In this article, we will review and analyse the business analysis process for gathering data and setting appropriate project objectives. There are several techniques and tools recommended by PMI that should be included in your business analysis toolkit. In this article, we will describe seven of them and examine the pros and cons of each.

1. Brainstorming

An important aspect of business analyst skills involves brainstorming taking place in a group setting led by a mentor and is usually divided into two parts: Idea generation and analysis.

The first part, idea generation, takes place when the mentor raises an issue or problem. A good mentor ensures that all participants take an active role. The ideas or solutions expressed should be free form. As in most group activities, the assembled group should feed on ideas and solutions presented by other group members. All ideas and solutions should be recorded by the business analyst or a nominated scribe so that the whole group can see them and generate further ideas and solutions.

The second part, the analysis, is designed to create a usable fact sheet from the initial list of ideas. Appropriate presentation of the ideas collected in the idea generation section should ensure that all parties have a clear and coherent vision of the landscape.

2. Document Analysis

This is where the business analyst will review all relevant documents available. The business analyst will extract information that is relevant to the current venture. The advantages of this type of information gathering method include having access to concrete data that others may not have. In addition, documentation tends to be more accurate than brain dumps of team members.

Do not think that this is the easiest solution, the disadvantage of document analysis is the danger that they are outdated, inaccurate, difficult to access or not available.

3. Focus Groups

In this technique, the business analyst skills require the gathering of pre-qualified stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts (SME), Subject Matter Experts (SME), ideally 8-12. The main objective is for the business analyst to learn about their expectations and attitudes towards a proposed product, service or outcome.

The focus group facilitator will provide an outline of the team discussion. The facilitator will also be responsible for fostering a healthy team dynamic. Focus groups traditionally review completed studies or prototypes.

A major disadvantage of focus groups is that some participants may be overwhelmed by strong-willed team members and may therefore be unwilling or unable to provide objective feedback.

4. Facilitated Workshops

Facilitated workshops, also known as requirements workshops, are focused sessions that bring together key cross-functional stakeholders to define product requirements. Workshops are the primary technique for reconciling stakeholder differences. Due to the interactive group nature, well-managed sessions can build trust, foster relationships and improve communication between participants. This often leads to an increase in stakeholder consensus.

Facilitated workshops are expensive to run, given the number of people involved and the time commitments required for participation.

5. Interviews

Conducted on an individual basis, this survey is a formalised approach to obtaining responses from stakeholders. There are two basic types of questions, prepared and spontaneous. The real value of interviews is that they help to identify and define the characteristics and functions of the desired solution.

The first type of interview - Structured - starts with a prepared list of questions. The aim is to complete the entire list of questions within a certain time limit.

The second type of interview - Unstructured - also starts with a prepared list of questions, but depending on the answer to the first question, the course of the interview may vary in a number of ways. This type of interview requires the interviewer to focus on the topic.

6. Observations

Business analyst skills also include observation, in other words job shadowing. It offers a way to see people directly in their own environment as they carry out tasks and processes. Most people involved find it exponentially easier to demonstrate work processes rather than trying to describe the process. An important aspect of this method is to make sure that you are observing the actual process rather than how well the person is doing the task.

• Providing more information about tasks and activities that are difficult to define.
• Providing the opportunity to request a demonstration of complex tasks in order to obtain a description of the process performed.
• Providing information and visualisation together.
• Providing context around activities.

These are the benefits of correct observation. There are 4 types of observation depending on the situation

Passive - The observer will not interrupt the process. The observer will take detailed notes. - The observer will not interrupt the process. The observer will take detailed notes.

Active - The observer can interrupt the process, ask questions, seek clarification and ask for opinions. The information obtained in this way hinders the execution of the process but contributes to the urgency of the information gathering.

Participant - The observer will actually take part in the execution of the process. The observer will then experience what the processors go through in carrying out the process.

Simulation - This is the use of a tool that recreates the execution of the process. Although it is more expensive due to duplication of equipment and materials, it reduces the production of lost man-hours due to the lack of real-time process intervention.

The main disadvantage of the observation process is that most people will find themselves behaving differently when they realise they are being watched.

7. Surveys and Questionnaires

When presented with a set of written questions about a process or activity, respondents will tend to answer according to their own preconceptions about a particular process. Although this process reaches a large number of people, the usual percentage of responses is so low that it is not a representative cross-section of the people involved.

If the question is written in such a way that it can be answered with a simple yes or no, the data obtained from the questionnaire/survey will be suspect.

In our next content, we will examine project planning techniques.