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The CBAP was My BA Booster Shot

Written by Michelle Green on . Posted in Articles.

A few years ago, my company generously paid for a CBAP certification class to be held in one of our local offices.

That class was the start of a journey that would lead me down a path I could not have anticipated. I liken it to a kid getting a booster shot to strengthen the immune system. It’s not that the CBAP exam itself contained some magic elixir, but the journey leading to taking the exam, and that which followed, has changed me in ways I could not have anticipated.

In class, we were challenged to choose a date to take our exam. That date was a big looming doomsday sign. I needed help. To get it, I looked into my local IIBA chapter. I found a meeting and went to see what it was all about. That day was the day of the Annual General Meeting. The chapter was very small, and they did not have enough IIBA members at the meeting to fill all their open Board positions. I had some website building experience, so I volunteered to become their chapter webmaster. They never did have enough people that year to hold a CBAP study group, but I was able to reach out to other members who had taken or were studying to take the exam themselves. While I was practicing for my exam, I was attending monthly board meetings, chapter training opportunities, and more. By April of 2015, I had become the chapter’s President.

I will never forget it; my exam date was June 6, 2015. Moreover, I can tell you, failing that test while holding the title of Chapter President was not an option in my mind! It spurred me to study harder, and take my certification seriously. I had the absolute support of my family, my management team, my chapter board, and a colleague who accepted a panicky call or two the day before the exam which helped to guide me to success. I passed!

So, the test was done. Mission accomplished, right? Not completely. At this point, it’s important to know that I am extraordinarily lucky and thrilled to be celebrating my 20th year with my company. Of those 20 years, about 18 of them were in a business analyst capacity. When you have spent most of your adult life with the same employer, unless you make a conscious decision to be active in your field outside your company, you can form habits that aren’t productive for you or your future. It can be challenging to improve your communication if you are communicating with the same people you have known most of your career. How do you become a better leader when you grew up with everyone you lead and don’t realize where you need help or where you are great? You can take class after class on topics such as leadership, communication, business writing, and more, but until you can put the training into practice, it is just a class with the limited opportunity for application, or it was in my case anyway. Studying for the CBAP provided me with the insight to know where I needed help. I was able to partner with my management team to build development plans that worked for me and incorporated what I was learning as a chapter leader to be able to apply it on the job. Crazy right?

Once I had my CBAP and was active and growing in my chapter, I felt I had an obligation to pay it forward. I volunteered to moderate our chapter’s CBAP study group. I started to see students pass that I had mentored, and that put a fire in my belly push myself further. As I did more and was working with new individuals with all different levels of experience and backgrounds, I became a better leader, teacher, and friend. I learned different leadership techniques and used communication techniques I’d never had to use in my day-to-day job. I have since taught a CBAP Boot Camp, become a mentor for other BAs, and created training and document standards in my chapter that are now shared across all IIBA chapters. I was a guest speaker at our local Business Analysis Development Day conference, and have submitted papers for national conferences. I volunteer anywhere I can with the IIBA International chapter to move our profession forward. I work with our local PMI and QAA chapters to see how we can work together to make each other better. The more I give, the more I receive. Colleagues have pointed out differences in me they are seeing, and I get a wonderful sense of accomplishment from that recognition. All in all, I am happier in my career than I have ever been. I am definitely more well-rounded and have a better grasp of the ins and outs of my profession. Moreover, it all started because I had to take that test.

The things I learned leading up to and after getting my CBAP have made me a better me. A new improved and stronger me to be proud of. Oh, and apparently, there was enough of an extra dose of confidence in my booster shot actually to write and submit this article. Who knew?

6 Things Every Business Analyst Should Know About the World of Data

Written by Xin Li on . Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on 6 Things Every Business Analyst Should Know About the World of Data

You must have heard of Big Data, Data Science, Business Intelligence, Data Driven. Maybe not. What do all these cool words mean for a Business Analyst?

Is there any difference between the Business Analyst and Data Scientist?

1. Definition of Big Data, Data Science, Business Intelligence, & Data Driven

Let’s define each of these concepts

  • Big Data – Big data is high volume, high velocity, and/or high variety information assets that require new forms of processing to enable enhanced decision making, insight discovery, and process optimization. (Ref1-Gartner’s definition)
  • Data Science – It is a concept to unify statistics, data analysis, and their related methods to understand and analyze actual phenomena. (Ref2- Hayashi, Chiko)

    Data Science can include the elements of the following 3 layers:

    Layer 1 – Data
    Layer 2 – Data Analysis
    Layer 3 – Modeling & Evaluation

  • Business Intelligence – Business intelligence (BI) is an umbrella term that includes the applications, infrastructure and tools, and best practices that enable access to and analysis of information to improve and optimize decisions and performance. (Ref3- Gartner’s definition)
  • Data Driven – It means that the progress in an activity is compelled by data or decision making is driven by specific data points or results.

