Modeling requirements, on the surface, to many of our stakeholders often seem easy or simple, but they are actually quite complex and can take a long time to master. This “complexity” is driven by many things including; different types of modeling (process, data, use case, interface, and scope modeling) size of project, methodology, approach, stakeholder preferences, and time to model. As a result, I often see Business Analysts frequently needing to repair, reconstruct, or renovate their requirements models which is not always a good thing nor does it always make sense. One of these works for me and the other two do not.

Renovation – it works. When I think of renovation, I often think of process improvement efforts. Continuous improvements. To reinvigorate something, make new, revive. It is about keeping value, being future focused. This concept for any business makes sense to me. This type of remodeling works because it is often driven by ideation, some kind of Enterprise Analysis, Six Sigma, Lean, or other approach. It, perhaps, can even be seen as an attitude or force that drives how you work, but it is different than repairs or reconstructions, which do not work for me.

Repairs and reconstruction – do not work. Why do we have to repair or reconstruct our requirements models? When I think of repairing or completely reconstructing requirements models, I think of rework. I do not like to work much as it is, so the idea of doing it again is not exciting to me. A classic example is the process flow diagram. Let’s run through a scenario:

1. Business Analyst schedules meeting with stakeholders to discuss process.
2. BA interviews stakeholders during meeting.
3. BA takes notes and goes back to cube to work on process flow.
4. BA schedules new meeting for review.
5. BA reviews process flow with stakeholders at meeting.
6. Stakeholders rip the process flow to shreds.
7. Go to step 3.

And there you have it. A potential infinite loop of rework! And this loop is costing a lot of time and money. Time you probably did not have to begin with. So we need to ask some questions. Did you understand your stakeholder’s point of view? Did you have the correct stakeholders? What approach to your model did you take? The approach is very important. It drives how and when you model. Is there a different way of doing this? How about this as an alternative:

1. Business Analyst schedules interactive process modeling meeting with stakeholders to discuss process.
2. BA facilitates stakeholders during meeting to “interactively” develop the process model together as a team during the meeting using white board, post-its, or other preferred materials.
3. BA gains agreement/consensus on the process model at the meeting.
4. BA takes picture of agreed upon process flow with smart phone and goes back to cube to create a final version in the company’s diagramming tool of choice.

Less steps, less rework = less cost and less chance of needing repairs! If you do your stakeholder analysis up front you can get the right people. The stakeholders, together as a group, will provide their viewpoints during the meeting. The approach requires less time. Remember, for this approach to work, the BA must be a strong facilitator (a theme in the BABOK®).

So with regard to repair and reconstructing requirements, I am not a big fan. An anonymous salesman once said, “Genius is the ability to evade work by doing something right the first time.” What you are really doing is evading the rework. I cannot agree more. Renovation will be needed some year in the future, but if we can avoid the repair and reconstruction on our current projects our work lives will be more enjoyable. Modeling is complex, but if we can do something proactively to limit repairs and reconstruction, well, that is where the true value of your requirements “home” will be kept up and you will not have to wait for the market to rebound.

The Big Remodel was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

The local branch of IIBA hosted a presentation on “CBAP/CCBA Application Tips and Tricks.” There were 30 interested, motivated BAs present and asking great questions about their applications and qualifications for the CBAP or in some cases a few CCBAs.

We came away thinking that an international organization like the IIBA is adding tremendous value to the practice of business analysis. It is fostering a common BA language around the world, and bringing us together as a profession. (No, Kathleen Barrett did not pay me to write that!) I had assumed the presentation audience would be similar to US-based ones, and I had no idea just how similar they would be. Heck, they even laughed at all my lame jokes!

Before leaving, we of course posed for more pictures. We were glad to return home, and at the same time, had already missed our South African friends and colleagues. We’d love to go back!

South Africa Journal #5 – IIBA Cape Town – Aug 10, 2011 was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

Elizabeth presented to the chapter while we were there, and talked on “Is Your Organization Agile-Ready?” It was a lively session with much discussion about how to successfully adopt Agile – and how not to.  Attendees agreed their organizations were in various stages of being Agile-ready, and said they had good take-aways to bring back to the job with them.

It was cool that we had our food after the presentation, and not before it like chapters in the US normally do. It struck me as similar to having dinner after a theater play vs. before a play like in the US.  I think I prefer the food after the event! We posed with some of the board members of the chapter to mark the occasion.

