There is one incredibly important thing to do first on ANY project… ⛅ Especially if you are in an ambiguous role like being a “Business Analyst.” 💯 Even if you’ve done this 100 times before. […]
New Project? Here’s What to Do First…
Today we meet Anna, a business analyst who has been journeying with Bridging the Gap since 2017! What we love about Anna’s story is how she found herself performing various aspects of a business analyst
From Laid Off to Mentor of Business Analysts: Anna
Today we meet Chad Crider, a recent participant in The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program and an Applications Analyst from CNG Inc in Ohio. With over 20 years of experience on a different career path,
Turning a Skill Set into a Repeatable Framework: Chad Crider
As you are growing your business analysis team and practice, it’s likely that you’ll want to put business analysis performance metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in place so that the business analysts on your
Guide to Business Analyst Performance Metrics and KPIs
On every successful project, you’ll find a business analyst. They may not have the business analyst job title, and they may not even be aware they are doing business analysis work, but someone is ensuring
If you are looking to start a business analyst career, you may be wondering if a college, undergraduate, or bachelor’s degree is required. While I believe the answer is no – you can always create
Is A College Degree Required to Start a Business Analyst Career?
Today, we meet Terry Mullins, who is currently working as an IT business analyst in the engineering and construction industry. Terry shares his experience in The Business Analysis Blueprint®️ program and how it helped propel
Terry Mullins: Professional Growth Boost
Not sure where to focus your professional development efforts? Find ideas for expanding your business analysis experience and leveraging the opportunities available in your organization.
10 Business Analyst Performance Goals
Today, we meet Nathan Relevy, an entrepreneur providing bespoke software solutions to businesses from the United Kingdom. Nathan shares how he is using the tools he learned in The Business Analyst Blueprint® program to serve
Nathan Relevy: How The Blueprint Filled the Gaps in His 16-Year BA Career
To be successful as a business analyst, you need a toolbox and a framework. 🎯 A TOOLBOX of techniques that you can pick and choose from, based on the needs of your project and team.
The Business Analyst Blueprint® Framework
As a business analyst, you need to have the ability to showcase how data seamlessly flows between information systems, ensuring smooth operations, and avoiding the headaches of data inconsistencies and mapping issues. With data mapping,
Imagine using a simple wireframe to create a visual representation of a screen in just a matter of minutes. No, you don’t have to be a UX designer to even aspire to be one. In
Looking to master the art of clarifying project scope in a flash? Say hello to the System Context Diagram, your secret solution to project scope! In today’s world, projects are only becoming more and more
How to Create a System Context Diagram to Model Data Flows
In my experience as a business analyst, manager of business analysts, and now trainer of business analysts, there are certain qualities that set high-performing business analysts apart. These qualities make them highly coveted by managers
The 7 Secrets of Good and Great Business Analysts
One of the most frustrating challenges on a project is when the developers build a solution that everyone thought the business signed off on only to have significant changes surface during testing or even after
How to Get Meaningful Sign-Off on Requirements
Strong business analysts know use a variety of techniques and craft specifications for specific project and stakeholder needs. Find the options you have for packaging requirements.
5 Types of Requirements Documents Business Analysts Create
Many business analysts are perfectionists by nature and want to do everything they can to avoid making mistakes. But it’s not uncommon for our perfectionism to actually be the root cause of the challenges we
How to Avoid These 5 Business Analyst Mistakes!
Did you know that using visual models can improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and facilitate collaboration in business analysis projects? If you’re not using some type of diagramming tool in your business analysis job, you may
5 Effective Diagramming Tools You Can Afford
I have coached a lot of incredibly talented professionals and almost every one of them have moments (or days, weeks, months, or even years) of self doubt, or that feeling of imposter syndrome. As business
How To Avoid Imposter Syndrome
As Bridging the Gap introduced the Applied Certification in Business Analysis™, which you can earn when you participate in The Business Analyst Blueprint® certification program, we’ve been receiving a lot of questions about the ACBA,
Discover the keys to boosting your confidence, enhancing mental clarity, and unlocking your full potential as a business analyst. In this video from an exclusive LinkedIn Live session we delve into the transformative world of
Unlocking Your Potential as a Business Analyst: Harnessing the Power of Essential Oils
Work samples can be powerful if they match your interviewer’s expectations but dangerous if they don’t. Learn how to overcome the most common problems your work samples might have so you get the job offer.
Work Samples That Get You Hired for a Business Analyst Job
It’s all about data these days and in this video, Laura Brandenburg explores the key differences between business intelligence and business analyst roles. If you’re looking for a career that’s high in demand, has immense
The Difference Between Business Intelligence and Business Analyst Roles
Project Managers and Business Analysts are two roles that are often intertwined and sometimes confused. While similar, they have distinct responsibilities and skill sets. I recently hosted a LinkedIn Live with project management expert, Elizabeth
Navigating the Interplay between Project Management and Business Analysis for Project Success
Becoming a Lead Business Analyst is a significant step in your career. It means more authority, more responsibility, and more impact. If you’re curious whether or not you are prepared for a Lead Business Analyst
How to Excel as a Lead Business Analyst
Looking to take your career as a business analyst to the next level? Wondering how a Functional Analyst role can fit into your career path? There is a lot of confusion in the industry about
Hybrid roles are becoming more of a reality in today’s workforce. You may be a business analyst while also taking on other roles like becoming a project manager, tester, product manager, or even a developer.
How to Leverage a Hybrid Role For Your Career Expansion
Today we meet Nina Brackett, a Senior Business Analyst, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program and gained the confidence in her role that she had been searching for. What we love about Nina’s
From Product Manager to Business Analyst: Nina Brackett
Today we’re going to answer a question that comes up quite often, and that’s what technical skills a business analyst needs to be well-positioned in the job market and to be able to have detailed
These Are the Top Technical Skills that Business Analysts Really Need to Know
As you explore job roles, are you curious about the difference between a business analyst and a subject matter expert (SME)? Are you unsure if your skills qualify you as a subject matter expert or
What is the Difference Between a Subject Matter Expert and a Business Analyst?
Are you looking for a business analyst job and finding a dizzying array of job titles? Do you have a title other than Business Analyst but know you really are a business analyst or have
Job Titles for Business Analysts
You’ve likely heard about ChatGPT, the free tool released by OpenAI. Imagine being able to expand your thinking, create draft documentation with ease, and streamline your work as a business analyst. This is all possible
How to Use ChatGPT (and OpenAI) to Increase Your Efficiency as a Business Analyst
Are you working with new stakeholders in a new company or project? As a business analyst, building rapport with critical stakeholders is one of the best ways to get a new project started effectively and
How to Build Rapport with Critical Stakeholders
As a business analyst, you can make a huge difference in how change is managed and save your teams a lot of re-work while neutralizing the negative energy often associated with change. In this short
As a business analyst, it’s your role to analyze the To Be Business Process and help your stakeholders define how work will flow once the new solution is in place. In this short video, you’ll
How to Analyze a “To Be” Business Process
As a business analyst, it’s your job to analyze the As Is Business Process in your organization to help everyone get on the same page. If customers are getting frustrated with your organization’s level of
How to Analyze an “As Is” Business Process
Today we meet Amelia McHenry, a Business Analyst, who completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® program where she gained the confidence to go from a technical writer to a lead business analyst while increasing her salary
From Technical Writer to Lead Business Analyst and a $20K Salary Bump: Amelia McHenry
Today we meet Dave Gallant, a Business Analyst for the Federal Government from Ontario, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program where his biggest takeaway was an increase in confidence in knowing what
Elevating the BA Contribution on an Agile Software Development Team: Dave Gallant
Whether you’re learning about business architecture for the first time or dreaming of ways to grow your BA career into a business architecture role, my conversation with Whynde Kuehn will help you discover the value
Business Architecture: The Ins and Outs with Whynde Kuehn
Today we meet Alison Whitwood, a Technical Business Analyst from Sydney, Australia, who recently gained the confidence she needed to succeed in her new role. What we love about Alison’s story is how The Business
From imposter syndrome to confidence: Alison Whitwood
User stories are a way of capturing requirements that are commonly used on agile software development teams. The cornerstone of a user story is a single statement in the following syntax: “As a [user], I
A process map is a visual model that shows how a collection of activities are sequenced together to accomplish work in an organization. One of the great things about process mapping is that they are
With the vast majority of projects being delivered using pre-built solutions, it is important to understand how to specify requirements for COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) software and SaaS (software-as-a-service) projects. In this video, I am going to
What Requirements to Specify for COTS and SaaS Projects
Stakeholder engagement is critical to success as a business analyst. Yet, often BAs will face challenges getting stakeholders engaged on their projects. They don’t show up to meetings or don’t provide the input you need
10 Tips to Engage Stakeholders
The product manager role and business analyst role go hand in hand. Many product managers get their start as business analysts, and as a product manager, you can expect to work closely with a business
The Difference Between a Product Manager Role and a Business Analyst
Today we meet Paula Bell, the new Director of Operations for Bridging the Gap. From Program Instructor to Program Manager and now to Director of Operations, we are going behind the scenes and sharing exactly
Director of Operations: An Insider Look
Elicitation is the process of discovering the requirements. In particular, elicitation often refers to engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations when it comes to the scope and detailed requirements of the project.
The Top 5 Elicitation Techniques Used By Business Analysts
Ask your stakeholders to prioritize requirements and you are likely to hear groans. While conceptually we understand that project budgets are limited, and requirements prioritization helps us receive the most possible value for our investments
Requirements Prioritization Made Simple
As a business analyst, I’m focused on creating positive change for my organization, and ensuring my work adds value and increases the return on investment for projects.For those unfamiliar with business analysts, or who have
How Business Analysts Create Value
One of the more frequently asked questions we receive from potential buyers of our template products is, “What do they look like?” To answer this question, I recorded a short demo of each of our
BTG Template Bundle Product Demonstration
Plan out your next step into a business analysis career. Don’t miss the FAQ at the end which highlights the concerns we receive most often. After working with hundreds of course participants and clients, chances are we have your career situation covered!
