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Tag: Facilitation

Before You Get Into The Complexity of AI

Before you get into the complexity of AI you should dial in your approach to developing and prioritizing AI use cases. Align AI strategy to the corporate strategy and priority so AI use cases make sense to that organization.

The full value of AI implementations, for an organization, are not realized unless the manager responsible for AI in the organization aligns AI strategy and use cases to the corporate strategy and priority.

There are many examples today of AI implementations that bring value but are not linked to the Corporate Strategy and Priority of that organization. The result is difficulty understanding and measuring the value of the AI use case to that of the organizations goals and priorities.

 

This may come about where a leader hears about a cool AI technology like “Generative AI” and they want that implemented in some fashion in their line of business and then they accomplish this objective.

The lack of AI strategy alignment to corporate strategy and priority  misaligns  the AI use case resulting in AI implementations whose values are hard to assess in the context of the overall organizations KPI’s, its customers, lines of business and more.

Where AI use cases are carefully aligned and planned with the Corporate Strategy and Priority in mind it is easier to assess the value pre-implementation, in the short term and the in the long term. Aligned AI Use Cases may then, in time, become a jumping point for new products and services as the organization gains confidence in the AI space.

 

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An alignment example might be, where the top corporate goal is to “better serve customers”. Drilling into this may mean, to the organization, where the customer interacts with the current corporate website and the portal does not support natural language queries for targeted information retrieval in a self-serve way and customers today bypass  the portal and phone customer service instead, asking for the information wanted.

The impact of this portal deficit to the organization is that they maintain a larger customer service staff, support training, and maintain infrastructure; who are tasked with processing customer information query requests manually.

The possible AI use case that proposes to solve this deficit may be to enhance the current website by implementing an AI powered information retrieval feature that is easy to use and is self-serve.  The AI solutions may be varied but the AI Use Case would be aligned to the corporate priority, would make sense to the organization garnering broad support and would solve a known problem. The AI user case would be measurable  in terms of the current KPI’s used to measure performance.

 

Where the AI Strategy is linked to the Corporate Strategy, management at all levels can assess value and priority prior to any AI use case approval. As well, management would be able to articulate AI use case deliverable expectations, and how these expectations may enhance the existing environment, talk to impacts to the customer or organization, the market, possible effects to product and service offering and, in some cases, impacts to their industry.

Before you get into the complexity of AI, consider your AI strategy and use case approach. Think about linking your AI strategy and use case development to the Corporate Strategy and Priorities of that organization, this will assure alignment, measurable value, and organizational support. I believe this to be the first step to AI success.

Don’t Deliver a Donkey instead of a Horse

All of us at some point in our life have heard of the children’s game called Telephone Game or Broken Telephone. In this game, Players form a line or circle, and the first player comes up with a message and whispers it to the ear of the second person in the line. The second player repeats the message to the third player, and so on. When the last player is reached, they announce the message they just heard, to the entire group. Very often, the message that comes out at the end is quite different from what the first player had whispered, and this creates a lot of amusement.

Now imagine that same game being played when a project is initiated. In this case, the project sponsor or sponsors may request for a given deliverables at the onset of the project based on business needs. However, after the message gets filtered through many teams, the outcome may not match what was asked for in this first place resulting in a number of unhappy customers or stakeholders. This can be considered as delivering a Donkey when asked for a Horse. The moral of this story is that if there was proper end to end communication, the result would have been much closer to what the sponsor asked for in the first place. Effective Communication is considered as one of the most important aspects of both personal and work life.

 

Business analysts need to effectively gather and convey information between stakeholders, team members, and other parties involved in a project. Clear and concise communication ensures that requirements are accurately understood, objectives are aligned, and expectations are managed. Effective communication fosters collaboration helps in resolving conflicts and ensures that the project stays on track. Some of the key techniques or aspects of communication within the business analysis domain are discussed below. All of them are equally important and need to be considered during any engagement and can be improved through training and constant practise.

