Foundation in Business Analysis

Business Analysts are increasingly required to extend themselves beyond their traditional role of developing and maintaining IT systems. They need the capability to understand the business strategy, use proven techniques to analyse the business area, and identify changes to business processes needed to meet internal and external challenges.

This course develops the skills needed to work with senior business and IT staff to analyse and model business activities. Delegates will learn how to investigate business problems, and how to identify and recommend appropriate creative solutions.

At the end of the course delegates may sit an examination to attain the ISEB Business Systems Development Certificate in Business Analysis Essentials. (These delegates should also book on course code BAEEX-2).

Prerequisites

• Those wishing to acquire the skill set required for analysing and addressing business problems.
• Those wishing to attain the ISEB Business Systems Development Certificate in Business Analysis Essentials. (These delegates should also book on course code BAEEX-2). Candidates with special examination requirements should consult the ISEB web site (www.iseb.org.uk) for the ISEB Special Needs policy. Note that the ISEB must be advised at least four weeks in advance of any special requirements.
• There are no specific pre-requisites for this course.

Delegates will learn how to

• Describe how a business strategy is developed
• Use strategic analysis techniques
• Describe the need for project discipline.
• Explain techniques to investigate an organisation’s business systems
• Describe an approach to improving business systems
• Explain the importance of stakeholder management and use a stakeholder analysis technique
• Use techniques for the analysis and modelling of business systems
• Describe how recommendations for business improvement may be identified
• Describe the contents of a rigorous business case for the development and implementation of business changes
• Explain the derivation of IT requirements from the definitions of business improvements
• Explain the importance of assuring the business case once the changes have been implemented

Course outline

Rationale

Lifecycle for business change; The role of the Business Analyst; A comparison of the business analyst and systems analyst roles; Purpose of analysing and modelling business systems; Overview of business analysis approach

Strategic Analysis in Context

Identifying the business domain; Internal environment analysis; External environment analysis; SWOT analysis; Overview of areas of strategy including IS strategy; CSFs and KPIs; Balanced business scorecard

Project discipline for business analysis studies

Terms of reference/project initiation; Business and project objectives; Deliverables from business analysis studies

Understanding the situation/issues

Stakeholder analysis; Overview of investigative techniques; Representation of the business situation

Business perspectives

Identifying different perspectives; Defining business perspectives; Identifying and resolving conflicts

Analysing and modelling business activities

Identifying activities and dependencies; Building a business activity model; Business events/activity triggers; Business rules/constraints

Identifying potential solutions

Gap analysis – comparing the ideal and existing systems; Defining a new business model; Identifying IS/IT requirements to support the new business model

Making the business case

Structure of a business case; Identifying options for business change; Costs and Benefits analysis; Impact analysis; Risk analysis and management; Presenting a business case

Accepting the Business Case

Testing the system for user acceptance; Managing the implementation of change; Realising business benefits

Case Study

A case study allows the delegates to undertake a simulated business analysis assignment