2. Concept Relationships

Now that we have defined these concepts, let’s look at the relationships between each concept. Below explains how each concept relates to each other.

  • Big Data and Data Science: Layer 1 Data of the Data Science could be Big Data if Data has 3-V characteristics: high volume, high velocity, and high variety.
  • Business Intelligence and Data Science: Business Intelligence is the implementation of Layer 2 and 3 in the concept of Data Science.
  • Data-Driven Processes and Data Science: The Big Data is created by the Business Processes. The Business Intelligence will serve the Business Processes to improve the decision making and performance.
    The diagram below illustrates the relations between the concepts further:

xin 041117 1

3. The Business Analyst and Data Science

Data Science is intended to create and define the Business Goal and is presented in the most popular CRISP-DM approach (Ref4- Shearer C., The CRISP-DM model shown below).

xin 041117 3

A key part of Strategic Enterprise analysis as outlined in the BABOK (Chapter 6, Page 99) is the creation of a business goal or vision. Business goals and visions are elaborated and defined clearly based on many factors including a data driven approach. Having clear business goals and visions creates a more solid foundation in which programs and projects can be based. Does your project charter contain the data driven results to support the need for the project? A key part of that business case is the data to support the investment.

The first two steps in CRISP-DM requires the good understanding of both Business Process and Data Needs, which is similar to Phase-B and C of the TOGAF circle. Which role can be competent enough for taking care of the first two steps and bridging them seamlessly? I would argue that the Business Analyst is a good candidate for this role as they have the specific skill sets to perform the work of creating specific business goals and visions. In today’s world, the BA typically works just at the project level and rarely gets the opportunity to formulate the business vision and goals. A Business Analyst can then take the vision and goals by using data science to build data sets that support an organization’s vision and goals.

Mckinsey’s report “The age of analytics: competing in a data-driven world” mentions the following “Many organizations focus on the need for data scientists, assuming their presence alone will enable an analytics transformation. But another equally vital role is that of the business translator who serves as the link between analytical talent and practical applications to business questions. In addition to being data-savvy, business’s translators need to have deep organizational knowledge and industry or functional expertise.”

Moreover, the Business Analysts will walk with the “Data Scientists” or any “Business Intelligence Specialists” or “Database Developers” through the whole Data Transformation cycle “Data Collection- Data Preparation/Aggregation – Data Analytics- Deployment.” This team-up is absolutely necessary for ensuring that the deliverable of Data Analytics will meet the Business needs and deliver the associated Business benefits. This is also the Business goal of Data-Driven thing.

Data science can be used at different points:

  • Can be used to create business vision, goals and objectives – creates a need for further Strategic Enterprise analysis or to build a business case for a program or project
  • Can be used to support a project charter or business case – shows the projected value of the project in terms of data, the potential investment needed and the potential Return on Investment.
  • Can be used throughout the project – creates desired state measurements for the project to achieve by further elaborating on data points outlined in the project charter, creates metrics for that can be used to guide the project from initiation to implementation, and finally reports to the project team objectively on how well the project solution design will meet the desired state and business goals.

4. The Data Driven World and TOGAF

TOGAF expresses the Continuous Improvement Concept with a Top-down approach. Data-Driven tries to express the Continuous Improvement with a Bottom-up approach. These two do not have any conflict with each other because Data comes from Business Processes, and the input or output of the Business Processes are in the end presented in the form of Data. TOGAF and Data-Driven approaches meet in the middle.

Such a meeting in the middle can cause a train wreck if both sides are focused on a similar business vision or goals. It’s important to consider the data and its meaning. Two groups can get the same data but draw very different responses. Clear definition of the data points and terms is important to ensure TOGAF and the data-driven world work well with each other.

We can say the Enterprise Architecture is Data Driven. It’s difficult and almost impossible to build the architecture for an organization without at least understanding it’s data. Data Science comes into the picture to fill the gap. Data Science can relate their understanding of business data directly to business vision and goals. Enterprise Architecture needs to understand the business vision and goals clearly to create the environments needed to support the business more effectively.

