Lecture 5
Lecture 5
Process
• Impact Analysis: Assess the effect of a proposed change on time,
cost, and project scope.
RQ 11
The business analyst role
Business analyst is a project role, not necessarily a job
title.
aka requirements analyst, systems analyst, requirements
engineer, requirements manager, application analyst, business
systems analyst, IT business analyst, and simply analyst.
One or more dedicated specialists could perform the role
on a given project or it could be assigned to team
members who also perform other project functions
RQ 12
The BA tasks
The analyst must first understand the business objectives
for the project and then define user, functional, and
quality requirements that allow teams to estimate and
plan the project and to design, build, and verify the
product.
The BA converts vague customer notions into clear
specifications that guide the software team’s work.
RQ 13
The typical BA tasks
1. Define business requirements
2. Plan the requirements approach
3. Identify project stakeholders and user classes
4. Elicit requirements
5. Analyze requirements
6. Document requirements
7. Communicate requirements
8. Lead requirements validation
9. Facilitate requirements prioritization
10. Manage requirements
RQ 14
Essential BA skills
Listening skills
Interviewing and questioning skills
Thinking on your feet
Analytical skills
Systems thinking skills
Learning skills
Facilitation skills
Leadership skills
Observational skills
Communication skills
Organizational skills
Modeling skills
Interpersonal skills
RQ
Creativity 15
Essential analyst knowledge
BAs need a breadth of knowledge, much of which is gained through experience.
They need to understand contemporary requirements engineering practices and
how to apply them in the context of various software development life cycles.
thread requirements development and management activities through the
entire project life span.
An analyst with a sound understanding of project management, development
life cycles, risk management, and quality engineering can help prevent
requirements issues from torpedoing the project.
BAs benefit from a basic level of knowledge about the architecture and
operating environment, so that they can engage in technical conversations
about priorities and non-functional requirements.
Knowledge of the business, the industry, and the organization are powerful
assets for an effective BA.
The business-savvy analyst can minimize miscommunications with users. Analysts who
understand the organization and business domains often detect unstated assumptions and
implicit requirements.
RQ 16
Well-rounded BA
No matter what his background, a
creative business analyst can apply
it to enhance his effectiveness.
The analyst needs to gain the
knowledge and skills he is lacking,
build on any past experiences, and
practice performing the BA tasks to
become more proficient.
All of these help create the well-
rounded BA
RQ 17
Summary
The expectation gap
Stakeholders, Customers and Users
Rights of customers
Responsibilities of customers
Decision making and agreement
The business analyst
The BA tasks, skills and knowledge
RQ 19