10 techniques for business analysts (bas) to model and ... · analysis.” - babok® v3.0. process...

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10 techniques for Business Analysts (BAs) to model and analyze Business Intelligence (BI) requirements

▪ Started Life as a Front-end Web Publisher at Netflix (when it was a start-up) back in 1998

▪ Transitioned to Business Analysis in 2005

▪ Joined Skyline Technologies in 2013

▪ CBAP® certified since 2015

▪ PMI-PBA® certified since 2017

▪ CSM with Scrum Alliance

▪ PSM with Scrum.org

▪ (And I blame my husband for my last name…)

About Me

Rachael Wilterdink

▪ To teach you about the modeling and analysis techniques

for Business Intelligence projects

▪ To add some of these new tools to your toolbox so you can

try them out on your next BI project

Learning Objectives

Anyone who works with identifying,

modeling, and analyzing data and

business requirements for Business

Intelligence projects, regardless of your

official “job title”

Who Is This For?

Business Rules Analysis

1


"Business Rules analysis is used to identify,

express, validate, refine, and organize the rules

that shape day-to-day business behavior and guide

operational business decision making.“

- BABOK® v3.0


What are Business Rules?

Directives that serve as criteria to:

▪ Guide behavior

▪ Shape judgments

▪ Make decisions


What is their source?

May be explicitly found in:

▪ Documented policies

▪ Regulations

▪ Contracts

May also be tacitly found in:

▪ Undocumented stakeholder know-how

▪ Generally-accepted business practices

▪ Norms of the corporate culture


What are their attributes?

Business rules should be:

▪ Specific

▪ Testable

▪ Explicit

▪ Clear

▪ Accessible

▪ Single-sourced

▪ Practicable (need no further interpretation)


General principles for Business Rules:

▪ Base them on standard business vocabulary

▪ Express them separately from how they will be enforced

▪ State them atomically and declaratively

▪ Map them to decisions the rule supports (or constrains)

▪ Maintain them so they can be monitored and adapted


Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®

Data Dictionary

2

Data Dictionary

"A data dictionary is used to standardize a

definition of data elements and enable a

common interpretation of data elements.“

- BABOK® v3.0

Data Dictionary

What is a Data Dictionary?

Detailed list of:

▪ Data elements

▪ Their characteristics

▪ Possible values

NOTE: Also referred to as “metadata repositories”

Data Dictionary

What are the elements?

Primitive (singular) Data elements:

▪ Name

▪ Aliases

▪ Values/Meanings

▪ Description

Composite (combined) Data elements:

▪ Sequences

▪ Repetitions

▪ Optional items

Data Dictionary

How are they used?

▪ To Manage data within context of a solution

▪ To standardize usage and meaning of data elements

NOTE: often used in conjunction with other models, such as ERD (Entity

Relationship Diagrams)

Data Dictionary


Data Flow Diagrams

3

Data Flow Diagrams

“Data flow diagrams show where data

comes from, which activities process the

data, and if the output results are stored or

utilized by another activity or external

entity.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Data Flow Diagrams

What are Data Flow Diagrams?

Diagrams that depict data’s:

▪ Source

▪ Activities

▪ Inputs/Outputs

▪ Transformations

▪ Temporary or permanent repository locations

NOTE: often used in conjunction with data dictionaries

Data Flow Diagrams


External components:

▪ Entity – person, system, device

▪ Source – where the data comes from

▪ Sink – where the data goes

Processes:

▪ Manual, or

▪ Automated

Data Stores:

▪ Data at rest

Data Flow:

▪ Holds processes together


Data Flow Diagrams

What are the different levels of abstraction?

Level 0

▪ Context Diagram, often used to depict scope

Levels 1+

▪ Break down the major processes from a Level 0 diagram

▪ These include the additional element of data stores


Data Flow Diagrams

DFD Level 0 - Context Diagram


Data Flow Diagrams

DFD Level 1+


Data Modeling

4

Data Modeling

"A data model describes the entities, classes, or

data objects relevant to a domain, the attributes

that are used to describe them, and the

relationships among them to provide a common

set of semantics for analysis and implementation.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Data Modeling

What are Data Models?

Data models are diagrams typically supported by text descriptions.

They visually represent:

▪ People

▪ Places

▪ Things

▪ Transactions

▪ Associated attributes

▪ Relationships between them

Data Modeling

What types are there?

Conceptual:

Shows how the business

perceives its

information.

Logical:

An abstraction of the

conceptual model plus

rules of normalization for

managing integrity.

Often associated with

design.

Physical:

Used for implementation

to describe how a

database is physically

organized.

Data Modeling

What are their elements?

Entities or Classes represent:

▪ Physical

▪ Organizational

▪ Abstract

▪ Events

Attributes may include:

▪ Name

▪ Values/meanings

▪ Description

Relationships / associations Metadata (data about data)

Data Modeling

ERD - Crow's Foot Notation Example from: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/er-diagrams?a=1

Data Modeling

UML - Class Diagram


Decision Modeling

5

Decision Modeling

“Decision modeling shows how repeatable

business decisions are made.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Decision Modeling

What is Decision Modeling?

▪ Models that show how data and knowledge combine to aid decision-

making

▪ Can be used for both straightforward and complex decisions

▪ Linked to processes, performance, and organizations

▪ Represents decisions as analytical insights

Decision Modeling

What are the types?

Decision Tables:

Tabular representation

of inputs to determine

outcomes, with rules

and conditions

Decision Trees:

Also represent business

rules, using nodes

Decision Diagram:

Represents the

decision-making logic

for more complicated

decisions

Decision Modeling

What are the key elements?

