Business Analysis Process from Coursera

The Business Analysis Process course will give you a foundational understanding of the process of business analysis and will introduce you to a framework that can be used within a variety of industries and organizations. You’ll see how an analyst assesses a business problem, prepares business requirements, and implements a solution. You will learn how to identify stakeholders, to analyze them, and to define their role in a business analysis project. You’ll also learn how to gather requirements from these stakeholders, analyze them, and create a business requirements document that conforms to industry best practices. Lastly, you’ll explore the functions and practical uses of crafting visual models, gaining hands-on experience in creating common models used by business intelligence analysts.

This course is for anyone who is curious about entry-level roles that demand fundamental Tableau skills, such as business intelligence analyst or data reporting analyst roles. It is recommended (but not required) that you have some experience with Tableau Public, but even if you're new to Tableau Public, you can still be successful in this program.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

-Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the business analysis process.

-Describe the methods used to identify stakeholders, and define their role in a business analysis project.

-Describe the methods used for gathering requirements from stakeholders.

-Create a business requirements document that conforms to industry best practices.

-Create a visual model of a business process.

What's inside

Syllabus

Business Analysis Process

Welcome to the Business Analysis Process course, the second course in the Tableau Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate. In the previous course, you briefly learned about the differences between business analytics and business analysis. While this certificate is geared toward preparing you for a career in business analytics, it is important for you to understand the field of business analysis for the reasons listed below. Note that business analytics is performed by a business intelligence (BI) analyst, whereas business analysis is performed by a business analyst. As a BI analyst, understanding the role of a business analyst can help you to better collaborate with them to gather data from various parts of the organization, identify issues, and recommend solutions based on data insights. This collaboration can result in better-informed decision-making and more effective strategies for achieving business success. In this course, you’ll learn about a framework for the business analysis process, which, at a high level, involves understanding the business problem, determining the requirements to solve the problem, and then delivering a solution. This week, you’ll dive into the first part of the framework, which involves understanding the business problem.

Requirements Elicitation

Welcome to the second week of the Business Analysis Process course! Last week, you learned about what goes into assessing a business problem. After understanding the problem, it might be tempting to start immediately thinking about the solution, but it’s important to first take time to gather more information from stakeholders to ensure the problem is solved effectively. This process of gathering requirements is the focus of this module. Specifically, you will learn what it means to gather and analyze business requirements, why it is important, and specific techniques to elicit requirements. Let’s get started!

Business Analysis Visual Models

Welcome to the third week of the Business Analysis Process course! In the previous week, you learned how to gather and analyze business requirements. This week, we will be delving into the world of visual models for business analysis. Visual models are an essential tool for business analysts, as they help to communicate complex information in a simple and intuitive way. In this module, you will learn about the purpose and applications of visual models and get hands-on practice creating two specific types of visual models. Let’s begin!

Business Requirements Document

Welcome to the fourth and final week of the Business Analysis Process course! Last week, you learned how to create different visual models that can be used for business analysis. In this final week, you will learn how to create a business requirements document to outline your analysis and potential solutions. Additionally, you will learn how solutions are communicated, implemented, and evaluated. Time to dive in!

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Introduces the foundational concepts of Business Analysis and provides a framework that is applicable to a variety of industries and business organizations

Focuses on teaching the Business Analyst's role in understanding a business problem and how to define solutions

Emphasizes gathering, analyzing, and documenting business requirements, and creating visual models to illustrate business processes

Suitable for individuals interested in entry-level roles, such as Business Intelligence Analyst or Data Reporting Analyst, requiring fundamental Tableau skills

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Business Analysis Process with these activities:

Review topic: Process Analysis

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Reviewing process analysis will prepare you for deeper understanding of the course's focus on frameworks for business analysis and industry best practices.

Browse courses on Process Analysis

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Break down the process into its component steps.
Identify a process to analyze that is related to your work or personal life.
Identify any bottlenecks or inefficiencies in the process.

Review: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

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This book provides valuable insights into the principles of lean methodology, which can be applied to the business analysis process to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

View The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use... on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
Identify how lean principles can be applied to business analysis projects.
Discuss your findings with a peer or mentor.

Follow tutorials on Advanced Tableau Features

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Exploring advanced Tableau features through tutorials will broaden your capabilities in data visualization and analysis, enhancing your value as a business intelligence analyst.

Browse courses on Tableau

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Identify areas where you want to enhance your Tableau skills.
Find tutorials that cover those specific features.
Follow the tutorials and practice the techniques.

Five other activities

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Create a Business Requirements Document template

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Creating a BRD template will strengthen your understanding of the structure and content of a BRD and how it aligns with industry best practices.

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Identify the sections and subsections that are typically included in a BRD.
Define the purpose and scope of each section.
Create a template that includes the appropriate headings and formatting.

