10 techniques for business analysts (bas) to model and analyze business intelligence ... ·...
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10 techniques for Business Analysts (BAs) to model and analyze Business Intelligence (BI) requirements
▪ Started Life as a Front-end Web Publisher at Netflix (when it was a start-up) back in 1998
▪ Transitioned to Business Analysis in 2005
▪ Joined Skyline Technologies in 2013
▪ CBAP® certified since 2015
▪ PMI-PBA® certified since 2017
▪ CSM with Scrum Alliance
▪ PSM with Scrum.org
▪ (And I blame my husband for my last name…)
About Me
Rachael Wilterdink
▪ To teach you about the modeling and analysis techniques
for Business Intelligence projects
▪ To add some of these new tools to your toolbox so you can
try them out on your next BI project
Learning Objectives
Anyone who works with identifying,
modeling, and analyzing data and
business requirements for Business
Intelligence projects, regardless of your
official “job title”
Who Is This For?
Business Rules Analysis
1
Business Rules Analysis
"Business Rules analysis is used to identify, express,
validate, refine, and organize the rules that shape
day-to-day business behavior and guide operational
business decision making."
- BABOK® v3.0
Business Rules Analysis
What are Business Rules? What is their source? What are their attributes?
Directives that serve as
criteria to:
▪ Guide behavior
▪ Shape judgments
▪ Make decisions
May be explicitly found in:
▪ Documented policies
▪ Regulations
▪ Contracts
May also be tacitly found in:
▪ Undocumented stakeholder know-how
▪ Generally-accepted business practices
▪ Norms of the corporate culture
Business rules should be:
▪ Specific
▪ Testable
▪ Explicit
▪ Clear
▪ Accessible
▪ Single-sourced
▪ Practicable (need no
further interpretation)
Business Rules Analysis
General principles for Business Rules:
▪ Base them on standard business vocabulary
▪ Express them separately from how they will be enforced
▪ State them atomically and declaratively
▪ Map them to decisions the rule supports (or constrains)
▪ Maintain them so they can be monitored and adapted
Business Rules Analysis
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Data Dictionary
2
Data Dictionary
"A data dictionary is used to standardize a definition
of data elements and enable a common interpretation
of data elements.“
- BABOK® v3.0
Data Dictionary
What is a Data Dictionary? What are the elements? How are they used?
Detailed list of:
▪ Data elements
▪ Their characteristics
▪ Possible values
NOTE: Also referred to as
“metadata repositories”
Primitive (singular) Data elements
include:
▪ Name
▪ Aliases
▪ Values/Meanings
▪ Description
Composite (combined) data
elements also include:
▪ Sequences
▪ Repetitions
▪ Optional items
▪ Manage data within context
of a solution
▪ To standardize usage and
meaning of data elements
NOTE: often used in conjunction
with other models, such as ERD
(Entity Relationship Diagrams)
Data Dictionary
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Data Flow Diagrams
3
Data Flow Diagrams
"Data flow diagrams show where data comes from,
which activities process the data, and if the output
results are stored or utilized by another activity or
external entity.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Data Flow Diagrams
What are Data Flow
Diagrams?
What are the elements? What are the different
levels of abstraction?
Diagrams that depict data’s:
▪ Source
▪ Activities
▪ Inputs/Outputs
▪ Transformations
▪ Temporary or permanent
repository locations
External components:
▪ Entity – person, system, device
▪ Source – where the data comes from
▪ Sink – where the data goes
Data Stores – data at rest
Processes
▪ Manual, or
▪ Automated
Data Flow – holds processes together
Level 0 – Context Diagram,
often used to depict scope
Levels 1+ - break down the
major processes from a
Level 0 diagram. These
include the additional
element of data stores.
NOTE: often used in conjunction with data dictionaries
Data Flow Diagrams
DFD Level 0 - Context Diagram
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Data Flow Diagrams
DFD Level 1+
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Data Modeling
4
Data Modeling
"A data model describes the entities, classes, or data
objects relevant to a domain, the attributes that are
used to describe them, and the relationships among
them to provide a common set of semantics for
analysis and implementation.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Data Modeling
What are Data Models? What types are there? What are their elements?
Diagrams typically supported
by text descriptions
Visually represents:
▪ People
▪ Places
▪ Things
▪ Transactions
▪ Associated attributes
▪ Relationships between
them
Conceptual: Shows how the business
perceives its information.
Logical: an abstraction of the
conceptual model plus rules of
normalization for managing integrity.
Often associated with design.
Physical: used for implementation to
describe how a database is physically
organized.
Entities or Classes represent:
▪ Physical
▪ Organizational
▪ Abstract
▪ Events
Attributes may include:
▪ Name
▪ Values/meanings
▪ Description
Relationships / associations
Metadata (data about data)
Data Modeling
ERD - Crow's Foot Notation Example from: https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/er-diagrams?a=1
Data Modeling
UML - Class Diagram
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Decision Modeling
5
Decision Modeling
"Decision modeling shows how repeatable business
decisions are made.“
- BABOK® v3.0
Decision Modeling
What is Decision Modeling? What are the types? What are the key
elements?
