Business Analysis is defined as “the practice of enabling change in an organizational context, by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders” in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK© Guide v3). The BABOK guide was developed by a global working group, including our guest, Laura Paton. We talk with Laura about Business Analysis from different perspectives: The profession, research, and competencies Roles and Job Titles How long it takes to get good at bu...
Mar 07, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Human Resources is key to running a successful organization. It’s typically a top cost among expenses. How do business analysis skills apply to Human Resources? Kris Tierney joins us from the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), which has partnered with The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) to offer the “Radical HR: Upskilling from Service Provider to Solution Expert” program. During our chat with Kris, we talk about Human Resources (HR) for business analysts to un...
Feb 21, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 4
What are the most important skills for business analysis professionals? We discuss the top 9 skills identified in the IIBA Global State of Business Analysis report. This is research from business analysis professionals around the world. Can you guess what the top skill is for your career? We count down to the #1 skill and take questions from the livestream audience. RELATED ARTICLES: Skills Every Business Analysis Professional Needs https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/skills-every-busin...
Feb 07, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 3
“Business analysis professionals only work in IT”, is that a myth? What about “Business analysts only create requirements documents”? In this episode of Business Analysis Live we talk about common business analysis myths and answer questions from our live audience. RESOURCES: - Business Analysis Job Titles - https://youtu.be/c6Ne1J9IlJE - Top Business Analysis Myths , Analyst Catalyst blog - https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/top-business-analysis-myths/ Business Analysis Live is hoste...
Jan 24, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Looking for a business analysis job? We discuss interview questions that you may encounter and how to approach them. Preparation is key and our guest, Yulia Kosarenko, shares tips on how to get ready for a business analysis job interview. She has some great advice. Yulia Kosarenko is the author of “Business analyst: a profession and a mindset” and also publishes videos on her “Why Change” YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@WhyChange RESOURCES: IIBA Career Center https://careercenter.iiba.o...
Jan 10, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 1
It's the end of the year and time to think about those professional development goals! Certifications are usually high on that list. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) has 7 business analysis certifications - 3 core and 4 specialized . All the business analysis certification exams offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) are proctored online. We get lots of questions about how online proctoring works. In this episode of Business Analysis Live! Scott and...
Jan 01, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Even when business analysis professionals don't have a title of leader, they are informal leaders on projects. In this episode, Scott and Susan are joined by Lead Business Analyst, Supervisor and newest #CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) holder, John Reeves who writes and talks about business analysis leadership. We learn from John the leadership skills most in demand for business analysts and how they can lead without authority. John is a frequent contributor of leadership article...
Dec 27, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 33
SWOT analysis is a powerful tool to explore ideas and look at the big picture. The four perspectives captured in this model are: - Strengths (internal) - Weaknesses (internal) - Opportunities (external) - Threats (external). In this podcast Scott and Susan create a SWOT analysis together using live audience feedback to show not only how it works but how a business analysis professional would facilitate the activity. The key skill in performing a SWOT analysis is facilitation to ensure your stake...
Dec 13, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 32
What is a Product Owner? There's a lot of myth and rumor about this important role in agile organizations. In this episode, Scott and Susan welcome Emily Midgely, a Product Owner (and President of the IIBA Cleveland [Ohio] Chapter), to talk about what Product Owners do. They get into the skills needed for this work, how Product Owners work with business analysts and other roles in an organization and, as always, they answer questions from the audience about product owners and product ownership. ...
Nov 29, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In IIBA's most recent Global State of Business Analysis survey, the business analysis community told us that there are 7 soft skills critical to the work of BA professionals. Some say "soft skills," well, we say "essential skills!" These skills not only make your work stand out as a business analyst but also differentiate you in the marketplace. In this episode Scott and Susan identify those 7 skills and dive into what that means. As always, they take audience questions live! RESOURCES: Read our...
Nov 15, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring is one of the knowledge areas identified in the BABOK© Guide. If you've never performed business analysis planning on a project, you might think it's another one of those upfront planning processes from waterfall. In this episode, Scott and Susan, along with guest Hans Eckman, demystify what this essential area is all about. We talk about how and when this is done in both #waterfall and #agile projects as well as how planning can ensure you set yourself ...
Nov 01, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 29
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and that got us thinking - what's the role of a Business Analysis professional working in cybersecurity? It isn't what you might think. In fact, business analysis is even more critical to organizations' strategy and reputation than just blocking intrusions. In this episode Scott and Susan talk with Bindu Channaveerappa, a cybersecurity business analysis expert, about how business analysts are involved in every level of security within an organization. Bin...
Oct 18, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 28
What's the difference between a Business Analyst, a Business Systems Analyst and an IT Business Analyst? Well, it depends. Hunting for business analysis jobs can be challenging because job titles can be generic or very specific. The differences in the titles can be found in the details of the job posting. But how do you even get that far in searching for business analysis jobs? In this episode, Scott and Susan talk about tips, hacks and research into business analysis job titles and, as always, ...
Oct 04, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this episode, Scott and Susan have a special guest, Angelo Kalevela. Angelo is user experience design practitioner and business analyst that has a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/AngeloKalevela). He focuses on business analysis professionals who are new to the profession or thinking about becoming a business analyst with short, approachable videos meant to inform and coach. We talk about the parallels between business analysis and user experience work, coaching new business analyst...
Sep 20, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 26
The Project Management body of knowledge says that projects fail due to missed requirements. The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) says requirements are missed because #stakeholders are missed. Missing requirements happen on projects. It's a common issue faced by #businessanalysts. In this episode, Scott and Susan discuss the impacts of missed requirements, how to avoid them and what to do when you discover it's happened. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at liv...
