Strategic Business Analysis

This is an IIBA Endorsed Education Course. See below for details on PDUs.

Learn about the components of Strategic Business Analysis. Understand the criticality of defining the business need correctly and pursuing a thorough analysis of the internal and external environments of the enterprise before choosing the solution. Shortcutting the pre-analysis work discussed in this course often results in delivering solutions that are misaligned to the enterprise strategy and to the expectations and needs of the business.

Learn how to avoid the pitfall of jumping to a solution prior to a solid understanding of the opportunity or problem needing to be addressed.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to see the “big picture” and understand the internal/external characteristics of your enterprise before determining solutions
• Understand what comprises strategy analysis and when and how it is performed
• Recognize how risks influence the viability of solution options
• Identify the benefits for developing a thorough change strategy
• Discuss the purpose and importance of business case development and how to leverage a business case to communicate the viability for pursuing a change to your decision-makers
• Prepare a business case employing qualitative and quantitative analysis methods

IIBA Endorsed Course:

• This course has been approved and endorsed by the IIBA for 14 PDUs.
• This course is aligned with the new BABOK Guide Version 3.
• MAX partners with RG Freeman Group for our IIBA Endorsed Courses. RG Freeman is an IIBA Endorsed Education Provider and their instructors teach these courses at MAX, on-site for MAX clients or via MAXLive.

Section 1: Foundational Concepts

• Components of business analysis
• Business analysis competencies
• IIBA/PMI and the goals of a professional association
• Purpose for having a BA standard
• Exercise: Review the case study

Section 2: Introduction to Strategy Analysis

• Definition and purpose of Strategy Analysis
• The timing of Strategy Analysis
• Identifying stakeholders and the business need
• Discussions:
• Strategy analysis in your organization
• When business needs are not clearly defined
• Strategy Analysis and the business analyst
• Exercises:
  • Describe Strategy Analysis
  • Identify Roles/Responsibilities
  • Identify the business need

Section 3: Analyze the Current State environment

• The importance of analyzing Current State
• Understanding Business Architecture
• Techniques for analyzing Current State

 
Section 4: Define the Future State

• Future State description
• Assessing impacts to business architecture
• Determining Solution Scope
• Discussions:
  • Managing expectations with stakeholders
  • Capturing current capabilities
  • How to approach acquiring capabilities

Section 5: Assess Risks

• Identifying risks
• Risk Tolerance/Categories/risk responses
• The concept of positive risk
• Techniques for identifying risks
• Discussions:
  • Who is responsible for identifying risks?
  • Who captures positive risks today?
• Exercise: Identify Risks

Section 6: Define the Change Strategy

• Defining change strategy
• Components of change strategy
• Solution scope, enterprise readiness and change
• Techniques for defining a change strategy

Section 7: Developing a Business Case

• The purpose of a business case
• Business case components
• Building a convincing business case
• Determining the Recommended Solution
• Packaging the business case
• Reviewing the business case with stakeholders
• Discussions:
  • Evaluating project proposals
  • Anticipating questions for the business case review
• Exercise: Create a business case

Section 8: Additional resources

• Helpful links for obtaining additional business analysis information

This course is aimed for experienced practitioners who desire a clear understanding of Strategic Business Analysis, who would like to understand what comprises this work, and the objectives for performing it. It is recommended that participants complete the BA01 – Business Analysis Essentials course prior to enrolling or have equivalent experience.

Executives, Project Managers, Business Analysts, Business and IT stakeholders working with business analysts