Business Analyst World - Useful templates for Business Analysts
- Vision and Scope Document
- Requirement Specification
- Requirements Template
- Software Requirements Specification
- Use Case Template
- Use Case Tips
- Standards Gap and Overlap Analysis
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Useful Templates for Business Analysts
Final resource post for today:
Business Analyst World - Useful templates for Business Analysts
Business Analyst World - Useful templates for Business Analysts
BA Index
Another resource blog with information on:
- Starting Out
- Requirements
- The why of business analysis
- Running a business analysis engagement
- Project Bits and Bites
Business Analysts Career Path
Although I do not agree with the path shown in the following blog, it does give good food for thought.
BA World - BA Career Path 2.0
And the author does say that you shouldn't be too rigid with your planned career path and take up challenges as and when they come along.
BA World - BA Career Path 2.0
And the author does say that you shouldn't be too rigid with your planned career path and take up challenges as and when they come along.
BA Resources - Under One Roof
I found the following blog post that includes links to other resources
Business Analyst World - BA Resources All Under One Roof
It includes:
Business Analyst World - BA Resources All Under One Roof
It includes:
- Management and Technical Books
- Useful Links
- Effective BA info
- Presentations
- and more
Friday, 27 January 2012
To Certify or not to Certify that is the question
Seems that there are definitely two camps on the topic of whether Business Analysts should (or need) obtain a professional certification.
I've have been involved in a few discussions via LinkedIn regarding this very topic - The Real Truth: Why you need a CCBA or CBAP Certification.
One camp thinks that there is no requirement for a certification, as no job descriptions ask for this, and that they are only promoted by those who offer study courses, training, the certification itself, or those who HAVE achieved the certification and want to justify the time and money they have put into this by pushing it as a requirement.
The other camp, sees the certifications as a way of demonstrating your knowledge and skills in the arena of Business Analysis. It shows your committed to the role, have the necessary skills and (where recertification is required) keep up with the latest information.
I am sure the debate will rage on for a number of years, but from my point of view I WILL be attempting to gain an accreditation in the next year or two. My thinking behind this is:
I'll update you on my decision when I have made it!
I've have been involved in a few discussions via LinkedIn regarding this very topic - The Real Truth: Why you need a CCBA or CBAP Certification.
One camp thinks that there is no requirement for a certification, as no job descriptions ask for this, and that they are only promoted by those who offer study courses, training, the certification itself, or those who HAVE achieved the certification and want to justify the time and money they have put into this by pushing it as a requirement.
The other camp, sees the certifications as a way of demonstrating your knowledge and skills in the arena of Business Analysis. It shows your committed to the role, have the necessary skills and (where recertification is required) keep up with the latest information.
I am sure the debate will rage on for a number of years, but from my point of view I WILL be attempting to gain an accreditation in the next year or two. My thinking behind this is:
- I need an end goal to work to, to have a measurable outcome - SMART objective
- It will force me to cover all areas, not just the ones I am interested in or will aid my current role
- At the end I will have something quantifiable to show to my current and future employers
- If its the ISEB course I will engage with other BAs
- If its the IIBA CCBA/CBAP I can network within the IIBA
I'll update you on my decision when I have made it!
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Project Failure Reasons - Any look familiar?
The Chaos Report is the first survey made by the Standish Group. This report is the landmark study of IT project failure. It is cited by everybody writing a paper or making a presentation were a reference is made of IT project failure.
It includes large, medium, and small companies across major industry segments : banking, securities, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, heath care, insurance, services, and local, state, and federal organizations. The total sample size was 365 respondents representing 8,380 applications.
It is also hotly contested and disputed (as brief Google search will verify) – so do not accept this data as utterly without question true.
However, I bet a few of these ring true with most people involved in project work!
References:
http://www.smart-ba.com/download/Bite%20Sized%20Training/01%20Scope%20of%20the%20BA%20Role.ppt
http://www.it-cortex.com/Stat_Failure_Cause.htm#The%20Bull%20Survey%20(1998)
It includes large, medium, and small companies across major industry segments : banking, securities, manufacturing, retail, wholesale, heath care, insurance, services, and local, state, and federal organizations. The total sample size was 365 respondents representing 8,380 applications.
It is also hotly contested and disputed (as brief Google search will verify) – so do not accept this data as utterly without question true.
However, I bet a few of these ring true with most people involved in project work!
References:
http://www.smart-ba.com/download/Bite%20Sized%20Training/01%20Scope%20of%20the%20BA%20Role.ppt
http://www.it-cortex.com/Stat_Failure_Cause.htm#The%20Bull%20Survey%20(1998)
Friday, 23 December 2011
Smart-BA
As this blog is really a repository of information for myself and other BAs, I MUST post a link to the Smart-BA website.
"This is a site for giving away as much free stuff as possible for business analysts - things like manuals for passing BA exams, training materials, articles, templates, tips for tuning up a BA's cv and anything else that could be useful for a business analyst in the real world doing real business analysis."I can see me reviewing a lot of this site and the related Blog
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