The definitive guide on the roles and responsibilities of the business analyst Business Analysis offers a complete description of the process of business analysis in solving business problems. Filled with tips, tricks, techniques, and guerilla tactics to help execute the process in the face of sometimes overwhelming political or social obstacles, this guide is also filled with real world stories from the authors more than thirty years of experience working as a business analyst. Provides techniques and tips to execute the at-times tricky job of business analyst Written by an industry expert with over thirty years of experience Straightforward and insightful, Business Analysis is a valuable contribution to your ability to be successful in this role in todays business environment.

Steven P. Blais is a solution architect and a consultant, coach, trainer, and course author in business analysis, software development, and project management. He contributes articles on a regular basis to allPM.com, a project management webzine published by the International Institute for Learning (IIL). He is a frequent content provider to numerous BA blogging sites, including EssenceoftheBA.com, and chairs a committee for the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge R3 with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), the predominant organization for the growing discipline of business analysis, with currently over 15,000 members in ninety chapters worldwide.

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xxv

International Institute for Learning, Inc. (IIL) xxvii

PART I THE PROBLEM SOLVER 1

CHAPTER 1 What Is a Business Analyst? 3

CHAPTER 2 The Evolution of the Business Analyst 13

CHAPTER 3 A Sense of Where You Are 29

CHAPTER 4 What Makes a Good Business Analyst? 39

PART II THE PLAYERS 85

CHAPTER 6 The Business Analyst and the Solution Team 89

CHAPTER 7 The Business Analyst and the Business Community 109

PART III THE PROBLEM 131

CHAPTER 8 Define the Problem 135

CHAPTER 9 Define the Product Scope 163

CHAPTER 10 Confirm Alignment and Financial Justification 179

PART IV THE PROCESS 197

CHAPTER 11 Gather the Information 199

CHAPTER 12 Define the Problem Domain 251

CHAPTER 13 Determine the Solution 267

CHAPTER 14 Write the Solution Document 285

PART V PRODUCING THE PRODUCT 309

CHAPTER 15 Monitor the Product 313

CHAPTER 16 Confirm the Business Problem Has Been Solved 325

CHAPTER 17 Transition and Change Management 337

POSTSCRIPT Where to Go from Here 351

APPENDIX A Business Analyst Process 361

APPENDIX B The Principles 365

APPENDIX C Why We Do Not Get Good Requirements 373

APPENDIX D Comparison of the Roles of Business Analyst, Systems Analyst, and Project Manager 379

APPENDIX E Context-Free Problem Definition Questions 383

APPENDIX F List of Nonfunctional Requirements Categories 385

Bibliography 387

About the Author 395

Index 397