 

  1. Active Listening.

Active listening plays a crucial role in business analysis. It involves fully engaging with stakeholders, understanding their needs, concerns, and requirements. This helps the BA to gather accurate and detailed requirement related information, which is essential for making informed decisions and developing effective solutions. Active listening improves collaboration, builds rapport, and ensures that project goals align with stakeholders’ expectations.

 

  1. Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication skills are vital in business analysis because they involve interactions with various stakeholders, each with their own perspectives and needs. Along with the Active Listening mentioned above, building rapport, and empathising with the viewpoint of the stakeholders are crucial for establishing trust and understanding. These skills help business analysts navigate conversations, gather requirements, and address concerns effectively. Related techniques such as Collaborative problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict resolution also rely heavily on strong interpersonal communication. By fostering positive relationships and adapting their communication style, business analysts can facilitate smoother interactions and achieve better outcomes throughout the project lifecycle.

 

  1. Stakeholder Management

Stakeholder management is a critical aspect of business analysis that involves identifying, engaging, and effectively communicating with all parties impacted by a project. Business analysts need to understand stakeholders’ interests, expectations, and concerns. By building relationships and maintaining a clearly defined two-way lines of communication, the Business Analyst can ensure that stakeholder needs are considered throughout the project lifecycle. Effective stakeholder management involves involving the right people, keeping them informed, addressing their feedback, and managing conflicts when they arise. Successful stakeholder management contributes to project success by aligning goals, managing expectations, and fostering collaboration

 

Within stakeholder management, a crucial element to consider is Communication strategy. This has a number of components of its own including  identifying the audience for each message,  understanding the environment or business situation  under which the given project has been initiated, getting a clear understanding of the sponsor vision or objectives , being able to define  what needs to be said to whom and when,  and knowing what are the various ways in which the message can be delivered and feedback received.

 

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  1. Facilitation

Facilitation is an important technique in business analysis that involves guiding discussions and workshops to achieve productive outcomes. By facilitating meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions as per the needs of the project, business analysts can encourage participation, manage conflicts, and ensure viewpoints from all the stakeholders or impacted parties are heard. Facilitation helps in eliciting requirements, prioritizing features and functionality, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. It also aids in reaching a collective understanding and agreement of the objectives and making informed decisions, leading to more successful project outcomes

 

  1. Business Writing

Strong writing skills are crucial for business analysts as they are responsible for documenting and communicating various aspects of their work. Clear and concise writing is essential for creating requirements documents, project plans, reports, and other forms of documentation. Effective writing ensures that complex deliverables or impacts are accurately and clearly represented to stakeholders, team members, and decision-makers. It also helps in avoiding misunderstandings and serves as a reference for project progress and decisions. Well-written documentation contributes to effective communication, reduces ambiguity, and supports the overall success of business analysis efforts.

 

  1. Presentation Skills

Visual and presentation skills are essential for effective communication in business analysis. They help convey complex ideas, data, and information to stakeholders in a clear and understandable manner. Business analysts often use visual aids like diagrams, charts, and models to represent processes, workflows, and requirements visually. Strong presentation skills enable them to deliver findings, recommendations, and project updates to diverse audiences, ensuring engagement and comprehension. These skills enhance collaboration, facilitate decision-making, and contribute to the overall success of projects.

 

  1. Nonverbal communication

It is often mentioned that over 70 percent of face-to-face communication is Non-Verbal. Nonverbal behavior, such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures, plays a significant role in business analysis. It helps convey emotions, attitudes, and intentions that words alone might not capture. Observing nonverbal cues during meetings and interactions with stakeholders can provide valuable insights into their reactions, level of engagement, and concerns. Being attuned to nonverbal behavior allows business analysts to adapt their communication style, build rapport, and ensure effective collaboration. It also helps in detecting potential misunderstandings and addressing them promptly.

By considering and effectively executing all the above techniques, the Business Analyst is certain to have a much higher success rate in delivering and meeting the needs of the stakeholders

 

  1. Communication Strategy

This can be considered as the overarching technique or approach that is used and includes elements or all the above techniques.

