The Coming of Age of the Business Analyst
by Kathleen B. Hass, PMP
The dismal success of enterprise-wide IT projects is a matter of national record. According to Meta Group Research (now a part of Gartner), “Communication challenges between business teams and technologists are chronic – we estimate that 60%-80% of project failure can be attributed directly to poor requirements gathering, analysis, and management.” Forrester Research concurs: “Poorly defined applications have led to a persistent miscommunication between business and IT that largely contributes to a 66% project failure rate for these applications, costing U.S. businesses at least $30B every year.” James Martin reports that “56% of defects can be attributed to requirements, and 82% of the effort to fix defects.”
Standish estimates that nearly 70 percent of projects are late, over budget or fail outright; Gartner reports that 50 percent of projects are rolled back out of production. Carnegie Mellon states that 25-40 percent of all spending on projects is wasted as a result of rework. And the Office of Management & Budget reported on March 26, 2003 “…771 projects included in the fiscal 2004 budget – with a total cost of $20.9 billion – are currently at risk.” Click here to read more...
Play Ball! Lessons in Teamwork for the Business Analyst
by Janette McGrath
“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.” Babe Ruth
When I was ten, I played softball for a local community league with my friends and neighbours, and my dad coached. I loved it. I loved hanging out with my friends. I loved playing third base. And I loved the feel of finding the sweet spot on the bat and scoring a run. Of all sports, the one that I identify with most as a team sport is baseball. It is an internationally recognized and played sport, that annually attracts viewers by the millions. The players are respected and admired by legions of fans – what a great role model for any occupation! Click here to read more...
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