Author Archives: R.P. Churchill

Applications for Simulation

Simulation can be used for many different purposes, and I wanted to describe a few of them in detail. I pay special attention to the ones I’ve actually worked with during my career. Note that these ideas inevitably overlap to … Continue reading

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Architectural Considerations for Simulation

The simulations I’ve written, designed, specified, and utilized have incorporated a number of different features. I found it interesting that I was able to describe them in opposing pairs. Continuous vs. Discrete-Event I’ve gone into detail about continuous and discrete-event … Continue reading

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Verification and Validation: Observations for Simulation and Business Analysis

Verification and validation are complex subjects on their own (and see here and here more specifically for this discussion), and the simplest way I’ve found to describe the difference between them is that verification tests whether a solution works while … Continue reading

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A Simulationist’s Framework for Business Analysis: Round One

Yesterday I gave my newly prepared talk on business analysis at the Pittsburgh IIBA Chapter Meetup, the first of three times I’m scheduled to give it. The presentation, prepared using the Reveal.js framework, is at the link: http://rpchurchill.com/presentations/SimFrameForBA/ I’m sure … Continue reading

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Who’s the Boss?

An interesting subject came up at the post-presentation hangout of this evening’s CharmCityJS Meetup. I was talking with a fellow attendee about the fact that I’d rather be an analyst, requirements engineer, and architect than a full-time coder (not that … Continue reading

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Service Design

Manning the phone in the battery headquarters late one night in Basic Training I wiled away some time with a book I found. I read how Colonel Chamberlain’s extensive drilling of his men allowed them to execute a wheel maneuver … Continue reading

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Ship Technology from the Late 1500s

Today I visited a historical exhibit on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The most interesting part of the park was the Elizabeth II, a replica modeled after the late-1500s sailing ships used to bring colonists and … Continue reading

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Added CBAP Certification Today

Today I sat for and passed the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) exam issued by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). I sought this certification simply to communicate my experience throughout my career. I now list this credential as … Continue reading

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Methods of Observation

This past weekend my CBAP training course asked me to speak briefly on the technique of Observation. I reviewed the basic information in the BABoK itself and the training guide we’re using for the class, and I’ll refer to this … Continue reading

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Interface Analysis

I’m pursuing yet another certification, this time the IIBA‘s CBAP, for Certified Business Analysis Professional. I chose a 35-hour training course run as a series of interactive webinars over seven successive weekend days and during the second session this past … Continue reading

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