Tips For Small Businesses

The qualified business analyst wears many hats.  He or she is a negotiator, a skilled listener, a motivational speaker, and a team leader.  His or her title may include that of systems analyst, requirements analyst, or project manager.  The business analyst may or may not have a degree in business analysis.  He or she may not be able to write code.  However, the business analyst is educated in the process necessary to produce the code.  He or she may even come from an IT department.  But what is it they do?

The business analyst is someone capable of troubleshooting.. He or she will be able examine data and other information gathered to determine losses experienced by the company.  The business analyst will be able to compare previous facts and figures to current numbers to deduce or predict where failure may occur.  He or she will be able to examine information gathered by stakeholders to assess risks of certain project programs.

The business analyst is an objective listener.  He or she will be able to speak to stakeholders and hear the needs determined by the management.  The business analyst will be able to ask questions which could lead to certain discoveries once overlooked.  The qualified business analyst gain knowledge of a situation by listening to team leaders and end users.  He or she will hear the underlying message of what is being developed versus what is needed.

The business analyst is a negotiator.  He or she will be able to involve themselves with departments and teams to allow the teams to work together.  The business analyst will realize conflicts among departments.  He or she will work side by side with each team to negotiate a compromise so the project is not jeopardized.  The business analyst will motivate the teams to recognize their strength and weakness and allow them to excel and overcome.  He or she will develop a rapport with department heads and stakeholders to rally the teams into completing the tasks at hand.

The business analyst may be asked to centralize services for more efficient work environments.  He or she may be asked to reduce duplication processes occurring between departments.  The qualified business analyst may be asked to develop relations with external sources when necessary to deliver services needed for project completion.  The duties of the business analyst are never ending.  He or she is a useful asset to the company.

The business analyst is a visionary.  He or she usually thinks outside the box.  Always in the know about latest technological advances, the business analyst will know when a program is capable of being utilized by the company.  He or she will know how to determine a need when the situation arises. This way the business is not left behind and can keep up with corporate peers.

Sometimes the business analyst is forgotten amongst the bustle of corporate strategy.  However the business analyst will be the always be the innovative link between each and every department and stage of development in the project program.

There are times when a business starts to lose money and no-one is sure where the problem is located.  Going over facts and figures only points to the bottom line.  The bottom line continues to shrink.  People start to get desperate.  Strategies are planned and implemented to no avail.  Tried and true measures are no longer working.  It is time to call on the experts.  The business analyst needs to be  brought in.  The problem is finding one who knows the company.

Finding a good business analyst is not as hard as everyone thinks.  They are not the enemy.  They are not some eerie creature sneaking around, lurking behind every corner.  A good business analyst is a creative thinker.  He or she is a motivational, aggressive team player.  The business analyst can gather data and other pertinent information from management and other sources to determine what is the key problem.

A qualified business analyst may already exist in your organization.  A member of the IT department could be the one who develops a project program designed to save the company money.  This is some one capable of setting up a development team to think outside the box.  You are looking for someone creative.  You want someone who is not afraid of a vision.  Someone with good communication skills is a must.  Most projects fall short due to the lack of communication.

It is actually a benefit to choose someone in-house.  He or she already knows the company.  The business analyst will know the strong attributes as well as weaknesses of the company.  Choosing someone from inside the organization means he or she will know the people involved.  Camaraderie may already exist.  This can make the gathering of information easier.  The more easy it is to collect needed data and information, the more quickly a project scope can be developed.

The best business analyst will be able to speak the language of which ever department he or she needs to interact with.  He or she will not get caught sidetracked with mundane tasks and mute points.  The business analyst will know what information is needed and get it.  They will keep the big picture in mind.  They will motivate others to stay on task.  A good business analyst will allow someone the freedom of creativity.  Obviously what was being done did not work.  A new approach is needed and the qualified business analyst will see this.

Someone who can develop a repoire with the departments to meet expectations is the perfect candidate for business analyst.  This person will act as a liaison between management and development teams.  He or she should be able to speak with authority while still maintaining a level of respect.  The perfect business analyst will be able to foresee problems which may arise between teams and squelch them before they start.

A liaison between involved departments, a leader during meetings, a project developer, and a numbers cruncher are all beneficial attributes of a good business analyst.  Find someone capable of doing all these things and you have found a great asset.

