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Fundamentals of Business Analysis

Don Hussey

Course Overview

This course provides everything you need to get started in your career in business analysis.

Our courses focus on how analysis is performed in the real world, and they're full of examples, case studies and lessons learned from actual Business Analysts on the job.

This is a perfect first course in any business analysis curriculum.

Syllabus

1. Business Analysis

  • Overview of Business Analysis
  • Overview of Requirements
  • Role of the Business Analyst

2. Stakeholders

Read more

Course Overview

This course provides everything you need to get started in your career in business analysis.

Our courses focus on how analysis is performed in the real world, and they're full of examples, case studies and lessons learned from actual Business Analysts on the job.

This is a perfect first course in any business analysis curriculum.

Syllabus

1. Business Analysis

  • Overview of Business Analysis
  • Overview of Requirements
  • Role of the Business Analyst

2. Stakeholders

  • Who are they? And why do they matter?
  • The most common stakeholders: The project team, management, and the front line
  • Handling Stakeholder Conflicts

3. Life Cycles

  • Systems Development Life Cycles
  • Project Life Cycles
  • Product Life Cycles
  • Requirement Life Cycles
  • Seventh Morning's Requirements Development Life Cycle

4. Forming Requirements

  • Overview of Requirements
  • Attributes of Good Requirements
  • Types of Requirements
  • Requirement Sources
  • Gathering Requirements from Stakeholders
  • Common Requirements Documents

5. Transforming Requirements

  • Stakeholder Needs Analysis
  • Decomposition Analysis
  • Additive/Subtractive Analysis
  • Gap Analysis
  • Notations (UML & BPMN)
  • Flowcharts
  • Swim Lane Flowcharts
  • Entity-Relationship Diagrams
  • State-Transition Diagrams
  • Data Flow Diagrams
  • Use Case Modeling
  • Business Process Modeling

6. Finalizing Requirements

  • Presenting – 10 Tips
  • Presenting Requirements
  • Socializing Requirements and Gaining Acceptance
  • Prioritizing Requirements

7. Managing Requirements Assets

  • Change Control
  • Requirements Tools

8. Scenario

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Learn the foundations of business analysis
  • Learn how to gather requirements from stakeholders and documentary sources
  • Learn how to analyze, diagram and model requirements
  • Learn how to present requirements effectively and gain acceptance
  • Learn how to manage requirements assets after the project is complete

Syllabus

Overview of Business Analysis
Introduction to the Course
What is Business Analysis?
The Value of Business Analysis
Read more
What Problems does it Address?
The Developer
Requirements
Who Performs Business Analysis?
The Business Analyst Role
Quiz: The Business Analyst Role
Section 1 Materials
Introductions
Stakeholders
The QA/Testing Professional
Overview of Stakeholders
Waterfall and Iterative SDLCs
The Project Manager
Management
The Front Line
Agile SDLCs
Managing Stakeholder Conflict
Section 3 Materials
Section 2 Materials
Lifecycles
Overview of Life Cycles
The PLC and SDLC
The Product Life Cycle
Requirements Life Cycles
Life Cycles
NorwalkAberdeen's Requirements Definition Model
Forming Requirements
Overview of Requirements
Attributes of Good Requirements
User Requirements
Business Requirements
Functional Requirements
Nonfunctional Requirements
Requirement Sources
Gathering Requirements in One-on-One Interviews
Gathering Requirements in Group Interviews
Common Requirements Documents
Agile Requirements
Section 4 Materials
Group Interviewing
Transforming Requirements
Overview of Analysis
"Thinking about Stuff"
Decomposition Analysis
Additive/Subtractive Analysis
Gap Analysis
Decision Analysis
Root Cause Analysis
Stakeholder Needs Analysis
Overview of Modeling
Flowcharts
Swim Lane Flowcharts
Entity-Relationship Modeling
State-Transition Modeling
Data Flow Modeling