South Africa Journal #3 – IIBA Meeting – Aug 4, 2011 was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

In a conversation with a CBAP candidate last week I found out AXA Equitable Insurance recognizes the CBAP as an element in deciding on promotions. She said “For me, it is a critical factor to being promoted in my company. It is a critical step needed for me to move from Senior to Lead BA in a mature BA practicing company.”

People, this is powerful stuff. AXA is on the forefront of the industry by using the CBAP as a measure of progress towards BA excellence. If they see the CBAP as a requirement for getting a promotion, will your company be far behind?

CBAP Can Lead to Job Promotions was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

5. Obtain Better Assignments. I hear more and more stories from CBAPs who tell me about getting more satisfying and higher-profile assignments once they have obtained their CBAP. The numbers this has happened to are split fairly evenly between internal employees and external consultants. For an interesting perspective of one consultant, Brian Hunt, and what the CBAP has meant to him, see his article How CBAP® Helps You Become a Better Consultant.

4. Obtain Greater Earning Potential. The IIBA has released a survey that shows CBAPs earn 10% higher salaries on average than non-CBAPs. See the article on the IIBA website. The same differential has been true in project management for years, with PMPs earning higher salaries on average than non-PMPs. It doesn’t surprise me that CBAPs can earn higher salaries than non-CBAPs.

3. Learn New Things and Increase Your Confidence. Every CBAP candidate has learned valuable things when preparing and studying for the CBAP exam. Depending on your background, the amount you learn can range from moderate to substantial. The BABOK® Guide contains knowledge and techniques used throughout that industry, and I guarantee you that no BA knows it all or has used everything in the BABOK®. There were several things I learned when I studied for my own CBAP, and I feel more confident as a result.

2. Show a Professional Level of Competence. Getting certified shows you have the knowledge necessary to be an effective business analyst. The CBAP exam has several questions that require you to apply your knowledge to solving situational or scenario-based questions.

1. Demonstrate Commitment. According to a panel of CIOs, the thing they value most about the CBAP is that is demonstrates a commitment to the BA profession. When they hire or promote BAs, the CBAP credential tells them that the person who attained it is dedicated to business analysis and demonstrates initiative. Those intangibles, particularly when combined with good communication and analytical skills, shows a person who is an outstanding BA. That combination can make a big difference in your career, whether it’s a promotion or new job you are seeking.

No doubt, you will have your own unique motivations for getting your CBAP or CCBA credential. But, one thing is for certain: you will discover some or all of the above benefits for doing so.

For more CBAP resources, visit our web site at www.watermarklearning.com/cbap.

Top Five Reasons to Get your CBAP (or CCBA) was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

First of all, nearly everyone preparing for the CBAP questions the BABOK^® and how it may or may not be “real life.” What I tell people is that everything in the BABOK is somebody’s real life! That may or may not be a comfort, but it does put it in perspective.

Most of the topics at my recent session pertained to the CBAP and CCBA application. Here are some notable questions that came up and my answers. Hope this helps you.

A. This is a very common concern. If you have contacts from your project still working at the company, that is obviously the best contact to list. If not, what I tell people is to list a contact who you worked with at the company in question, even if they have moved on to another company. In extreme cases in which there is no one you worked with still around, you should list someone in Human Resources who can attest that you worked at the company in a BA capacity during the time you listed for your project.

One of the attendees at the application session mentioned one of her past companies went out of business and no one works there anymore. You should document that for the IIBA, and still try to find colleagues who worked with you during the same timeframe who could be listed as contacts. Try using LinkedIn to locate possible contacts who worked with you in your past jobs.

Q. How can we avoid having hours deducted from our application? I’ve read that IIBA can do that if you are not careful.

A. Yes, IIBA can and does deduct hours from applications. I have heard stories of applicants who had that happen and ended up just a few hours short of the requirements because of it.  Our advice: only report BA hours and only indicate BA tasks. Look carefully at the tasks in the CBAP or CCBA application. By understanding the BABOK^® and its tasks, you can spot the non-BA tasks in the application. Avoid the non-BA tasks and don’t report hours on projects spent doing non-BA work.