Best of BATimes: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective BAs

In my experience as a Business Analyst (BA), I have seen many analysts struggle in trying to strike the right levels of analysis. Some analysts tend to overanalyze while others, under analyze. Getting trapped in the dilemma of when to stop and/or when to continue analyzing can put you into a vicious cycle of ineffectiveness and devaluation. The result: zero business outcome yet a ton of frustration and a huge load of wasted time and effort.

The 7 habits of highly effective BAs guide you in establishing thresholds and protocols for your analysis finish line and helps you determine how far you are from the finish line. These 7 habits provide you with a compass that guides you to determine when to hit the breaks and/or when to accelerate your analysis.

 

1. Be cognizant of the allotted project budget and schedules. Create a mini work breakdown structure (WBS) for yourself that distributes analysis tasks and activities based on the allotted time and effort. Over time, you won’t need to formally put this down on paper and your mind will automatically signal you when you’ve exceeded or unfulfilled the allotments. However, be aware that this strategy alone may not help you in striking the perfect level of analysis. For best results, combine this technique with one or more strategies described below. For example, requirements analysis can be about 25-30% of an overall development project. If the analysis is taking more time than testing and programming put together, there is something evidently wrong. The flaw with this approach is that you will need to continuously monitor your project spend before you determine you’re on the wrong track which sometimes can be too late in the game to backtrack.

2. Establish and communicate success criteria at the onset to understand where the real finish line is. Once you have fulfilled the success criterion, you’ll know that you’ve more or less completed the required level of analysis.

3. When performing use case analysis, ensure you’ve considered not only normal and alternate flows but also exception flows. In my experience, at least 1 normal flow, 2-3 alternate flows, and 0-1 exception flows are typically enough.

 

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4. Ensure you understand the inputs (preconditions), outputs (outcomes and postconditions), and actors before you start your analysis. This will help you say focused and on the right track in terms of scope.

5. Always refer back to the business objectives, goals, and vision. When performing any sub-activity, always ask yourself if what you are doing is related to, impacts or is impacted by the overarching goals. If the answer is no, stop! If the answer is yes, continue and go back to the success criterion.

6. Define limitations, assumptions, and constraints and keep those in mind all along when performing analysis. This will help you rule out some scenarios and help you continue on your journey to a fruitful analytical activity.

7. Know your audience. Ask yourself these questions: Who is the receiver of my analysis? Who would my work interest? Knowing who you are performing the analysis for will help you identify the level of detail required and therefore the amount of analysis to perform.

Business Analysis Amalgamation with Product Management

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations constantly seek ways to improve their processes, products, and services. Business Analysis and Product Management are two key areas essential to achieving these goals. Traditionally, these functions have been viewed as separate disciplines, with Business Analysts focusing on identifying and analyzing business requirements, while Product Managers focus on the development and management of products and services.

However, there has been a growing trend towards amalgamating these two functions to create a more integrated approach in recent years. By combining Business Analysis with Product Management, companies can benefit from a more holistic understanding of customer needs, more effective use of data, and improved collaboration and communication between teams.

An Overview of Business Analysis and Product Management:

Business Analysis is the process of identifying, analyzing, and documenting business requirements, processes, and workflows. The role of a Business Analyst is to help organizations improve their processes and systems by identifying areas of improvement, gathering and analyzing data, and making recommendations for change. Business Analysts often work closely with stakeholders and other teams within an organization, including IT and project management.

Product Management, on the other hand, is focused on developing and managing products or services. The role of a Product Manager is to identify market opportunities, define product requirements, and work with cross-functional teams to bring products to market. Product Managers must have a deep understanding of customer needs and market trends and/ or the ability to manage budgets, timelines, and resources.

 Benefits of Amalgamating Business Analysis and Product Management:

While Business Analysis and Product Management are distinct roles, there are many benefits to amalgamating the two functions. Here are a few of the key advantages.

