APPENDIX 8
BUSINESS ANALYSIS APPROACH
Explanation: A business analysis approach is used to agree and document the business analysis methods, priorities and ways of working. The breadth of potential areas for business analysis could be very wide, with many techniques available to BAs. The business analysis approach sets out a rationale for the areas of focus and techniques to be applied. This could take the format of a document, diagram, presentation, plan or structured conversation.
By considering the business analysis approach up front, the needs of the customer will drive the business analysis activities. This will ensure that the business analysis effort expended, and the deliverables produced, will help the business to make informed decisions and do not simply represent the analysis the BA wanted to deliver. The approach should not be ‘set in stone’; it may need to be refined or updated as more information becomes available or there are project changes.
SUGGESTED CONTENT FOR BA APPROACH
Document controls
Context
Purpose of the business analysis approach |
Why has this been created? |
Audience |
Who will receive and review the business analysis approach |
Glossary |
Key terms used, with descriptions |
Related documents |
For example, BA Service standards and guidance, related work packages, related project documentation, relevant plans |
Influencing factors |
The business analysis approach will be influenced by which business analysis services are being provided, needs of stakeholders, capacity and capability of BAs, BA Service maturity, internal and external context for the organisation, timescales, cost, risk appetite, existing analysis work, organisational priorities, access to stakeholders, supplier landscape, IT development approach as well as physical and logistic constraints (co-location, geography, time zones) It is useful to confirm with stakeholders and business analysts what the business analysis approach will be for this project and the key factors influencing the approach |
Business analysis planning |
Which business analysis services are most relevant? What are the stages of analysis? Who will define and deliver the business analysis activities? How will estimating and prioritising be carried out? How will progress be monitored? What are the dependencies? |
Stakeholder management |
How will stakeholders be identified? What stakeholder analysis techniques will be used? How will the analysis inform stakeholder engagement? What will be the methods and frequency of communication between BAs and stakeholders? |
Process management |
What is the level of process maturity in the organisation? Existence/role of process owners? Approach to process improvement? What will the processes be used for? How will processes be documented and managed? Levels of process to be documented? What supporting documentation is needed in addition to models? |
Requirements engineering |
Relationship to scoping? What will the requirements be used for (for example, organisational change, procurement, system development)? Agree a requirement hierarchy and life cycle. What elicitation techniques will be used? How will requirements be documented and managed? What estimation and prioritisation mechanisms will be used? How will traceability be achieved? |
Data analysis |
What will the analysis be used for? What is the level of data maturity in the organisation? Existence/role of data owners? How will data be documented and managed? What supporting documentation is needed in addition to models? |
What are the roles and responsibilities? What support and development needs do the BAs have? How will analysis work be allocated? Will work packages be used? How will additional resource be accessed if needed? Charging/funding considerations and mechanisms |
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Risk and issue management |
How will risks and issues arising from the business analysis work be communicated, captured and managed? |
Scope and change management |
How will questions relating to the scope of business analysis work and the scope of the project be addressed? What are the processes and the level of formality/documentation related to change management? |
Reporting lines and BA management |
What are the reporting lines to project roles and for BA oversight? What project meetings or mechanisms will be used for reporting on business analysis progress? How will issues be addressed or escalated? |
Business analysis tools and methodology |
What tools will be used? What are the implications of using the tool (access, training licensing)? What (if any) methodology will be followed? Why is this appropriate? |
Quality management |
What quality control processes will be applied? (Peer reviews, walk-throughs, review tracking and response mechanisms, use of product descriptions to set and manage expectations, adherence to standards, use of checklists, etc.) |
Business analysis standards |
What BA Service standards are applicable and will be adhered to? How will compliance to standards be monitored? |
Governance |
What approaches will be used for approvals and sign-off? Who needs to be involved? What is the level of formality/ documentation? |
Benefits management |
What are the responsibilities of the BAs in relation to benefits analysis and management? How will benefits be documented, categorised, measured and tracked? |
Business architecture |
What are the responsibilities of the BAs regarding business architecture? How will existing business architecture information be accessed and re-used? How will new architectural and design information and decisions be documented and shared? |
Conclusion, recommendations, next steps |
What are the outstanding questions that need to be resolved, decisions that need to be made, or recommendations in relation to moving forward with the analysis? What happens now? |