For example, the task “Communicated requirements” is a BA task, but “Conducted design walkthroughs” is not. If those were the only two tasks you checked for Requirements Management and Communication, then IIBA would deduct 50% of your reported hours for that Knowledge Area, because the latter task is not considered a BA task.

Q. I worked on many small projects, as many as 100 in a year. How should we handle that?

 A. IIBA says to consolidate them for a given year and organize them around a software application, business initiative, etc.

Q. I interfaced with testing and training teams and did some testing myself. I understand the hours spent testing don’t account. How do I account for the time spent in setting up testing and training strategies and objectives?

A. First, for testing. What I recommend is to think about the time you spent defining acceptance criteria. Technique 9.1 in the BABOK^® is called “Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition” and would apply here. The most applicable task would be “Validate Solution,” and the application calls this “Defined acceptance criteria for the solution.” For training, actually doing any training doesn’t count for hours. But, if you spent time defining requirements for the training to meet to assist in implementing the solution, than the application task “Defined transition requirements” would count and that is what you would indicate.

Q. Can we get the tips on which tasks in the BABOK areas apply only to BA work?

A. We have a worksheet that captures your work experience by knowledge area and general task.  The tasks we list are the safe ones to check for BA work. You should still review the BABOK^® to make sure that you understand what the tasks mean. For a copy, please visit our CBAP Resources page, or write to us at info@WatermarkLearning.com  and ask for a copy of our CBAP or CCBA Application Project Hours worksheet.

1)       Get a copy of the BABOK^® by downloading it from the IIBA.

2)      Read our book, CBAP Certification Study Guide.

Common Questions for the CBAP and CCBA Applications was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

1. Not enough study time. A major mistake is not studying enough. According to our research, successful CBAP® candidates spent an average of around 100 hours studying for their CBAP®. Give yourself at least several weeks and spread that time out before you take your exam.
2. Applying too soon. You have one year to take the exam after your CBAP®/CCBA™ application is approved. If you are not sure, you might want to apply for the exam after you have 50 hours of study time completed. A student of mine waited until two weeks before her one-year deadline to take a class and to begin studying in earnest. Needless to say, she did not pass.
3. Using only one Method of Study. A prime cause of stress over the CBAP® that I have observed is relying on one primary method of study. In my case, I relied solely on the BABOK®, and only read it once at that. During my CBAP® exam there were several questions I felt completely unprepared for and more than once wished I had studied using more than my one method.  
4. Relying on the Wrong Method of Study. There is no one study formula that works for everyone. Rely on the study methods that fit your learning style. If you like data and facts, then read (and re-read the BABOK®). If you are a “get to the point” and practical learner, focus on practice exam questions. If you are an interactive or reflective learner, you will do best with classes and study groups. Using non-compatible methods (such as re-reading the BABOK® for a practical learner) will tend to de-motivate you and may even prevent you from finishing your certification.
5. Not Answering Enough Practice Questions. It may sound like a sales pitch, but it is essential to practice answering as many sample exam questions as possible. (Full disclosure: we offer a CBAP®/CCBA™ Online Study Exam.) One person I know who failed the CBAP® exam only answered one set of 150 practice questions before her exam. People who passed the exam report they practiced answering 10 times that number or more.
6. Trying to Reconcile the BABOK® with Your Work Experience. I have seen many people stress out over comparing the BABOK® with their “real life” experience. A discussion of how the BABOK® differs from “real life” has happened in every CBAP® Prep class I have taught. My advice: set your personal experience aside and concentrate on mastering the content in the BABOK®, which is what the CBAP® and CCBA™ exams are based on.
7. Answering Questions Based on Your Work Experience. A related mistake is to take your experience into the exam and use it to answer questions. The CBAP® exam won’t test your individual experience, but will test you on the “generally accepted practice of business analysis.” If you don’t answer accordingly, it will be a mistake that could cause you to incorrectly answer questions and worst of all, fail the exam.
8. Trying to Memorize the BABOK®. True, it is helpful to commit to memory some of the key BABOK® concepts and terms. But, you will need to apply them to situational questions in the CBAP® exam. There will be many problem-solving types of questions on the CBAP® exam and you will be asked to apply your knowledge to answer these types of questions, not just regurgitate it.
9. Not Starting. I know several people who have said they want to get their CBAP® or CCBA™ certification, but, they will never receive the benefits of certification if they don’t start. Benefits people tell me they have gotten from their CBAP® credential include: personal satisfaction, greater credibility, selection on better and higher-profile projects, getting hired as employees and consultants, and higher pay. 
10. Not Finishing. I know other people who have started the CBAP® certification process, but have stalled out because of time pressures at home or work. The key is to not lose sight of your goal and keep at it when you do have time. It is a lot of work, but then it would not mean as much if were easy, right? The results and sense of accomplishment are well worth the effort.

