Tag: Training

Doing Better Brainstorming: A Business Analyst’s Guide

Written by Noah Rue on June 30, 2022. Posted in Articles.

Instead of a “go with the flow” approach to brainstorming sessions, arm yourself and your team with brainstorming best practices guaranteed to give you results. Business analysts must learn to be intentional in their brainstorming to generate worthwhile, actionable ideas consistently.

Here’s how to lead more productive brainstorming sessions.

Take Care of the Logistics

First, you must take care of the brainstorming session logistics. Sometimes, spontaneous brainstorming sessions are necessary, but they should be few and far between. Instead, you should walk into most of your meetings with a plan.

Determine how long your session is going to last and where you’re going to hold it. Decide who is going to attend. Name your notetaker, facilitator, and timekeeper. Create an agenda or outline to distribute. And be sure everyone has access to and knows how to use the tech tools you’ll be using.

Also, come to every session with a clear purpose.

Come to Every Session With a Purpose

One of the worst things you can do in a brainstorming session is go into it without a clear goal or objective. Instead of developing solutions to problems or tangible ideas, you’ll have a lot of random conversation that ultimately goes nowhere.

Every time your team comes together to brainstorm, there should be a straightforward goal you’re trying to achieve. For example, are you trying to solve a problem? Do you want to determine the next steps at a project’s checkpoint? Are you there to mull over a new direction?

Make your purpose clear to the team, and let that purpose lead your brainstorming session.

Consider the Personalities in Attendance

It’s also wise to consider the personalities of the people you’ve invited to the brainstorming session. How you approach brainstorming with a group of extroverts will be different than how you facilitate brainstorming with a mixed crowd or one made up of reserved individuals.

Equally important is your personality and how you can use your strengths to facilitate a successful session. For instance, let’s say you’re introverted. Introverts are typically laid back and quiet, but can absolutely still be successful team leaders. So, play to your strengths.

Write your main speaking points down on paper so you don’t forget them. Use your exceptional listening skills to absorb everything thrown out in your session. Find opportunities to connect with people one-on-one and empower them.

Encourage Everyone to Participate

Considering everyone’s personality is also a good idea because you can make the brainstorming session more welcoming for each person when you know how they operate. And that, in turn, furthers your effort to encourage everyone to participate.

Set ground rules for brainstorming. It should be a no-judgment zone. Welcome every idea regardless of how crazy or out of the box it may seem. Allow everyone to express their creativity and experiences.

Moreover, everyone should have an opportunity to share. When someone starts dominating the conversation, politely interrupt them and ask others to contribute. You could even use a timer to ensure each person has equal time to express themselves.

Experiment With Tried-and-True Brainstorming Methods

Experimenting with different brainstorming methods can get the creative juices flowing for your team too. There are many tried and true brainstorming strategies to sift through until you find one or a combination that works for the individuals in your session.

Mind-mapping is one brainstorming method to try. You start with a main idea and generate sub-topics surrounding that central subject. Then, you come up with smaller ideas around those sub-topics. Finally, connect your ideas with lines, and you’ve got a mind map.

It’s an incredibly flexible brainstorming technique that allows for a surplus of creativity and idea generation in your session.

Here are a few other brainstorming methods to try:

Modified design sprint
Brainwriting
Stepladder technique
Round-robin brainstorming
Rapid ideation
5 whys analysis

Leave Each Session With an Action Plan

Many people deem brainstorming sessions ineffective because nothing comes out of them. In other words, teams are leaving meetings without an action plan. So, all of the ideas generated in these sessions live out the rest of their days in a file on your computer instead of in the real world.

Each idea or solution your team voted to move forward with in your brainstorming session should be accompanied by an action plan. You, your notetaker, or facilitator can take the lead on creating this action plan.

Document next steps and assign someone to each step. Put a deadline on each step and when you want the action plan completed in its entirety. And don’t forget to follow up on each action plan to ensure it gets done.

Conclusion

Business analysts need brainstorming to excel in their roles. If your sessions have been less than productive so far, use the tips above to elevate them and come out with real results.

You Made The Decision To Pursue CBAP Certification, Now What?

