Author Archives: R.P. Churchill

TWSL Series 01: Simulation

Today I gave this webinar for the Tom Woods School of Life Lunch and Learn Series. The slides are here.

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Prioritization and Backlog Management

Prioritization and backlog management are two sides of the same coin. As described in the BABOK, an important difference is that backlog management is a more specific case within the broader topic of prioritization. The BABOK discusses prioritization in terms … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Interviews

An interview is a process of conducting a conversation with someone to determine what they do, what they need, or how they are reacting to something you’ve given them. The general term elicitation is often used in this context, although … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Who Decides?

A little while ago, during our weekly Tampa IIBA certification study group meeting (you should join us!), someone asked me whether the business analyst or the project manager makes certain decisions. The specific question had to do with potential guidance … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What To Be Aware Of Going Into A Project

Short answer: everything! Long answer: let’s actually talk about it. The more you understand about the things you might encounter when you try to solve a problem, the more likely you will be to make use of the right people’s … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why to Address a Problem in an Organized Way

When developing a solution or capability, it is usually good to make it as simple as possible — but no simpler. The key to walking the fine line between too simple and too complex (or too heavy or too expensive … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Old-Timey Calculators: Before Electronic Computers (and Even After)

Some time around 2004, as I was bouncing around the country doing data collections and research in support of the simulation and analysis of transportation and security systems, I happened to visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Conceptual Modeling Work May Occur In Many Contexts

During a previously-referenced recent conversation I was asked why I refer to certain research, discovery, and data collection activities as “conceptual modeling.” I do so because it is a surprisingly general standard term of art that has its own Wikipedia … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Framework Phases Across the Proposal/Bid/Sales Process

I’ve discussed the many ways the different phases can be arranged in some standard(ish) management contexts, and how the work in each phase can be broken down in multiple dimensions, but those hardly exhaust their possible arrangements. Another important source … Continue reading

Posted in Management | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Where in the Framework Do You Think About How To Add Value?”

I was recently asked this by a very intelligent and insightful individual. My expanded answer follows. The short answer is that I differentiate between the solution and the engagement in several different ways. The solution, and the analysis performed beforehand … Continue reading

Posted in Tools and methods | Tagged , , | Leave a comment