From the category archives:

Enabling informed decision-making

Although in senior roles, business analysts do not always make the decisions. Enabling informed decision-making by executive level stakeholders is often a core way that BAs exhibit leadership.

What You Should Know About Emerging Technologies

by Laura Brandenburg on September 26, 2011 · 5 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Professional Development Strategy

While we might all agree that a great business analyst does not need to have technical skills, in the sense that they don’t need to write code or create software programs, in today’s world an awareness of emerging technologies and the capabilities they enable for our organizations is increasing in importance, even if our roles [...]

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Could we use more BAs in the healthcare industry?

by Laura Brandenburg on July 11, 2011 · 18 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making

Business analysts solve problems and one of the biggest problems in the US right now is quality, affordable healthcare. Up front, I’ll admit myself as relatively uninformed. I get as frustrated listening to debates about healthcare (typically captured as a discussion about health insurance which is just one possible solution to the real problem) or [...]

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Project Sponsors: Saving Face or Saving Costs?

by Nik Gebhard on April 21, 2011 · 7 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Enterprise Analysis

In today’s fast paced technology world it is common, if not mandatory, for financial institutions to replace legacy systems in order to gain competitive advantage. In my experience business stakeholders will often have decided on the technology before bringing an analyst or consultant on board. A lack of analysis from the onset means uninformed decisions [...]

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Stand Back and Deliver: Interview with Kent McDonald

by Laura Brandenburg on January 6, 2011 · 2 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Interviews,Maturing your BA Practice

Kent has been doing business analysis activities in some shape for 15 years and held the BA title for the first time 12 years ago. He is currently trying on the title “Business Advisor” at his own company – Knowledge Bridge Partners – a Business Analysis consulting, mentoring, and training company. His goal is to [...]

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Can an organization ever really be ready for change?

by Joan Davis on December 16, 2010 · 5 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Leading Organizational Change

Do you have one of those “favorite projects” in your archive of accomplishments, one that you feel you really nailed when defining the needs of the situation? One of my favorites goes back 10 years now – a Case Study in Enterprise Analysis that called for quickly gaining an understanding the scope of compulsory changes [...]

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It’s not what you know; it’s the questions you ask: Interview with Cecilie Hoffman

by Laura Brandenburg on March 25, 2010 · 1 comment

in Enabling informed decision-making,Interviews,Professional Development Strategy

Check your ego at the door. Editor’s Note: I consider myself lucky that I’ve chosen a path where I have the opportunity to meet new business analysts every week. Cecilie and I chatted over the phone one early evening. To be honest, my mind was pulled elsewhere…I had had one of the toughest days of [...]

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Managing ambiguity – a key business analyst competency

by Adriana Beal on February 3, 2010 · 9 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Professional Development Strategy

Editor’s Note: In this post, Bridging the Gap columnist, Adriana Beal helps us stretch our perception of a key competency for any business analyst — managing ambiguity. I’m happy to announce that Adriana will be also be contributing to The Promotable Business Analyst book series by authoring a key section on assessing your competencies. I’m excited [...]

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Managing chaotic situations by building “the list”

by Laura Brandenburg on November 18, 2009 · 10 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Enterprise Analysis,Maturing your BA Practice

I’ve been receiving a lot of emails lately asking for my help from business analysts in rather chaotic environments. Sometimes these BAs have good formal training, so they know how things *should* work and are dismayed at how things actually work in their organization. Oftentimes they shoot down the path of their first project with [...]

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Vendor selection best practices: Interview with Susan Penny Brown

by Laura Brandenburg on September 24, 2009 · 3 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Enterprise Analysis,Interviews,Strategic Business Analyst

Susan Penny Brown is a thirty-year veteran of the software industry, with expertise in IT strategy and complex enterprise applications. She spent the first 20 years of her career in high-profile Silicon Valley firms, both highly successful and abysmal failures. Susan established Interim Technical Management, Inc. in 1998 when she relocated to the Denver area. [...]

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Are you a perfectionist? How perfectionism might impact your effectiveness as a business analyst.

by Laura Brandenburg on August 17, 2009 · 8 comments

in Enabling informed decision-making,Enterprise Analysis,Requirements Analysis

Perfectionism: the good and the bad Although we never even might admit it to a trusted colleague, we business analysts can get caught up in our own ideas of what the system should do and how the end result should look, oftentimes holding on to our concept well beyond when it’s rational to do so. [...]

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