Determining Project Requirements, Second Edition
Mastering the BABOK® and the CBAP® Exam
By Hans Jonasson
Published September 17th 2012 by Auerbach Publications – 403 pages
Description
Good requirements do not come from a tool, or from a customer interview. They come from a repeatable set of processes that take a project from the early idea stage through to the creation of an agreed-upon project and product scope between the customer and the developer.
From enterprise analysis and planning requirements gathering to documentation, Determining Project Requirements, Second Edition: Mastering the BABOK® and the CBAP® Exam covers the entire business analysis cycle as well as modeling techniques. Aligned with the International Institute of Business Analysis’ (IIBA) Business Analysis Body of Knowledge 2.0® (BABOK® Guide 2.0), the second edition of this popular reference provides readers with a complete and up-to-date resource for preparing to take the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) examination. It also:
- Presents helpful techniques, tools, best practices, and templates to help readers improve the requirements gathering processes within their organization
- Contains exercises, sample solutions, and a case study that illustrate how to deal with the various situations that might be encountered in the requirements gathering process
- Supplies a broad overview of a multitude of business analysis issues
- Includes two sample business requirements documents—one is a comprehensive template, provided courtesy of ESI International, the second is a simpler template suitable for smaller projects
The book covers all of the BABOK® knowledge areas and features new preparatory sections for the CBAP® exam that include 300 questions. It examines data modeling, requirements modeling techniques, process modeling, and hybrid techniques. With its many examples, use cases, and business requirements document templates, this book is the ideal self-study guide for practitioners. The combination of theory, activities, exercises, solutions, case study, and exam questions also makes it suitable for business analysis students.
Contents
Introduction
Objectives
Overview
The Early Days
The Project Management Institute®
The International Institute of Business Analysis®
The Role of the Business Analyst
Where Is It All Going?
Book Project
Summary
Activity
Laying the Foundation
ObjectivesOverview
Life Cycle Definitions
What Is a Body of Knowledge?
Overview of PMI Applicable Standards
Overview of IIBA Framework and Standards
SEI-CMMI and Applicability
Requirements Management
Requirements Development
Which Standard to Use?
Comments on Tool Standards
Business Analyst’s Skills
Analysis Skills
Business Knowledge
IT Knowledge
Meeting and Presentation Skills
Decision Making, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Escalation Skills
Questioning Skills, Systems Thinking, and Logic
Leadership Skills
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA View
Plan the Business Analysis Approach
Overview of Approaches
Selecting and Customizing a Process
Waterfall
Iterative
Agile
Conduct Stakeholder Analysis
User Profiling
Experienced or Novice Users
Full-Time or Part-Time Users
Organizational Entities
Internal or External Users
Language and Cultural Differences
Geographical Differences
Plan Business Analysis Activities
Project Overview and Background
Scope and Deliverables
Project Activities
Roles and Responsibilities
Resource Plan
Requirements Risk Plan
Manage Changes to Requirements
Plan Business Analysis Communications
Plan Requirements Management Process
Manage Business Analysis Performance
General Guidelines for the Requirements Plan
Risk
Step 1: Develop the Risk Management Approach
Step 2: Identify Risks
Step 3: Assess Risks
Step 4: Respond to Risks
Step 5: Monitor and Control Risks
Estimating
Laying Out Tasks
Costing
Tracking and Reporting
Kick-Off Meeting
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Elicitation
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA View
How to Select the Right Technique for Gathering Requirements
Different Ways for Different Customers
Different Ways for Different Categories
Impact of Globalization
Customer Interviews
Observation or Job Shadowing
Studying Existing Systems
Studying Interfaces
Surveys
Discovery/JAD/Facilitated Sessions
History
Characteristics of a JAD Project
What Is Created in a JAD Session?