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Provides a comprehensive overview of business analysis, covering roles, responsibilities, and the value it brings to organizations, which is ideal for those starting their careers
Explores various requirement elicitation techniques, such as interviews and group sessions, which equips learners with practical skills for gathering information from stakeholders
Covers requirement modeling using flowcharts, swim lane flowcharts, and entity-relationship diagrams, which are essential tools for visualizing and communicating requirements effectively
Examines different types of life cycles, including systems development, project, product, and requirement life cycles, which provides a holistic understanding of project management
Includes notations like UML and BPMN, which may require learners to seek out additional resources to fully grasp their application in business analysis
Teaches requirement management, including change control and requirements tools, which are crucial for maintaining the integrity and traceability of requirements throughout the project lifecycle

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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 Fundamentals of Business Analysis with these activities:
Review SDLC Methodologies
Review different SDLC methodologies to better understand the context in which business analysis is performed.
Browse courses on Systems Development Life Cycle
Show steps
  • Research different SDLC methodologies such as Waterfall, Agile, and Iterative.
  • Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology.
  • Consider how requirements gathering and analysis differ in each methodology.
Review 'Business Analysis Techniques: 99 Tools for Success'
Explore a wide range of business analysis techniques to expand your toolkit and improve your problem-solving skills.
View Business Analysis Techniques on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Business Analysis Techniques: 99 Tools for Success'.
  • Read through the book, focusing on techniques relevant to requirements gathering and analysis.
  • Identify techniques that seem particularly useful or interesting.
  • Consider how you might apply these techniques in your own work.
Create a Stakeholder Map
Solidify your understanding of stakeholders by creating a visual map of stakeholders for a hypothetical project.
Show steps
  • Choose a hypothetical project or use a real-world project you are familiar with.
  • Identify all the stakeholders involved in the project.
  • Create a visual map showing the relationships between the stakeholders.
  • Write a brief description of each stakeholder's role and influence.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Develop a Use Case Diagram
Practice modeling requirements by creating a use case diagram for a specific system or process.
Show steps
  • Select a system or process to model (e.g., online ordering system, library checkout process).
  • Identify the actors (users or external systems) that interact with the system.
  • Identify the use cases (goals or tasks) that the actors perform.
  • Create a use case diagram showing the actors and use cases, and their relationships.
  • Write a brief description of each use case.
Analyze Requirements for a Mobile App
Apply the concepts learned in the course by analyzing requirements for a mobile application.
Show steps
  • Choose a type of mobile app (e.g., to-do list, budgeting app, fitness tracker).
  • Identify the key stakeholders for the app.
  • Gather requirements from the stakeholders through interviews or surveys.
  • Document the requirements using a requirements document template.
  • Prioritize the requirements based on stakeholder needs and business value.
Tutor a Beginner in Business Analysis
Reinforce your understanding by explaining business analysis concepts to someone new to the field.
Show steps
  • Find someone who is interested in learning about business analysis.
  • Explain the basic concepts of business analysis, such as requirements gathering and analysis.
  • Answer their questions and provide guidance.
  • Share resources and tips for learning more about business analysis.
Review 'BABOK Guide'
Deepen your understanding of business analysis best practices by studying the BABOK Guide.
View Strategy to Execution Framework version 1.5 on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of the BABOK Guide.
  • Read through the guide, focusing on the knowledge areas relevant to the course.
  • Take notes on key concepts and techniques.
  • Consider how you might apply the BABOK Guide in your own work.