How to Become a Business Analyst Mid-Career
Today we meet Michelle Bosomworth, a Senior Business Process Analyst in the Cybersecurity industry from Southwestern Ontario, who recently acquired a senior role in her company while sharpening her skills through The Business Analyst Blueprint®
Today we meet Wendell White, a Project Manager, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program. What we love about Wendell’s story is that, similar to many course students, he wasn’t aware that he
From Project Manager to Business Analyst: Wendell White
Today we meet Stephanie Belhomme, a Salesforce Admin from New Jersey, who used The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program to solidify her business knowledge and maximize her opportunity with clients. What we love about Stephanie’s
Contracting as a Salesforce Business Analyst: Stephanie Belhomme
Do you ever feel like you are holding yourself back from your full potential in your career and relationships? The concept of mental fitness is all about our ability to deal with life’s challenges big
Mental Fitness for Business Analysts
Here’s a scenario you may have run into: You receive a short request from a stakeholder about a new project. It’s been given top priority by your manager and so it’s the next project
Requirements Estimation: How to Create a Business Analyst Timeline
Today we meet John Sim, a Financial Business Analyst from San Francisco, who recently landed a job as a Salesforce Business Analyst after much determination. What we love about John’s story is that as he
The Power of Perseverance: John Sim Becomes a Salesforce Business Analyst Consultant
As business analysts improving business processes, it’s not uncommon for us to encounter stakeholders with a deep-rooted suspicion of IT and the belief that no matter what, the solution is not going to work for
Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders Who Are Resistant to Change
A requirements review or walk-through is a meeting where you gather all of your stakeholders together and walk-through the requirements documentation, page-by-page, line-by-line, to ensure that the document represents everyone’s complete understanding of what is
How to Conduct a Requirements Review
Today we meet Faraz Khan, a Salesforce Consultant, who recently was invited as a speaker for the Salesforce BA Summit alongside our founder, Laura Brandenburg, and Bridging the Gap instructor, Dr. Michael White. What we
Gaining the Confidence and Skills to become a Salesforce Consultant: Faraz Khan
Many business analysts feel like their role is not needed in agile. We hear that agile teams don’t want “requirements” and so we assume they don’t want business analysts! Nothing could be further from the
The Agile Business Analyst: 4 Crucial Strategies for Success
Today we meet Natalie Fisher, a career mindset coach, who explains why you may be getting job interviews, but no job offers. Natalie has helped hundreds of people get unreasonable job offers that they originally
Why You Are Getting Interviews But Not an Offer for a Business Analyst Job: Natalie Fisher
When you are starting a new business analyst job, it’s an exciting time, but it can also be nerve-racking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running, and if so, what does that mean?
Starting a New Business Analyst Job – 5 Things to Do First
Are you preparing for a business analyst job interview and wondering what questions you might be asked? In this article, we’ll look at the types of questions you are likely to be asked in a business
Top 10 Business Analyst Job Interview Questions and Answers
If you are looking to start a business analyst career, but don’t yet have any business analyst experience, you might feel caught in a trap. What comes first, the business analyst or the business analyst
How to Get Started as a BA Even if You Have No Formal Experience
As a business analyst, it’s not uncommon for me to get way over-invested emotionally in my projects and my work. I’m guessing a lot of you have a similar challenge. In today’s world, we are
How to Protect the Emotional Investment You Make in Your BA Work
Today, we meet Emma Lander, a CSI Analyst from Bournemouth, England, who recently completed The Business Analyst Blueprint® training program while simultaneously transitioning into a new career. What we love about Emma’s story is how
Providing Credibility for Your Knowledge and Experience with The Blueprint®: Emma Lander
Today we meet Beverly Sudbury, a Business Process Analyst from Prince Edward Island, who recently took control of her career and went from a Software Tester and instead worked to become a business analyst. What
How to Take Your Career into Your Own Hands by Examining the Environment Around You: Beverly Sudbury
One of the most common challenges I see in the business analysis profession is a struggle to help stakeholders understand the value of the business analysis process framework on any type of project, and, quite
Business Analysis Process Framework: Step-By-Step Guide
An Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) is a data model describing how entities (or concepts or things) relate to one another. When created by business analysts or business users, ERDs can be used to understand the
How to Create an Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)
A use case is a powerful tool to both analyze and communication the software requirements. If you have a business background, a use case will help you define what the software needs to do, even
How to Write a Use Case: Template + Tutorial
When you are trying to figure out what problem to actually solve before you dive deep into the software requirements, you’ll want to analyze the business process. And to do that, you create both a
How to Analyze a Business Process
In all the hustle and bustle of starting the Fall 2021 session of The Business Analyst Blueprint® certification program and opening up early registration for the Spring 2022 session, I neglected to announce our two
Bridging the Gap welcomes 2 new instructors to the team!
I’m often asked about the difference between business analyst and systems analyst roles. In reviewing job profiles, the roles can seem very similar. In this quick video, I describe how both roles are defined so
What is the Difference Between a Business Analyst and a Systems Analyst?
Business analysts will often find themselves in “information overload” mode. On a new project, with new stakeholders, in a new business domain, it’s not uncommon to be on the receiving end of new terminology, new
4 Strategies to Manage Information Overload as a New Business Analyst
Today we’re going to go through 22 different models BAs use in their work. You may not be aware of all 22 of them, so even if you’re familiar with a few, keep your eyes
22 Visual Models Used by Business Analysts
Do you create a traditional Business Requirements Document to capture your business and/or functional requirements? Adding a few diagrams to your BRD can make it more impactful and easier to understand. In this video, I
3 Diagrams to Add to Your Business Requirements Document
Are you wondering if you’d be qualified for a Senior Business Analyst position? Or perhaps you’ve been a business analyst for a while, and you are wondering how you can get promoted to a Senior
The Senior Business Analyst – 6 Areas of Responsibility
Have you been told that you are “too business oriented?” How could that be? As business analysts, we are supposed to figure out what the business wants and needs, right? Yes…and, well, no. Watch this
Can you really be too business oriented?
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Tammy Schlador, a Senior SAP Business Analyst, from Tempe, Arizona, who recently landed a new BA position and received a 20% salary increase. In this interview, you’ll
BA Veteran Increases Her Visibility on LinkedIn and Lands a 20% Salary Increase: Tammy Schlador
If you are not yet a business analyst and are not currently employed, one of the best ways to build experience is to volunteer to do business analysis. Volunteering is also a great solution for
How to Find Business Analyst Volunteer Positions
Today we meet Cathy Warren. Cathy was a Systems Analyst 20 years ago and is currently a Program Director at a non-profit, and has applied her business analyst skills in this role. Tune in to
Doing Business Analysis In a Non-Profit: Cathy Warren
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Zineb Iotti in Zurich, Switzerland, who is now doing business analysis under the title of Transformation Manager on a multi-lingual team. In this interview, you’ll discover: Why
From Underwriting to Business Analyst with English As Her Third Language: Zineb Iotti
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Andrea Wilson. Andrea Wilson is doing business analysis under the title of Information Management Resource Consultant in Tallahassee, Florida, working in the court system. In this interview,
Becoming the Go-To Business Analyst – An Interview with Andrea Wilson
What does the business analyst career ladder look like? What should your business analyst career path be? Discover what steps you can take to solidify your business analyst career.
How to Build a Business Analyst Career Path
Discover the most critical business analysis skills for new BA – including core skills, business analysis skills, soft skills, and skills that can be required for specific types of BA jobs.
The Most Critical Business Analysis Skills You Need to Be Successful as a Business Analyst
Hi, I’m Laura Brandenburg from Bridging the Gap, and we provide online business analyst training and certification programs for business analysts who are looking to start and succeed in their business analyst careers. If you
The Typical Day of a Business Analyst
If you are on an agile team, do you write user stories, use cases, or both? My take is that until you know how to think in use cases, you need to write them to
Do you have an introverted personality as a business analyst and you are wondering how to best leverage your personality to excel at your work? Or perhaps you think because you are introverted, you are
How to Excel as an Introverted Business Analyst
Business analysis might sound interesting, but is it the right career option for you?
42 Reasons To Start a Business Analyst Career
If you find yourself in a business analyst role on an IT project, it’s likely that at some point you’ll need to create a functional specification – and these can take many different forms depending
What Goes Into a Functional Specification?
If you’ve never held the job title of “Business Analyst” it can be difficult to get an interview for a BA job. Learn how to showcase your relevant skills and experiences in a business analyst resume.
8 Business Analyst Resume Secrets You Need to Know (Especially If You Don’t Have the BA Job Title)
Clarity is one of the most fundamental attributes of writing good requirements. Clear requirements are less likely to be misunderstood by business stakeholders and technical implementers. Clear requirements require fewer review cycles to confirm and
3 Ways to Write Clearer Requirements
If you are preparing for your first business analyst job interview or if it’s been awhile since you’ve interviewed, you are probably wondering what to expect. Interviewing for a business analyst job is very different
Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers – How to Really Sell Your BA Skills
Stakeholder engagement is incredibly important to successful business analysis. Without engaged stakeholders who care about the project and understand the work you do as a business analyst, you will work harder to discover the right
How to Build Engagement with Stakeholders
Here at Bridging the Gap, we help mid-career professionals start business analyst careers. But we receive a lot of questions from recent college graduates looking for entry-level business analyst positions, and so I recorded this
How to Get Started as an Entry-Level Business Analyst
One challenge I see a lot of people breaking into the business analysis field face is how to get back into the role after a career break. You may have taken a career break for
Restarting Your Career After a Career Break
One question we receive often in the Bridging the Gap community is around how to immigrate into a new country and find a business analyst job. I’m so grateful to Eno Eka for sharing her
Getting Hired as a Business Analyst After Immigrating to a New Country: Eno Eka
Today we meet Jami Moore. Jami participated in the Spring 2020 Session of The Business Analyst Blueprint® program, and has achieved some phenomenal successes in her career as a business analyst. You are going to
From Administrative Assistant to Business Analyst to Strategic Initiatives in Healthcare: Jami Moore
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Stephanie Cracknell, one of Bridging the Gap’s early course participants who has come a long, long way in her career since participating in our programs back in
What a 17-Year Career Path in Business Analysis Looks Like: Stephanie Cracknell
I feel like I’m a bit late in sharing this message. I’m always one to respond rather than react. And I mean what I say. As I’ve mentioned in previous messages, I’ve been on a
Black Lives Matter – A Message From Laura
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Becky Goll. We recorded this interview when Becky was about halfway through The Business Analyst Blueprint® program. When I heard about what she was doing, I didn’t
Building Her BA Skill Set and Paid Contract Work During COVID-19: Becky Goll
It’s my honor today to introduce you to David Sullivan, a Senior Business Analyst from Madison, Wisconsin. David jumped in to lead his team of business analysts shortly after participating in The Business Analyst Blueprint®
Moving into Agile Technical Leadership Without a Coding Background: David Sullivan
I’m writing this post on May 26, 2020. It was just over 2 months ago that the U.S. shut down international flights and schools started being cancelled country-wide due to COVID-19. For the first few
Helping Business Analysts Survive and Thrive Through the Pandemic
As we see increased unemployment, today’s organizations are figuring out how to do more with less resources. If you have survived a layoff, or even if you are dealing with increased organizational pressures to deliver
I Survived the Layoffs…Now What?