There are times when a company must hire a business analyst.  When searching from an outside source there are certain things an employer should determine when hiring the perfect business analyst.  Some of these suggestions are common sense.  Other items listed may be overlooked in the desperation to find a qualified business analyst.

The first question one should always ask is "What do you know about our company?".  This is a key question in the interview process.  You will want someone who is familiar with what your company does.  He or she should know what products you manufacture or services you provide.  Being familiar with your industry makes it easier for you and the business analyst to understand each other.  He or she will know exactly what you are expecting without much training.

When hiring a business analyst another question to ask is "How much experience do you have with this type of project?".  You will want someone who has been there before.  You want to know the business analyst you are hiring will be able to handle the pressure needed to get the job done.

Hiring a business analyst means knowing the type of person you are interviewing.  This is not an easy task.  First impressions may not always be right.  You are looking for someone who is creative.  He or she will be able to think on their feet.  Find out what their main short term goals are.  Someone who says they hope to be starting their own consultant group is probably one who is not planning to stay long.  You will want to have someone who can start the project and see it through to completion.  There are times this may take several years.

Another attribute to look for when hiring a business analyst is team player capabilities.  Someone who confesses to being a loner may not work well with others.  He or she may bring an attitude to the table you just do not want.  Watch for indications of self assurance but not self absorption.  Hiring a business analyst means finding someone who is friendly and easy going.  One who is not shy or submissive.  You are not looking for a yes man. You are looking for someone to tell you if a solution will work or if it will fail.

When hiring a business analyst ask for worse case and best case scenarios from past experience.  Listen carefully to the response.  Did they make reference to who was to blame for any failures or shortcomings?  Someone who puts the blame on everyone else is someone you do not want in your organization.  There is usually enough of that going around for everyone.  Someone who is able to stand and say they made a mistake or did not do everything to avoid the failure is an honest person people will trust.  This is someone others will respect.  It will be easier to introduce a new player into the team if others can trust them.

The best thing to do when hiring a business analyst is to first determine what attributes you are looking for.  List qualifications second.  Third is the experience.  This will be a guideline for hiring the perfect business analyst to do the job.

Defining a Project Scope

The project scope is the core of an individual project.  Without a project scope the project will just float.  Proper needs assessments and other intricate details will be overlooked.  Each project is designed to resolve issues the stakeholders are experiencing in their company.  These well meaning individuals will dump data and information charts, lists and figures presumptuously on the desk expecting it to all make sense.  The "here's the problem, fix it" attitude can be frustrating.  There are numerous feature requirements which must be met.  It is unclear as to what to prioritize where.  Cost estimates may not be accurate.  Delivery dates are tentative.  It is enough to make someone through up their hands in desperation and say "I QUIT!".  The trained business analyst will just grin and dive in.  He or she will know what is needed is a project scope.

The project scope is the outline of the project.  The project scope is considered the itinerary of an individual project program.  The project scope is the step by step guide to determine who, what, why, when, and where.  It will be able to define to the stakeholders what they want to have done.  It will be able to list who will be doing which job.  The project scope will list why each step is critical to success of the project.  It will also address the time frame as to when the project should be completed.

The project scope will detail for the stakeholders outside resources being utilized for completion of individual tasks.  Each development team will be able to view the project scope and see what is required of them.  The project scope will also detail needs assessment and cost estimates.

Each project scope will be able to address technical constraints the stakeholders may or may not be aware of.  Within the project scope a detailed report of end user requests will also be added.  This will allow the stakeholders to understand why certain aspects of the project program are different than anticipated.

The project scope is an itinerary listing short term and long term expectations.  Short term goals will be listed allowing the stakeholders to check each milestone.  The project scope will also include a prioritized listing of essential requirements or features needed for short term and long term success of the project program.

One of the most critical reports in the project scope is the vision statement.  The vision statement will define in clear and concise wording the project scope.  The vision statement will allow the stakeholders to understand the problem and the solution needed.  The vision statement will state the user needs in clear terms.  The program features will be outlined in the vision statement.

The project scope is the "do to" list of the program.  A sort of brainstorming, or in some cases, model storming which allows all parties involved to be able to follow along.  Each department along with the stakeholders will be able to refer to the project scope throughout the completion of the project.  Without the project scope the project has no start or end point.  The project will most likely fail.