Career center

Learners who complete Fundamentals of Business Analysis will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Business Analyst
A Business Analyst is a key role that bridges the gap between business needs and technical solutions. They work to understand organizational challenges and then translate these into actionable requirements for projects or processes. This course, with its detailed exploration of requirements gathering, analysis, and presentation techniques, provides a solid foundation for those seeking to become a Business Analyst. The course's emphasis on stakeholder management, requirement lifecycles, and the various methodologies directly aligns with the day-to-day activities of a Business Analyst, making this course an ideal starting point.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst
Requirements Analyst
The focus of a Requirements Analyst is to elicit, document, analyze, and manage requirements for a project. This role requires a deep understanding of business processes and the ability to translate stakeholder needs into clear, concise, and testable requirements. This course directly addresses this need with its comprehensive coverage of requirement lifecycles, gathering techniques, and modeling notations. Individuals aspiring to become a Requirements Analyst will find the practical guidance in stakeholder management and requirement transformation invaluable, as it helps build a strong foundation in the necessary skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Requirements Analyst
Systems Analyst
A Systems Analyst evaluates existing computer systems and processes to propose improvements and solutions. They work closely with stakeholders to understand needs, and they must be able to document requirements and communicate technical issues with clarity. The coursework provided helps build a foundation in requirements gathering, stakeholder interactions, and modeling techniques, so it could be useful for an aspiring Systems Analyst. The course content on requirement lifecycles and various modeling techniques helps develop a deep understanding of the system development process and helps a future Systems Analyst manage those requirements.
See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Analyst
Product Owner
A Product Owner is responsible for defining the product vision and ensuring that the development team is building the right product. This role requires a deep understanding of user needs, market trends, and business objectives. This course's training on stakeholder management, requirements gathering, and analysis will help a future Product Owner understand how to elicit and prioritize requirements to inform the product roadmap. This course may be useful for someone seeking to become a Product Owner.
See salaries and explore the career path for Product Owner
Process Analyst
A Process Analyst examines business workflows to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement. They use a variety of tools to analyze processes, document findings, and propose changes. This course, with its sections on stakeholder management and requirements transformation, helps a future Process Analyst understand the importance of gathering information from a variety of sources. The course's training in modeling techniques also is beneficial for understanding and communicating the details of existing processes, and for designing improved processes. The course may be useful for someone looking to become a Process Analyst.
See salaries and explore the career path for Process Analyst
Business Systems Consultant
A Business Systems Consultant assists organizations in improving their business processes and systems through technology. They must identify areas where technology can support business needs. This course's focus on stakeholder management, combined with the emphasis on various modeling techniques, helps a future Business Systems Consultant understand business requirements. This course may be useful for an aspiring Business Systems Consultant.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Systems Consultant
Project Manager
A Project Manager is responsible for planning, executing, monitoring, and closing projects. They must have a comprehensive understanding of all project phases, including the requirement-gathering phase. This course's emphasis on requirements development, stakeholder management, and life cycles will provide a Project Manager a framework to ensure that project goals are clearly defined and agreed upon by all involved. This course may be useful for an aspiring Project Manager.
See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager
Project Coordinator
A Project Coordinator assists project managers by organizing and managing project activities and resources. They track project timelines, communicate with stakeholders, and ensure that project goals are met. An understanding of requirements development is essential to a Project Coordinator, and this course offers practical guidance in gathering, transforming, and presenting requirements. The course's focus on effective communication will also help those who wish to become a Project Coordinator to efficiently manage various aspects of projects and interact effectively with stakeholders. This course may be useful to someone seeking to become a Project Coordinator.
See salaries and explore the career path for Project Coordinator
Implementation Specialist
An Implementation Specialist helps clients implement new software or systems. They must understand the client's needs and ensure that the new system will meet the stated requirements. The requirement-gathering and analysis sections of this course directly help those seeking to become an Implementation Specialist to understand the process from the client's perspective. This course may be helpful for those seeking to become an Implementation Specialist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Implementation Specialist
Solutions Architect
A Solutions Architect designs technical solutions that meet business needs. They work to understand the requirements of a project and create a compatible architecture. This course helps a future Solutions Architect by helping them understand how the business requirements are captured and organized throughout the project lifecycle. The training in modeling techniques is additionally useful for the Solutions Architect to visualize the system's architecture. This course may be useful for a future Solutions Architect.
See salaries and explore the career path for Solutions Architect
Data Analyst
Data Analysts interpret data to provide insights that inform business decisions. Though their work focuses on quantitative analysis, they must understand business requirements to derive value from data. This course introduces the essential skills for gathering and analyzing business requirements from stakeholders, which is valuable context for a Data Analyst to understand the data provided to them. This course also covers techniques for transforming requirements, which will help a Data Analyst understand the meaning of a business request and how it relates to their data analysis. This course may be helpful for someone aspiring to become a Data Analyst.
See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst
Change Manager
A Change Manager helps organizations navigate transitions by working with stakeholders to understand and address their concerns. They often work on projects that involve process changes, new technology systems, or restructuring. The stakeholder management skills taught in this course provides a valuable foundation for a future Change Manager. The emphasis on the need to gather and present requirements helps them ensure all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the changes being implemented. This course may be useful for someone aspiring to become a Change Manager.
See salaries and explore the career path for Change Manager
Management Consultant
Management Consultants analyze business problems and provide recommendations to improve organizational performance. While this role covers a broad perspective, a knowledge of business analysis, including requirements and stakeholder management, helps a Management Consultant to ask the right questions and evaluate the current systems. This course’s material on gathering, transforming, and presenting business requirements provides a useful toolkit for conducting analysis, and better understanding the inner workings of an organization. A future Management Consultant may find this course useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant
Business Intelligence Analyst
A Business Intelligence Analyst works to provide actionable insights from data, often requiring the building of reports and data visualizations. While this work is often very technical, the role also requires a strong understanding of business requirements. Learning how to gather requirements from stakeholders, as taught by this course, is therefore valuable for a Business Intelligence Analyst. Understanding business needs from the stakeholder perspective helps a Business Intelligence Analyst to translate those needs into helpful reports. This course may be useful for an aspiring Business Intelligence Analyst.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Intelligence Analyst
Quality Assurance Analyst
A Quality Assurance Analyst ensures that products or services meet specific quality standards. While much of their work focuses on testing, a Quality Assurance Analyst needs to understand the requirements of the project to perform this role well. This training on forming project requirements is helpful for a future Quality Assurance Analyst to ensure that the testing performed is aligned with the goals of the project. A Quality Assurance Analyst will find the skills learned in this course of value when ensuring products meet the initial requirements.
See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Assurance Analyst

