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What's a Business Model Canvas?
Did you know BABOK v3 includes 15 new techniques for business analysis? I have been introducing the new techniques at various conferences and audiences are loving the business model canvas! As a member of the BABOK Committee, I can assure that we love it too, and are...
Lean Requirements Practices = More Value, Less Waste
With increased focus on customer value and intense pressure to get products to market faster, leaders are always looking for ways to trim the fat. They frequently ask themselves, "How can we do more, faster?" Lean principles provide a path for increased efficiency...
User Stories: You Don’t Have to be Agile to Use Them!
In past articles, I’ve spent lots of time asking you to find common ground between waterfall and agile. Not to discount either approach, but in realization, when done well, they have more in common than we often recognize. This call to find bridges between approaches...
Diving Into Unofficial Roles and Responsibilities of the Business Analyst
WHY ARE WE THE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND THE BABYSITTERS? Often on airplanes I get asked, “So, what do you do?” I am sure if you travel you get this one as well! Do any of you answer with “I am a therapist?” Well, I do, and it works really well! I am a therapist that helps...
Analyst or Therapist? BAs Need to Stir Up the Animals!
Do you ever feel more like a psychoanalyst than a business analyst? It can be tough to get into the minds of our stakeholders to get the info we need, but approaching our work like a therapist might be helpful. Consider these thoughts on brainstorming sessions written...
The BA Role is Changing! Are you Keeping Up?
Requirements practices are changing--RAPIDLY! The dramatic changes in the business and technology space push us to be continuous learners. What are you doing to keep up with ever-evolving requirements practices? There are three primary factors converging to instigate...
The Business Analyst’s Accountability in Scope Creep and Changing Requirements
In my community membership (BA-Cube.com), classes, and consulting work I get the same complaints when I ask teams about the biggest roadblocks in requirements work: "My stakeholders don't have time to meet with me." "My dev team wants more details, technical ones."...
Your Backlog Might Be Broken If….(Part 1)
How does your team build and manage their backlog? Is your current process working well or does your backlog need a reboot? One of the most overlooked factors of team success or failure is the health the backlog. Success or failure often hinges on the amount of love...
Your Backlog Might Be Broken If…(Part 2)
One of the most overlooked factors of project success or failure is the health the project’s backlog. How does your project team build and manage their to-do list? Is your current process working well or does your backlog need a reboot? Poor backlog management yields...
2014 BA-Squared Wrap-Up, Looking Forward to 2015
As the year-end approaches, I get a bit reflective. I consider the past, present and future of BA-Squared. I appreciate the growth, I ponder lessons learned, and I am excited about the future. When BA-Squared was founded in 2008, I didn't really know what the future...
Don’t Force Typical Templates on Packaged Software Projects
One of the most interesting trends I’ve seen in my business analysis career is the shift from custom software development to package software implementation. Traditionally, large corporations created in-house teams that supported business functions by developing...
Don't Forget the A in BA – Make Time for Analysis!
As I move forward into each new year, I start thinking about goals--questioning the things I want to do better or differently. This year, many of my goals stand under the umbrella of time. I've been thinking about how I use my time and questioning how to use it...