Written by Julie Herring on May 18, 2022. Posted in Articles.

I have been a Business Analyst for more than a decade and have recently decided to go for it! It being the IIBA CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) certification. As any BA would do, the moment I decided to go for it, I immediately went into information gathering mode! I l researched and gathered as much information as I could find. I signed up for several IIBA webinars and LinkedIn learning modules pertaining to the CBAP certification. Here are the top ten tips I took away from my research:

Use the business analysis skills you currently possess to develop your CBAP certification roadmap or project plan!
- Layout the tasks and actions you must complete. Such as: complete and submit your application, read the BABOK and/or Core Standards, collect your references, decide if you prefer self-study or a paid training program, plan for the 35 hours of professional development, etc.
- Define a timeline with target dates. I feel like this is a personal preference item. You want to set yourself up for success while ensuring you do not extend the timeline out too far. For myself, I set a 6-month timeline. I expect to take the exam at no more than 6 months from the time I officially started the process. I felt that a longer duration of time would either welcome procrastination or give too much time for me to tart second guessing my readiness.
- Organize and prioritize the required tasks and actions. For example, ensure the most time intensive activities fit into the timeline you have defined for yourself. What activities are expected to take the longest? The study of the BABOK? The 35 hours of professional development?
- I have heard and read, multiple times, ‘do not wait to start capturing your work experience.’ It takes time to record 7500 hours of business analysis experience. It is a tedious task that doesn’t feel so bad if it is done is smaller increments at a time.

2. There are so many resources available. Many of which can be applied to the required professional development hours (WIN-WIN).

- If you are a member of IIBA, there are many IIBA chapters that offer IIBA certification study groups. Tip: These count toward professional development hours
- There are several free webinars, recorded and live, that offer insight into how best to prep for the certification. Tip: Many of these webinars count toward professional development hours
- There are a vast variety of articles that cover key things to know before going into the exam. Little golden nuggets of useful insights and tips for success!
- Again, if you are an IIBA member, there are several IIBA endorsed providers that offer professional training programs to guide you through the learning process and prepare you for certification.

3. Much to my delight, every resource I tapped into provided consistent information.

- I don’t know about you but when I find consistent info from search to search and source to source, I feel better about the validity of the information! I am more inclined to trust it as truth and feel confident that I can rely on it to support my decision-making process.

4. Do not assume your years of experience as a Business Analyst negates the need to study the BABOK in preparation for the exam!!!!

- I rank this my number 1 learning as I searched for information! We Business Analysts tend not to make assumptions when engaging in the activity of business analysis, however, this message was pressed in every study session, webinar and article I read which to me meant it is a common mistake made by seasoned professionals. A mistake I could have easily made if I had not sought out information and looked for guidance on how best to approach the CBAP certification process.
- As BA’s we exercise our business analysis skills and apply business analysis tools daily, however, we do not use the BABOK vernacular or think about how the work we do fits into the six knowledge areas defined in the BABOK. Hence the importance of reading the BABOK to gain a thorough understanding of the six knowledge areas.
- Reading a nearly 500-page book cover to cover is a bit much. Some will advise that you read the BABOK multiple times to prep for the certification. Sone will advise you scan the BABOK and focus on the Core Standards (a condensed version of the BABOK). I say this is another area that is completely personal, based on the individuals learning style. I struggled with determine my approach to this activity for a bit!

5. Spend a good portion of your study time and effort ensuring you have a thorough understanding of the requirements analysis and design definition knowledge area.

- This knowledge area makes up about 30% of the CBAP exam. I cannot confirm this statistic myself, however, I can say this statistic has been referenced/shared in a number of the sources I have tapped into. Given this, I have assigned more weight to this key knowledge area to ensure I understand the elements involved in the requirements analysis and design definition knowledge area.