▪ Decision

▪ Information

▪ Knowledge

Decision Modeling

Decision Table

Example from: “BABOK® (Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”, published by IIBA®

Decision Modeling

Decision Tree


Decision Modeling

Decision Requirements Diagram


Glossary

6

Glossary

“A glossary defines key terms relevant to a

business domain.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Glossary

What is a Glossary?

▪ A list of terms used to provide a common understanding between

stakeholders

▪ Provides a common language to communicate

▪ Continuously updated and accessible to all

Glossary


Terms are included in a glossary when:

▪ They are unique to a domain

▪ There are multiple existing definitions

▪ The definition implied is outside the team’s use

▪ There’s a reasonable chance of misunderstanding

Glossary

Considerations

▪ Definitions should be:

o Clear

o Concise

o Brief

▪ Acronyms should be spelled out

▪ It should be easily and reliably accessible to stakeholders

▪ Limit editing access to a small number of stakeholders

Glossary

Report Table

7

Report Table

“A report table is a model that captures the

detailed level requirements for a single

report.”

- BA Practitioners Practice Guide (PMI®)

Report Table

What is a Report Table?

A set of requirements for a single report

Report Table


▪ Report Prototype – a sample of the report’s structure and layout

▪ Top-level elements and their descriptions

▪ Field-level items and their descriptions

Report Table

What is this used for?

Modeling the requirements for a report in a way that separates the different

levels of detail needed to develop the report

Report Table

Report Prototype


Report Table

Top Level

Example from:

“Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®

Report Table

Field Level


Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

8


"Metrics and key performance indicators

measure the performance of solutions,

solution components, and other matters of

interest to stakeholders.”

- BABOK® v3.0


What are Metrics & KPIs?

Metric:

Quantifiable levels to

measure progress

Indicator:

Numbers measuring

degree of progress

toward:

▪ Goal

▪ Objective

▪ Output

▪ Activity

▪ Further Output

Key Performance

Indicator (KPI):

Metric used for strategic

purposes



Indicators, that are:

▪ Clear

▪ Relevant

▪ Economical

Structure

▪ Reliable

▪ Valid

▪ Timely

Metrics:

Quantifiable

Reporting:

Visual output

▪ Adequate

▪ Quantifiable

▪ Trustworthy / Credible


How is this used?

▪ To compare baseline metrics against current ones, to target difference in

both relative and absolute terms

▪ To identify credible trends

▪ To visually and effectively represent and explain data


Example from: http://www.pnmsoft.com/resources/bpm-tutorial/key-performance-indicators/

Process Modeling

9

Process Modeling

"Process modeling is a standardized

graphical model used to show how work is

carried out and is a foundation for process

analysis.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Process Modeling

What is a Process Model?

A model describing the sequential flow of work or activities. Types include:

▪ Business

▪ System

▪ Program

They can be depicted at different levels

Process Modeling


▪ Activities

▪ Events

▪ Directional Flow

▪ Decision Points

▪ Links

▪ Roles

Process Modeling

What are the types?

▪ Flowcharts

▪ Value stream mapping

▪ Activity Diagrams

▪ Data flow diagrams (UML)

▪ Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)

▪ SIPOC

▪ Etc.

Process Modeling

Flowcharts Example from:

“BABOK®

(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,

published by IIBA®

Process Modeling

Activity Diagrams Example from:

“BABOK®


published by IIBA®

Process Modeling

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)Example from:

“BABOK®


published by IIBA®

Prototyping

10

Prototyping

“Prototyping is used to elicit and validate

stakeholder needs through an iterative process

that creates a model or design of requirements. It

is also used to optimize user experience, to

evaluate design options, and as a basis for

development of the final business solution.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Prototyping

What is a Prototype?

A way to provide early modeling to identify:

▪ Missing requirements

▪ Improperly specified requirements

▪ Unsubstantiated assumptions

▪ Early stages of design

Prototyping

What are the types?

▪ Throw-away

▪ Evolutionary (or Functional)

Prototyping

What are some examples?

▪ Proof of Concept (or Principle)

▪ Form Study

▪ Usability

▪ Visual

▪ Functional

Prototyping

Low-fidelity High-fidelity

(Throw-away) (Evolutionary)

Example from: https://www.mockplus.com/blog/post/high-fidelity-and-low-fidelity

Questions?

Solutions Consulting

▪ Discovery Services

▪ Product Setup

▪ Better Requirements Training and

Coaching

▪ Business Analysis

▪ Coaching and Mentoring

▪ Maturity Assessments

▪ Staff Aug Opportunities

▪ Agile Enablement Services

For more about Skyline Offerings contact us at [email protected]

Rachael Wilterdink, CBAP®, PMI-PBA®, PSM, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Use case

Client or IndustryProject Name

• Intuitive Interface

• Etc.

Why They’re Using SharePoint:

Industries Served

• Business Services

• Financial Services

• Manufacturing

• Education

• Health Care

• Business Services

• Banking

• Financial Services

• Manufacturing

• Education

• Health Care

• Insurance

• Retail

• Non-profit

"Skyline brought together not only the

intrinsic skill sets that we sought to add to

our project, but more importantly these

skills came attached to approachable,

thoughtful, honest human beings.“

Neil Perry, Director of Technology

SASED

• Banking

• Insurance

• Retail

• Municipal

• Non-profit

10 techniques for business analysts (bas) to model and ... · analysis.” - babok® v3.0. process...

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