Determining Project Requirements, Second Edition: Mastering the BABOK® and the CBAP® Exam(ESI International Project Management Series)

Good requirements do not come from a tool, or from a customer interview. They come from a repeatable set of processes that take a project from the early idea stage through to the creation of an agreed-upon project and product scope between the customer and the developer. From enterprise analysis and planning requirements gathering to documentation, Determining Project Requirements, Second Edition: Mastering the BABOK® and the CBAP® Exam covers the entire business analysis cycle as well as modeling techniques. Aligned with the International Institute of Business Analysis’ (IIBA) Business Analysis Body of Knowledge 2.0® (BABOK® Guide 2.0), the second edition of this popular reference provides readers with a complete and up-to-date resource for preparing to take the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) examination. It also: Presents helpful techniques, tools, best practices, and templates to help readers improve the requirements gathering processes within their organization Contains exercises, sample solutions, and a case study that illustrate how to deal with the various situations that might be encountered in the requirements gathering process Supplies a broad overview of a multitude of business analysis issues Includes two sample business requirements documents—one is a comprehensive template, provided courtesy of ESI International, the second is a simpler template suitable for smaller projects The book covers all of the BABOK® knowledge areas and features new preparatory sections for the CBAP® exam that include 300 questions. It examines data modeling, requirements modeling techniques, process modeling, and hybrid techniques. With its many examples, use cases, and business requirements document templates, this book is the ideal self-study guide for practitioners. The combination of theory, activities, exercises, solutions, case study, and exam questions also makes it suitable for business analysis students.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Objectives Overview The Early Days The Project Management Institute® The International Institute of Business Analysis® The Role of the Business Analyst Where Is It All Going? Book Project Summary Activity Laying the Foundation Objectives Overview Life Cycle Definitions What Is a Body of Knowledge? Overview of PMI Applicable Standards Overview of IIBA Framework and Standards SEI-CMMI and Applicability Requirements Management Requirements Development Which Standard to Use? Comments on Tool Standards Business Analyst’s Skills Analysis Skills Business Knowledge IT Knowledge Meeting and Presentation Skills Decision Making, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Escalation Skills Questioning Skills, Systems Thinking, and Logic Leadership Skills Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Objectives Overview The IIBA View Plan the Business Analysis Approach Overview of Approaches Selecting and Customizing a Process Waterfall Iterative Agile Conduct Stakeholder Analysis User Profiling Experienced or Novice Users Full-Time or Part-Time Users Organizational Entities Internal or External Users Language and Cultural Differences Geographical Differences Plan Business Analysis Activities Project Overview and Background Scope and Deliverables Project Activities Roles and Responsibilities Resource Plan Requirements Risk Plan Manage Changes to Requirements Plan Business Analysis Communications Plan Requirements Management Process Manage Business Analysis Performance General Guidelines for the Requirements Plan Risk Step 1: Develop the Risk Management Approach Step 2: Identify Risks Step 3: Assess Risks Step 4: Respond to Risks Step 5: Monitor and Control Risks Estimating Laying Out Tasks Costing Tracking and Reporting Kick-Off Meeting Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Elicitation Objectives Overview The IIBA View How to Select the Right Technique for Gathering Requirements Different Ways for Different Customers Different Ways for Different Categories Impact of Globalization Customer Interviews Observation or Job Shadowing Studying Existing Systems Studying Interfaces Surveys Discovery/JAD/Facilitated Sessions History Characteristics of a JAD Project What Is Created in a JAD Session? JAD Participants The Facilitator The Business Analyst The Scribe The User (Customer) Subject Matter Experts The Developer The Sponsor Observers The JAD Process Establish Goals and Objectives Prepare for the Session Conduct the Session Follow-Up Facilitation Summary Focus Groups Market Research Evaluate "Best Practices" Prototyping Storyboarding Idea-Generating Techniques (Brainstorming) Basic Brainstorming Anonymous Brainstorming Affinity Diagramming Brainstorming With One Person Brainstorming for a Virtual Team Summary Tools for Virtual Environments Requirements Prioritization Techniques The Dollar Approach Forced Pair Ranking Density Dotting Analytical Hierarchy Process Summary Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Requirements Management and Communication Objectives Overview The IIBA Tasks Manage Solution Scope and Requirements Manage Requirements Traceability Maintain Requirements for Reuse Prepare Requirements Package Communicate Requirements Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Enterprise Analysis Objectives Overview The IIBA tasks Define the Business Need Assess Capability Gaps Determine the Approach to Finding a Solution Define Solution Scope Business Goals and Objectives Assumptions Constraints Scope Statement Impacted Organizations Define the Business Case Conducting the Initial Risk Assessment Preparing the Decision Package Understanding the Business Business Models Organization Charts Infrastructure Models Business Location Models Business Events Business Entity Models Business Process Models Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Requirements Analysis Objectives Overview The IIBA Tasks Prioritize Requirements Organize Requirements How Much Detail Do You Need? Stakeholder-Based Classification Sequence-Oriented Classification Purpose-Based Classification Combining Structures Specify and Model Requirements Process Models Data Models Data Flow Diagrams The Unified Modeling Language Family Matrix Documentation How to Decide Which Model to Select Text Documentation Validating the Requirements Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Solution Assessment and Validation Objectives Overview The IIBA Tasks The Importance of Alternative Solutions Selecting a Solution Matching the Solution to the Needs of the Customer Support Testing and Quality Assurance Validation versus Verification Planning for the Test Types of Tests Evaluating Customer Satisfaction Implementing and Supporting the Solution Summary Activity CBAP Test Questions Preparing for the Test Taking the Test Swede-Mart Case Study Introduction Strategy Industry Background Project Background Distribution Center/Inventory Operations Product Lines Purchasing Receiving Accounts Payable Order Processing and Shipping Reporting Summary Interview with Store Buyer Answers to Test Questions Activity Solutions for Swede-Mart Case Study Sources and Bibliography Appendix A: Acronyms Appendix B: Business Requirements Document Templates Appendix C: United Nations Organizational Chart Index