  • Better understanding of customer needs:

One of the key benefits of amalgamating Business Analysis and Product Management is the ability to better understand customer needs. By working together, these two functions can create a more complete picture of customer requirements, preferences, and pain points. This can lead to better product design, more effective marketing, and higher customer satisfaction.

  • Alignment towards Business Goals:

Amalgamating Business Analysis and Product Management also improve team collaboration and communication. These two functions can ensure that everyone is aligned on business goals, product requirements, and timelines. This can lead to better project outcomes and faster time to market.

 

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  • More practical use of data:

Another benefit of combining Business Analysis and Product Management is effectively using data. Business Analysts are skilled at collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data, while Product Managers deeply understand market trends and customer needs. These two functions can leverage data to improve product design, pricing, and marketing decisions by working together.

  • Faster problem-solving:

Amalgamating Business Analysis and Product Management also lead to faster problem-solving. By having a team of experts who can analyze data, identify issues, and recommend solutions, organizations can respond more quickly to changing market conditions or customer needs. This can help companies stay ahead of the competition and achieve their business objectives more effectively.

  • Better outcomes over outputs:

Finally, combining Business Analysis and Product Management can improve project outcomes. By working together, these two functions can ensure that products are designed to meet customer needs and that projects are delivered on time and within budget. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue, and a stronger competitive position in the market.

The amalgamation of Business Analysis and Product Management can benefit organizations looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive business landscape. By combining these two functions, companies can improve collaboration and communication, better understand customer needs, use data more effectively, and achieve better project outcomes. Whether a small start-up or a large enterprise, an integrated approach to Business Analysis and Product Management can help you achieve your business objectives more effectively.

3 Effective Techniques for Root Cause Analysis

Root Cause Analysis is a method of identifying the underlying cause of a problem or fault. It is a systematic process that involves gathering information, analyzing data and identifying the root cause of the problem. The goal of Root Cause Analysis is to solve the problem and prevent it from happening again in the future.

The process of Root Cause Analysis begins with identifying and defining the problem. This includes gathering information such as symptoms, causes and effects of the problem. This information is then analyzed to determine the root cause of the problem. The analysis may involve using tools such as cause and effect diagrams, flowcharts, and statistical analysis.

In the past I have performed Root Cause Analysis in a number of occasions, and I found the following 3 techniques both effective and easy to use.

 

Technique 1: “5-Whys” Analysis

The “5-Whys” Analysis is a simple yet effective problem-solving technique that helps users quickly identify the root cause of a problem. This technique was made popular in the 1970s by the Toyota Production System, which aimed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their production processes.

The strategy behind the “5-Whys” Analysis is to keep asking “why” and “what caused this problem” until the root cause of the problem is identified. By asking “why” repeatedly, you are able to dig deeper into the problem and uncover underlying issues. This is the basis for the “5-why” analysis.

 

The “5-Whys” Analysis is a straightforward process that can be used by individuals or teams. First, clearly define the problem and then ask “why” it is happening. The answer to this question will then lead to a second “why” and so on, until the root cause is identified. It is important to note that it is not always necessary to go through all five “whys” and it can take less or more “why” to get to the root cause depending on the complexity of the problem.

This technique can be applied to a wide range of problems, from simple to complex. It is a valuable tool for organizations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their processes, as well as to reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction. It also helps teams to work together to find a solution by encouraging open communication and collaboration.

 

Tips:

The “5-Whys” technique is a simple and effective method for identifying the root cause of a problem. However, it is important to avoid asking “why” repeatedly in a literal and consecutive manner, as this can make stakeholders feel interrogated and uncomfortable. Instead, consider using alternative expressions of “why” and adopt a gentle and non-confrontational approach in your communication and body language to create a relaxed atmosphere.

