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Category Archives: Tools and methods
User Stories
The definition given in the BABOK is, “A user story represents a small, concise statement of functionality or quality needed to deliver value to a specific stakeholder.” This is a very general definition and is potentially different from a task … Continue reading
Collaborative Games
This technique involves engaging a group of people in a structured activity that allows them to develop shared understanding and insight into a problem or solution. The activity is usually conducted in three steps: introduction, rules, and beginning; exploration via … Continue reading
Vendor Assessment
This technique, as described in the BABOK, is about evaluating the stability, suitability, and capability of individual vendors. This information can also be used to compare vendors, using any number of qualification/disqualification criteria and scoring systems (e.g., the first three … Continue reading
All Solutions Are Iterative
I’ve spilled a lot of wind and electrons talking and writing about iteration as a path to solving problems, in a business analysis context and elsewhere. My framework incorporates multiple levels of iteration, of course, but through earning and maintaining … Continue reading
Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas
Many different tools can be used to describe different kinds of stakeholders. In general, a stakeholder is anyone involved in or affected by any organizational activity, across the entire potential life cycle of that activity. This encompasses the design and … Continue reading
Roles and Permissions Matrix
This technique involves the specification of actions that are allowed to be taken by actors in different, defined roles in an organization. While these can and should be defined in general use, as a practical matter this most often comes … Continue reading
Scaling Solution Approaches
The same process and component phases are applied to analysis/build/modify/improve efforts of every scope and scale. The two main things to vary are the breadth of the process analyzed and the number of phases worked through. The breadth of an … Continue reading
Data Flow Diagrams
There are a couple of ways to represent the flow of data in any existing or proposed system. One is by creating a flow diagram using any notation you prefer that communicates the necessary understanding to all participants. I have … Continue reading
Business Cases
A business case is essentially a cost-benefit analysis of taking a given course of action. Actions may include embarking on new projects, acquiring resources or other organizations, making non-routine purchases, adopting new methods, entering partnerships, seeking new lines of business, … Continue reading
Prototyping
Prototyping is the act of mocking up some aspect of an envisaged product or capability in order to asses its suitability, acceptability, or performance. It is usually applied to product design, but can be used in many different contexts for … Continue reading