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Business Analysis.
Cover image
Strategy to Execution Framework Version 1.5
Save
The BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) Guide is the definitive guide to business analysis practices. It provides a comprehensive framework for performing business analysis tasks. It is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions and by industry professionals. adds more depth and breadth to the existing course, and useful reference tool.
Strategy to Execution Framework version 1.5
Paperback
$$$
Cover image
Business Analysis Techniques
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of various business analysis techniques. It serves as a practical guide for applying different tools and techniques in real-world scenarios. It is particularly useful for understanding the breadth of available techniques and choosing the right one for a specific situation. This book can be used as a reference throughout the course and beyond.
Business Analysis Techniques
Paperback
Check
Business Analysis Techniques
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
6 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Don Hussey
Language
English
Good to know
Provides a comprehensive overview of business analysis, covering roles, responsibilities, and the value it brings to organizations, which is ideal for those starting their careers
Explores various requirement elicitation techniques, such as interviews and group sessions, which equips learners with practical skills for gathering information from stakeholders
Covers requirement modeling using flowcharts, swim lane flowcharts, and entity-relationship diagrams, which are essential tools for visualizing and communicating requirements effectively
Examines different types of life cycles, including systems development, project, product, and requirement life cycles, which provides a holistic understanding of project management
Includes notations like UML and BPMN, which may require learners to seek out additional resources to fully grasp their application in business analysis
Teaches requirement management, including change control and requirements tools, which are crucial for maintaining the integrity and traceability of requirements throughout the project lifecycle
Share and help others discover this course.
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