6. Know the 50 BABOK techniques.

- Yes! There are 50. The best piece of advice I have heard on this item is to think about the techniques in practical terms within the context of the six knowledge areas. This is not to say a technique cannot be applicable to multiple knowledge areas, this is simply a way to connect the technique to activities that you an associate to the six knowledge areas for purpose of understanding the techniques in a practical manner. For Example:
  - It is common to use techniques such as brainstorming, focus groups, and workshops in elicitation and collaboration
  - It is common in requirements analysis and design definition to use concept modeling, decision modeling, user stories and use cases.
  - Solution Evaluation may involve root-cause analysis and vendor assessments

Memorize the Financial Calculations and Formula in the BABOK
- The last time I had to memorize formula was probably an accounting class or statistics class in college! I happen to use calculations in my current business analysis role but none that are in the BABOK. Memorizing formula was not something I expected to encounter as I prep for CBAP certification.
- An example of a formula you may need to know is the formula to calculate ROI (return on investment). Total Benefits -Cost of the Investment/Cost of the Investment.
- Another formula example would be the calculation of Net Present Value. Present Value- Cost of Investment.
- In addition to memorizing the calculations and formula, you must be able to interpret the results of the calculations and utilize those results to answer textual questions.

Utilize mock exams and practice tests!!
- Going back to the decision to read the BABOK cover to cover or not. I chose to take a few mock exams to see how I fared. I did this to assess how exam ready I was before determining if reading the BABOK cover to cover was necessary.
- Mock tests are GREAT! Here’s why:
  - They are timed, same as the CBAP exam. Hence, you experience the same stress you will experience when taking the actual exam. You will get a feel for how long you may need for the simple multiple-choice questions and/or the case based and scenario-based questions.
  - You gain insight on how complex the scenario or case-based questions are. You learn how best to break them down for purpose of selecting the best answer
  - You see how memorizing key concepts, vocabulary, terms, and techniques is not enough. You must be able to apply the concepts, the techniques, and the knowledge to scenarios from a real-world perspective. Essentially demonstrate an in depth understanding of not only the material covered in the BABOK but how to apply that knowledge to your business analysis activities.

Optimal approach to the Case-Based and Scenario-Based Questions
- Case-based questions are intense! They are multi paragraph scenarios. Followed by multiple questions about the case scenario.
  - The very first mock exam I took, I scored at about 50%. Eye opening results If I had not already read that an individual going into the exam blind, assuming they have the knowledge to ace the exam based on their years of business analysis work are likely to score in the 50% range. (I confirmed that statistic!).
- This golden nugget of information was a game changer for me!!! I attended a webinar; in this webinar the host advised, the best approach to the case-based questions is to read the question and answers first, followed by the last paragraph of the scenario.
  - I took my next practice exam. I jumped closer to a 70% accuracy rate. Why do I believe this approach improved my results? I started with the end in mind. I knew what I was looking for because I had the question and potential answers in mind before I started looking for the information that would lead me to the correct answer. And I saved time by not reading and rereading the scenario. Again, GAME CHANGER!!!!

10. Last but certainly not least. There is no time like the present!!

If you are thinking about pursuing CBAP certification jump in and go for it!
never know if you never try!
Skilling Up is more important than ever!

I am currently on my journey to CBAP certification. It is equally exciting and nerve-racking! I hope you find this information as useful as I have!

Business Analysis | Role or Capability?

Written by Tiffany Wiley on March 31, 2022. Posted in Articles.

I love this question! It opens the door for so many different perspectives (which is key in our line of work). Before we answer this, let’s start with a story.

A recent employer pulled me aside after about 2 weeks on the job (as a contractor) and said “We’ve been told that we don’t need business analysts on this project. I’m curious what your thoughts are on this?” Despite my obvious hesitations with wanting to keep my job and income, I said “That’s probably right. However,…” and I went on to explain that while a person sitting in that role/title isn’t necessary, the function is. It is critical to have someone performing the business analysis activities to ensure a successful solution delivery – digging into and understanding the business and user needs, the problems they are facing, understanding the value that they are seeking, etc. Generally speaking, developers are busy developing, QA engineers are typically busy testing, etc., so someone needs to do it.

I do believe this open and honest discussion is a big reason why I was converted from contractor to permanent employee. They trusted me enough to ask the question and I trusted them enough with a thoughtful answer.

What is a Business Analyst and what do they do?