It’s no secret that we’re facing record unemployment. And I’ve heard many stories of those in our community being laid off or furloughed, and now facing a flooded job market and wondering if and how
How to Articulate Your Transferable Business Analysis Skills Across Industries
Many business analysts are finding themselves working from home right now and needing to elicit requirements and conduct virtual meetings. If you’ve been historically used to working in-person, this can be a huge shift. In
3 Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings
These times have certainly shifted our perceptions of security. What felt so certain – so secure – a few months ago, feels anything but today. This is actually a huge opportunity to see the truth
What Real Job Security Looks Like Right Now
So many are working from home right now, and it can be a challenge to focus on “heads down” type of work. I share 3 concrete strategies for staying focused as well as look at
How to Focus When You Are Working from Home
There is no doubt that these are challenging times and a lot of people in our community are facing hardships right now. But there is also an immense amount of opportunity. Organizations need business analysts
The BA Essentials to be Focusing on Right Now
There’s no doubt that these are challenging times and a lot of people in our community are facing hardships right now. But there is also an immense amount of opportunity. Organizations need business analysts now
What this Pandemic Shut Down Means for You and Your Business Analyst Career
Toni V. Martin started her career in marketing and started developing a specialty in Salesforce.com, a business application that automates and streamlines sales business processes. After taking the BA Essentials Master Class, Toni quickly moved
Into a BA Leadership Role with Expertise in Salesforce.com: Toni V. Martin
With one company after another announcing mandatory work-from-home policies with the COVID-19 events, you might be working from home this week. Many professionals in our community have never worked from home before or facilitated a
Working from Home as a Business Analyst – Coaching Session Replay
If you’ve ever faced a career break, you know how it can shake your confidence. Julie Ayres, from Perth in Western Australia, has spent the last few years consulting as a business analyst and overseeing
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Manuel Ninapaitan, who transitioned from Quality Assurance into a ServiceNow Business Analyst role after participating in The Business Analyst Blueprint® program. In this interview, you’ll discover: How
From QA to ServiceNow Business Analyst: Manuel Ninapaitan
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Lane Malone, who transitioned from Donor Management in the Non-Profit Sector into an official Business Analysis Role. Watch or read to learn how Lane: Proved the value
From Donor Management to Remote Business Analyst: Lane Malone
Today, it’s my honor to introduce you to Emily Tom, of the Ottawa IIBA chapter, and organizer of their first “BA Blitz” – a hack-a-thon type of event where 21 local business analysts of all
How Business Analysis Can Help a Non-Profit Organization: Emily Tom and the Ottawa IIBA BA-Blitz
It’s my honor today to introduce you to Kira Judge. Kira was a participant in the Spring 2019 Session of The Business Analyst Blueprint®. In this interview, she shares her journey to finding her confidence
Finding Confidence in Her Value as a Business Analyst: Kira Judge
Wondering what the next step is in your career? Overwhelmed by all the options and feeling stuck? Here are 2 quick questions that will help you get more clarity about what your next step looks
How to Figure Out the Next Step in Your Career
Are you looking for a simple way to get more out of your requirements elicitation sessions? Would you like to make better use of yours and your stakeholder’s time? Would you be interested in learning
What Questions Do I Ask During Requirements Elicitation?
Hundreds of business analysts have learned and applied the Bridging the Gap Business Analysis Process Framework to make their BA work more effective and successful. And I’ve been receiving lots of questions about how this
The Origin of the Bridging the Gap Business Analysis Process Framework
Today we meet Dilli Sharma, and it was such an incredible honor to meet him and hear his story. Dilli is currently employed as a Medical Interpreter and does an incredible job identifying his transferable
Medical Interpreter On His Way to Business Analyst: Dilli Sharma
Today I’d like to share Todd Fleming’s success story with you. Todd is from Somers Montana, which is near Kalispell, Montana – a beautiful area of the United States I hope to visit someday! Todd
How to Land Paid Contract Work as a Business Analyst with a Software Background: Todd Fleming
Today, I’d like to share a course participant success story with you. Munzolli Tower, from the New Jersey area, is a business analyst with a business background. During the Spring 2019 session of The Business
How to Up-Level to a Senior BA Role: Munzolli Tower’s Success Story
Today we’re touching a really sensitive topic – your age and how it impacts you as a business analyst. Almost every week, we receive a question around, “Am I too old to be a business
Are You Too Old to Be a Business Analyst?
Maybe you get an incredible amount of work done, but it never feels like enough. Perhaps your to-do list is always growing, no matter how hard you work or how many hours you put in.
Getting Out From Under a Never-Ending To-Do List: Kenji F.
Diana went from lacking confidence to taking being recognized for her confidence with opportunities to train new business analysts and get her presented to her organization’s most challenging client. Watch to learn how Diana: Reframed her
What a Confident Business Analyst Looks Like: Diana Sofariu’s Successes as a BA Consultant
Running an effective meeting is a critical skill for business analysts to master. You’ll facilitate all kinds of meetings with all different levels of stakeholders as a business analyst – discovery meetings, requirements review meetings,
Super Effective Meetings: 5 Quick and Easy Tips
Today we meet Karl Wiegers, author of 11 books (including Successful Business Analysis Consulting) and he shares loads of wisdom with us from his 30+ years as a business analyst consultant. Watch or read to
Successful Business Analysis Consulting – Interview with Karl Wiegers
We all have dreams we want to achieve. But often we allow our limiting beliefs to get in the way of taking action to achieve our dreams. Here’s a quick way to flip the reasons
A simple flip to help you achieve your dreams
Today we meet Lisa Curll – Business Performance Analyst managing sustainability projects at Dominion Energy. She has so much wisdom to share with you – I invite you to jump right in. Watch or read
Leading the Way in Sustainability – Interview with Lisa Curll from Dominion Energy
Confidence is a belief – it is a belief in yourself and your ability to achieve a specific result in your life and your career. In my work helping business analysts, I see a lot
I’m so honored to share this interview with you today. I’ve known Disha Trivedi almost since the inception of Bridging the Gap. She’s been a course participant and we both completed our CBAP certification around
The Career Trajectory of a Senior Business Analyst: an Interview with Disha Trivedi, CBAP
When Amelia joined The Business Analyst Blueprint® in January 2018, she had the ‘business analyst’ job title but not the responsibilities. She even had to volunteer outside her actual work just to complete the program and be
Amelia Kram McHenry – From Informal BA to BA Lead making $90K/year
Today we meet Annette Richards, who was in a senior business analyst lead role when she joined The Business Analyst Blueprint®. And, as she says, she knew more than she thought she knew. But it
Annette Richards: From Senior BA Lead to BA Manager, By Gaining Confidence in Her Skills
I was honored to be one of the featured speakers at Penny Pullan’s Business Analysis Summit. The topic was Innovation and I specifically answered questions about our innovative learning model at Bridging the Gap, and how we help mid-career
Innovation in Learning – Leveraging the Real World in Training to Create Success
Today we meet Thomas Clarke who transformed his career from data entry to research assistant to business analyst! Thomas leveraged his participation in the BA Essentials Master Class from Bridging the Gap to learn how
Thomas Clarke Goes From Research Assistant to Business Analyst in Just a Few Months
In September 2018, our family evacuated for Hurricane Florence. We are so grateful to be home safe and sound, and dealing with just minimal damage. So many lost everything. I finally had a chance to
How to Anchor In Your Career Goals
If you could solve one challenge in your business analyst career, what would it be? What’s holding you back from more success? Tell me where you are at in your career by leaving a comment
What’s one challenge you are facing in your business analyst career?