▪ Models that show how data and
knowledge combine to aid
decision-making
▪ Can be used for both
straightforward and complex
decisions
▪ Linked to processes, performance,
and organizations
▪ Represents decisions as analytical
insights
Decision Tables: tabular
representation of inputs to
determine outcomes, with rules and
conditions
Decision Trees: also represent
business rules, using nodes
Decision Requirements Diagram:
represents the decision-making logic
for more complicated decisions
▪ Decision
▪ Information
▪ Knowledge
Decision Modeling
Decision Table
Example from: “BABOK® (Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”, published by IIBA®
Decision Modeling
Decision Tree
Example from: “BABOK® (Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”, published by IIBA®
Decision Modeling
Decision Requirements Diagram
Example from: “BABOK® (Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”, published by IIBA®
Glossary
6
Glossary
"A glossary defines key terms relevant to a business
domain.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Glossary
What is a Glossary? What are the elements? Considerations
▪ A list of terms used to
provide a common
understanding between
stakeholders
▪ Provides a common
language to communicate
▪ Continuously updated and
accessible to all
Terms are included in a glossary
when:
▪ They are unique to a domain
▪ There are multiple existing
definitions
▪ The definition implied is
outside the team’s use
▪ There’s a reasonable chance
of misunderstanding
▪ Definitions should be:
▪ Clear
▪ Concise
▪ Brief
▪ Acronyms should be spelled out
▪ It should be easily and reliably
accessible to stakeholders
▪ Limit editing access to a small
number of stakeholders
Glossary
Report Table
7
Report Table
“A report table is a model that captures the detailed
level requirements for a single report.”
- BA Practitioners Practice Guide (PMI®)
Report Table
What is a Report Table? What are the elements? What is this used for?
A set of requirements for a
single report
▪ Report Prototype – a sample
of the report’s structure and
layout
▪ Top-level elements and their
descriptions
▪ Field-level items and their
descriptions
▪ Modeling the requirements for a
report in a way that separates
the different levels of detail
needed to develop the report
Report Table
Report Prototype
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Report Table
Top Level
Example from:
“Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Report Table
Field Level
Example from: “Business Analysis for Practitioners, a Practice Guide”, published by PMI®
Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
8
Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
"Metrics and key performance indicators measure the
performance of solutions, solution components, and
other matters of interest to stakeholders.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
What are Metrics & KPIs? What are the elements? How is this used?
Metric: quantifiable levels to measure
progress
Indicator: numerical measurement
representing degree of progress toward:
▪ Goal
▪ Objective
▪ Output
▪ Activity
▪ Further Output
KPI – metric used for strategic purposes
Indicators, that are:
▪ Clear
▪ Relevant
▪ Economical
▪ Adequate
▪ Quantifiable
▪ Trustworthy / Credible
Metrics – quantifiable
Structure – reliable, valid,
timely
Reporting – visual output
▪ To compare baseline
metrics against current
ones, to target difference in
both relative and absolute
terms
▪ To identify credible trends
▪ To visually and effectively
represent and explain data
Metrics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Example from: http://www.pnmsoft.com/resources/bpm-tutorial/key-performance-indicators/
Process Modeling
9
Process Modeling
"Process modeling is a standardized graphical model
used to show how work is carried out and is a
foundation for process analysis.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Process Modeling
What is a Process Model? What are the elements? What are the types?
A model describing the sequential
flow of work or activities
Types:
▪ Business
▪ System
▪ Program
They can be depicted at different
levels
▪ Activities
▪ Events
▪ Directional Flow
▪ Decision Points
▪ Links
▪ Roles
▪ Flowcharts
▪ Value stream mapping
▪ Activity Diagrams
▪ Data flow diagrams (UML)
▪ Business Process Model and
Notation (BPMN)
▪ SIPOC
▪ Etc.
Process Modeling
Flowcharts Example from:
“BABOK®
(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,
published by IIBA®
Process Modeling
Activity Diagrams Example from:
“BABOK®
(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,
published by IIBA®
Process Modeling
Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)Example from:
“BABOK®
(Business Analysis Book of Knowledge)”,
published by IIBA®
Prototyping
10
Prototyping
"Prototyping is used to elicit and validate stakeholder
needs through an iterative process that creates a
model or design of requirements. It is also used to
optimize user experience, to evaluate design options,
and as a basis for development of the final business
solution.”
- BABOK® v3.0
Prototyping
What is a Prototyping? What are the types? What are some examples?
A way to provide early modeling to
identify:
▪ Missing requirements
▪ Improperly specified
requirements
▪ Unsubstantiated assumptions
▪ Early stages of design
▪ Throw-away
▪ Evolutionary (or
Functional)
▪ Proof of Concept (or
Principle)
▪ Form Study
▪ Usability
▪ Visual
▪ Functional
Prototyping
Low-fidelity High-fidelity
(Throw-away) (Evolutionary)
Example from: https://www.mockplus.com/blog/post/high-fidelity-and-low-fidelity
Questions?
Solutions Consulting
▪ Discovery Services
▪ Product Setup
▪ Better Requirements Training and
Coaching
▪ Business Analysis
▪ Coaching and Mentoring
▪ Maturity Assessments
▪ Staff Aug Opportunities
▪ Agile Enablement Services
For more about Skyline Offerings contact us at [email protected]
Rachael Wilterdink, CBAP®, PMI-PBA®, PSM, [email protected]
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