Business Analysis and
Process Re-engineering
Gayleen Gray,
Deputy CIO & Associate Director,
Computing and Communications Services,
University of Guelph
With thanks to Nela Petkovic at Wilfred Laurier University
Computing and Communications Services ● www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
1
WHAT IS BUSINESS ANALYSIS
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
2
BAs in Higher Ed
• Business Analysts are newer to Higher Ed IT
• Systems Analysts / Subject (Functional) Matter
Experts worked on requirements
• Formal requirements gathering /validation
• No documentation or templates
• Current State (Business Processes) anecdotal
• Rationale for decision making mostly
verbal/silo-ed
• Efficiencies could not be recognized
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
3
Business Analysis at UofG
• BA methodology and community of practice
– Based on IIBA (International Institute of Business
Analysis)
– BABOK Guide (Business Analysis Body of
Knowledge)
– Includes processes, templates, training materials
• Standardized approach for BA activities
• Focus on current state to future state analysis
• Business process re-engineering a core
requirement before new systems implemented
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
4
Our overview of in scope UofG BA activities
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
5
Defined BA activities
• Responsibilities vary:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Business Process documentation
Requirements gathering
Scope optimization
Use case development, QA, test strategies, etc.
Training, user support
Documentation development
Emphasis on communication
Conduit between client community and developers
• New:
– IT Reviews/Studies for units
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
6
Flavour of Engagements
• Web Solutions projects – websites, AODA
web remediation
• Research information management
implementation
• New Email system project
• Document Management and Workflow
Process solution project
• IT Study/Review for various
departments/units
• Applicant processCCSfor
undergrads/grads
University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
7
BUSINESS PROCESS
REENGINEERING
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
8
CCS Key Principles
• Collaborative partnerships
• Business priorities core to IT decisions
• Solutions priorities:
– Use current services and systems where possible
– Off the shelf before custom development
– Hosted when it fits our security/privacy principles
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
9
The Business Unit’s Needs:
• Transparency/Auditability/Accountability in processes
– Internally and externally
– regulatory and funding agencies
• Cost reduction
• Business efficiencies (ideal) through streamlined
business processes
• Reduction in mundane tasks
• Staff doing more meaningful work
• Intuitive solutions that are easy to use
• Help navigation the technology solutions landscape
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
10
Business Unit’s Challenges:
• Change is hard!
• Not sure what is involved, outcomes
• Need to trust us to contribute to business planning
– Trust is based on past experiences, good or bad
• See us as ‘slow’ compared to just making their own
decisions on technology
– They don’t factor in requirements or solutions analysis
– Just find a new flavour and GO!
• Investment in time and resources to undertake
process re-engineering
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
11
What IT Brings to the table
•
•
•
•
•
Broad view of the university
Variety of experiences
A different (perspective) set of eyes
Business analysis and project management skills
Other skill sets not available within a business unit
–
–
–
–
User experience and design, AODA (legislative knowledge)
development experience/understanding
Formal Vendor Management
Software Specification experience
• Process Streamlining
• Knowledge of the different technologies solutions
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
12
What IT must do
• Based on Business Unit’s Challenges:
• Win trust and build confidence
– Establish credibility
– Engage the clients
– Immediate problems fixed
• to provide small wins while larger needs are addressed
– Communicate
– Embed staff/Joint teams with dedicated resources
• Creative funding models
– Everyone has skin in the game
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
13
More practical challenges
• Recruiting strong BAs
• Consistency in analysis and process reengineering
• Volume of needs – victims of success
• Picking the right projects for success to start
• Getting clients to invest in time to do it right
• Getting our own teams to do it!
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
14
EXAMPLE OF A BUSINESS NEED
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
15
UofG Example of a business need
• Graduate admissions process had a level of
complexity and manual effort
– Paper and manual process
– targets to increase applications but couldn’t scale
manual processes
– Improve experience with online service – no
phones, no mailing of applications or supporting
documents
– Want a common process with ability to have
unique features within campus departments
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
16
Business Process Analysis
• Use our BA framework to define the problem:
• challenges, current state, future state, gap analysis,
• Defined 5 processes for handling applicants:
• Application including supporting documents from
applicant
• Referee Process
• U of G workflow to make an offer
• U of G workflow from offer through to acceptance
• Communications between applicants, departments and
OGS during the processes identified above
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
17
Business Process Analysis
• Artefacts to define current to future state of processes:
o Business requirements models (context diagram, data
requirements models, process flowcharts and/or swimlanes,
RACI matrix)
o Business requirements list with priorities and acceptance
criteria (defined by client)
o Integration requirements with other systems as needed
o Recommended implementation options (solutions) with cost
estimates
o Functional specification to guide the solution
implementation.
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
18
Re engineered workflow
Re-engineered communications
Successes
• Fully engaged client / business unit
• They assigned SME full time who knew the grad
admissions processes
• Client willing to take on new learning, e.g. creating
their own process flow diagrams
• Executive support, championing and “selling” the
benefits to large group of stakeholders
• Dedicated IT staff with BA skills and Admissions
experience
• Involved CIO Communications area to design and
deliver complex project communications
CCS University of Guelph
www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
22
THANK YOU!
Discussion & Questions
Gayleen Gray,
Deputy CIO & Associate Director,
Computing and Communications Services,
University of Guelph
With thanks to Nela Petkovic at Wilfred Laurier University
Computing and Communications Services ● www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
23