When organizational change (or any sort of external industry factor) looms, it can feel like our career paths are constricted. The reality is that when you know this one specific thing, you’ll see these changes
How to Handle Organizational Change and Get What You Want Out of Your Business Analyst Career
Today we have a super quick, but super high-impact tip for you – and it will help you achieve more success in your business analyst career almost instantly! For those who like to read instead
How to Almost Instantly Achieve More Success in Your Business Analyst Career
In a recent webinar, one of our community members asked this powerful question: I have been in a BA role for over 8-years and recently changed organizations and I am finding that I am not
How to Catch Up on Technology and Skills in a New Organization
Perry McGuire joined The Business Analyst Blueprint® having held the title of business analyst, but not fulfilling the full scope of business analyst work he found in his local job postings in Jersey, one of
Perry McGuire Boosts His Practical BA Skills, and Soon After Lands 2 BA Job Offers in the UK
Sara Rankin has always loved asking questions and solving problems, and only recently learned that there is a profession and a job title for doing just that! I love Sara’s story of self-realization and self-actualization,
Sara Rankin Gains Confidence to Build a Business Analyst Career Using her Innate Gifts
When Michael Rodriguez joined The Business Analyst Blueprint®, he had quite a bit of experience (like 10-15 years of experience) gathering requirements as a software development lead. He is a highly skilled and competent professional,
The best business analysts consistently update and upgrade their skills, to add even more value to their organization and achieve better business outcomes. As an online provider of training to business analysts, one of the
How to Gain Funding for Training Opportunities
One way BAs add value is to find more cost-effective solutions to business problems, saving company time and resources in big projects where small changes might be just as effective. And even for larger projects,
3 Ways to Find Cost-Effective Solutions to Business Problems
I met Jack Michel while speaking at the Charlotte IIBA meeting. He introduced himself and let me know how Bridging the Gap had helped him go from his role as a technical recruiter to get
From Technical Recruiter to Business Analyst: Jack S. Michel Jr. Shares His Clear Path to Success
We know that one of the ways we add value as a business analyst is through reducing rework and requirements churn. We get everyone on the same page about what DONE means, and minimize unnecessary
3 Tips for Minimizing Requirements Changes
If you’re writing software or functional requirements and you are not leveraging use case thinking skills then you are missing requirements. And missed requirements cause unnecessary rework on software development projects. While use cases aren’t
3 Situations that are Absolutely Perfect for Use Cases!
This question came to us from our Facebook page. When you have multiple projects and multiple business analysts, how do you structure your team and work assignments? Like so much in BA, it depends. The
How to Structure a Business Analyst Team
This question comes to us from Marie, who is a business analyst manager and often has people in her organization approach her for help getting started in business analysis. She wanted to know how to
What Tasks to Give to a New Business Analyst
We’re going to the dark side of business analysis and agile requirements today, and looking at how we really help out end users who still have a waterfall mindset get clear about their requirements. This
Getting Clear Requirements in Agile from Waterfall Stakeholders
So, you’ve heard the news – your organization is going agile. Or you are looking for jobs, and every single one requires agile experience. What does this mean for you, your career, and business analysis?
How to Transition to Agile as a Waterfall Business Analyst
Succeeding as a business analyst takes more than just knowing all the right questions and techniques. It also requires getting your mindset right – this is what is called the inner game. I also share
The Inner Game of Succeeding as a Business Analyst
Business analysts create positive change, make our organizations more efficient, and help us add more value to our customers. If you’ve been frustrated by your lack of opportunity in your business analysis career, this is
Your Organization Needs You to Step Up
There are 2 primary reasons that business analysts miss requirements and I cover them in this video. Want to learn more? Watch this short video! And then register here for the free 3-part video training.
How to Avoid Missing Software Requirements
One day, I was headed back to my desk after a meeting and a senior business analyst stopped me in the hallway, inviting me to apply for a new position on the business analyst team.
Secrets to Getting Started as a Business Analyst
Today we meet Shelley Feyerherm who joined The Business Analyst Blueprint® program as a CBAP® with several years of business analysis experience. She shares how the program helped her deepen her knowledge of core business
Shelly Feyerherm – Experienced BA Who Deepens her Knowledge and Re-Certifies for the CBAP
Today we meet Jennifer Hurley who joined The Business Analyst Blueprint® program with a team of business analysts, as part of pursuing her certification goals. As a single mom, a lot of training options are
Jennifer Hurley Leverages Flexible Training to Get Hours for Certification
Today we meet Roshni Dominic. Roshni is located in the UK and participated in the 2017 session of The Business Analyst Blueprint®. Just a few weeks into the program, she turned her Support Analyst Role
Roshni Dominic Starts a Part-Time BA Role at the British Red Cross
I firmly believe that once you are a business analyst, you are always a business analyst. However, it’s easy to fall into a role where you are no longer doing traditional business analyst work, and
How to Get Your BA Career Back On Track
Because we know how to analyze so well, we can analyze and criticize the work we do, and not really appreciate the skills we have. Are you really a business analyst? Yes, you are. Learn
Are You Really a Business Analyst?
Trick or Treat! It’s Halloween here in the United States and so I decided to have a little fun with this week’s video. We’re looking at 3 “tricks” or issues that can trip us up
Business process modeling is used by BAs and non-BAs alike to create lasting change in organizations. It’s how we actually make our ripple effect as business analysts. Today we get specific as I’m sharing 3 examples
As business analysts, we find it really hard to communicate our value. And we often feel under-valued and under-appreciated. In reality, our ripple effect is huge. You know when you throw a stone in a
The Ripple Effect of Your Work as a Business Analyst
There are many reasons that BAs end up producing incomplete requirements, and this can have an extremely negative impact on our job performance. Today we’re taking a question from one Bridging the Gap community member,
How to Avoid Incomplete Business Requirements
As more organizations are working on cloud implementation projects, or leveraging software available in a SaaS (Software as a Service) environment, like Salesforce.com or ServiceNow, many business analysts feel that it isn’t necessary to capture
Cloud Implementations: 3 Essential Types of Requirements
I’m so excited to be able to share this case study interview with you. Adam Haesler’s BA career has been evolving for the last 2 years, and he recently landed his first formal business analyst
From Customer Service to Business Analysis – Adam Haesler Does Not Take “No” For an Answer
A lot of business analysts face challenges getting recognized for their value, and as a result, get cut out of important project work. Instead of doing the critical work to solve bigger problems for their
5 Ways to Get Your Business Analyst Department Recognized
Today we’re talking about an issue that’s more common for business analysts than you might expect. And that’s how to handle the situation when your project manager insists on an unrealistic requirements deadline, even after
Requirements Deadlines Unrealistic? – Here’s How to Respond
Congratulations – you’ve been asked to start a new project as a business analyst! While it can feel quick and effective to jump right in and start requirements documentation, this habit is likely to lead
How to Start a New Project as a Business Analyst
Today we’re talking about a problem all business analysts face – what to do when the developers push back on your requirements. Here are a few key points: Re-frame what the developer means by “that’s
How to Handle Push Back from Your Technology Team
The business analyst’s toolbox is chock full of dozens of business analysis techniques. Here is a list of 65 business analysis techniques that are useful to know about. Not that you would use every technique
65 Business Analysis Techniques
In this interview, Pieter Pretorius from South Africa shares how he went from an operations role to a business analyst, by leveraging an opportunity to be a subject matter expert on a project to get
From Operations to Business Analyst: Pieter Pretorius from South Africa
In this interview, Tracy Smitheram shares her story of moving from a finance career to business analysis. One limiting belief that a lot of aspiring BAs get caught up in is the idea that in order to be a
If you’ve been wondering whether or not a business analyst career is really right for you, I’ve got a quick and easy litmus test you can use to figure it out (above and beyond desiring
The Business Analyst Litmus Test
I’m often asked about my opinion on the new Entry Certificate in Business Analysis™ (ECBA™) from the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®), and whether it’s a good investment of time and energy. At Bridging
Thoughts on the IIBA new ECBA certificate
This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the US. This is a time of year I always step back and reflect on what’s important to me and start looking forward to the year ahead. There
In this interview, Damon shares his story going from tax auditor to business analyst to software developer to business analyst again. I love how Damon’s career path took a side road when he dipped his
From Tax Auditor to Business Analyst – Damon
A software developer is a professional who designs, creates, and customizes software applications to meet the business and functional requirements which are typically analyzed and specified by a business analyst. The Skills Software Developers Bring
How to Move from Software Developer to Business Analysis
Customer service representatives are professionals who help new or prospective customers solve problems or answer questions related to a product or service. The Skills Customer Service Professionals Bring to a Business Analyst Position Customer service
How to Move from Customer Service to Business Analyst
A project manager is responsible for overseeing the project from concept through to delivery. In reality, there is a lot of overlap between business analysis and project management roles, and many project managers are doing
How to Move from Project Manager to Business Analyst
A software tester is a professional responsible for verifying that the software solution meets the specified requirements. Software testers and business analysts are like two sides of the same coin. The Skills Software Testers Bring
How to Move from Software Tester to Business Analyst
A technical writer is a professional who creates technical documentation that helps people understand how to use a product or service. Documentation includes work like user guides, help files, as is business processes and procedures,
How to Move from Technical Writing to Business Analysis
Way back before I was a BA consultant, and before I started offering BA training at Bridging the Gap, I was in a director-level role leading a department of business analysts, project managers, and quality
Why business analysts can be difficult to manage
If you are relatively new to the business analyst profession, you might be wondering if you are actually doing things correctly. The business analysis process appears to be so nice and neat and linear until you
Here’s a scenario you might face as a business analyst. The head of the customer service team, we’ll call her Joy, has submitted a project proposal to get a new field added to the contract
How to Resolve Feature Battles
In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, let’s chat about the luck of a business analyst. Because every once in a great, great while, you might actually get lucky as a business analyst. Here’s what
The luck of the business analyst
Happy Valentines’ Day! This year my daughter went ALL OUT on her Valentine’s Day cards for her pre-school class, using stickers, stamps, and even some glitter to make each card unique and then carefully writing
8 things to love about business analysis
We’ve been talking this week about how to get past barely managed chaos using a project portfolio management process. I won’t lie. It’s a lot of work to make this happen. You, personally, need to
8 great things that happen when you have a project list
Project Portfolio Management is a term that’s used to describe how project managers and business analysts organize, prioritize, and show relationships between multiple active and proposed projects for their organizations. Sound portfolio management enables key
How to Manage a Project Portfolio (And Get Past Barely Managed Chaos)
Do you find your developers have one follow-up question after another about how the system is really supposed to work, even though you documented the functionality in a use case? Worse yet, did your development team
7 Mistakes Even the Best Make When Writing Use Cases
I’m so grateful to Hyun Woo (called “Woo”) for sharing with us today his two-year journey into business analysis. He’s living proof that there is always opportunity to build new business analysis experiences, and that
From Liberal Arts Degree to Business Analysis: Hyun Woo
No matter that we business analysts get labeled by an almost dizzying array of job titles, we also can get some fancy nicknames. In the spirit of keeping it light this week, let’s look at
Today we’re wrapping up our series going into a little more detail on the things I would have liked to have known before I started my business analyst career with an article about how to
Quick tips for managing requirements issues
One of the things that I wish I’d known when I started out as a business analyst was I would need to take deliberate steps to ensure my stakeholders truly got what they wanted and
4 steps to finalize a requirements document
If you’ve ever been told that you aren’t pushy enough to be a business analyst, you are going to want to read today’s article. Pushy isn’t easy, and it isn’t in our DNA as business
How to get the information you need from your stakeholders
If you like the hit comedy show The Office (American version), you might remember when the new boss asks Jim to complete a “rundown.” Not knowing what a rundown is, Jim spends a lot of
4 ways to set clearer expectations
During my first months as a business analyst, life was filled with a sort of inner turmoil. Even though I had books on how to write requirements documents, had received individual mentoring on putting together
4 things I would have liked to have known before I started my BA career
Today we meet Sarika, who transitioned into business analysis after starting her career as an IT Application Developer and taking a career break of 2 years to raise her child. What I like most about
From IT Application Development to Business Analyst, After a 2 Year Break (Sarika)
Welcome to part 4 of our 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process. Part 5
Welcome to part 4 of our 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process. Part 4
Welcome to part 3 of our 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process. Part 3 –
Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis, Part 3: How to Survive a Project When Everything Goes Wrong
Welcome to part 2 of our 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process. Part 2 – where
Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis, Part 2: How to Recover from Newbie Mistakes
Welcome to the 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process.
Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis (5-Part Series)
Welcome to part 1 of our 5-part Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis series where I’ll walk you through how I’ve handled some of my most interesting business analysis projects using the business analysis process. Part 1
Behind-the-Scenes in Business Analysis, Part 1: The Project Where I Didn’t Get My Way
Martin Pakpahan started his career in Sales Support and over the course of nearly 6 years worked his way into a business analysis position. One thing I love about Martin’s story is that he focused on
From Sales Support to Quality Assurance to Business Analysis (Martin Pakpahan)
When an organization is planning to move data from one system to another, planning the data migration is an important aspect of the project to ensure that the right data ends up in the right
How to Approach a Data Migration Project
If you come from a technical background, you might be wondering if you can skip data modeling and go right to designing and implementing the database. While you could theoretically bypass any of the data
3 Reasons to Data Model (Even If You Can Design Databases)
In today’s information-rich world, we are seeing more and more data-related analysis skills in business analysis jobs. We’ve been asked several times whether business intelligence and business analysis roles are really different roles, and how
The Difference Between Data Analysis and Data Modeling
As a business analyst, it would be rare for you to complete a data dictionary on its own. Rather, it’s likely that you’ll be analyzing data requirements in combination with other business analysis techniques. In this
How to Blend a Data Dictionary with Use Cases, Wireframes, and Workflow Diagrams
Here are 10 articles to help you get started with data modeling. These are perfect if you want to brush up on data modeling or get fresh ideas to improve your business analyst work.
Getting Started with Data Modeling (10-Part Series)
Are you ready to get started with data modeling, but wondering what software tools you’ll need? Have you seen some of the more complicated-looking models and wonder how you can create these with your business
What Software Tools Business Analysts Use for Data Modeling
You might be wondering if you need both a data dictionary and a data mapping, or you might want to make these two deliverables part of one simultaneous analysis activity. Data mapping is a special kind
When it Works to Create a Data Map and a Data Dictionary at the Same Time
Part of the value the business analyst provides is selecting techniques to ensure the requirements for a project are fully analyzed and understood. Data modeling can be a significant part of the project requirements to rightfully non-existent, even
How Data Modeling Fits Into the Business Analysis Process
Although data modeling techniques can look technical, you don’t need to know database programming to complete useful versions of the models from a business-facing perspective. Instead, business analysts create data models that describe the what (of
How to Data Model Without Getting Too Technical (or the what and the how)
Business analysts solve tricky, icky, sticky project challenges using data modeling techniques. There are 4 data modeling techniques you should get to know as a business analyst, so they can become part of your BA
4 Data Modeling Techniques that Solve Tricky Project Challenges
A Glossary is a deliverable that documents terms that are unique to the business or technical domain. A glossary is used to ensure that all stakeholders (business and technical) understand what is meant by the terminology,
The Glossary: A Gateway to Clear Requirements and Communication
A Data Dictionary, also called a Data Definition Matrix, provides detailed information about the business data, such as standard definitions of data elements, their meanings, and allowable values. While a conceptual or logical Entity Relationship
Today let’s talk about email, specifically emailing to discover information related to requirements questions. You as the business analyst sit down and write a carefully crafted email with a very thoughtful question and send it
When to Use Email to Answer Requirements Questions
While business analysis as a collection of activities has been around for decades, preceding even the introduction of the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®) in 2004, business analysis, as a discipline, has evolved significantly during
A Historical Look at the Business Analysis Profession (2009-2014)
While it would be natural to assume that an IT Business Analyst works on technology systems, the IT Business Analyst job description is necessarily expanding beyond the “IT” component and into the “Business” component, and that
The IT Business Analyst – 4 Ways the Job Description is Expanding
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the impact of the Project Management Institute (PMI)® new Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)℠ certification on the business analysis profession and what it means to the Certified Business
The PMI-PBA vs. IIBA CBAP or CCBA
At work, how you invest your time can lead to significant business analysis career success … or equally significant failure. No matter how disciplined your organization, there will always be time crunches and there will
5 Business Analyst Time-Wasters
You may remember Emily Kong. She recently shared her story of turning from IT Analyst to Business Analyst. She was kind enough to check in with us again and let us know about her first
How to Succeed at Your First Project in a New Company: Emily Kong
When you begin evaluating training providers, you’ll find a variety of acronyms are used to describe how you can leverage the training programs as part of your certification and re-certification goals. These acronyms often get
What’s the Difference Between PDs, CDUs, and PDUs?
When you find yourself in the market for a business analysis certification, you’ll quickly discover that you have many choices. One question we receive again and again is whether to pursue the CBAP or CCBA.
Should I Pursue the CBAP or the CCBA?
You got the business analyst job, now what? Your first few months in a new business analyst job are extremely important. It’s when you lay the foundation for successful, long-term employment. It’s important to build
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 4): Your First 60 Days
You got the business analyst job, now what? By the end of the first week, you want to be able to demonstrate you’ve made at least some forward progress towards being an effective contributor, but
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 3): How to Make the Most of Your First Week
You got the business analyst job, now what? The first day of a new job can be exciting but also nerve-wracking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running and, if so, what does
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 2): How to Prepare for Your First Day
You got the business analyst job, now what? The first day of a new job can be exciting but also nerve-wracking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running and, if so, what does
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 1): What To Expect on Your First Day
Many on the path to starting business analyst careers find themselves in organizations with no business analyst role. In this situation, the question becomes, do I need to seek a new BA job outside my
How to Get Your Organization to Create a BA Role (Just For You!)
Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) is a standardized notation for creating visual models of business or organizational processes. Those new to BPMN understandably find it overwhelming. There are flow objects, connecting objects, swim lanes, and artifacts.
3 (and only 3) Reasons to Use BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation)
With all the craze about use cases lately, you’d think that no collection of requirements documentation would be complete without at least one, and perhaps several, use cases. The reality is that while use cases
3 Signs You Shouldn’t Be Writing a Use Case
Many business analysts mistakenly believe that adding a visual model to a specification – or preparing one specifically for a requirements meeting – means significant extra work. But in reality, using the right visual modeling
How to Make the Requirements Process Faster With Visual Models
The 2013 Building Business Capability Conference, sponsored by the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®), proved to be a setting where the future of business analysis was discussed not only with enthusiasm, but also with
Next Generation Business Analysts – The Opportunities In Store For You (Insights from BBC 2013)
Tacked onto the end of many BA job descriptions is a misnomer of a requirement. It often looks something like this: “Degree in computer science (or equivalent) preferred.” While this requirement can be in place
Why a Computer Science Degree is Not Required to Be Successful as a Business Analyst
John Jones began his career as a programmer. Through consistent performance and time, he was given more responsibility to talk with the process owners and users to do the analysis before the design and coding work.
From Programmer to Business Analyst: How to Snap Back from a Layoff after 35 Years with One Company
In a new business analyst position, it can be a challenge to figure out how to learn everything you need to know to be successful. Knowledge about the business and industry can be acquired over
How to Learn About a New Business Domain
Are you wondering what concrete steps you can take to make sure you don’t overlook requirements on your next project? In business analysis, the set of techniques used to discover the requirements is called elicitation. For the most
53 Tips For Discovering All the Requirements
Can a software developer become a business analyst? How about a technical writer, benefits manager, financial services representative, or quality assurance engineer? With over 25 career transition stories, it’s likely we’ve got a career background like yours cover.
What Career Backgrounds Do Business Analysts Have?
Are you looking for a new business analyst job or your first business analyst job? Are you worried about getting hired for the right type of position? Or perhaps you are wondering why your job search
The Business Analyst Job Search Process: 5 Steps to Getting Hired
While nearly any job can lead you to a business analyst job, some jobs enable you to move you more quickly towards your business analyst career goals. Since you can build BA experience without having the
Here are 13 Jobs that Can Lead to a Business Analyst Job
Picture me: young, fresh, and disciplined…leading a very boring requirements meeting where we’re poring over a very laborious requirements document. This was way back when I was too new, too green, to know better. I
How to Put Some Spunk Into Your Requirements
Have you ever wondered how a business analyst approaches a software project? Would you be interested in the general phases of work a business analyst completes and what activities are included in each phase? Well,
What’s the Business Analyst Role on a Software Project?
Learn what the interview process is like for a BA job, how recruiters get involved, and the types of questions you are most likely to get asked.
What Can I Expect in a Business Analyst Job Interview?
Would you be interested in learning more about how to visually represent your requirements, even if you have little to no technology skills? Have you been seeing the terms “wireframe”, “mock-up”, and “prototype” in BA
What’s the Difference Between a Wireframe, Mock-Up, and Prototype?
