2/8/2011 achieving true ba competency: focus on the organization, not just the people douglas...
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2 / 8 / 2 0 1 1
ACHIEVING TRUE BA COMPETENCY: FOCUS ON THE ORGANIZATION, NOT
JUST THE PEOPLE
D O U G L A S J A C K S O N , V I C E P R E S I D E N TD O R E E N E V A N S A S S O C I A T E S
BVUGBlueprint Virtual Users Group
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Today’s Presentation
Purpose :Show how Business Analysis Competency can be justified and established within your organization.
Presentat ion Goals : Show how you can “make the case” for BA Competency Show why the findings and business case should become the
charter for your BA Competency effort Emphasize the value of communication mechanisms to realize
BA Competency.
Limit :1 hour: 35 minute presentation, 25 minutes for Q/A
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About Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.
Founded in 1992 with a single focus to provide a solution to the requirements problem
DEA’s only business (20 years in February) is as a provider of Business Analysis Solutions Providing experienced business analysts to
work on client projects Helping our clients establish a business
analysis best practice discipline
Endorsed Education Providers (EEP) of the IIBA
Blueprint Strategic Partner
Douglas Jackson, CBAPVice Presidentwww.doreenevans.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasjackson
Presenter:
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What is BA Competency?
Business Analysis Competency is the set of people, process, technology and organizational
capabilities which will be need to effectively implemented to ensure mature business
analysis practices within the organization.
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Why is BA Competency Needed ?
If you are on this webcast, you likely are a competent business analyst,
Because you are a Blueprint client, you have a strong technology foundation in place,
Good things are happening…
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BA Competency Benefit
…so BA Competency is really about getting your organization to adopt the business analysis discipline to achieve its organizational objectives in a consistent, repeatable, and scalable way
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“The Requirements Mess”
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“Analysts report that as many as 71% of software projects that fail do so because of poor requirements management, making it the single biggest reason for project failure – bigger than bad technology, missed deadline or change management fiascos…”
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Project Risks
50 – 60% of projects fail to meet the needs of the business costing US businesses at least $30B every year!!!
53% of projects cost 189% of their original estimate
56% of software defects can be attributed to requirements
• Standish Group’s 2009 CHAOS Report• Forrester Research
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A Holistic, Integrated Approach
People – Making sure the right people are continuously educated on the latest practices
Process – Ensuring a defined process for requirements definition, collaboration and management in is place
Technology – Ensuring a common set of tools is in place for requirements and that there is education approach which supports the toolset
Products – Managing product information (rules, lifecycles, etc) are when changes are made within the organization
Organization – Ensuring integration takes place between the BA roles and those of the PMO, Architecture team, Strategy, and product management (governance)
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Establish BA Competency: A Proven Roadmap
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Area of Focus Today-If this part is done right, rest will be much easier
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BA Competency Assessment - Stakeholder Checklist
User Experience Product Management Enterprise Architecture PMO Development Testing BA Community Compliance Fill in blank here ___________
Very Important!
Why?
Because getting these folks involved early sets the foundation for BA Competency governance – a critical component to ensure success for the program.
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Common Business Challenges
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Step 2: Elicitation / Verification
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Quantify the effect BA
Competency will have on these
objectives
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Techniques for Project Risk Analysis
① Understand the Project Portfolio
② Determine the causes of project failure / abandonment (causal factors)
③ Map the business analysis practices that should be done and how they would reduce the risk to the related causal factor(s)
④ Determine the cost to implement the practices
Which costs less? Same approach, or Spend money to
implement a BA discipline, reducing risk of additional project cost
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Use a Survey to Get Relevant Metrics from Stakeholders
Key Questions to Ask: How many projects are
abandoned? What was their value? How many ran significantly
over budget? On average, by how much? How many ran significantly
behind the promised delivery date?
When are software ‘anomalies’ (bugs, defects, etc.) found in the software development lifecycle?
When project are abandoned, what would you think are the likely causes?Note: Need to link to
goals
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Analyze Organizational Process
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Analyze the Process
Do have a defined process that allows each work effort to
define roles and responsibilities, determine usage of existing templates, evaluate best approach for business analysis activities
given project characteristics ?
Project Challenge
Risk-o-Meter
Sure
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Analyze the Process
Can you show it to me?
Project Challenge
Risk-o-Meter
Oh….then maybe we don’t have a defined
process…
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Step 3: Solution Requirements
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Determine the BA Competency
practices that fit the needs of your
organization
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Document Risks
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Creating the Link
Causal Factor Factor
Risk Reduction of Better BA Practices* Examples of BA Practice Areas that would boost capability & reduce risk
Lack of User Input 8.80% 10% Business Context, Stakeholder Analysis, Requirements PlanningIncomplete Requirements and Specifications 15.00% 90% Process Definition, Requirements TraceabilityChanging Requirements and Specifications 19.17% 85% Requirements Change Control Process, Elicitation / Documentation
Lack of Executive Support 3.63%30% Scoping Analysis, Goals as Requirements, Linkage to Business Case
Assertions
Technology Incompetence 5.63% 30% System Context, Requirements Flexibility for Build/Buy
Lack of Resources 9.50%10% Scoping Analysis, Defined Requirements Process Support for SDLC and PMLC
Unrealistic Expectations 9.67% 30% Scoping Analysis, Requirements Visualization, Process Analysis
Unclear Objectives 8.07%60% Linkage to Business Case Assertions, Goals as Requirements, Requirements
Traceability (to Goals)
Unrealistic Time Frames 14.00% 10% Requirements Planning, Requirements Prioritization, TraceabilityNew Technology 5.70% 15% System Interface Analysis (early in process), Business Process AnalysisOther 0.83% na Needs to be defined.