This is sort of a loaded question in my opinion. There are so many variations out there in the job world. Some people have the title of Business Analyst but don’t really perform typical “BA” activities (as outlined in IIBA knowledge areas). While some have different titles but are neck-deep in the strategy analysis, solution assessments, etc.

The IIBA Defines it as:

The Business Analyst is an agent of change. Business Analysis is a disciplined approach to introducing and managing change in organizations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.

The global community on Wikipedia defines it as:

A business analyst (BA) is a person who analyzes and documents the market environment, processes, or systems of businesses.

When talking to family and friends, I usually describe it as “I work with people and teams to understand what they need, want, and why. What problems they have and how they currently go about solving those problems. So that I can help define possible solutions. The solution could be new technology, a new process, new data reporting, organizational structure, etc.” While most of us know that there is a LOT more to it than this, that’s a decent elevator pitch to those who truly have a minimal-to-no understanding of the function.

Why is there so much confusion about BA’s? Let’s take a closer look:

Can you have the BA title but do something else?

Yes, you can. While there are market standards, companies are free to title jobs in any way that fits their organization. At times, these titles may not match with the wider job market. Because of this, there are situations where people do get the title of Business Analyst but aren’t performing the typical “business analysis” activities. This can create a lot of confusion and headache at time of job searching for both candidate and employer.

Can you perform BA duties and not have the BA title?

Also, yes. In many cases, people are performing Business Analysis activities while having other job titles – and some have no idea that what they’re doing is considered business analysis. For example:

Have you ever investigated potential tools to use for a project or need?
Have you ever helped your team/a team define problems they have with a current process?
Have you yourself identified problems with a current process and defined a new one that would address issues/gaps?
Have you help identify individuals that may be impacted by an upcoming change?
Have you helped to facilitate a brainstorming session?
Have you done a current-to-future state analysis?
Have you made a process flow to articulate how something is done?

Guess what…each of these are business analysis activities. And frankly speaking, most of us in a professional setting has performed these activities before. And in most cases, regularly!

So even if you don’t have a title of Business Analyst, you probably still have the experience!

Circling back to the original question: Role or Capability?

The answer is both – it can be a role and a capability.

While I believe having the business analysis capability is far more critical than a title, sometimes if feels good to be able to call yourself a business analyst as well.

Set your project up for success and make sure you have someone performing business analysis activities (even if you must call them something different)!

10 Sure Shot Ways to Prevent Failure in the ECBA Exam

Written by Ananya Pani on March 10, 2022. Posted in Articles.

With the adoption of digital transformation projects being one of the top goals for the companies, the demand for the business analysis career is booming. As a result, the demand for this profession is growing at a double-digit rate year on year.

Business analysts play a crucial role in facilitating digital transformation projects by designing systems aligned with business goals. They are also pivotal in implementing new business processes, removing inefficiencies from the existing processes, and reducing operational costs.

Due to the strategic nature of this role and the earnings involved, more and more professionals are considering transitioning to this role as their next career move.

A quick way of learning the techniques and skills for becoming a business analyst is to get an internationally recognized certification like ECBA.

ECBA provides a firm understanding and a solid foundation for a business analysis career. It is the entry-level certification from IIBA aimed at professionals stepping into the BA domain.

This certification allows professionals many opportunities for career growth and skill development.

The ECBA course was designed to keep the needs of entry-level BAs in mind. The focus areas are- requirements analysis, modeling, and requirements life cycle management, with a lot of emphasis on modeling concepts tools and is well structured. The certification is based on BABoK version 3.0 of the IIBA.

While getting certified is a rewarding experience, there are many who do not succeed despite investing time, effort, and commitment to prepare.

This blog talks about the top reasons people fail in their ECBA exam and recommends strategies that can help avoid the failure traps.

Memorizing BABoK

Answering questions on the ECBA requires a proper understanding of the concepts in BABoK. In addition, the application of the tasks and techniques needs to be understood clearly. Though retaining concepts from BABoK is helpful, it is not advisable to memorize and write them during the exam.