We put a lot of burden on ourselves as business analysts to get as much information as possible as early as possible in the process. The questions we think to ask are critical to getting
7 Questions That Will Get Even More Information Out of Your Stakeholders
Do you find yourself thinking up questions after a requirements meeting that you wish you would have thought to ask? Are your stakeholders frustrated because you come back again and again with more questions? Would
8 Ways to Be Less Irritating and Minimize Follow-Up Questions After Requirements Meetings
Have you ever wondered whether a particular experience “counts” as a business analyst experience? Or have you gone through a process to identify your transferable business analyst skills, but still feel yourself coming up short (even
What Experience “Counts” as Business Analyst Experience? (5 Examples)
Earlier this week I addressed the question of how to determine if you are qualified for a business analyst job and noted that the most important thing you can do is understand is your transferable
How to Discover Your Transferable Business Analyst Skills
Are you exploring a career in as a business analyst? Do you find yourself wondering if your skills and experience are relevant to a business analyst role? Would you be interested in learning about how
How Do I Know If I’m Qualified To Be a Business Analyst?
Business process maps are a growing area within business analysis. But many BAs are cut out from the business process. Others of you aren’t yet in a business analyst role, but would like to get
Here’s a not so uncommon scenario you might face during a business analyst job interview: Recruiter: Thanks for taking some time to meet with me today. I’m working with a client who needs a business analyst
Do You Make These Job Interview Mistakes?
While I find that wireframes help me elicit the right requirements and shorten requirements review cycles by giving my stakeholders a visual point of reference, many business analysts resist creating wireframes because they take can
3 Shortcuts to Create Wireframes in Record Time
Are you exploring a business analysis career in an agile software development environment? Are you concerned about keeping your business analysis skills relevant in an increasingly agile world? Would you be interested in learning how
Secrets of Successful Agile Analysis: How to Make Your Business Analysis Skills Indispensable
Picture yourself leading a requirements meeting early in the project. You show up 5 minutes early, get yourself settled, spread out your notes, and fire up your laptop. You review your agenda so it’s top
How to Keep Your Elicitation Session From Going Off Track
Wendy Stookesberry created momentum in her business analyst career by volunteering to do a business analysis task. She got noticed as someone who went above and beyond and one BA task led to another and
From Software Developer to Business Analyst via an Internal Promotion
Dave’s story shows us how a little persistence and creativity can go a long way. Dave’s organization does not have a BA practice and he has many software development responsibilities to attend to, yet he
Building Business Analysis Experience as a Software Developer
So often in my work with new business analysts, we have a conflict of perspective. I see someone as successful (say because they had discovered that in their list of transferable skills, they were well-qualified for
I’m very excited to share an “in progress” success story this week. Rob Jowaises has been very active in our Grow Your BA Career LinkedIn group and has graciously shared the ups and downs of
From Desktop Support Technician to Business Analyst: A Journey-in-Progress
Do you ever feel like your stakeholders keep repeating themselves? Would you like certain aspects of the elicitation process to go a little faster? In this post, we’ll look at why even when we’re listening
How to Get Your Stakeholders to Stop Repeating Themselves
Today we meet Neslon Colon, a Bridging the Gap reader who has made the transition to business systems analysis at a New York financial services firm after a twelve year background in the Air Force.
Turning an Business Systems Analyst Internship into a Job Offer
Do you refer to some of your business analysis activity as “requirements gathering”? Are you looking at BA jobs and seeing “requirements gathering” responsibilities and wondering what that looks like? And how do you reconcile
Requirements Gathering vs. Elicitation
Many new business analysts are confident in their communication and problem-solving skills but feel held back because they’ve only ever created informal documentation to serve a specific audience or project need. Are you confident in
Like writers complain of “writers block,” modelers often find themselves in “analysis paralysis.” When modeling a business process, analysis paralysis occurs when we get stuck on a model and are not able to finish it,
5 Ways to End Analysis Paralysis on Your Next Business Process Model
You might not think that Michael Scott of NBC’s The Office has much to teach you about facilitating a meeting. But I disagree! If you’ll take a closer look with me, you’ll discover that Michael does just
Michael Scott’s Guide to Facilitating a Meeting
You might hear others say that business analysts are difficult people. In fact, if you’ve been around for awhile, you’ve heard me say it. Are BAs difficult people? Or, to look at the question differently,
Being a BA is Not for the Faint of Heart
Career transitions can are full of uncertainty. You hit roadblocks; you work around them. You don’t hear from anyone for months then you get 5 interviews in one week. You plug along adding value, getting
7 Signs You Are Making Progress Towards a BA Career
TH (who prefers to remain anonymous), was able to demonstrate a pattern of progressively growing skills related to business analysis and qualify herself for a business analyst role on an agile team. TH worked in a
From Problem Solver to Business Analyst
I really like how Aniket leveraged working with a tool for business analysts into an opportunity to become a business analyst himself. This is the first time I’ve heard of this particular path, but it
From Application Support Specialist to Business Analyst
Did you know that requirements can be perfectly well documented and verified, but completely useless? This is why business analysts not only verify requirements, but also validation them. In the BABOK Guide, the purpose of Requirements
How to Validate Requirements (BABOK 6.6)
We’ve discussed how building business analysis experience is how you show you have the BA mindset and crack the egg. You might be comfortable asking for permission later (and if you are, go to it!),
Want to Take on a BA Task? 3 Things Your Boss Needs to Hear You Say
Our grocer recently introduced pasture-fresh eggs from a local farm and I’ve been eating a lot of eggs lately. Fresher eggs than I’ve ever had on a regular basis in my life. The kind you’d
How to Expand Your BA Experience Even if You Aren’t a Business Analyst
You might not think you have much to learn from Dwight Shrute from The Office. Why, with the fact that he’s been given a dizzying array of job titles, never with the accompanying salary or
The Dwight Schrute School of Business Process Improvement
If you are an experienced professional, let’s face it, the idea of starting a job that is “entry-level” or with the title of “junior” is not very appealing. Not to mention the salary cut you’d
How to Skip Right Past Entry-Level Business Analyst Positions
You finally find a job as a business analyst! You start your new job with high energy. But then days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. One day you wake up and realize
4 Surprising Reasons Your First Business Analyst Job Doesn’t Turn Out Like You Expect
I met Eric just last week at the Denver IIBA meeting. He has an amazing BA Career Transition story and I’m proud that we here at Bridging the Gap are a part of his success!
Landing a Business Analyst Job Just 7 Months Out of College
If you are trying to decide if business analysis is the right career move, you are probably evaluating the trade-offs, looking at what you’ll need to invest in making this happen vs. the pay off
Don’t Do These 7 Things When Getting Started as a BA
A reader asks: I am awaiting feedback from a client on a Requirements document. It has been 3 weeks and I haven’t gotten any response. I have already sent an email reminding them. How do I
How Do I Get Feedback on a Requirements Document Without Sounding Too Demanding?
Steve Blais is someone I often refer to in my presentations as “the consummate business analyst.” We’ve met Steve before – I interviewed him in 2010 about the essence of business analysis. Since then, he’s published a
Business Analysis: Best Practices for Success – An Interview with Steve Blais
A reader asks: Hello, I am very interested in becoming a business analyst, the only problem is I have no idea where to begin. One main question I have is what do I need to
What Should I Study in College to Become a Business Analyst?
In a business analyst job interview, you are very likely to get asked behavioral interview questions. In this post, we’ll look at what a behavioral interview question is, why an interviewer asks these types of
How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions for a BA Job
Requirements verification ensures the intrinsic quality of the requirements. Although it would be a significant waste of time outside academic circles, I could verify requirements for a solution that had zero business value and that
How Do Business Analysts Verify Requirements? (BABOK 6.5)
While we’ve already talked about the importance of Preparing for Elicitation and Conducting Elicitation Activities, it’s not enough to stop there. The next two (and IMHO, critical) tasks in the Elicitation Knowledge area are Document Elicitation
Let Your Stakeholders Know You Heard Them (BABOK 3.3, 3.4)
When I first started my consulting business, I intended to focus solely on understanding the capabilities of legacy systems. Unearthing requirements had become a bit of a pet passion of mine and I realized that
BA Stories: The Value of Reusable Requirements (BABOK 4.3)
Do you think that you as the business analyst should be involved in figuring out how the solution is put together, even though you are not responsible for designing it or implementing it? Do you
Oh Where, Oh Where Does This Requirement Belong? (BABOK 7.2)
There is a distinction between the project requirements and the requirements package.Requirements can be organized, sliced and diced, torn apart, allocated, put back together, assigned attributes, etc. Packages are finely wrapped presentations of requirements in
Good Things Come in Nice Packages (BABOK 4.4)
I am a planner. I like to see what’s in front of me and understand what it will take to accomplish my objectives. I’d expect this is true of many business analysts. Our requirements are,
BA Stories: Business Analysts Plan to Plan (BABOK 2.3)
Are you responsible for the solution? If you read the BABOK closely, you might be surprised to learn that the answer is a resounding “yes.” Of course, the BA is not responsible for delivering the solution
The Business Analyst’s Role in Designing the Solution (BABOK 7.1)
Assess Capability Gaps is one of those tasks that we almost all do, but when we read about it in the BABOK we might wrinkle our brow. It seems so obvious that we may not
BA Stories: Mind the Gap – The Capability Gap (BABOK 5.2)
As BAs we very easily get wrapped up in our requirements. That is the bulk of our work – business requirements, stakeholder requirements, solution requirements, etc. Everywhere we look, requirements, requirements, requirements! However, in the
It’s Not “All Requirements” – Assumptions and Constraints Matter Too! (BABOK 6.4)
Ever wondered how the BABOK Guide matches up to real business analysis experience? The BABOK is brilliant at breaking down the possibilities of business analysis and providing a route for a wide variety of project types to move
Perhaps even more than planning for elicitation, planning the business analysis approach will set a mature business analyst apart from the crowd. The purpose of ‘Plan the Business Analysis Approach’ is to select an approach
The BABOK Might Not Be a Methodology, But the BA Still Needs One (BABOK 2.1)
As I prepared for my CBAP exam, one of the big areas of contention was the use of exam simulators. At first, around week 3, I found them to be very helpful in gauging whether
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Looking back on the CBAP Exam Simulators
It’s difficult to even think about being a business analyst without elicitation. Yet, it’s so core, it’s often difficult to abstract from the other BA tasks as well. It seems we are almost always eliciting
3 Steps to Preparing for an Elicitation Session
The business need is one of the most fundamental aspects of business analysis. Yet, I know many BAs do not consider themselves part of defining the business need. Today, I’d like to challenge your assumptions. According
Do You Define the Business Need? (BABOK 5.1)
The purpose of this Evaluate Solution Performance (BABOK 7.6 – the last task included in the BABOK Guide) is: “Evaluate functioning solutions to understand the value they deliver and identify opportunities for improvement.” This task
BA Stories: Evaluate Solution Performance (BABOK 7.6)
I arrived at the exam center 30 minutes early. It was a beautiful Colorado fall day that felt more like late summer. The exam center was on a community college campus, so I was surrounded
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Putting a “C” in my “BAP” (Week 12, Part 2)
Just a quick post to ask you to send me good vibes. Today is the day I sit for the CBAP. Around 1 pm MST, I’ll be at Red Rocks Community College here in Golden,
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Today is the Day! (Week 12, Part 1)
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
What You Should Know About Emerging Technologies
Up until this point, I’ve been taking sample CBAP exams by knowledge area. These are great because they help me determine if I understand a particular knowledge area or not. But they are obviously limited since
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Taking the Full Practice Exam (Week 11)
Two weeks to go until exam day and in the nitty gritty of my BAMentor prep course (with my super-amazing instructor, Kym Byron). Last night we went over some of the key techniques in Requirements
Laura’s CBAP Journey: The BABOK Makes So Much Sense When…. (Week 10)
I will try not to make this another rant. But the harsh truth is that I am frustrated. I’m a reasonably intelligent person. I have historically been a good test taker. Yet, CBAP preparation questions
Laura’s CBAP Journey: I’m Smart, Why Do I Feel So Stupid? (Week 9)
Here’s a note from one of our readers who has made an important career decision and is seeing the positive results of that decision. Laura, I wanted to let you know that your article on
Are You Stretching Yourself Enough to Become a Great BA?