5. A Fool with a Tool is Still a Fool

Data-Driven does not mean you require a fancy Business Intelligence Tool or vast infrastructure of database warehousing. It means you will need easy access to high-quality data to perform queries, extracts, and analysis. Complex tools may or may not be the answer. Choose your tools carefully to make sure they are meeting your needs.

6. Challenge the Data

Data-Driven means data is challenged. Is this data valid? Is the data of high quality? Should this data be used for decision making? To make a good business decision on data, you must challenge it’s meaning and quality routinely. Don’t take that data set result at face value. Perform data analysis and validate it. When making assumptions, it is important to define those assumptions and communicate assumptions with the data clearly.

Keeping Risks at Bay & the Astute Business Analyst

Written by J.A. Oliver, CBAP, CISSP, MBA on . Posted in Articles.

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain

Ah, yes, the wit and wisdom of Mark Twain; still rings true over a century later, in the business analyst’s world. More recently, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had famously talked about “known knowns,” “known unknowns,” and “unknown unknowns.” While Rumsfeld never talked specifically about “unknown knowns,” I believe that Mark Twain effectively filled that gap.

So, what can YOU do about all the risks lurking in the shadows, as the semi-omnipotent (like digging half a hole) business analyst?

I’m sure you all know about the “probability times impact” formula, which tends to be qualitative (i.e. scale of Low to High) in our world, then you propose mitigation responses; but as the BA the pressing question should be how you can share the daunting task of risk analysis and management with the project manager (PM). I see this as a joint effort in that the PM is chiefly entrusted with managing risks affecting time and cost, the BA and PM together manage risks relating to project scope, and the BA is primarily tasked with assessing risks relating to project quality. This stands to reason since the BA is concerned with product scope, whereas the PM is preoccupied with project scope.

So let’s get our hands dirty and dive into some salient aspects of risk. Are you ready?

1. Prioritizing Your Requirements Based on Risk Factors

What if the solution your organization wants to deploy is cutting-edge and entails a certain “leap of faith”? If something has no known precedent or proof of concept, there is an inherent risk to its quality on deployment – chalk that one up under “known unknowns.” (And try not to fret about the “unknown unknowns” while you’re at because let’s face it: you’ve got enough on your plate as it is.) As the BABOKv3 says in Section 5.3 on page 98, “If there is a risk that the solution is not technically feasible, the requirement that is most difficult to implement may be prioritized to the top of the list in order to minimize the resources effort before those resources learn that a proposed solution cannot be delivered.” Sage advice: if you can’t meet the quality threshold, you don’t want to encourage the PM to over-commit resources in vain.

2. The Personnel Dimension of Risk

This is where it gets tricky and sticky. Tricky because people have to be convinced; sticky because they don’t want to budge. It helps to know your organization’s appetite for risk, too.

In doing stakeholder analysis, you have to make sure that the right players – such as SMEs or regulatory stakeholders – can commit themselves to the team effort. If they are only sporadically available, or they are in “fire-fighting” mode all the time, then you might have to take a risk proceeding with certain assumptions until they can be validated. If they find fault with the conceptual solution and your initial requirements, then you’ll want to ensure their continued availability, as their approval is paramount. These are all factors that are known as engagement risk.

3. Assumptions, Constraints, and Dependencies

Typically, risks are documented along with assumptions, constraints, and dependencies for a good reason. It is because from these categories that risks are implied or inferred. As the BA, it may help to maintain a traceability matrix so you can convey potential flaws of assumptions, or whether dependencies have been fulfilled or are likely to be fulfilled – again, you’re more concerned with impacts on product quality, whereas project (and program) management is more concerned about duplication of effort (and costs). Once again, you need to consider the risk appetite of sponsors; that could very well be the impetus for a given constraint!

4. The Big Picture

Many organizations today use ERM or Enterprise Risk Management. These are high-level risk categories that need to be addressed in order to meet strategic imperatives. When you document high-level requirements (HLRs), consider how they may contribute to reducing these risk factors – thus resulting in residual risk. You could show a risk mitigation rating for each block of HLRs (i.e. a scale of Low-High); however, it may be difficult to do a risk rating attribute for each individual requirement. Your HLRs are expected to produce synergies to meet organizational objectives. Consider a formula that factors in priority values, too.

When thinking of the bigger picture, think about sources of risk; they could be more internally induced like culture or restructuring; or more commonly, they could be externally induced such as technology or market factors.

5. Value Realization and Risk

The moment of truth: you need to know if your undertaking has met certain quality thresholds. Has the solution realized its intended value? This is typically measured by metrics or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). However, risks can ultimately derail your intended benefits; this, I believe, is where the framework of “(un)known (un)knowns” comes into play.