Not understanding BABoK terminologies

ECBA exam is knowledge-based. For answering correctly, you’ll need to be familiar with the terminologies. IIBA exams use terms from BABoK that your organization may not commonly use. Familiarize yourself with the terms and how they relate to the terms used by your organization. Your performance in the exam can be hampered if you cannot correlate the knowledge from BABoK. The exam is based on content from BABoK and not specific organizational practices.

A BABoK glossary can help explain the different terms.

Not understanding the purpose of each task and the roles of various stakeholders
Not understanding the tasks’ purpose and stakeholder roles could make it hard to clear the ECBA exam questions. Therefore, focus on understanding BABoK terminologies and concepts and understanding stakeholder roles and responsibilities rather than memorizing them.
Unsure of the strength, limitations, and application of techniques

Since ECBA is aimed at freshers and newbies, their knowledge of the BA terms and techniques is at times limited. Being unsure about the strengths and application of the techniques can be a limiting factor while writing the exam.

So, while preparing for the exam, it is imperative to understand the purpose and application of the techniques.

Also, remember advanced techniques like diagrams or those with extensive financial calculations are unlikely to come for the ECBA exam.

Giving equal priority to each Knowledge Area

To prepare effectively, one needs to be aware of the ECBA exam pattern and the weightage given to each knowledge area as per the exam blueprint.

Therefore, it is best to prepare by giving weightage to areas by looking at the exam blueprint.

Most questions are expected to be single-sentence questions. The best areas to focus on would be understanding the purpose of tasks and techniques, definitions of role and requirements characteristics, etc. Any other questions like diagrams and calculations, advanced modeling concepts, advanced techniques are unlikely to appear.

Not knowing clever ways of answering the questions

The ECBA exam has many questions that can confuse the exam taker due to the words used in the questions. Care should be taken while answering questions that typically include words like not, never, certainly, always, only, etc. There can also be trick questions asking for ‘missing items’ or ‘the least likely option.’

There might be answers containing words that sound like BABoK terms but are not from BABoK.

Read the questions and options clearly. Then, choose the option that has BABOK terminology. These are made-up terms to confuse the exam taker; beware of those.

Deal with questions smartly and carefully. Don’t rush through them distracted by time constraints.

Not having proper infrastructure for the exam

Just like any other exam, it can be stressful to write the ECBA certification exam, especially for those professionals who might not have appeared for an exam for years.

The easiest part is to have the infrastructure ready to avoid stress building up due to its lack.

It is important to go through the infrastructure checklist and ensure that the mandated documents and resources like ID card, camera, clean room and table, computer (having admin access), uninterrupted power supply, an empty room without unnecessary items like headphones, etc., to name a few, are all available at the time of the exam

In an already tense situation, unwanted stress due to infrastructural issues should be avoided. For example, last-minute delays in starting the exam can cause unnecessary stress and lead to the exam going beyond one’s control.

Here is a must-follow e-book for tips on Dos and Don’ts of the IIBA online exam.

Do’s & Don’ts of IIBA Online Exam

Poor time management

Another mistake first-timers make is spending too much time per question. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cases where people are unable to complete the exam due to a lack of time. The exam requires 50 multiple-choice questions need to be answered in one hour. So, one doesn’t have the luxury of time in completing the exam.

Time management is an absolute key parameter in acing the ECBA exam. Avoid taking breaks during the 1-hour exam as the clock does not stop for you.

Spending more time on one question

Some questions are more time-consuming than others. Be conscious of the time spent on each question. Divide your allotted time in such a way that you have about 10 minutes towards the end to review the answers. If a question takes more time, it’s wise to mark it for review, move on and get back to it later. Devise a time management strategy that best suits you and helps maximize your time during the exam.

Not having the right resources for preparation
ECBA exams, like other competitive exams, have a blueprint or pattern. Not doing enough actual exams like simulators and model questions will make it challenging to face the exam confidently. Proper preparation resources, practice tests, and ECBA exam simulators are needed to pass the exam.

The ECBA Certification Training Course will give you the resources necessary to prepare for certification. In addition, this will help you to determine the best study method for you. Grab a copy of our best-selling eBook- 200 IIBA Exam Mock Questions with IIBA Exam Info utilized by 1000s of BA professionals to ace their IIBA exam.

