The qualified business analyst wears many hats. He or she is a negotiator, a skilled listener, a motivational speaker, and a team leader. His or her title may include that of systems analyst, requirements analyst, or project manager. The business analyst may or may not have a degree in business analysis. He or she may not be able to write code. However, the business analyst is educated in the process necessary to produce the code. He or she may even come from an IT department. But what is it they do?
The business analyst is someone capable of troubleshooting.. He or she will be able examine data and other information gathered to determine losses experienced by the company. The business analyst will be able to compare previous facts and figures to current numbers to deduce or predict where failure may occur. He or she will be able to examine information gathered by stakeholders to assess risks of certain project programs.
The business analyst is an objective listener. He or she will be able to speak to stakeholders and hear the needs determined by the management. The business analyst will be able to ask questions which could lead to certain discoveries once overlooked. The qualified business analyst gain knowledge of a situation by listening to team leaders and end users. He or she will hear the underlying message of what is being developed versus what is needed.
The business analyst is a negotiator. He or she will be able to involve themselves with departments and teams to allow the teams to work together. The business analyst will realize conflicts among departments. He or she will work side by side with each team to negotiate a compromise so the project is not jeopardized. The business analyst will motivate the teams to recognize their strength and weakness and allow them to excel and overcome. He or she will develop a rapport with department heads and stakeholders to rally the teams into completing the tasks at hand.
The business analyst may be asked to centralize services for more efficient work environments. He or she may be asked to reduce duplication processes occurring between departments. The qualified business analyst may be asked to develop relations with external sources when necessary to deliver services needed for project completion. The duties of the business analyst are never ending. He or she is a useful asset to the company.
The business analyst is a visionary. He or she usually thinks outside the box. Always in the know about latest technological advances, the business analyst will know when a program is capable of being utilized by the company. He or she will know how to determine a need when the situation arises. This way the business is not left behind and can keep up with corporate peers.
Sometimes the business analyst is forgotten amongst the bustle of corporate strategy. However the business analyst will be the always be the innovative link between each and every department and stage of development in the project program.
A use case study is designed to describe a situation in which the program is being utilized by the end user. It will tell a story of sorts describing how the program works and the input of the user. It does not tell how the program was developed. The details of the programming are not included in the use case study. You are trying to express the concept behind the creation.
Use case studies are generally one of two types. Type one is the essential use case. This is the type of use case study which is created at the beginning of a project. The idea behind the essential use case is to show what the program is going to do. There is no technical jargon or reference to programming procedures in the essential use case study.
The second type of use case study is the real use case. This use case study will show the hands on of the application. Usually there will be slides showing how the system is operated. This use case study is developed mid-way through the development of the program. Stakeholders can see how the program is instrumental in it's usage.
There may be several use case studies written for every scenario the development team can think of. This way the application is put through it paces, so to speak, on paper. Notes can be taken or suggestions made to better the program. Allowing the stakeholders to see the end results of the program without going completely through the development stage can save time and money.
The business analyst will ask for suggestions when writing the use case studies. He or she will draw on the knowledge of the IT department. He or she will account for what the end user is asking for as well. The business analyst will draw up scenarios with the stakeholders in mind also.
Use case studies are communication tools used to allow end users to express what they feel is necessary in the system. The stakeholders can see how the user interacts with the system and can make suggestions to improve the system. The use case studies communicate to the IT department what the system is being designed for. It shows hands on applications the system will be used in. The user will be able to say the system program is doing what is required. The IT department will be able to say the system program is functioning as required. When the system program is done and in place, everyone will know what to expect. The stakeholders, end users, and IT should be satisfied with the outcome.
Use case studies do more than just show scenarios of the application. They can be instrumental in training documentation as well. The stakeholder or end user may want to keep the use case studies for training purposes or to help in developing training manuals. The business analyst who uses great care and painstaking intuition when developing use case studies may be rewarded in more ways than one.
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