Sep 13, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 25
ECBA is the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) Entry Certificate in Business Analysis . This certificate program is a great way to learn the language of #businessanalysis as well as build your skills and confidence in the knowledge areas. Who is this certificate for? What does the certificate exam cover? You have questions and in this episode, Scott and Susan answer them! Listen and learn more about this #certification. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question a...
Sep 06, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 24
There's a lot of talk in the #businessanalysis community about certifications. One of the questions we get frequently is whether a certification is needed to get a #businessanalyst job. Certifications are an investment in time and money. Are they worth it? Are they really a fast track to getting a business analysis job? Spoiler alert: our answer may surprise you! In this podcast, Scott and Susan discuss whether business analysis certifications matter and they answer listener questions on all thi...
Aug 30, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 23
It's the age-old #businessanalysis question: Do I need to do a gap analysis for this project? Any time we make a change, we need to assess the current state, identify the future state, and analyze where there are gaps between those 2 states. In this episode, Scott and Susan define gap analysis, when it is done and why. We get controversial in this episode as we talk about whether every gap is a thing to be solved. We also identify ways that you can apply gap analysis to your life. Uses for gap a...
Aug 23, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Have you thought about moving into a business analysis career but are concerned you might not have the right skills? Many business analysis professionals started their careers in a different field altogether. (Hint: you don't need a computer science background to get into business analysis!) In this episode, Scott and Susan talk about switching your career into business analysis and answer your questions about how to do that. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba...
Aug 16, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 21
This special episode of Business Analysis Live! is (virtually) direct from the 2022 Building Business Capability Conference held in Florida. Scott and Susan interview leading business analysis thought leaders and key speakers from the conference to learn more about the hot topics from this year's conference and what it's like to get together live after a 2 year pause in conferences. Hear thoughts and perspectives from: Angela Wick Fabricio Laguna Christina Lovelock Jennifer Bedell Filip Hendrick...
Aug 09, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Building a network can help you find new opportunities, develop your skills and see new perspectives but meeting and growing that network can seem challenging if you see yourself as an introvert. You don't have to see your introversion as a negative to networking! You can use your strengths to network in ways that support your goals without feeling overwhelmed. Scott has this episode off so co-host Susan Moore and IT Career Coach, Suzanne Ricci, talk about networking and offer tips for those who...
Aug 02, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Listening is critical to the work of business analysis professionals but it seems like such a passive activity. Why is listening important? How do you listen actively? What are the benefits of listening to your work? And how can you improve your listening skills? Scott and Susan share their experiences in these areas and answer your questions about how to listen effectively. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast home...
Jul 26, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Many business analysis professionals emphasize learning the tools, techniques and tasks that make up the daily work of business analysis. Despite that, organizations still report that projects are not always delivering the necessary outcomes. So what's missing? The business analysis mindset. What is the business analysis mindset, you ask? In this episode, Scott and Susan talk to The Brazilian BA , Fabricio Laguna, who talks and writes about the mindset and how it is applied. Hint: the business a...
Jul 20, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Are you new to the business analysis profession? Are you thinking about going into business analysis? From gaining domain experience, developing business analysis skills or just the benefits of volunteering to help start your career, Scott and Susan give tips for new professionals and share their own experiences starting their careers Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. #businessanalysis #businessanalyst ...
Jul 17, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, Scott and Susan dive into the topic of business analysis for off-the-shelf product (or commercial off-the-shelf - COTS) projects. COTS products or services are built, sold and maintained by third-party vendors. These tools might be installed "on prem" (or on premises) or might be hosted in the cloud. These projects require business analysis but the activities involved have a slightly different focus than products or services that might built from scratch. Susan brings her insigh...
Jul 11, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 15
The work of business analysis inside agile organizations can be confusing. Does analysis work fit inside the iteration? Or is analysis done in before the iteration? In this episode Scott and Susan talk with guest, Ryland Leyton, Speaker, Trainer, Agile Coach and Senior Business Analyst, about the role & responsibilities of a business analysis professional in an agile environment, the value proposition and benefits to agile from business analysis and how to respond to typical objections and m...
Jul 04, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 12
How you position yourself in your business analysis career has never been more important. From the skills you need to develop throughout your career to thinking about how to leverage your unique talents and experience to the work you do, there are many ways you can show the world what kind of professional you are. In this episode Scott and Susan talk about building your reputation in business analysis. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice...
Jul 04, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Change is at the heart of what business analysis professionals do every day. Everything we do is geared towards change and requires some level of management. In this episode, Scott and Susan define what "change management" means and what it might look life for business analysis professionals across their career lifecycle and across the project lifecycle. We'll also share lots of stories about change management efforts we've been part of. Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question ...
Jul 04, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode Scott and Susan talk about the magical world of requirements traceability. Traceability is an important way to ensure that you are delivering what has been committed to in the project but it's a task that is sometimes missed. We talk about our experiences with tracing requirements and answer listener questions too. Do you have a question on this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. #RequirementsTraceability #BusinessAnalys...
Jul 04, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 10
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) has awarded digital badges to business analysis certifications for many years. In April 2022, IIBA began granting digital badges to IIBA Members to allow them to share their commitment to their profession and to be seen as ambassadors for the practice of business analysis. In this episode, Scott and Susan talk about the new IIBA Member badges and answer your questions about how and where to share them as well as questions around badges for ...
Jul 04, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 14
