Professional Training

Online course dates

The courses run as one full day (9-5) and four half (9-1) days. Monday to Friday.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites. However, attendees are advised that the course covers a range of topics from each chapter of the BCS Business Analysis, Paul, Yeates & Cadle (4th edition). It is recommended that text from syllabus headings * are studied by those preparing to take the exam.

Course Objectives

On completion of this training, attendees will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles and techniques in the following areas:

What is business analysis, its strategic context, and the competencies required
The “business analysis service framework”
Investigating a business situation, managing stakeholders, and improving processes
Defining a solution and making a business case
Establishing, documenting, modelling, validating, and managing requirements
Delivering the requirements and the business solution

Course outline

What is Business Analysis:
The business change lifecycle
Principles of business analysis
Variants of the business analyst role

The Competencies of a Business Analyst:
The T-shaped Professional
Areas of business analysis competency

The Strategic Context for Business Analysis:
External environment analysis using PESTLE
Internal environment analysis using VMOST
Performance Measurement – CSF’s, KPI’s
SWOT analysis
Strategy Execution and Business Model Canvas

The Business Analysis Service Framework:
Services in the BASF

Investigating the Business Situation:
Interviews
Workshops
Observation
Scenarios
Prototyping
User Role Analysis
Quantitative approaches
Techniques to record a business situation

Analysing and Managing Stakeholders:
Stakeholder categories
Stakeholder wheel
Power/Interest grid
Stakeholder management strategies
Stakeholder responsibilities using RACI

Improving Business Services and Processes:
Business process hierarchy
Enterprise level process modelling and SIPOC
Value chain analysis and value propositions
Business events and business process models
UML activity models
Actor-task level analysis
Analysing handoffs
Analysing tasks and procedures
Improving business processes
Customer journey maps

Defining the Solution:
Gap analysis process
POPIT
Developing options
Design Thinking

Making the Business Case:
Business case development lifecycle
Feasibility assessment
Structure and contents of a business case
Cost and benefits
Impact assessment and Risk assessment
Business case in an Agile context
CARDI log
Investment appraisal techniques

Establishing the Requirements
The requirements engineering framework
Actors in requirements engineering
Types of requirement
Hierarchy of requirements
Tacit knowledge
Requirements filters
INVEST
MoSCoW
Business Rules

Documenting and Modelling Requirements:
Documentation styles
The requirements catalogue
User stories format
Use case diagram
Class model
Product backlog
BRD Structure

Validating and Managing Requirements:
Types of requirements validation
Traceability and change control

Delivering the Requirements:
Types of delivery lifecycles

Delivering the Business Solution:
BA role in the business change lifecycle
SARAH model and business readiness
Benefits plan in the realisation stage

Who should attend

The certificate is relevant to anyone requiring a general understanding of business analysis. This includes Business Analysts, Product Owners, Change Managers, IT delivery project roles, business managers, and operational staff.

The course is also aimed at individuals who wish to become accredited in the internationally recognised BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis, on their path to achieving the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.