Achieving a reduced risk as an outcome, incidentally, is a benefit unto itself; albeit one that is not easily measured, as say compared to KPIs of increased efficiency, or reduced defects or downtime or complaints. (Section 7 of the BABOK speaks very well to this, by the way.) In this ever-expanding world of business intelligence (BI) and predictive analytics, one can run a “what-if” analysis to experiment with a range of outcomes, which could be based on risks manifesting.

6. Security Requirements

Lastly, some thoughts on security and risk; traditionally, security requirements have been in NFRs (non-functional requirements), or a logical roles matrix – since if anything threatens the CIA (confidentiality, integrity, availability) of your solution (which could be electronic or physical), then you effectively have a risk.

This is where an experienced technical SME, such as a senior designer, can be indispensable in sealing up the cracks in the armor as it were. You may need to introduce requirements that prevent certain malicious behaviors as per their advice.

10 Traits of the Indispensable Team Member

Written by Neal Whitten,PMP on . Posted in Articles.

If you were building a team and could hand-pick its members, what are the key traits or attributes you would look for?

What are the behaviors and actions necessary for them to perform at their best and the team to perform at its best? In other words, what makes a team member valuable and indispensable?

This article reveals a set of key behaviors and actions that every leader would like to see in each of their team members. Of course, members cannot be expected to know already or practice these tenets. These behaviors and actions must be revealed as the team is forming and reinforced throughout the project.

Praise should generously be bestowed on those members who demonstrate these tenets notably. But members not performing to an acceptable level will need coaching and nurturing so they can become proficient as well.

Let’s now look at the behaviors and actions of the indispensable team member.

1. Fully participate

Voluntarily speak up in meetings and get-togethers. Contribute ideas, even if they may be unconventional—many times thinking out of the box brings the team to the best solution. Your opinion is important and can help identify or move an issue closer to resolution. Be forthcoming to both ask and answer questions.

2. Be truthful

Be honest and timely when revealing your progress and issues. When you make a mistake, admit to it and take accountability. When you are faced with making a commitment, make only good commitments.

3. Be reliable

Meet your commitments. Always do what you say you are going to do and when you said you would do it. A team is only as strong as its weakest link—don’t be a weak leak. Consistently provide quality work. Demonstrate personal pride in fulfilling your commitments.

4. Maintain a positive attitude

Adopt a can-do spirit. Be thankful for and even look forward to the challenges and opportunities before you. Place a constructive view on issues—seek out the sun during cloudy and stormy moments. Don’t take or make things personal.

5. Focus on solutions

The most professionally mature members do not engage in finger-pointing and the blame game. Instead, they are busy focusing on solving issues and moving forward. Be a problem solver. Recognize that we all make mistakes and that we need to learn from them and not repeat the same mistakes.

6. Practice being proactive

Don’t just focus on the task at hand, also look at the tasks coming up to help ensure you and your team’s readiness. Make it a standard practice to think one or more steps ahead.

7. Share knowledge

Yes, knowledge is power. But the best performers give it away—they don’t hoard it. They recognize the benefit of this behavior in strengthening the team and raising their own value and reputation in the process.

8. Demonstrate personal initiative

Practice self-reliance when appropriate. Require minimal leadership. Ensure you understand your assignment and domain of responsibility. If you are unsure about taking action, then seek appropriate counsel. Make things happen.

9. Practice continuous improvement

Seek ways to continually improve your skills as well as the processes and procedures that you and your team engage in. Become and remain the subject matter expert in your chosen domain. Be open and accepting of constructive criticism. Don’t just correct a problem; seek to correct the process that allowed the problem to occur. Encourage feedback on your performance. Adapt to change.

10. Promote team success

Place the team first. See yourself as there to serve your team to the best of your ability. Show that you care about the welfare of the team and its success. Look out for the team as if its success is defined by your actions each and every day. Look for ways to make the team and its leader look good.

Shared values

This list could be a great starting point for team discussion as each trait is described and examples shared to reinforce the benefit to each member and the team as a whole. Of course, other traits can be added and discussed. I cannot overstate the importance of a team embracing a set of traits—shared values—that can serve to bond and strengthen the team members along with their journey.

In Closing

I have listed these 10 behaviors and their brief descriptions in a 1-page PDF document that you are free to download and make copies.

Team members who are tenacious and diligent in demonstrating these behaviors and actions will serve as outstanding role models for other members. There’s nothing better than an example to inspire and spur the members of a team to be their best.