How To Create The Best Business Analyst Resume

Written by Emily Henry on November 18, 2021. Posted in Articles.

A strong resume is important no matter what role you’re going for, but it’s especially important if you’re going for a business analyst position. It’s a competitive field, and you need to stand out and show the hiring team just why you’re the best fit for the job. That starts with the resume, so let’s see how you can create an excellent resume that will grab their attention.

Tailor Your Resumes

This sounds very obvious, but when you’re sending out resumes to multiple companies, it’s so easy to let them get bland and try to cover all bases. Each time you send a resume to a potential employer, you need to be writing something that’s just focused on them.

Focus on the skills that you can bring to that particular employer. As a business analyst, you can show them how you translate the business’ data into solutions that improve the way they perform. As you’re skilled at breaking down large data into small parts, that’s perfect for creating a resume.

Format The Resume Correctly

This is something that all resume writers need to keep in mind. Your writing may show that you’re the perfect person for the job, but if you can’t format correctly, then recruiters won’t take a second look at the resume itself.

A good resume has be clean and easily readable. A recruiter will be scanning your resume, looking for the points that make you a good fit for the job. You need to make it easy for them to find them. Ensure you’re using plenty of white space, and use italics, bold and upper case where appropriate to attract the eye.

Create A Business Analyst Summary

At the very top of your resume, it’s a good idea to create a business analyst summary. This summary will give the person reading it a quick overview of who you are and what you can bring to the job. It’s the first thing they’ll read, so it has to grab them right away.

What should go in the summary? It can be a number of different things, but remember that it does need to be kept short and to the point. You can cover things like your qualifications, achievements, and experience to name a few.

To start writing the summary, look at the job posting again. This will give you several keywords which you can use in the summary to ensure your resume gets picked out. Use this and your background to create the meat of the summary.

A good summary should only be one or two sentences long, so every word will count. Ensure you write it in an active voice, to make it more compelling to the reader.

Here’s an example of how your summary could look:

Experienced business analyst with five years in improving e-commerce profitability by 60%. Seeking opportunities to use analytic skills to improve efficiency and create customer driven solutions at MarketingX.

As you can see, it’s very short and to the point. It uses quantitative data to show how the writer improved profitability at their current role. Keep this in mind when working on your summary.

Create A Resume Objective

Sometimes, an objective is better than a summary. For example, if you’re a recent graduate, are switching careers, or switching from another industry, then this will be what you’ll use on your resume.

This objective will explain where you are now, and where you hope to be in the future. Again, it only needs to be a couple of sentences long, so you’ll need to get everything you want in that small space. A resume objective can look like this:

Senior product manager with 6 years of experience looking to move to business analyst position at MarketingX. Proven track record of improving sales performance up to 60%, using big data.

Here, see that you’re still focusing on what you can bring to the company, rather than what you want yourself.

Focus On The Employer

When creating your resume, make sure that you’re focusing on the employer and their needs. Remember that they’re looking for someone that can fulfil a specific need within their company. It’s your job to show you can fit that role, and give them what they’re looking for.

As mentioned above, you’ll need to use the job posting, with the key words in it, to write your resume. Research the company too, to see who they are and what they do. Will your skills bring more to them and help them grow? Make sure they know that.

Describe Your Business Analyst Experience

You have to show the employer what experience you have, and how it relates to the position that you’re trying to fill. The best way to do this is to break it all down and turn it into something that’s easy to understand.

Don’t use jargon, as not all recruiters will be as familiar with business analyst lexicon as you are. When listing duties you’ve had in the past, make sure you show how it’s applicable to the role you’re applying for. Again, you need to focus on the employer, rather than yourself.

With these tips, you’ll be able to put together a business analyst resume that wows recruiters, and gets them to pick up the phone and call you. Use this guide to craft your resume now, and make sure that you can get the job you have your eye on.

Emily Henry is a professional writer for OX Essays and Boom Essays. She’s an expert on resumes and resume writing. She’s also a tutor with Paper Fellows.