100%
Weighted Quantified Risk Reduction (1 year engagement) 44.3967%Benchmark Note: Per Gartner, Requirements are typically around 60 to 80% of the root cause of project failure
* Percentage will be determined from DEA BACoE based on BPM with Pain Points
BA Practice Implementation Will
Reduce Risks to Identified Project Challenges
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Compare to Benchmarks
CBA to Reduce Project AbandonmentRisk Reduction Method Steps CalculationProject Portfolio (Expense Over 1 year time frame) $90,000,000 Percent of projects that will be abandoned 24%Abandoned Project Expense $21,600,000 Risk reduction associated with better business analysis practices (all areas, weighted)*
44%
Cost avoidance for the portfolio associated with better BA practices $9,589,680
Note: NPV values would be calculated between the time when the costs were incurred for planning and pilot and the benefit when the area applied to other projects
* Note that 60% is considered average by Gartner
CBA to Improve Challenged ProjectsRisk Reduction Method Steps CalculationProject Portfolio Budget $90,000,000 Percent of projects that will be come “challenged” 44%“Challenged” project budget $39,600,000
Extra costs for challenged (Average 189% according to Standish) $35,244,000
Risk reduction associated with better business analysis practices (all areas, weighted)
44%
Cost avoidance for the portfolio associated with better BA practices $15,647,161
$15,647,161$9,589,680
--------------$25,236,841
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Create Discovery and Planning Deliverables
ESTABLISHING BUSINESS ANALYSIS COMPETENCY BUSINESS CASE TABLE OF CONTENTS SAMPLE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – BA COMPETENCY PROJECT
BUSINESS PROBLEM SUMMARY ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES FROM PROPOSED PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING PROPOSED PROJECT PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS TEAM CORE TEAM STAKEHOLDERS
PROBLEM DEFINITION PROBLEM STATEMENTS ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT – FINDINGS BA COMPETENCY RECOMMENDATIONS
PROJECT OVERVIEW BA COMPETENCY PROJECT DESCRIPTION (PEOPLE, PROCESS, TECHNOLOGY,
ORGANIZATION) GOALS AND OBJECTIVES PROJECT PERFORMANCE/ MEASUREMENT PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS PROJECT CONSTRAINTS PROJECT RISKS/ MITIGATION STRATEGY MAJOR PROJECT PHASES/ MILESTONES
DISCOVERY/ PLANNING BA COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROJECTS BA COMPETENCY IMPROVEMENT BA COMPETENCY INSTITUTIONALIZATION
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT – BAC AND THE ORGANIZATION COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF PROJECT – METRICS/
JUSTIFICATION FOR UNDERTAKING PROJECT PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS APPROVALS
Process analysis findings
Roadmap for moving forward
Business case
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Communicate!
DEA has found a key difference between success and failure of a BA Competency effort is related to one thing:
A communication plan that is approved and used.
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Step 4: Solution Assessment / Verification
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Implement practices increment
ally on projects,
while
Creating a BA
Competency “asset” for that can be
applied on other
projectsBenefit: BA Competency is being developed while projects are being executed – minimizing cost and political scrutiny
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Communicating BAC Improvements
Set up requirements governance bodies
Use business case as charter
Follow an accepted communication plan
Use status reports to show incremental improvements
Periodically reassess risk
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Step 5: Solution Optimization
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Optimize the BA Competency practice asset from Lessons Learned and integrate it as part of your
organization’s requirements process
Note: Project is considered completed when all practices identified are in place and optimized.
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Risks Drive BA Competency Improvements
Communicate incremental strategy improvements via status reports
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Pilot ProjectsPilot Projects
Step 5: Solution Optimization
Discovery / Planning
Making the Case
BA Competency Development
Projects
BA Competency Improvement
Institutionalization
BA Competency Establishment Project BA Competency Improvement
Program
Note: Project is considered completed when all practices identified are in place and optimized.
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Keys to Establishing BA Competency
Treat the establishment of BA Competency as a project
Need to make the case with the team that will govern
Make sure to quantify expectations in the form of a business case
Incrementally show progress against the agreed expectations using progress reports and your governance team.
Communicate the good word!
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Q&A
For questions after this webcast, join the community on Linked in: RequirementsFIRST
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For more information contact me at [email protected] or call us at
Doreen Evans Associates, Inc.31 St James Ave Suite 1007
Boston, MA 02116617-482-4444
THANK YOU!