Almost all team members want to perform well and to support the success of the team. They want to mimic behavior that will help the team and, in the process, make them look good as well. If you are a project manager or other leader, don’t overlook your personal duty to set a consistent example for your team members.

Now, go become your imagined self!

CBAP® Gave Me a New Career!

Written by Aaron Whittenberger on . Posted in Articles. 2 Comments on CBAP® Gave Me a New Career!

Did you know that you could be a Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) before being a Business Analyst? Would you like to know how I did it?

Like most business analysts I had a career before my business analyst career. Like some of those business analysts, I came up the developer career path.

I actually started my career in Accounting, which is what I have my degrees in. After three years of being a Corporate Accountant, my manager (the Chief Financial Officer) noticed that I liked working with the company’s computers. So when they decided to go to an IBM midrange system, he asked me to head up the project.

I spent the next two years learning a new computer system, learning a new software package, writing a training manual; and then I traveled to eight locations to install computer equipment and train each location’s staff on the new system and software. When that was all done, management wanted some reports that were not available in the system; so I learned to program.

Now fast forward several years in a successful programming career encompassing a few internal and consulting positions. In 2008, I found myself with a great small consulting firm, and in an industry that was rapidly drying up. This wasn’t anything new; I had been through a couple of dry spells in the industry, where new clients or programming jobs were hard to find.

This consulting firm gave me the opportunity to attend a Business Analyst Boot Camp class offered by ASPE Training. Now to this time in my career I had worked in only one company in which I worked as a business analyst. That business analyst had tested changes to applications before they were promoted to the production environment. In fact, in that company when the largest system enhancement project came along I was named the project manager. As the project manager, I facilitated meetings with stakeholders all over the country to discuss their requirements for the system enhancement…with the business analyst sitting in the room.

So you can imagine when I was told I would be going to a business analyst boot camp class that my impression of a business analyst was what we consider today as a quality assurance tester. I will also point out that I have to this point in my career have never held the job title “Business Analyst,” or any derivation of that job title. However, being the naturally curious person that I am, I decided to confirm my understanding of business analysis by researching what it means to be a business analyst. My research uncovered what a business analyst really is supposed to do: perform the tasks, techniques, and skills of business analysis.

“It’s not who I am underneath; it’s what I do that defines me.”
Batman (in the movie Batman Begins)

Now, remember, I had not ever held the job title “Business Analyst.” I had been a “Programmer/Analyst” or “Team Lead,” but never a “Business Analyst”…well at least not in name. As I continued to read and research, I kept saying to myself “I have done this stuff most of my career.”

My research led me to the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®), where I learned more about what it means to be a business analyst. Then I learned about the Certified Business Analyst Professional™ (CBAP®) certification designation. Seeing that it required 7,500 hours of business analysis experience, it was now time to start documenting my career. I was fortunate that a great deal of my career was as a consultant, so I had old time sheets that helped jog my memory on what I was doing each year. Those times that I was an internal employee, I had artifacts that I had written that jogged my memory and allowed me to put work experience in proper time frames. I was able to go back nine years in my career and document 9,000 hours of business analysis experience. I put all 9,000 hours on my CBAP application; I was daring IIBA to reduce my hours enough that I wouldn’t qualify for the certification. The one thing I needed to qualify for the CBAP certification was 21 Professional Development Hours, which the business analyst boot camp class would give me. Now you had to be qualified for the certification before you could apply for it. So I put my application together, included all the work experience documentation, got my two references in sealed envelopes (that is the way we did it back then), sealed it all up, addressed it to IIBA, and sat it on our Administrative Assistant’s desk with instructions to mail it on Friday. So on the final day of class, while I was finishing getting qualified for the certification the package was on its way to IIBA. I waited six months to be one of the first to take the CBAP exam on a new computer-based testing platform.

At this point, I had not held the job title “Business Analyst.” Realizing that just obtaining the CBAP certification would not make me “sellable” as a business analyst, I then looked at my resume. I rewrote my resume highlighting tasks when I collaborated with stakeholders. That time that I facilitated requirement elicitation sessions (as a project manager) for a large system enhancement is the type of work experience I highlighted. Even though I highlighted my analysis work experience on my resume, the CBAP certification really proved to prospective clients that I had the business analysis experience. This allowed the consulting firm to get me “gigs” as a business analyst instead of a programmer.

My research into business analysis showed me what it meant to be a business analyst. I knew from that research that this was the direction that I wanted to drive my career. Obtaining the CBAP made that transition easier and quicker. I only had a couple more “gigs” as a programmer after attending the business analyst boot camp class and obtaining the certification.