Understanding Customer Profiles, the Placement of Functional Requirements, and System Requirements.

The importance of the role of a Business Analyst within a project is a crucial aspect that deserves examination. This article delves into various facets of the Business Analyst's role and the value they bring to a project. Drawing from 15 years of professional experience, we explore the evolution of the Business Analyst role, emphasizing the significance of understanding both business and technical aspects, and how this can impact the success of a project.

The role of a Business Analyst within a project is a topic of significant importance. This article aims to shed light on the value a Business Analyst brings to a project, with a focus on their ability to understand and align the project with the expectations of end-users and sponsors. Additionally, we explore the tools and methodologies employed during discovery project phases, emphasizing the role of Business Analysts in translating functional and system requirements into actionable project elements.

Communication & Dealing with People:

One of the primary challenges faced by Business Analysts is effective communication. Understanding the project's objectives, the customer's motivations, and the profile of end-users is essential. The ability to read and interpret people is crucial in ensuring the project's success. While tools can assist in mapping stakeholders, they cannot replace the need for interpersonal skills. Real-world examples highlight the importance of building relationships and understanding the nuances of client culture and expectations. It is evident that, in some situations, pushing for change may not be productive.

Therefore, problem-solving, and communication skills, flexibility, empathy, and adaptability, as well as a good understanding of business processes and technology are essential qualities for a Business Analyst.

The ability to effectively communicate, understand diverse perspectives, and navigate complex stakeholder dynamics are critical for Business Analysts to succeed in their roles. The emphasis on problem-solving, adaptability, and a comprehensive understanding of business processes and technology further underscores the multifaceted nature of the skills required for this profession.

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Tools & Methodologies Values:

Waterfall framework is a traditional, sequential approach to project management in which each phase of a project must be completed before the next phase can begin. It follows a linear and structured process that is best suited for projects with well-defined requirements and a stable scope.

Agile framework, on the other hand, is a flexible and iterative approach that prioritizes collaboration, adaptability, and customer satisfaction. It emphasizes delivering working software in small increments, with frequent testing and feedback loops to ensure that the project is on track and meeting the needs of the customer.

In summary, the Waterfall framework is a traditional, structured approach that follows a linear process, while the Agile framework is a flexible and iterative approach that emphasizes collaboration and adaptability to meet the changing needs of the customer

Projects that have well-defined and stable requirements, with a clear scope and little subject to change. Projects that involve the construction of physical infrastructure, such as building a bridge or building, are examples of projects that can be successful with the Waterfall model.

In terms of the project structure and methodologies to be employed during this period, I have experimented working with both Waterfall and Agile approaches. Regardless of the methodology/framework chosen, every it project will inevitably follow the software development life cycle, which includes the Discovery (Requirements Mapping), Development, System Test, User Acceptance Test (formerly Homologation), Go Live or Release, and Support phase (Hyper Care). This serves as a fundamental framework that a Business Analyst must bear in mind to guide their actions throughout the project implementation. While a Project Manager may be available for assistance, the Business Analyst plays a crucial role as the liaison across all these phases.

During the Discovery phase, various tools can be utilized to facilitate the gathering of requirements and the creation of User Stories, Process Mapping, Business Process Modeling, and Use Cases. In my projects, I opted for the Lucid Chart as the tool of choice for creating process flows. However, a Business Analyst needs to grasp the distinction between Business Requirements and Functional Requirements. Without this understanding, comprehending the project and product can prove challenging.

In the initial phase of business analysis in a project, organizing requirements is the fundamental first step.

Following Salesforce's recommendation, I prioritize the creation of interview and elicitation records. These documents serve as repositories for crucial information gathered from stakeholders.

The scale of your project or its specific requirements will determine the identification of stakeholders and individuals involved in the process. Stakeholder Analysis can be employed if needed, helping to identify:

???? Who to engage with to comprehend the business problem.

???? Individuals who can contribute to expanding on the requirements.

???? People capable of providing a diverse range of perspectives.

An essential element is the Use Case. It plays a fundamental role in identifying, defining, and organizing system requirements from the user's perspective.

It is crucial to distinguish between the Functional Requirement Specification (FRS) and the System Requirement Specification (SRS).