Hopefully, reading about these mistakes will help you to avoid making them yourself. If you know of other tips to avoid, I’d like to hear them and share them with others. Please post them here or write me at Richard.Larson@WatermarkLearning.com with your ideas and tips.

For more information on this topic:

• Visit our CBAP®/CCBA™ Exam Prep Resources webpage.
• See our course called CBAP® Certification Preparation.
• See our course called CCBA™ Certification Preparation.
• Read our Foolproof Plan for Passing the CBAP® Exam article.

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Earning your CBAP® or CCBA™ was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

Problem or Vision Statement and Feasibility Analysis

This week I’m writing about two specialized and powerful techniques that are useful not only for business analysis, but project management and other disciplines. These two come up in context of Enterprise Analysis, which deals with understanding business needs, devising proposed solutions for those needs, and building a business case for getting it done. I’m writing about BABOK® techniques not only to help people pass the CBAP® or CCBA™ exam, but because they are useful on the job, too.

Problem or Vision Statement

This technique is more of a standard or guideline. It helps us to clarify a business need, identifies stakeholders, and projects the potential benefits of a proposed solution to address the business need. A typical problem statement consists of:

                  Figure from CBAP Certification Study Guide by the author

 I use the problem statement technique to help understand the real business need, and not just the stated solution. How many times do you hear stakeholders say “We need to install package XYZ…tomorrow!” or “Please add field ABC to the Order table so I can see it on my daily report.”? The problem statement helps to define critical aspects of a request to help define the underlying need.

Problem statement may be too limiting, so the synonym “Vision Statement” makes it suitable for “opportunity–type” requests.

Following the BABOK®, if you define a business need, then figure out the gap in internal capabilities to meet that need, an enduring solution can be then determined. Rather than “jump to a solution” as so often happens in business, the BABOK® points out that appropriate solutions come best from addressing the need first, analyzing the gap next, and determining solutions to fill the gap.

For small and simple situations, individual or small-group analysis often is appropriate to determine a feasible approach. For larger efforts, a feasibility study is often performed. A feasibility study is an initial study to determine whether a project/solution provides the expected benefit to accomplish a business need.

The intent of this technique is to understand the business drivers behind an initiative. Informally, we often call this “what problem are we trying to solve?” Ideally, the team working on the initiative will document concise, measurable objectives for the proposed solution to meet. These objectives can form the basis for evaluating recommendations to meet the business need.

For example, a business need might be to process loan applications in hours instead of days. An obvious objective in this case would be the time a proposed solution would take to process applications. If possible, defining business benefits from a solution (e.g., money saved or increased customer satisfaction) would be useful for evaluating possible solutions.

In many cases, a feasibility study is a project in itself. In other cases, it is wrapped into the front end of a project. The BABOK® mentions that feasibility analysis is used for major business initiatives, such as adding new lines of business, performing acquisitions, new product development, etc. It also mentions shorter studies are appropriate for lower-investment situations.

Check out Wikipedia’s page on Feasibility Study. For more fun, they have a reference to an episode of The Outer Limits called “A Feasibility Study.” Who knew?

==========================

To learn more…

1)       Get a copy of the BABOK by downloading it from the IIBA.

2)      View the examples cited above.

3)      Read about all the task-specific techniques in our CBAP Certification Study Guide.

4)      Take our CBAP Certification Preparation training course.

Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP and CCBA Exams: Part 5 was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

Q. Can you please give me some advice on starting my preparation for the CBAP® exam? How did you prepare for it? Where are CBAPs most valued in the world?

A. Thanks for writing. I wrote an article about an approach to passing the CBAP exam. It’s based on surveying a wide group of CBAPs who passed the exam. For my own certification, I mainly used the BABOK and my knowledge as a PMP because there were no other study aids available in early 2007 when I took the exam. The CBAP exam is based largely on the BABOK®, so our Study Guide will be a big help to understanding the BABOK® and to answering questions about it.

