Business Analysis For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Business Analysis For Dummies, 2nd Edition

by Alison Cox
Released February 2023
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119912484

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Book description

Build a successful career in business analysis 

When it comes to doing good business, change is a very good thing. And effective business analysts are at the heart of identifying opportunities for growth and implementing the solutions that can transform an organization’s foundation—and ultimately increase its profitability. Whether you’re an aspiring business analysis professional or a seasoned analyst looking for the latest techniques and approaches, Business Analysis For Dummies helps you discover the newest tips and tricks for turning knowledge into the changes that have a real and meaningful impact on business and drive your organization towards value delivery.  

  • Identify areas for growth and create solutions 
  • Learn how to bring people together to collaborate effectively 
  • Discover ways to better understand and serve your customers 
  •  See how business analysis works in the real world  
  •  Learn the technology to make the job easier  
  • Find business solutions to improve your organization’s performance 
  •  Understand how to dig deeply into your organization’s data, processes, and business rules 

Dummies makes the path to business success clear. Start here to turn your love of business analysis into the catalyst that makes a difference.  

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Introduction
    1. About This Book
    2. Foolish Assumptions
    3. Icons Used in This Book
    4. Beyond the Book
    5. Where to Go from Here
  5. Part 1: Getting Started with Business Analysis
    1. Chapter 1: Business Analysis in a Nutshell
      1. Defining Business Analysis
      2. Knowing Your Role in the Basic Business Analysis Lifecycle
      3. Looking at the Value of Business Analysis
      4. Considering the Skills of a Successful BA
      5. Business Analysis in an Agile Environment
      6. Getting to Know the IIBA BABOK
      7. Pursuing Business Analysis Certification
    2. Chapter 2: Breaking Down Different Levels of Business Analysis
      1. Checking out an Overview of the Levels
      2. Going to the Top: The Enterprise Level
      3. Moving to the Organizational Level
      4. Drilling Down to the Operational Level
      5. Getting a Handle on the Project Level
    3. Chapter 3: Identifying and Working with Stakeholders
      1. Identifying the Participants
      2. Identifying the Stakeholders in Your Project
      3. Playing (and Communicating) Well with Others
      4. Fostering Strong Relationships
  6. Part 2: The BA Toolkit: Tools, Terms, and Techniques
    1. Chapter 4: Talking about Tools of the Trade
      1. Examining Communication Tools for Every Situation
      2. Trying Collaboration Tools
      3. Investigating Innovation and Idea Capture Tools
      4. Discovering Definition Tools
      5. Reviewing Requirements Management Tools
      6. Picking the Right Tools for the Situation
      7. Preparing Team Members for Change
    2. Chapter 5: Understanding What Requirements Truly Entail
      1. Defining Needs
      2. Defining Requirements
      3. Making Your Requirements Excellent
      4. Focusing on the Four Core Components
    3. Chapter 6: Hunting for the Right Information, Part 1: The Process
      1. Elicit, Don’t Gather: Developing the Right Questions
      2. Choosing an Approach
      3. Using Clear, Consistent Language
      4. Planning Your Elicitation Sessions
      5. Elicitation in an Agile Team
    4. Chapter 7: Hunting for the Right Information, Part 2: The Techniques
      1. Understanding Research-Based Techniques
      2. Understanding Collaborative Techniques
      3. Understanding Experimental Techniques
    5. Chapter 8: Uncovering and Analyzing Needs
      1. Investigating the Needs
      2. Uncovering the Root Cause
      3. Evaluating the Problem
      4. Creating the Problem Statement
      5. Creating the Solution Position Statement
      6. Knowing When You Have the Right Solution
      7. Setting Your Solution Up For Success: Getting Clear Objectives
  7. Part 3: Selling the Plan and Keeping It on Track
    1. Chapter 9: Making the (Business) Case