I can’t believe it’s been 8 weeks since I announced my decision to sit for the CBAP. Thanks to all of your support and encouragement, it’s been an incredible journey so far. But now I
Laura’s CBAP Journey – Scheduling the Exam (Week 8)
This journey has had its ups and downs. Like any new venture, it started with buoyancy – or maybe better, that feeling you get when you are heading up the first big hill of a
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Settling into a Study Rhythm (Weeks 6/7)
I picked up the habit of skipping introductions in college. Most often college-edition novels and philosophical works, of which I read plenty, contained the editor’s reaction to the text. It never made sense to me
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Reading the Introduction to the BABOK (Week 5)
Sometimes our intentions behind our work differ from the way they are perceived by stakeholders. And while we’d like to think that our work’s intrinsic quality and our business analysis skills are all that matters,
3 Ways to Get Feedback on Your BA Skills
Full Confession I was almost a complete slacker this week. I spent just an hour or two on Wednesday progressing against this week’s goal, which was to work through (and maybe finish) the techniques section
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Finding My “Why” (Week 4)
Michelle asks: Could you provide tips to not appear ‘meek’ in interviews and during your first days on the job? When I start a new job I’m usually quiet while I listen and gather information.
How Do I Avoid Appearing Meek When Starting a New Job?
As I mentioned last week, my major goals for week 3 were as follows: Submit CBAP Application Initial Absorption of Solutions Assessment and Validation Exam simulation for the above and BA Planning and Monitoring There’s
Laura’s CBAP Journey: The Difference Between Getting It and Being Exam-Ready (Week 3)
First I want to start out by saying a big thank you to everyone who left a comment on last week’s post about starting my journey to becoming a CBAP. Your support and encouragement is
Laura’s CBAP Journey: Finishing the Dreaded Work History Section (Week 2)
You may have seen some LinkedIn updates or Tweets from me indicating that I’ve made a big decision. I’ve decided to go for the CBAP. While we already have some amazingly great posts on becoming
Laura’s CBAP Journey – Deciding to Go For It (Week 1)
So you are thinking about taking the plunge and working with a career coach or mentor to help move your business analysis career forward. What can you expect? What can you do to get the
It’s definitely possible to become a business analyst without detailed technical knowledge or a technical degree, but your path might look different than someone with a software development background.
How Do I Become an IT BA If I Don’t Have an IT Background?
One often-overlooked aspect to avoiding missing requirements is stakeholder analysis. Stakeholder analysis ensures you have the right people involved in the requirements process. Often, requirements are missed simply because stakeholders are missed – and so
Investing Some Time in Stakeholder Analysis
Reader’s question: Can you share your list of free webinars that offer PDs? Let’s start by defining our terms, because there can be a lot of confusion when it comes to professional credits towards your
Are There Any Free Webinars That Offer PDs?
Are you considering a potential business analyst position or a job offer and wondering if it’s the right choice for you? Are you interviewing for a job and want to know what questions to ask so
How to Decide to Accept a Business Analyst Job Offer
When crafting a resume to apply for a business analyst position, one of the most challenging aspects is figuring out how to start. Do you use a summary or an objective? An objective talks about
How to Write a Resume Summary for a Business Analyst Position
When working with new and even some very experienced business analysts, I often receive the following questions about the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®) Guide: Should we use the BABOK process? Do I need to understand
What Everybody Ought to Know About the BABOK
A reader asks: I have been a developer, and from there moved to doing business analysis. I would call myself a Business Systems Analyst, and love that role. Is becoming an Architect a suitable progression
Is Solution Architect a Good Career Path for a Business Systems Analyst?
As business analysts it can seem difficult to go “up”. Many organizations do not have a senior business analyst career path and have limited lead or manager roles to grow into. Another way to move up is
How a Lateral Career Move Can Accelerate Your BA Career
Michiel Erasmus is the host of the Business Analyst Podcast and has recently found his first business analyst role. I’m honored to share his story with you — the ups and the downs — and
From Software Developer in an Informal Environment to Business Analyst: Michiel Erasmus
Reader question: Is it a trend that BAs see the project manager role as a natural progression of the BA career path? I have recently took on a role of a BA Lead and held
Is Project Management the Next Step in a Business Analyst Career?
I have been an IT Trainer for 12 years and am currently an in-house trainer in a large international law firm. I would like to move into the BA field. I would like to stay with my
How Do I Move from IT Trainer to Business Analyst?
Even though it might seem like the lion share of BA roles require IT experience, professionals with a business background have many skills and qualifications to leverage too.
How to Leverage Your Business Experience to Get an IT BA Job
When I tell my story of getting started as a BA, I often start by saying that my transition happened with a hallway conversation. A senior BA on the business analyst team approached me on
From Quality Assurance Engineer to Business Analyst
Job descriptions are a key element of our organizational lives. More often than not, our job descriptions don’t accurately reflect what we do. As managers of business analysts, it’s important to continuously re-evaluate the roles
How to Write a Business Analyst Job Description
Are you preparing for your annual performance review? Are you wondering what kind of conversation you should have with your manager about what you accomplished this year and your career goals for the coming year?
How to Prepare for a Business Analyst Performance Review
If you are not getting calls back about the BA jobs you are applying for, it’s a good sign that something is off with your resume or your job search process. In what follows I’ll
5 Tips to Land More Business Analyst Job Interviews
Do all BA jobs require industry expertise? What do I do if I don’t have it? Should I apply to jobs even if I don’t have the expertise they are looking for? We tackle these questions head on.
How Industry Expertise Can Impact Your Business Analyst Job Search
Reader question: For job interview purposes specifically, but also pertaining to those early days on the job, what questions should an entry level BA be asking? To provide additional context, I am currently interviewing for
What Questions Should a BA Ask in a Job Interview?
We are looking for possibilities through the lens of the user. Editor’s Note: This relationship started when I queried on Twitter for some help planning a usability study. Leslie Shearer led me to Patrick Quattlebaum,
What a BA Should Know About the UX Profession: Interview with Patrick Quattlebaum
Yes, we want to find work we enjoy. But as a mid-career professional, you probably have a certain set of salary requirements too. Will a career in business analysis satisfy them?
What Is the Average Business Analyst Salary?
Are you wondering what it takes to make the move from business analyst to enterprise analyst? Dr. Laura Kesner and her colleague BA</span><span style=”line-height: 1.5em;”> have expanded the business analyst role in their organization and leveraged
BA Success Story! Becoming an Enterprise Analyst – Dr. Laura Kesner, CBAP
Why do we see technical skills in business analyst jobs? We know that to be a business analyst, you don’t have to be an IT person. But this truth doesn’t resolve what many experience in the job
Why Do We See Technical Skills in Business Analyst Jobs?
Are you interested in earning your CBAP® but not sure where to get started? CBAP® stands for Certified Business Analysis Professional™ and is the International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®) Level 3 certification. Professionals with
You might be doing a great job, but does your manager know it? Do they recognize your contributions and would you be among the short list of people they think of for exciting new projects
5 Ways to Stay Visible in a Flat Organization
As you begin eliciting information about the requirements, it’s very likely that you’ll discover information that’s not quite a requirement and not quite a business need either but is important information that has relevant project
How to Capture Stakeholder Concerns
If it’s been a few years since you’ve dusted off your resume, it’s likely that you have a host of relevant experiences that need to be included as potential selling points for your next employer.
Varied Work History? How to Showcase Key Projects in Your Business Analyst Resume
Reader Question: I read statistics that say that 80% of projects fail because of poor requirements. I’ve been a developer and I could take a certification test before I got a job. As a PM,
How Do I Know If I’m Ready for My First Business Analyst Project?
Many business analysts are looking to “go out on their own” and are thinking of contracting or consulting. Either option is a great way to increase your income, flexibility, and gain valuable experience across a
What is the Difference Between a BA Contractor and a Consultant?