Functional Requirement Specification (FRS):

This pertains to business requirements outlined from an end-user or business perspective. The FRS specifies the anticipated outcomes.

System Requirement Specification (SRS):

This document outlines the comprehensive functioning of the entire system and enumerates the hardware, software, as well as functional and behavioral requirements of the system.

It is advisable to utilize wireframes and other visual documentation. This type of document includes representations of the user interface, typically presented as low-fidelity wireframes.

To provide further clarification, here are examples of a customer journey aimed at identifying opportunities for process optimization, pinpointing pain points, and proposing potential solutions for those pain points:

Understanding the architecture of a journey map is essential for effective customer experience design. A typical journey map consists of horizontal sections stacked in order, corresponding to the steps outlined in the accompanying text.

Key Sections of a Journey Map:

Phases:

Represents distinct stages in the customer experience, such as awareness, consideration, purchase, onboarding, and advocacy.

?Actions:

Describes the specific activities undertaken by the customer in each phase.

?Thoughts:

Reflects the customer's thoughts, with changes indicating transitions between experience phases.

Feelings:

Captures the customer's emotions, providing insights into phase transitions.

Touchpoints:

Identifies instances when the brand, product, or service interacts with the customer.

Context:

Encompasses environmental, social, and temporal factors crucial to the customer's ability to achieve their goal or to the product/service experience.

Opportunities:

Highlights areas where impactful changes can be made, whether in reducing pain points or reinforcing strengths.

Best Practices for Creating a Journey Map:

Get It All Out There:

Begin by getting ideas onto paper using customer research and sticky notes. This allows for a step-by-step mapping of customer phases, activities, and decision points.

Group Activities into Phases:

Group activities based on mindset or context changes. Color-coding notes for actions and phases enhance clarity.

Enlist Cocreators:

Collaborate with a diverse group, including those familiar with customers, generative thinkers, optimists/realists, and individuals representing diverse backgrounds.

Prepare Your Workshop:

Consider logistics for an efficient and collaborative workshop, creating an environment that encourages open contribution.

Virtual Workshop Logistics:

Plan shorter sessions, prompt participants for preparation, use virtual whiteboarding tools and consider sending care packages.

In-Person Workshop Logistics:

Plan a full day, provide a conducive environment, offer snacks, and ensure ample supplies like sticky notes and markers.

Set the Stage:

Share a brief with participants detailing customer insights, the business challenge, past work, and their role in creating the journey map.

Map Board and Sections:

Utilize a map board with a sketched grid for the journey map, leaving sections for participants to contribute thoughts, feelings, touchpoints, context, and opportunities. Additional boards can be used to delve into each section.

Understanding these elements and incorporating best practices sets the stage for a comprehensive and collaborative journey-mapping process.

?Additionally, you have the option to utilize a Service Blueprint, which extends a journey map by diagramming the before and after states. This goes beyond the surface level of journey maps, establishing relationships between digital and physical interactions. These maps are instrumental in comprehending the entire lifecycle of user interaction.

To assist in delineating the scope of intricate business processes and breaking them down into manageable steps, you can employ ecosystem maps. This approach proves beneficial when dealing with numerous system integrations or a multitude of interactions among different stakeholders.

In projects, Business Analysts often encounter customers who provide either business requirements or functional requirements. Customers who offer functional requirements make it easier to understand their values and the product's objectives. However, projects involving system requirements can experience scope creep due to a lack of in-depth technical understanding. Business Analysts must be vigilant and ready to manage scope changes effectively.

On the other hand, customers who provide functional requirements like requesting specific buttons or screens may face challenges. These requirements should stem from a clear understanding of business needs and problems to be solved. It is now common for Business Analysts to have a deep technical understanding of the tools they work with.

A well-understood set of requirements streamlines the creation of user stories, acceptance criteria, and test scenarios. This clarity facilitates effective tracking of development progress by the Business Analyst, ensuring alignment with customer expectations. The technical team can deliver an exceptional solution, but without a strong understanding of business requirements, the value of the project may be questioned.

