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Category Archives: Tools and methods
Functional Decomposition
My first engineering job was as a process engineer in the paper industry, where I designed and analyzed large industrial systems that ran this… through this… to make this… We can break the system down (or build it up) like … Continue reading
Data Modeling
From the BABOK: 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 … Continue reading
Prototyping
This BABOK technique involves creating something that allows investigation of one or more aspects of the solution being developed. This creation can be physical, in the case of mock-ups meant to illustrate a concept or explore ergonomics or test a … Continue reading
Scope Modeling
I think an argument can be made that this technique should more properly be called “scope determination” or “scope identification.” I also observe that determinations of scope happen during the conceptual modeling phase, when you discover what’s happening in an … Continue reading
Data Dictionary
Maintaining a dictionary of data items is a very good idea for engagements of sufficiently wide scope and involving enough participants. This greatly simplifies and clarifies communication and mutual understanding among all participants, and should fall out of the work … Continue reading
Posted in Tools and methods
Tagged BABOK, business analysis, data, data analysis, Techniques
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Financial Analysis
Financial analysis comprises a number of considerations and methods. They all begin by assigning costs to all germane capital, fixed, and variable items in the existing state and in the future state, and also considering expected revenues. Some of the … Continue reading
Lessons Learned
I’ve touched on the idea of lessons learned a few times previously, but here I’d like to address the idea directly and explicitly, as part of the Tampa IIBA’s ongoing review of the BABOK, specifically the techniques listed in chapter … Continue reading
Non-Functional Requirements Analysis
Functional requirements relate what a solution DOES. They describe components, behaviors, entities, actions, inputs, and outputs. They contain the details of the design the user sees and the mechanisms that generate results. Non-Functional requirements relate to what a system IS. … Continue reading
Posted in Tools and methods
Tagged business analysis, requirements management, Techniques
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Document Analysis
The BA technique of document analysis can be undertaken in many different contexts and phases of the effort. The major contexts for document analysis are: Manuals, specifications, and contracts can be reviewed as part of the discovery process to learn … Continue reading
Brainstorming
I’ve touched on the idea of brainstorming previously, but today I wanted to address it specifically. The simplest way to describe brainstorming is that it is the act of generating as many options as possible, relevant to a particular situation, … Continue reading
Posted in Tools and methods
Tagged BABOK, business analysis, problem-solving, Techniques
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