      1. Before You Dive In: Breaking Down Business Case Basics
      2. Defining and Presenting the Opportunity
      3. Justifying the Recommendation
      4. The Devil Is in the Details: Providing Supporting Materials
      5. Presenting the Business Case
    2. Chapter 10: Creating and Maintaining Scope
      1. Making Sure You’re Scoping the Right Solution
      2. Recognizing Relevant Stakeholders
      3. Ensuring that the Scope Aligns with Key Business Drivers
      4. Identifying Interfaces that Are Part of the Project
      5. Defining Scope with a Data Flow Diagram
      6. Using Project Initiation Documentation to Clarify Scope
      7. Indicating What Isn’t Covered: Items Not in Scope
      8. Getting Agreement on the Scope
      9. Avoiding Scope Creep
    3. Chapter 11: Creating Your Work Plan
      1. Hashing Out Work Plan Basics
      2. Perusing the Project Characteristics
      3. Taking It to the People: The Stakeholder Communication Plan
      4. The Process: Figuring Out How Things Are Done
      5. Compiling Your Work Plan
  8. Part 4: Achieving Goals with Business Analysis
    1. Chapter 12: Defining Solutions, Part 1: Taking a Closer Look at Your Requirements
      1. Categorizing Your Requirements
      2. Documenting Your Requirements
      3. Ensuring Your Requirements Have Traceability
      4. Making Your Requirements Agile
    2. Chapter 13: Defining Solutions, Part 2: Choosing the Right Analysis Technique
      1. Dealing with Data Flow Diagrams and External Interaction Textual Templates
      2. ERD Is the Word: Using Entity Relationship Diagrams
      3. Using Data Mapping for System Interfaces
      4. Drilling Down a Process Decomposition Diagram
      5. Telling a Good Story with a Story Map
      6. Developing Acceptance Criteria
      7. Deciding on Decision Tables
      8. Working with Workflow Diagrams
      9. Making a Use Case Model
      10. Prototyping
      11. Keeping It Brief with User Stories
    3. Chapter 14: Verifying and Validating Solutions
      1. Getting a Handle on Testing Basics
      2. Verification Testing: Confirming You Built the System Right
      3. Validation Testing: Making Sure You Built the Right System
      4. Preparing for the Test
      5. Conducting a Requirements Review
    4. Chapter 15: Transition: Moving from Planning to Implementing
      1. Preparing for the Transition
      2. Rolling Out Your Strategy with the Right Approach
      3. Examining the Components of Your Rollout Plan
      4. Turning Your Solution Over to Operations
  9. Part 5: The Part of Tens
    1. Chapter 16: Ten Ways to Keep Your Business Analysis Skills Sharp
      1. Participate in Social Media
      2. Network with Peers
      3. Get/Be a Mentor
      4. Leverage Peer Reviews
      5. Attend Formal Training
      6. Present on Business Analysis Topics
      7. Read Books (Like This One!)
      8. Have Lunch with Business Partners
      9. Rotate to Multiple Business Domains or Applications
      10. Use Business Analysis Techniques at Home
    2. Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Prepare Yourself for a New Project
      1. Hit the Ground Running and Get Up to Speed
      2. Clear Your Calendar and Your To-Do List
      3. Take a Vacation!
      4. Get Organized
      5. Identify What’s Been Done So Far
      6. Color in the Solution
      7. Define Everyone’s Roles, Responsibilities, and Deadlines
      8. Get to Know the Core Team
      9. Extend a Hand to the Extended Team
      10. Collaborate
    3. Chapter 18: Ten Experts Chime In
      1. The Three Pains Approach to Better Elicitation (Hans Eckman)
      2. Context Diagram (Ali Cox)
      3. Behavior-Driven Development – Build for Your Users! (Ali Cox)
      4. Affinity Diagram (Jonathan Babcock)
      5. Process One Pager (Robin Grace)
      6. Data Modeling (David Morris)
      7. Facilitated Session (Shelley Ruth)
      8. Root Cause Analysis (Kathy Claycomb)
      9. Requirements Traceability (Russ Pena)
      10. Functional Decomposition Diagram (Greg Busby)
      11. It’s All About the Communication! (Kupe Kupersmith)
  10. Index
  11. About the Author
  12. Connect with Dummies
  13. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Business Analysis For Dummies, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Alison Cox
  • Release date: February 2023
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119912484