Business Analysis Practice Course
The Business Analysis Practice course introduces the essential skills of business analysis. The emphasis throughout is on practical learning, using real-life case studies to introduce key skills including strategic analysis, stakeholder management, business activity modelling, gap analysis and making a business case. The course is presented by one of our expert training consultants, pictured below. Every member of the Business Analysis (BA) training team offers extensive professional knowledge and wide-ran
Description
Business Analysis Practice (a three-day course)
Course Content
Business analysis rationale
- The scope of business analysis.
- Definition of business analysis.
- The development of business analysis.
- The business change lifecycle.
- Roles in business analysis.
Strategic analysis in context
- External analysis – PESTLE, Five Forces Analysis.
- Internal analysis – Resource Audit, MOST.
- Building a SWOT analysis.
- Critical success factors and key performance indicators.
- Measuring performance – the Balanced Business Scorecard.
A project approach to business analysis
- Initiating a business analysis study.
- Defining terms of reference.
Understanding business situations
- Review of investigation techniques.
- Documenting the business situation:
- Rich pictures
- Mind maps
- Fishbone diagrams.
Business perspectives
- Identifying stakeholders.
- Analysing stakeholders – Power/Interest Grid, RACI.
- Stakeholder management strategies.
- Defining business perspectives – CATWOE.
Analysing and modelling the business activities
- Types of business activity.
- Building a conceptual business activity model.
- Consolidating perspectives and building consensus.
Identifying potential solutions
- Business events.
- Business rules.
- Business process models.
- Exploring the gap between the current and desired situation.
- Identifying areas for business improvement – POP-IT.
- Taking a holistic approach to business improvement.
Making the business case
- Analysing feasibility.
- Contents of a business case.
- Options.
- Costs and benefits.
- Impacts and risks.
- Lifecycle for the business case.