10 techniques for business analysts (bas) to model and analyze business intelligence ... ·...

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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

"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

Business Rules Analysis

What are Business Rules? What is their source? What are their attributes?

Directives that serve as

criteria to:

▪ Guide behavior

▪ Shape judgments

▪ Make decisions

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

Business rules should be:

▪ Specific

▪ Testable

▪ Explicit

▪ Clear

▪ Accessible

▪ Single-sourced

▪ Practicable (need no

further interpretation)

Business Rules Analysis

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

Business Rules Analysis

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? What are the elements? How are they used?

Detailed list of:

▪ Data elements

▪ Their characteristics

▪ Possible values

NOTE: Also referred to as

“metadata repositories”

Primitive (singular) Data elements

include:

▪ Name

▪ Aliases

▪ Values/Meanings

▪ Description

Composite (combined) data

elements also include:

▪ Sequences

▪ Repetitions

▪ Optional items

▪ 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

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

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?

What are the elements? What are the different

levels of abstraction?

Diagrams that depict data’s:

▪ Source

▪ Activities

▪ Inputs/Outputs

▪ Transformations

▪ Temporary or permanent

repository locations

External components:

▪ Entity – person, system, device

▪ Source – where the data comes from

▪ Sink – where the data goes

Data Stores – data at rest

Processes

▪ Manual, or

▪ Automated

Data Flow – holds processes together

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.

NOTE: often used in conjunction with data dictionaries

Data Flow Diagrams

DFD Level 0 - Context Diagram

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

Data Flow Diagrams

DFD Level 1+

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

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? What types are there? What are their elements?

Diagrams typically supported

by text descriptions

Visually represents:

▪ People

▪ Places

▪ Things

▪ Transactions

▪ Associated attributes

▪ Relationships between

them

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.

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

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

Decision Modeling

5

Decision Modeling

"Decision modeling shows how repeatable business

decisions are made.“

- BABOK® v3.0

Decision Modeling

What is Decision Modeling? What are the types? What are the key

elements?

▪ 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 Tables: tabular

representation of inputs to

determine outcomes, with rules and

conditions

Decision Trees: also represent

business rules, using nodes

Decision Requirements Diagram:

represents the decision-making logic

for more complicated decisions

▪ Decision

▪ Information

▪ Knowledge

Decision Modeling

Decision Table

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

Decision Modeling

Decision Tree

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

Decision Modeling

Decision Requirements Diagram

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

Glossary

6

Glossary

"A glossary defines key terms relevant to a business

domain.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Glossary

What is a Glossary? What are the elements? Considerations

▪ A list of terms used to

provide a common

understanding between

stakeholders

▪ Provides a common

language to communicate

▪ Continuously updated and

accessible to all

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

▪ Definitions should be:

▪ Clear

▪ Concise

▪ 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? What are the elements? What is this used for?

A set of requirements for a

single report

▪ Report Prototype – a sample

of the report’s structure and

layout

▪ Top-level elements and their

descriptions

▪ Field-level items and their

descriptions

▪ 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

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

Report Table

Top Level

Example from:

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

Report Table

Field Level

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

Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

8

Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

"Metrics and key performance indicators measure the

performance of solutions, solution components, and

other matters of interest to stakeholders.”

- BABOK® v3.0

Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

What are Metrics & KPIs? What are the elements? How is this used?

Metric: quantifiable levels to measure

progress

Indicator: numerical measurement

representing degree of progress toward:

▪ Goal

▪ Objective

▪ Output

▪ Activity

▪ Further Output

KPI – metric used for strategic purposes

Indicators, that are:

▪ Clear

▪ Relevant

▪ Economical

▪ Adequate

▪ Quantifiable

▪ Trustworthy / Credible

Metrics – quantifiable

Structure – reliable, valid,

timely

Reporting – visual output

▪ 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

Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

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? What are the elements? What are the types?

A model describing the sequential

flow of work or activities

Types:

▪ Business

▪ System

▪ Program

They can be depicted at different

levels

▪ Activities

▪ Events

▪ Directional Flow

▪ Decision Points

▪ Links

▪ Roles

▪ 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®

(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,

published by IIBA®

Process Modeling

Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)Example from:

“BABOK®

(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,

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 Prototyping? What are the types? What are some examples?

A way to provide early modeling to

identify:

▪ Missing requirements

▪ Improperly specified

requirements

▪ Unsubstantiated assumptions

▪ Early stages of design

▪ Throw-away

▪ Evolutionary (or

Functional)

▪ 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 letstalk@skylinetechnologies.com

Rachael Wilterdink, CBAP®, PMI-PBA®, PSM, CSMrwilterdink@skylinetechnologies.com

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