From the category archives:

Problem Solving

Great business analysts solve business and technology problems through discovery, facilitation, and by creating alignment.

The Business Analyst Bully

by Michelle Swoboda on December 21, 2011 · 5 comments

in Communication,Problem Solving

For today’s post, I’m reaching out to the Bridging the Gap community to share some insight on a situation that I’ve encountered: a business analyst “bully” in the workplace. This person seemingly breaks all of the rules that we try to follow: Listen to the business Ask the business what they want Hear what they say [...]

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Beware: You get what you measure!

by Adrian Reed on August 3, 2011 · 11 comments

in Business process,Problem Solving

There’s an old expression that says “you get what you measure”.  This may be a little clichéd, but it generally holds true within organizations and processes. It’s human nature to shoot for the objectives that have been set, and it is human nature to pay attention to the metrics which are being measured. If metrics [...]

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The best methodology is freedom

by Nik Gebhard on June 16, 2011 · 18 comments

in Engaging Project Leaders,Maturing your BA Practice,Problem Solving

There have been bounteous discussions around the need for new life to be breathed into business analysis methodologies. I have chosen to stay away from the agile versus scrum versus waterfall versus iterative versus I-don’t-care debate. I was always of the opinion that these discussions were intuitive and unnecessary. I was wrong. Business is changing. [...]

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How to Avoid Issues by Using Your Radar Effectively

by Adrian Reed on June 1, 2011 · 6 comments

in Problem Solving,Requirements Planning and Management

Often within projects, people talk about specific risks or issues being “on their radar”.  This normally means that they are aware of the risk or issue, are tracking it, but have made a conscious decision not to take any immediate action.  On large and complex projects it can become increasingly challenging to keep track of [...]

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What BAs can learn from stand up comedy

by Adrian Reed on May 4, 2011 · 5 comments

in Problem Solving,Requirements Elicitation,Stakeholder Analysis

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unusual of places.  I’m a real fan of stand up comedy, and as any true stand-up fan will tell you, the only way to fully appreciate a show is to see it live.  I have spent many a Friday evening enjoying unheard-of-acts performing in small, intimate venues. On one [...]

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Have you experienced your processes outside-in?

by Adrian Reed on February 2, 2011 · 4 comments

in Business process,Engaging the Business,Problem Solving

As a Business Analyst, I tend to see processes everywhere I go.  Whether I’m queuing in a coffee shop or making a hotel reservation on a website, I can’t help but draw a process diagram in my head to understand the “logic” which is hidden into the process, and the business rules that are being [...]

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The lure of application expertise

by Laura Brandenburg on March 15, 2010 · 7 comments

in Problem Solving,Professional Development Strategy

In a recent interview with Cecilie Hoffman, she spoke about what she saw as the key challenge to the BA profession: The biggest problem in our profession is that people expect business analysts to be the experts. Over time in the same role, business analysts build more domain knowledge and become more narrow. Over time, [...]

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The importance of problem solving for business analysts

by Laura Brandenburg on August 9, 2009 · 2 comments

in Problem Solving,Requirements Analysis

I recently picked up a favorite book to re-read it for probably the fourth or fifth time. My first reading was during my junior year in high school and my second reading shortly followed the first. Then the third a few years later. And here I am picking up an old favorite with a new [...]

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Can we elevate constraints in the requirements process to encourage creativity?

by Laura Brandenburg on June 10, 2009 · 4 comments

in Problem Solving,Requirements Elicitation

One of my favorite shows to watch is improv theater. It wasn’t until this most recent show that I realized why I like it so much. There is something a wee bit magical in experiencing highly intelligent and creative people make you laugh uncontrollably when faced with the most bizarre of constraints. Need to make [...]

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Don’t forget to share business context with your technical team

by Laura Brandenburg on February 4, 2009 · 3 comments

in Engaging IT,Enterprise Analysis,Problem Solving

Let’s assume you’ve done your homework and scoped a project that drives business value.  It’s easy to take a deep breath, kick back, and relax…waiting for the implementation of these great ideas to see themselves through to completion. But your work as a “bridger” is only half-way done. The task at hand is to engage [...]

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