User stories are concise descriptions of the functionality that a business system should deliver, facilitating its development. Often referred to as tickets or work items, they follow a specific format: "As a [user role], I want to [perform a specific action] so that I can [achieve a particular goal]." This format helps articulate the user's perspective, the desired action, and the intended benefit. User stories are commonly used in agile development methodologies to enhance communication and collaboration among team members.

Example:

“As a Sales Representative Salesforce user, I want to control and manage the market share of my customer in Salesforce so that I can verify the results related to the percentage of my products upsold to each customer and plan the Sales activities.”

Acceptance Criteria:

1.??? The system should allow the Sales Representative to access and view the market share data for each customer.

2.??? The market share information should be presented in a clear and easily understandable format within Salesforce.

3.??? The system must provide accurate and up-to-date results related to the percentage of products upsold to each customer.

4.??? Sales activities planning functionality should be integrated into Salesforce, allowing the Sales Representative to make informed decisions based on the market share data.

5.??? The user should be able to customize and filter market share data based on different criteria, such as time periods or product categories.

6.??? The system should support the tracking of historical market share data to analyze trends over time.

7.??? Changes in market share should be reflected promptly, ensuring real-time visibility into sales performance.

8.??? The user should receive appropriate system notifications or alerts for significant changes in market share or upselling percentages.

9.??? The interface should be user-friendly, requiring minimal training for Sales Representatives to effectively use the market share management features

10. The system should maintain data integrity and security, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive market share information.

The acceptance criteria provide a foundation for testing efforts, and the Business Analyst can use them to create comprehensive test plans.

Figure 5 Test Scenarios

Here's an overview:

The Test Plan serves as a comprehensive guide for both the System Test Phase and the User Acceptance Test (UAT) Phase:

System Test Phase:

In the System Test Phase, the Test Plan provides a roadmap for the testing team to verify that the entire system, including individual components and interactions, functions as expected. It outlines the scope, objectives, resources, schedule, and approach for testing during this phase.

User Acceptance Test (UAT) Phase:

During the UAT phase, the Test Plan is instrumental in guiding users through the validation of the system against the user story and acceptance criteria. It outlines the specific scenarios, conditions, and steps that users should follow to ensure that the system meets their requirements and expectations.

Guidance for Testers and Users:

For both phases, the Test Plan acts as a valuable reference for testers and users alike. Testers can use it to execute detailed test cases, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Users, on the other hand, can refer to the Test Plan to understand what aspects of the system they need to focus on during the acceptance testing process.

In essence, the Test Plan serves as a critical document that aligns testing efforts with the defined criteria, helping ensure the quality and functionality of the developed system.

In the testing phase or user acceptance testing (UAT) phase, users often uncover additional requirements. During this stage, the Business Analyst must discern whether these are genuinely new requirements or change requests. While new requirements are a natural part of the process and contribute to users' growing familiarity with the tool, change requests may signal challenges in requirements mapping. Here are some reasons behind change requests:

Stakeholders Focused on the Solution:

Users occasionally propose solutions, introducing potential complications. This often stems from a lack of technical expertise on the users' part. Business Analysts should guide users, posing questions about their proposed solutions and, if necessary, engage with architects to emphasize the importance of focusing on the underlying necessity rather than fixating on a predetermined solution.

Unmapped Process Inputs and Outputs:

It is essential to consider all relationships between processes when mapping requirements. The oversight of certain process inputs and outputs can occur due to constraints in the time allocated for the discovery phase. However, it is the responsibility of the Business Analyst to identify and highlight these potential issues, signaling the need for further exploration and clarification.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the role of a Business Analyst in a project is vital in ensuring the project's success by bridging the gap between technical implementation and business goals.

The role of a Business Analyst is essential in a project to ensure its success by bridging the gap between business and technical aspects. They play a critical role in understanding business needs, gathering and analyzing requirements, facilitating communication and collaboration, managing risks, ensuring quality assurance, and promoting continuous improvement. Business Analysts must actively participate in both the pre-sales and project phases, as their insights and contributions are integral to delivering projects that meet customer expectations and provide tangible value. By doing so, they help in delivering projects that align with the overall business goals and objectives, meet the needs of stakeholders, and provide value to the business.

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