To prepare, I’d suggest reading the article and using it to create your own plan. Everyone studies differently, depending on their learning style. Overall, you should expect to study 80-100+ hours for the exam based on the median and average study times of 100 hours in our survey. One other tip is to use our online study exam system that you receive with the purchase of your Guide. It has summary feedback by knowledge area so you can judge your mastery of the BABOK. Each question has explanations for correct and incorrect answers. Students in our CBAP Prep classes tell us the incorrect explanations are very useful to help them learn the BABOK® concepts.

Based on the numbers of CBAPs by location, the certification seems to be most valued in the US and Canada, particularly in Ontario (Canada) and in Minnesota (US). These two areas have the highest number of CBAPs of anywhere in the world. There are now 1000 CBAPs in the world, a nice threshold that we crossed. Hope this helps you, and best wishes on passing the CBAP exam!

Q. Do you plan to offer separate training on preparing for the new CCBA exam?

A. We are not planning on offering a separate CCBA Study Guide or Exam Prep class. From everything the IIBA has announced the exam will be based on the BABOK®, so our Study Guide, preparation class, and all of our ancillary products will still be highly applicable. We urge CCBA candidates to download a copy of the BABOK from the IIBA and begin their preparation by reading it thoroughly. We’ll make a more formal announcement of our plans as we learn more from IIBA, and when their CCBA exam gets closer to being ready. The exam is scheduled to be available in the first quarter of 2011.

• Read our article called “Foolproof Plan for Passing the CBAP.”
• View our CBAP Frequently Asked Questions page to read more about the CBAP exam.
• Download the BABOK from IIBA.
• View information on the CCBA certification.
• Check out our CBAP Resources.

CBAP and CCBA Exam Preparation was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog

Here are some basic facts about re-certification:

• Your CBAP® status must be renewed every 3 years from the anniversary date of earning your initial CBAP®.

• You need 60 CDUs every three years to re-certify. There are limits to the numbers of CDUs per category, so you must have CDUs from at least two categories.

• IIBA will notify you by email approximately 3 months in advance of your anniversary, and will send a copy of the necessary handbook, application, and reporting form. In the future, the process will be online, but for now the email route is needed.

Here are the steps to follow for re-certification, along with a little advice:

1. Document your BA experience, professional activities and training, and any volunteer work. It will be easy if you were diligent about recording your CDUs as you earn them, which is what I suggest. I did this only for some of my activities, and spent many hours assembling the missing data to complete my application. I learned the hard way and have already created a spreadsheet and have begun tracking all my CDUs for my next cycle!

2. Get the CBAP® Re-Certification Handbook, CBAP® Recertification Application Form, and CBAP® CDU Reporting Form. (For now, these will be emailed as I mentioned). The handbook lists examples of and the maximum CDUs you can claim in a 3-year period for each of the following six categories:

As an example, I had 21 CDUs in category two, way more than 30 CDUs in category three, 16 in category four, and many more than 30 CDUs in category five. I submitted everything, even though I had enough in only two of the categories.

3. Complete the CBAP® CDU Reporting Form (most time-consuming). The IIBA will carefully review each item you submit, so be detailed and thorough. Make sure you assemble any corresponding documentation, such as class certificates to support your application. (Note: all Watermark Learning BA classes are EEP-(Endorsed Education Provider) approved, which makes life easier. Save the CDU forms we provide with every training class, or contact us to get the EEP number for any course.)

4. Complete and sign the Application Form. The form is self-explanatory so no advice needed here.

5. Mail the forms along with a check for $85.00 USD (IIBA-members) or $120.00 USD for non-members. I sent mine certified mail to make sure it was received. IIBA says your CBAP status will lapse if they don’t receive your re-certification forms post-marked by your anniversary date. The same is true if you forget to send in your fee.

Then you wait, for up to 90 days to hear whether IIBA has approved your application. We all hope this timeframe will be shortened as more people re-certify.

Foolproof Plan for Passing the CBAP

Download this article on passing the CBAP exam and start studying! (You must be a Watermark Learning Member to access this article.  Membership is free and allows you to access valuable skill-development tools, such as articles, webinars, eNewsletters and special discounts.)

5 Steps to CBAP® Re-Certification was posted at ProjectBrief Blog. | http://www.watermarklearning.com/blog