10 CBAP Recertification Facts You Should Know
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Whether you are considering CBAP certification, you just obtained or are looking to renew your certification, this piece presents a list of 10 facts you should know.
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Best Practices For Success in Business Analysis
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The beginning of the year is a great time to reflect on what practices to promote in the coming months. This piece lists the best practices of business analysis that all BAs should understand and participate in.
Read More2015: 6 Most Popular Business Analyst Learnings Posts
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Here's a list of the most popular 2015 posts, as determined by BAL readers. This list is based on the number of page views received by each post.
A special thanks goes to all BAL readers for making 2015 worthwhile.
Here it goes:
Read MoreA List of Free Business Analysis Webinars
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To learn and earn CDUs at no cost, here’s a list of websites that offer free webinars (in no particular order):
Read MoreWhich BA Certification Is Right For You?
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This post presents a high-level comparison of the three certifications (CBAP, CCBA and PMI-PBA) to provide a starting point for deciding which path is best for you. Here's a snapshot of the application requirements for each certification:
Read MoreThe Role of BAs in Business Strategy Analysis
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What do you want to achieve or avoid? The answers to this question are objectives. How will you go about achieving your desired results? The answer to this you can call strategy ― William E. Rothschild
Read MoreReorganizing The Business For Customer-Centric Processes
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Processes should be designed with the customer in mind. Business Analysts involved in process improvement projects usually have to focus on the “moments of truth” by analyzing all the points in the process where there’s interaction with the customer. Designing processes with the customer in mind means focusing on the touch points with the customer. Guest Post By Daphne Lefran
Read MoreThe Role of Business Analysts in User Acceptance Tests: Identifying Test Cases That Work
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Writing effective test cases is a key task in software projects. Defects that trickle into the production environment can lead to a massive and public project failure so it is extremely important that test cases are well thought out, comprehensive and feasible. Good test cases can save a lot of time and reduce hesitation.
Read MoreThe Power Of Listening
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Of all the soft skills necessary to become a successful BA professional, listening is certainly one of the most important. Professionals that have the capacity to listen to others will always be one step ahead as they will be looked upon as a source of inspiration and strength by others.
Read MoreWhy, When and How Should Business Analysts Use BPMN?
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As a followup to the post, Why Should Business Analysts Use BPMN?, Here’s an interesting piece from BPM Tips that shares and consolidates perspectives from 19 Business Analysis Professionals on “Why, when and how should business analysts use BPMN?”.
Enjoy the read.
Read MoreWhy Should Business Analysts Use BPMN?
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To get an understanding of what Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) is, it is certainly helpful to look at it from the angle of what it is not.
Read More3 Types Of Questions You Should Avoid Asking Stakeholders
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Though you may catch yourself asking these types of questions from time to time, it’s important to be aware of them so that you can learn to consciously avoid them with some practice.
Read MoreThe Importance Of Asking The "Right" Questions
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There is something superficial about today's culture, however: The masses of information available out there and the culture in most organizations can place significant pressure on professionals to project and exude knowledge. Consequently, admitting that one does not know can quickly become a source of stigma, especially in situations where one is “expected” to know.
Read MoreAn Awesome Guide To Requirements Elicitation: What To Do Before The Event
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To avoid project failure, it is extremely important to plan for elicitation events effectively so that any anticipated difficulties can be nipped in the bud. For quick tips on how to increase the chances of your requirements elicitation event (Brainstorming sessions, workshop sessions, etc) through effective planning and visualisation, get a copy of BAL's ebook.
Read MoreProcess Reference Models: Why You Should Use One
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What Are Process Reference Models?
It’s easier to describe them by saying what they are not:
They are NOT a step-by-step set of instructions that dictate how your processes should work. They only serve as a guide for making process decisions and will need to be modified to suit the requirements of your business
Read More5 BPI Diseases You Should Know About: Thoughts On Prevention And Cure
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“We started the project 3 months ago but it never really went anywhere”
“We just don’t have the resource to do it”
“SMT couldn’t see the point in making the changes we suggested”
Sound familiar? Guest Post By Hannah Lincoln, ITAS
Read MoreOrganising ERP Projects: The Role of Business Analysts
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The role of the BA may not always be clear or emphasised especially when key stakeholders and consultants are also on a project. This article discusses the role of BAs in an ERP project and how they can be organised to add value. How BAs are organised during ERP Projects can make a huge difference.
Read MoreKnowledge Management In Business Analysis: Multiplying Human Potential
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Who’s the one person in your team you simply can’t afford to lose? It’s okay - every business has one: some expert, savant, or otherwise indispensable worker who holds projects together like glue. People like these are called Subject Matter Experts. They are those from whom we elicit those requirements that are not always explicitly stated. These people are incredible assets—until they are no longer with the business…and then they become a liability. Guest Post By Edgar Wilson.
Read MoreBusiness Process Reengineering Vs Business Process Optimisation
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BPO and BPR are two separate approaches to achieving process improvement and they need to be understood within the context of improving business processes in order to identify which approach is best for your business.
Read MoreOn POCs, Pilots & Projects
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Proofs of Concept (POCs) and Pilots are 2 separate approaches for reducing risk when implementing a new system (technology or process) in an organization. Though critical to the implementation of successful systems, not all projects include them by default.
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