 

Technique 2: Fishbone Diagrams

The Fish-Bone Diagram, also known as an Ishikawa Diagram, is a tool used to identify the potential causes of a specific problem or effect. It is a graphical representation of the relationship between a problem and its potential causes and is often referred to as a cause-and-effect diagram. The design of the Fish-Bone Diagram is shaped much like the skeleton of a fish, which is how it gets its name.

Derived from the quality management process, it’s an analysis tool that provides a systematic way of looking at the effects and the causes that create or contribute to those effects. It allows teams to identify the key factors that may be affecting the quality of a product or service and to focus on those areas that need improvement. To use the Fish-Bone Diagram, first, clearly define the problem and then brainstorm the potential causes in the various categories.

The Fish-Bone Diagram is a simple yet powerful tool that can be used in a wide range of industries and fields, including manufacturing, healthcare, service, and education. One of the Fish-Bone model that is commonly used in manufacturing is the 5 M’s. The 5 M’s are Manpower, Machine, Material, Method, and Measurement. Manpower refers to the people, Machine includes equipment and technology, Material includes raw material, consumables and information, Method refers to the process and Measurement includes inspection and environment.

 

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Tips:

The Fish-Bone Diagram is a visual tool that illustrates the relationship between a problem and its potential causes. To effectively use this technique, it is recommended to have a physical whiteboard or butchers paper to draw the diagram on. However, it may not be the most suitable option when working remotely as you cannot draw it as quickly with your mouse as with a marker.

 

Technique 3: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a powerful tool for identifying root causes of problems. The brainstorming process involves bringing together a group of people with relevant knowledge and experience to generate a wide range of ideas and potential solutions. The goal is to remove inhibitions and encourage the free flow of ideas. The brainstorming session is typically led by a facilitator who guides the group through the process and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to contribute their ideas.

During the brainstorming session, all ideas are recorded and no idea is criticized or dismissed. This allows for a diverse range of ideas to be generated and evaluated. The facilitator may also use techniques such as mind-mapping, word association, or random word generation to stimulate the brainstorming process. After the brainstorming session, the ideas are evaluated and analyzed to identify the most likely root causes of the problem.

Brainstorming can be an effective way to generate ideas and solutions quickly and efficiently in a group setting. It allows for the collective knowledge and experience of the group to be leveraged and it helps to identify potential root causes that may not have been considered by individuals working alone. It also encourages participation from all members of the group and fosters a sense of teamwork and collaboration.

 

Tips:

Brainstorming sessions can be time-consuming, especially if many ideas are generated, and it takes time to evaluate and analyze all of them. Also, strong personalities or highly dominant individuals can dominate the brainstorming session and prevent quieter or less confident individuals from contributing their ideas. An experienced facilitator is a must-have to the success of a brainstorming session.

 

Conclusion:

Once the root cause of the problem is identified, a solution can be developed. It is important to not only solve the immediate problem, but also to address the underlying cause to prevent it from happening again in the future. Implementing a long-term solution is critical in order to improve the overall performance and reliability of the system.

 

Root Cause Analysis is an important technique for business analysts to perform their job duties because it helps to identify the underlying causes of problems or issues within an organization. By identifying the root cause of a problem, business analysts add real value to the organization by addressing the problem at its source, rather than simply addressing symptoms. This can lead to more sustainable and long-term improvements in the organization. Overall, Root Cause Analysis is a crucial tool for business analysts to use, when permanent solutions rather than temporary fixes are required.

 

 

Reference:
  1. International Association for Six Sigma Certification, “Root Cause Analysis”, https://www.iassc.org/root-cause-analysis/
  2. Toyota Global, “5 Whys”, https://www.toyota-global.com/company/toyota_traditions/quality_management/5s/5_whys.html
  3. ASQ, “Ishikawa Diagram”, https://asq.org/quality-resources/ishikawa-diagram
  4. Mind Tools, “Brainstorming”, https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newIDE_86.htm
  5. National Safety Council, “Root Cause Analysis: A Guide for Effective Incident Investigation”, https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-management/incident-investigation/root-cause-analysis