Reader Question: I just realized that what I love to do and have always done best is business analysis. But I am a civil engineer, have no desire to be in IT. I know I
Does a Business Analyst Label Themselves as an IT Person?
One of the biggest problems in the business analyst profession is that people expect us to be the experts. Over time, as we grow in a role within one organization, we build more domain knowledge
Mark Jenkins and I had the opportunity to chat a few months back while he was Manager, Business Analysis at Websense. He has since taken on a new role on the other side of the
Building a Mature Business Analyst Practice: Interview with Mark Jenkins
Reader question: I have been in sales now for about 15 years, mostly in the financial industry. I am thinking of changing careers and the business analyst route seems interesting to me. From what I
How Big is the Gap Between Sales and Business Analysis?
Let me share one of my more humbling experiences as a business analyst. To be perfectly blunt, the developers did not like my requirements specifications. It was hard to realize that I had failed to
Akk! The Developers Won’t Use My Requirements Specs!
Reader: I had a question for you and would really appreciate your insight into this. I have 5 years of experience in IT and a very good balance of development (.NET framework) and core BA
How to Plan the Move from Technical Analyst to Business Analyst
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. I had the opportunity to speak personally with Durga Patil, a business analyst with L&T Infotech. Durga has been
Durga Patil on Being a Business Analyst in the Insurance Domain
Can you really have a love affair with a document? Don’t tell my husband, but the answer is “yes”. For me, the love of my business analysis professional life has been use cases. In what
Use Cases: A Personal History (and a bit of a love affair)
Editor’s note: This week we are tacking the tough question of industry experience. I hold that you should only apply for jobs for which you are qualified and many BA jobs in specific industries require
How Do I Break into the Financial Industry with No Industry Experience?
Do you demand that your documentation serve double duty as a technical specification and a system document? While in the past I’ve done exactly that, my recent forays into more agile practices forced me to
Technical Specifications and System Documentation Can Take Different Forms
Do you ever wonder “what’s next?” on this path you are on? Considering a career in business analysis and want to know what options it will open up for you long term? When it comes
What’s next? What Careers Can I Explore with My Business Analyst Experience?
Today we start a new decade. While in the broader scheme of life and happiness, this is just one other moment passing us by, it does provide a logical time to take stock of where
What were you doing a decade ago? What will you be doing a decade from now?
Reader Question: My question is about BA resumes. I have 5 years of experience in IT and around 4.5 in BA. I am a developer/BA blend, as I understand from your book 🙂 My resume
How Do I Craft Bullet Points for My Business Analyst Resume?
As opportunities within business analysis continue to expand, many professionals are considering independent business analyst consultant roles. At Bridging the Gap, we focus on helping mid-career professionals build the foundational business analyst skills that are
Being an Independent Business Analyst Consultant
Great business analysts are great communicators. We communicate in meetings, through elicitation, via email, and through our requirements documentation. Verbal and written communication are key competencies for the successful business analyst. I’ve collected together some
10 Ways to Communicate More Effectively on IT Projects
Nothing is worse than starting a new job with a set of expectations and you don’t know what they are. When you transition from one role to another, how do you set-up the person taking
How to Build a Transition Plan: 4 Steps to Onboarding a New Business Analyst
In an agile environment your week-to-week and day-to-day focus quickly can become integrated with what the development team was working on each sprint. If you go into a sprint planning session without a properly-groomed backlog, the
How to Groom the Product Backlog for Improved Sprint Planning
The initial meetings with a stakeholder can be nerve-wracking. Oftentimes projects come to us for “analysis” with very little detail. It can feel like everyone else knows more and is better prepared. Yet we, the
How to Become More Confident in Requirements Elicitation
Oftentimes a business analyst gets involved in a project with multiple different business stakeholders with competing views. Before jumping into the analysis of the project or even defining scope, it can be helpful to pull
How to a Use a Stakeholder Request List to Facilitate Scope Definition
Have you ever been holding your breath waiting not-so-patiently to get a word in edgewise while one participant dominated the discussion? You see one stakeholder after another begin to check out while “that” person drones
How to Interrupt Someone in a Meeting
We often pine about the challenges of the being a BA. We are a relatively new profession. Our body of knowledge, while amazing, is new and not well understood. Few of us have a steady
Some key challenges faced by business analyst managers
In many organizations, the leader of the meeting must fill multiple roles. You probably created the agenda, are guiding the discussion, and also responsible for taking the notes. Over the years I’ve developed some habits
How I Take Meeting Notes and Facilitate the Discussion Without Driving Myself Crazy
Reader question: “If a project is approved, do I still need to do enterprise analysis as defined in the BABOK? Do I need to do a business case?” This question got me thinking about the
If a Project is Approved, Do You Need To Do a Business Case?
While you may have a formalized processes and sets of documentation requirements for your software projects (this can be helpful or hurtful), you might be starting with no process or set way of specifying requirements.
Requirements Templates: What To Do When You Must Start From Scratch
Some stakeholders are just better at helping us do our jobs. While some people carry on and get distracted by any sort of new, cool idea that makes its way into your conversation, others stay
How to Give Positive Feedback to Your Business Stakeholders
When it comes to creating a professional business analyst resume, one challenge of being part of a relatively new profession is that while you have the experience you may have never held the title. As
How to Handle Job Titles in a Business Analyst Resume
Imagine you are running a meeting, probably about software requirements for a project, and someone in the room gets squirmy. Maybe they are shuffling their papers. Maybe they are bored and checking their emails. Or
STOP! You Are Being Too Detail-Oriented!
Let me share a story with you. I started my first BA job by transitioning from a QA engineer role into a BA role. I had acquired deep system knowledge. I knew how the system
Is Your Strength Grounded in System Knowledge or Business Analyst Competencies?
We’ve all heard that a “picture is worth a thousand words”. It’s absolutely true when it comes to building good software requirements. In the case of building a software application, even the most rudimentary prototypes
Using Wireframes or Prototypes to Elicit, Analyze, and Validate Software Requirements
A long, long time ago while working on a web-based product, a colleague of mine came up with this idea of writing a user interface or screen specification. The purpose of this requirements specification is
How to Create a User Interface Specification
We have all been here. You’ve defined just the right feature or solution to solve a specific business problem. It’s elegant. It’s simple. It’s even got a hint of beauty about it. When you get
What To Do When a Developer Says “That’s Impossible”
Agile teams typically differentiate between “epics” and “user stories.” In most cases epics are just really large stories that sit far down on your product backlog until the team is ready to flesh them out
How to Define Scope in an Epic
When you reach that point of the project where your head simply hurts from how hard you are thinking, you’ve spent hours in meetings rehashing the same concepts, and yet you and your team members
How to Create a Business Domain Model
So, you’ve met with your stakeholders and elicited information about their business processes, business needs, or how the system works today. How do you actually turn this into requirements documentation? In what follows, I’ll share
How to Prepare a Requirements Document in 4 Steps
You can logically argue that software requirements save time, save money, and increase the return on your technology investment. I believe all these things to be true, not because I’ve done any quantitative study, but
Aligning business with IT creates better workplaces.
Based on my experience analyzing requirements in user stories, I’m convinced that a fundamental challenge for the agile business analyst or product owner is to maintain and communicate the “big picture” while also detailing out requirements in
How to Keep a Big Picture Perspective on an Agile Project
Let’s assume you’ve done your homework and scoped a project that meets specific business needs or objectives. It’s easy to take a deep breath, kick back, and relax…waiting for the implementation of these great ideas
Your Technical Team Needs Business Context Too
When trying to uncover the functionality of an existing system or discover what a new or updated system needs to do to meet the business need, the most critical activity you will perform is interviewing
How to Interview a Subject Matter Expert
In today’s climate of content exchanges and web APIs, it’s often necessary for someone with both business and technical knowledge to participate in data modeling activities or building data specifications. Dumping data into your organization’s
Data Feed Requirements – A Template
The product backlog is really the core deliverable that maintains and evolves the requirements in an agile environment. Ownership by the agile business analyst (or a product owner with BA responsibilities) is critical. A product
How to Create a Product Backlog: An Agile Experience
Most of the time, most business analysts are exceptionally busy and can’t even think about adding another task to their task list. But every once in awhile, you find yourself in between projects or at
What To Do When You Are In Between Projects: 10 Ideas That Add Value to Your Organization
When you are discovering the current capabilities of a software system, it’s critical that you take time early on to explore the system as fully as possible. Of course, you’ll also need input from stakeholders,
How to Explore the System to Discover Requirements
One of my pet peeves is attending a “mystery meeting”. You know the type, vague subject line and no agenda. Maybe you get a brief sentence in the invite saying “let’s meet to discuss XYZ”.
How to Create Quick and Effective Meeting Agenda
You’ve been there. A question sits on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t, no you won’t, ask it. Pushing back questions that surface in your consciousness is equivalent to painting over mildew.
“The Only Stupid Question is the One You Don’t Ask”
A clear sign of a poorly identified the problem is irrational disagreement. You’ve been in these meetings: one person brings up a great idea, another shoots it down immediately, and participants voice conflicting opinions about
10 Ways to Discover What the Problem Really Is
Many times we are so excited to implement a new idea or solve a recently elevated business problem that we forget to stop for a moment and reflect on the direction we are taking. I
5 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Technology Project
I have asked this question in nearly every business analyst job interview I’ve conducted and rarely heard the answer I was looking for. The most common (and wrong) answer is “never”. Let’s just be clear
When are you “done” with requirements?
It was an eye-opening moment for me. Gordon Ellison stood up and said to a bunch of business analysts “You and I are difficult people to someone.” I had an immediate attack of self-realization when
BAs are Difficult People (And So Is Everyone Else)
Are interested in becoming a business analyst? Or maybe you’ve just always thought it would be fun to get more involved in technology projects? If you are thinking of a career in business analysis, here
The First 5 Signs That Business Analysis is the Career Choice For You
The Issues List is one of the most simple and most effective tools you’ll ever use as a business analyst. The list itself is simple. The ability to maximize its impact is the sign of
An Issue Tracking Template for Requirements Issues