JAD Participants
The Facilitator
The Business Analyst
The Scribe
The User (Customer)
Subject Matter Experts
The Developer
The Sponsor
Observers
The JAD Process
Establish Goals and Objectives
Prepare for the Session
Conduct the Session
Follow-Up
Facilitation
Summary
Focus Groups
Market Research
Evaluate "Best Practices"
Prototyping
Storyboarding
Idea-Generating Techniques (Brainstorming)
Basic Brainstorming
Anonymous Brainstorming
Affinity Diagramming
Brainstorming With One Person
Brainstorming for a Virtual Team
Summary
Tools for Virtual Environments
Requirements Prioritization Techniques
The Dollar Approach
Forced Pair Ranking
Density Dotting
Analytical Hierarchy Process
Summary
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Requirements Management and Communication
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA Tasks
Manage Solution Scope and Requirements
Manage Requirements Traceability
Maintain Requirements for Reuse
Prepare Requirements Package
Communicate Requirements
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Enterprise Analysis
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA tasks
Define the Business Need
Assess Capability Gaps
Determine the Approach to Finding a Solution
Define Solution Scope
Business Goals and Objectives
Assumptions
Constraints
Scope Statement
Impacted Organizations
Define the Business Case
Conducting the Initial Risk Assessment
Preparing the Decision Package
Understanding the Business
Business Models
Organization Charts
Infrastructure Models
Business Location Models
Business Events
Business Entity Models
Business Process Models
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Requirements Analysis
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA Tasks
Prioritize Requirements
Organize Requirements
How Much Detail Do You Need?
Stakeholder-Based Classification
Sequence-Oriented Classification
Purpose-Based Classification
Combining Structures
Specify and Model Requirements
Process Models
Data Models
Data Flow Diagrams
The Unified Modeling Language Family
Matrix Documentation
How to Decide Which Model to Select
Text Documentation
Validating the Requirements
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Solution Assessment and Validation
ObjectivesOverview
The IIBA Tasks
The Importance of Alternative Solutions
Selecting a Solution
Matching the Solution to the Needs of the Customer
Support Testing and Quality Assurance
Validation versus Verification
Planning for the Test
Types of Tests
Evaluating Customer Satisfaction
Implementing and Supporting the Solution
Summary
Activity
CBAP Test Questions
Preparing for the Test
Taking the TestSwede-Mart Case Study
IntroductionStrategy
Industry Background
Project Background
Distribution Center/Inventory Operations
Product Lines
Purchasing
Receiving
Accounts Payable
Order Processing and Shipping
Reporting
Summary
Interview with Store Buyer
Answers to Test Questions
Activity Solutions for Swede-Mart Case Study
Sources and Bibliography
Appendix A: Acronyms
Appendix B: Business Requirements Document Templates
Appendix C: United Nations Organizational Chart
Index
Author Bio
Hans Jonasson, CBAP, PMP, founder of JTC Unlimited, has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of project management, business analysis, and professional development training. He started his career with Volvo LTD in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1980 as a systems analyst/programmer. In 1984 he moved to the United States to work on new development projects for EDS and General Motors. He has managed all aspects of software development projects for the automotive industry, with budgets that have ranged from $100,000 to $10 million. Hans is now based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He has taught introductory and advanced-level courses on project management, requirements gathering, CMMI®, and process development, to more than 10,000 professionals at companies that include IBM, EDS, Ford Motors, DaimlerChrysler, General Dynamics, Citibank, and Volvo.
Since 1996, he has been a Project Management Professional (PMP®) and member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®), as well as a frequent presenter at PMI events in North America and Europe for the last ten years. He is a member of the Swedish Chapter of PMI and the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA™).
Related Subjects
Name: Determining Project Requirements, Second Edition: Mastering the BABOK® and the CBAP® Exam (Hardback) – Auerbach Publications
Description: By Hans Jonasson. Good requirements do not come from a tool, or from a customer interview. They come from a repeatable set of processes that take a project from the early idea stage through to the creation of an agreed-upon project and product scope between the customer...
Categories: Engineering Project Management, Management of IT
