BAs are Bridge-Builders Instead of Bridges

January 25, 2010 – 9:05 pm – I was reading an interesting chain of comments on one of the LinkedIn BA group websites about the role of a BA being described using a bridge metaphor. Someone asked why the BA definition in the latest BABOK v2.0 no longer uses the metaphor of a bridge between Business and IT. Kevin Brennan of the IIBA [...]

By Angie | Comments (1)

James Bond and Business Analysis

January 18, 2010 – 9:16 am – Q: I’ve always tried to teach you two things. First, never let them see you bleed. James Bond: And the second? Q: Always have an escape plan*.   *From the James Bond movie (The World is Not Enough) In case you have never followed the Bond movies, Q was typically an elderly gentleman who would invent and demonstrate all the [...]

By Angie | Posted in , , , , | Comments (2)

IIBA and Business Rules Community 2010 Conference

January 11, 2010 – 8:53 am – I am very excited about the agreement reached by the IIBA and the Business Rules Community to hold a joint conference in 2010. The Business Rules Community has established itself as a very valuable resource for business analysis professionals learning about business rules. The conference will also incorporate business process improvement topics. I have included [...]

By Barbara | Comments (0)

The Things We Can Control

January 5, 2010 – 9:28 am – 2009 was a tough year in many ways. If you were not personally impacted by losing your job or being furloughed, you most likely knew one or more close family and friends that were impacted.

By Kupe | Posted in , , , , , , | Comments (0)

BAs NEED management support

December 4, 2009 – 4:35 pm – A tough challenge for our profession is getting true management support for business analysis work. Many BAs are caught in a “catch-22″ where their management does not understand the value of business analysis and as such, don’t give BAs time to analyze. When we don’t have time to analyze, management doesn’t see the value of [...]

By Barbara | Comments (4)

WIBADD is really Great!!

October 22, 2009 – 3:03 pm – Tuesday the Wisconsin IIBA Chapters hosted a BA Development Day called WIBADD! What a great event. Over 400 BAs gathered in the Alliance Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin to share their experiences and knowledge. The event was extremely well run and provided everyone with lots of networking opportunties. Door prizes included two WI game systems [...]

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News from BA World Denver

October 6, 2009 – 8:54 am – The first day of the BA World conference in Denver was a great success. Lots of interesting discussions about current business analysis topics with many different perspectives. Dave Bieg, from the IIBA  provided the keynote address on Building a Mature Business Analysis Practice. He outlined the IIBA’s plans to help corporations and government agencies continue [...]

By Barbara | Posted in , | Comments (0)

Why status reports?

September 25, 2009 – 3:42 pm – I have always been a big advocate of status reports and am surprised when I hear people say they are a waste of time. Regular status reporting is one of the most important productivity tools a BA (or anyone) can use.  Status reports were originally invented by managers who wanted a written record of the [...]

By Barbara | Posted in , | Comments (3)

So Many Stakeholders, So Little Time

September 22, 2009 – 8:02 pm – Most of us out there today are up against tight deadlines.  I usually sit in my office on Friday singing the line from a Beatles song…”8 days a week.”  I wish I had 8 days some weeks.  Yes, it can be frustrating trying to fit it all in.  We have to be thinking of better ways to approach [...]

By Kupe | Posted in , , | Comments (7)

New – Measuring the Value of Business Analysis White Paper

August 31, 2009 – 7:26 am – Is your organization having a difficult time describing the value of business analysis to the bottom line? To make your case stronger you will want to read the new white paper we have available for download. The paper is co-authored by Barbara Carkenord and Kimberly Terribile and discusses how skilled business analysts are instrumental in providing a [...]

By Angie | Comments (0)