Plan Business Analysis Approach: Why Planning an Approach is Important in Navigating Business Analysis
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A roadmap models the actions, dependencies, and responsibilities required for the organization to move from the current state, through the transition states, to the future state. You can think of Plan Business Analysis Approach as the roadmap for the business analysis deliverables. The business analysis approach describes the actions, dependencies, and responsibilities for the Business Analyst (BA). It is the overall method that will be followed when performing business analysis work on a given initiative, how and when tasks will be performed, and the deliverables that will be produced.
If you want to make sure that the right work is done the right way and within the timeframe to ultimately meet business objectives and make stakeholders happy, planning the approach is the key! Planning business analysis approach aims to define an appropriate method to conduct business analysis activities.
Let's start by clarifying the key terms and planning hierarchy involved in Business Analysis.
Key Terms for Understanding the Business Analysis Approach Hierarchy
Plan Business Analysis Approach: Describes the overall method that will be followed when performing business analysis work on a given initiative, how and when tasks will be performed, and the business analysis deliverables that will be produced
Business Analysis Deliverables: Agreed-upon BA work products
Knowledge Areas: Areas of BA expertise encompassing several tasks
Tasks: Discrete pieces of work grouped under Knowledge Areas
Techniques: Methods for conducting BA tasks
Activities: Steps to complete the techniques
Outputs: Results produced by performing BA tasks, outputs may be a deliverable or be a part of a larger deliverable
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Business Analysis Schedule
The business analysis deliverable planning hierarchy is a great place to start understanding the relationship to between deliverables and the BABOK®, the next step after identifying the deliverables and their layers is adding this information into a business analysis schedule.
Ready to put your learning into practice? Download my Business Analysis Activity Schedule template designed in Google Drawings. It's completely free and collaborative . Start capturing valuable insights today!
Analogy: Envision the Business Analysis Approach as a Trip Around the World
Now, imagine you’re setting out on a journey around the world. Your flight path is the BA Approach, guiding you from the start of your business analysis journey to the end, as you navigate the changes you’re making.
Before takeoff, map out the BABOK® Knowledge Areas/Tasks you need to visit, these are the continents/cities on your journey. For example this trip starts in North America/Edmonton (Planning and Monitoring/Plan Business Analysis Approach) and heads to Africa/Lagos (Elicitation and Collaboration/Plan for Elicitation).
During each flight in the journey, choose the right airplane, this is your technique in BABOK®. For instance, to complete the ‘Plan Business Analysis Approach’ task, you might select the ‘brainstorming’ or ‘interview’ technique to gather information from stakeholders. In this case, the ‘Interview’ plane was selected.
On your flight you need to break it down into more detailed steps, similar to a pre-flight checklist (flight booking, online check-in, travel documentation, baggage preparation). These steps (activities) are essential to ensure you successfully board your airplane (complete the technique).
Importance of Planning
Planning is essential during every change initiative or project! To continue with the aviation industry analogy, a pilot planning a route to a specific destination gathers information such as weather conditions, fuel requirements, flight paths, navigation tools, and key metrics like time, distance, and altitude. The pilot also considers safety measures, potential risks like turbulence or technical failures, and coordinates with air traffic control, crew, and passengers. This process is similar to BA planning, where the goals or requirements are identified, options are analyzed, the right tools and techniques are selected, key metrics are defined, risks are assessed, and communication with stakeholders is maintained. By following a planned approach, a pilot ensures a safe and successful journey to the destination. Applying a defined BA planning approach is key for achieving successful outcomes. Just as a pilot plans and gathers relevant data to ensure a safe and successful journey, businesses must define clear objectives, gather requirements, analyze options, select appropriate tools, maintain stakeholder collaboration, and manage risks effectively. Ultimately, a well-planned approach leads to successful project completion, ensuring that business objectives are met.
Planning Methods
Planning methods vary across industries and organizations, typically falling within a spectrum between predictive and adaptive approaches. Predictive methods aim to reduce uncertainty by defining solutions before implementation, which helps maximize control and minimize risk. These methods are ideal when requirements are clear, the risk of incorrect implementation is high, or stakeholder engagement is challenging. In contrast, adaptive methods emphasize delivering business value through short, iterative cycles, accepting a higher level of uncertainty about the final solution. These are preferred for exploratory projects or incremental improvements of existing solutions. A hybrid methodology may also be utilized. A hybrid may include an overall vision for the whole initiative (as in predictive), as well as the definition of details within individual cycles or iterations (as in adaptive).
Complexity and Risk
When determining the business analysis approach, it's essential to consider the complexity and size of the change, as well as the overall risk to the organization. As these factors fluctuate, the business analysis approach may need to be adjusted accordingly. The nature and scope of the analysis work can be modified to reflect changes in complexity and risk. Additionally, the approach may be revised based on the number of stakeholders or business analysis resources involved. With more stakeholders, the approach might be adapted to include additional process steps to more effectively manage the business analysis efforts.
Conclusion
Effective planning is crucial in business analysis, as it sets the foundation for successful outcomes. To stay on track, it’s important to keep in mind that the goal of this task is to identify the business analysis approach and activities that will be performed across an initiative, including who will perform the activities, the timing and sequencing of the work, the deliverables that will be produced, and the business analysis techniques that may be utilized. With a well-defined and planned approach, navigating the BA roadmap stands a good chance of achieving the desired outcomes and reaching the target destination—that is, to meet business objectives and deliver value to the stakeholders.