Things to memorize

Definition of a BA

Business analysis life cycle

1. Define the current business state
2. Analyse current state to find ways to improve the business
3. Create a business case
4. Document business requirements
5. Define future state
6. Conduct gap analysis

Business improvement life cycle

NOTE: Should know the full details of at least one BA process in each of these points.
underlined ones are simpler than their fellows and easy to remember
1. Problem Identification: Fishbone Diagrams, Root cause analysis, 5W, check sheets
2. Problem Prioritisation: MoSCoW technique, prioritization matrix, Pareto Analysis, value
analysis technique, time-boxing
3. Decision Making: SWOT Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, the Vroom-Yetton-Jago decision
model, Cost Benefit Analysis, De Bono's Six Value Medals, OODA loops
4. Process Identification: SIPOC diagram, Flowcharting, Activity Diagrams with
swimlanes, Cycle Time Analysis
5. Process Improvement: Brainstorming, Linear Programming, DRIVER, SREDIM, Radar
Charts, Cycle Time Reduction
6. Resource Planning: Critical Path Analysis, Capacity Planning

Types of metaData
● Notes: Unstructured text for quickly capturing additional information
● Descriptions: Unstructured text to describe or define something
● Profiles: a template to capture a predefined set of metadata
● Relationships: Captures the relationships between things in metadata
● Links: Links the data to outside sources (hyperlinks)

Business Dimension Analysis (BDA)

Definition: BDA is the combination of models from the W5 to show where problems may be
occurring.

Application:
 1. After getting some idea of the business the BA will form an hypothesis as to the cause of
the problem
2. Then, based on the hypothesis the BA combines models to show where the problem
may be occurring
a. EG: combining What and Who tells us may be overworked and need to have
their work spread out.
b. It can also identify gaps in information sharing and the privileges that various
positions need
3. Can convert these combined models into documents. EG CRUD matrix, responsibility
tables
4. Uses this information to ID potential ways to improve the business
5. Validate was to improve the business with stakeholders
6. Minimize information to what is required. Then model potential solution
7. Do dimension analysis on the model
8. Feed business case?

Rhombus of Change
Points
● impact of change: at what level of the organization does it change
● degree of change: how much it affects the business processes
● rate of change: how rapid the change is and what resources it consumes
● magnitude of change: how many places the change occurs in

Each 5W model and their purpose

Purpose of the WHAT Model:To obtain and depict the complete set of activities necessary to
support and attain a business purpose. It is a simple and clear modelling of the business activity
requirements. It is the foundational framework from which the other dimension models are
based.

Purpose of the WHO Model:To establish relationships between organisational players

(organisational units, roles, people & technology) and to identify which players are involved in
performing which business activities. This is done so that the structure is established and
workload is balanced. It is used to develop a responsibility dictionary.

Purpose of the WHERE Model:To understand the physical locations and to store respective
geographic metadata of each location. This is done to optimize business activity between
locations and support business practices. It is used to develop a locality dictionary.

Purpose of the WHICH Model:To describe and refine business terminology so that business
information is defined accurately and relationships are defined among business information.
This is done so that the input and outputs of all activities are understood so that business
processes are modelled correctly.
Purpose of the WHEN Model:To define all business terms and time considerations required by
business activities. Whether it is a company defined timeframe, a period of time, or a specific
time. Understanding these timeframes relative to one another supports the understanding of
when business activities occur.

Purpose of the HOW model:To provide a single comprehensive view of a business process by
relating all the other model dimensions. It is used to highlight the different business scenarios
and enable powerful analysis of the business processes.