management
Concept
Create
Ops &
Maintenance
Planning
Manage
SDLC
Implementat
ion
Projects
Requirement
Analysis
Integration
and Test
Design &
Develop
Plan
Select
Overlap of skills
 Systems Analyst
 Project Manager
 Requirements Manager
 Risk Manager
 Benefits Manager
 Change Manager
 Business Process Design
 Management Analyst
 Communications
Business Analyst … advocate
 Represents the Technology Community in the
Business arena
 Represents the Business Community in the
Technology arena
Business Analyst - skills
 Business Understanding
 Observation, listening and thinking
 Communication
 Bigger Picture – beyond organizational boundaries
 Look ahead – Strategic planning horizon
 Problem Solving – IDEAS
Business Analyst… understands
 Nature of the problem… impact on the business
 Underlying issues
 Relationship between problems
 Interdependencies
People
 Opportunities
 Constraints
Technology
Outcome
Information
Process
Business Analyst… understands
 Benefits and outcomes
 $$$$$$$$$$ and ROI – Don’t forget the numbers!
 Value and Cost
 Risk vs benefits
 Contingency Planning
 Business Continuity Management
 Efficiency – greater profitability
 Effectiveness – better product/service
Business Analyst – roles




Ensure benefits and outcomes become reality
Problem solving
What-if / scenario planning – Issue Prevention
As-is analysis
 Evidence collection and analysis
 Understand problems and visualize opportunities
 IDEAS - solutions
 To-be development
 IDEAS – options
 Business Case development
BA Perspective – Requirements
 Strategic Alignment
 Business Need based…. Convert from ‘I Want Now’
 Evidence based
 Outcome focused - why?
 Prioritized
 Packaged/phased options
BA Perspective – Testing
 Validation – does it meet the needs of the business?
 As articulated in the Requirements
 Functional – does it work?
 Does it interfere with anything else?
 Can the User achieve……..?
BA Perspective– Implementation
 Holistic perspective
 People
 Process
People
 Information
 Technology
 Post Implementation ReviewTechnology Outcome
 Opportunities
 Lessons
Information
Process
Primary Role of a Business Analyst
 Leverage value from investment in technology
 Deliver outcomes and Benefits
Barbara Craib
BLCraib@gmail.com
757 274 4233 (Cell)