Well it is tax time once again and for some folks it is time to think of remodeling your home. Exciting right? It can be… it can also be a maddening roller coaster ride that is difficult to stop. The next thing you know, you have not only spent your tax refund, but you have invested heavily into a credit card (or two). We all know that this can happen and we all know people that have had remodeling horror stories, yet we still forge ahead and remodel. Why? Repairs, reconstruction, and renovation are common themes (needs) that drive us to remodeling. When it comes to your home they completely make sense. Broken things are not fun to live with, we can get bored with the same ol’, same ol’ and the value needs to be kept up while we are waiting for the market to rebound. But what about our requirements – the models we put together that help our stakeholders clearly understand the problem or opportunity we are trying to solve or present? Does remodeling make sense?
Posts Tagged ‘BABOK techniques’
The Big Remodel
Posted: February 7th, 2012 by Bob Prentiss. Comments »
7 Trends in Business Analysis and Project Management to Watch for in 2012
Posted: January 9th, 2012 by ElizabethLarson. Comments »By Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, CSM and Richard Larson PMP, CBAP
The close of one year tends to make one reflect on what has occurred in the past year and ponder the future. Here we ponder some trends in the Project Management and Business Analysis fields for 2012. Here are our top seven predictions for business analysts (BAs) and project managers (PMs) in 2012.
1. Divergence of the PM and BA Role. In 2009 we predicted that as the economy tightened, organizations would decrease their project budgets and combine the role of PM and BA. For 2012 we believe that organizations will see the need for both roles, particularly on strategic projects, and move away from a combined role. There are several factors for this trend:
BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP/CCBA Exam: Part 7
Posted: July 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Rich here. It’s been a while since I’ve written about BABOK techniques you need to know to pass the CBAP or CCBA exam. If I’m going to try and finish covering all 34 general and 15 task-specific ones by the end of the year, I have to get back to it.
In past blog posts I featured all the task-specific techniques and four of the general techniques: Data Modeling, Observation, Scenarios and Use Cases, and State Diagrams. Next I want to explore Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition with an excerpt from our book CBAP Certification Study Guide.
Task-Specific BABOK® Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 6
Posted: February 22nd, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
Prioritization Techniques
One of the most difficult things for many decision-makers is to prioritize their needs. It is far easier to say “everything is an A priority” than to rationally sort through the many features of a project and make tough decisions. It is frustrating to project teams to deal with this type of stakeholder, and fortunately there are techniques that can help.
There are three techniques mentioned in the BABOK® specifically to support prioritizing requirements. Some of the techniques are in wide use, and one of them is more a guideline than a technique. If you are studying for the CBAP® or CCBA™ exams, there is a good chance of being tested on one of these because of their importance.
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Earning your CBAP® or CCBA™
Posted: February 4th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
I’ve helped many people achieve their CBAP®, and I’ve seen a number of approaches. Most have been successful I’m happy to say. A few others have not been, either because candidates stressed out or were underprepared. Below is a summary of the top mistakes people have made in working towards their CBAP®.
- 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.
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP and CCBA Exams: Part 5
Posted: January 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »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
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 4
Posted: December 22nd, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Stakeholder Map and Variance Analysis
Here are two more task-specific techniques featured in the BABOK® Guide. These two are part of Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring. They are useful techniques in their own right and knowing about them will help you pass the CBAP® or CCBA™ exams.
Stakeholder Map
A stakeholder map is a visual diagram showing relationships between stakeholders and the solution. The BABOK mentions there are several types of maps and highlights two types. Chances are you won’t be tested on the details of either, so we refer you to examples found online.
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 3
Posted: October 27th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Coverage Matrix, Requirements for Vendor Selection, Requirements Documentation
Picking up where I left off on BABOK techniques, let’s cover three more task-specific techniques. Or, what might be considered outputs, or have been combined with other techniques. But, I’m editorializing again. 
Coverage Matrix
Somewhere along the line, the good old fashioned traceability matrix was renamed as a Coverage Matrix. You didn’t get the memo, you say? Neither did I. But, it illustrates an important point about preparing for the CBAP exam: use the BABOK terminology even if it disagrees with what you are familiar with.
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 2
Posted: September 16th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Baselining, Signoff, and Checklists
In my continuing coverage of the various BABOK techniques, I want to address three task-specific ones. There are 15 total task-specific techniques in the BABOK, and this entry outlines three of them. You should be familiar with each of these as part of your CBAP exam preparation, and for their overall applicability to business analysis.
Baselining
I think of baselining as more of a concept or what the BABOK calls an “element,” more than a true technique. Baselining involves establishing a point at which a project or product scope is agreed on, and any future changes should only be made using a change management process. If changes are approved, they are recorded, which creates a new baseline, and the scope is said to be “re-baselined.”
State Diagrams: They Don’t Just State the Obvious
Posted: June 6th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »In my continuing coverage of BABOK® techniques, I plan to comment on all of the general and task-specific techniques. This week’s entry is about state diagrams, a fairly specific technique you may not be familiar with, but could be a source of CBAP® exam questions. It’s also a practical tool. Hopefully my word puzzle on the right makes sense. Minnesota is a state, plus the word diagram = State Diagram. (Hokey, I know.)