Create a business requirements document (BRD)

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Reinforces understanding of requirements elicitation and documentation best practices.

Browse courses on Requirements Gathering

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Gather and analyze business requirements from various stakeholders
Craft a clear and concise business requirements document (BRD) that outlines the project's scope, objectives, and constraints
Review and iterate on the BRD based on stakeholder feedback

Conduct a business analysis on a real-world scenario

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Provides hands-on experience applying the business analysis process to identify problems and develop solutions.

Browse courses on Business Analysis

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Identify a business problem within an organization or industry
Gather requirements from stakeholders through interviews and documentation analysis
Analyze requirements to determine the scope and feasibility of the project
Develop a solution that meets the identified business needs
Present the solution to stakeholders for feedback and approval

Develop a Visual Model for a Business Process

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Creating a visual model will provide you with hands-on experience in applying the concepts of visual modeling to real-world business scenarios.

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Choose a business process to model.
Identify the key stakeholders and their roles in the process.
Select an appropriate visual modeling technique (e.g., flowchart, swimlane diagram).
Create the visual model.

Mentor Junior Business Analysts

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Mentoring others will solidify your understanding of business analysis concepts and provide practical experience in guiding others through the learning process.

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Identify junior business analysts who are seeking mentorship.
Share your knowledge and experience with them.
Provide guidance and support to help them develop their skills.
Regularly assess progress and provide feedback.

Career center

Learners who complete Business Analysis Process will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Business Analyst

Business analysts are responsible for understanding business problems and developing solutions to address them. This course provides a foundational understanding of the business analysis process, which can help business analysts to be more effective in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify stakeholders, gather requirements, and create business requirements documents. This knowledge can help business analysts to better understand the needs of the business and develop solutions that meet those needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Data Analyst

Data analysts use data to solve business problems. This course can help data analysts to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather and analyze data, and how to communicate data insights to stakeholders. This knowledge can help data analysts to make better use of data to improve business outcomes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Business Intelligence Analyst

Business intelligence analysts use data to identify trends and patterns that can help businesses make better decisions. This course can help business intelligence analysts to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather and analyze data, and how to communicate data insights to stakeholders. This knowledge can help business intelligence analysts to make better use of data to improve business outcomes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Intelligence Analyst

Management Consultant

Management consultants help businesses to improve their performance. This course can help management consultants to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify business problems, gather requirements, and develop solutions. This knowledge can help management consultants to better understand the needs of businesses and develop solutions that meet those needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Product Manager

Product managers are responsible for developing and launching new products. This course can help product managers to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify customer needs, gather requirements, and develop product roadmaps. This knowledge can help product managers to develop products that meet the needs of customers and achieve business goals.

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Project Manager

Project managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. This course can help project managers to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify project stakeholders, gather requirements, and develop project plans. This knowledge can help project managers to better manage projects and achieve project goals.

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Data Scientist

Data scientists use data to solve business problems. This course can help data scientists to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather and analyze data, and how to communicate data insights to stakeholders. This knowledge can help data scientists to make better use of data to improve business outcomes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Operations Research Analyst

Operations research analysts use mathematical and analytical techniques to solve business problems. This course can help operations research analysts to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather data, develop models, and analyze results. This knowledge can help operations research analysts to make better use of data to improve business outcomes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Software Engineer

Software engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. This course can help software engineers to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather requirements, design software systems, and test software. This knowledge can help software engineers to develop software systems that meet the needs of users and achieve business goals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts use financial data to make investment recommendations. This course can help financial analysts to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather and analyze financial data, and how to communicate financial insights to stakeholders. This knowledge can help financial analysts to make better use of data to improve investment decisions.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Risk Analyst

Risk analysts identify and assess risks that could affect a business. This course can help risk analysts to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify risks, assess risks, and develop risk mitigation plans. This knowledge can help risk analysts to better manage risks and protect businesses from harm.

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Compliance Officer

Compliance officers ensure that businesses comply with laws and regulations. This course can help compliance officers to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to identify compliance risks, develop compliance programs, and monitor compliance. This knowledge can help compliance officers to better manage compliance risks and protect businesses from legal liability.

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Accountant

Accountants prepare and maintain financial records. This course can help accountants to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to record financial transactions, prepare financial statements, and file tax returns. This knowledge can help accountants to better manage financial records and comply with laws and regulations.

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Tax Preparer

Tax preparers prepare tax returns for individuals and businesses. This course can help tax preparers to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to calculate taxes, complete tax forms, and file tax returns. This knowledge can help tax preparers to better prepare tax returns and comply with tax laws.

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Auditor

Auditors examine financial records to ensure accuracy and compliance. This course can help auditors to develop the skills they need to be successful in their roles. The course covers topics such as how to gather evidence, analyze evidence, and report on findings. This knowledge can help auditors to better identify and report on financial irregularities.

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