Meeting Topic: BA Tools and Techniques: One Size Does Not Fit All, by Carol R. Drew, Senior Business Analyst

 

Good business analysis rests on foundational cornerstones and best practices documented in the IIBA’s Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®).  Of the five areas within the BABOK, two in particular – Requirements Analysis and Business Analysis Planning – contain many techniques to choose from, as well as many that would benefit from supporting tools.  But business analysis doesn’t look the same for every organization:  projects differ in scope, business goals differ, deliverables differ.  As a result, the specific techniques to use and the tools that can support them need to fit into the organization, not the other way around.  Part presentation and part interactive conversation, we’ll discuss some of the great successes and some of the pitfalls to avoid when selecting techniques and tools for requirements analysis.

 

Carol Drew is a Senior Business Analyst Consultant with over 20 years in business analysis. Her skill set spans facilitating business requirements sessions to serving in the key role of developing technical solutions. As a certified business analysis professional, her responsibilities include elicitation and presentation of information for project team review, collaboration, commenting and approval. Additional responsibilities include analyzing requirements lifecycle methodologies, BA tools and architecture frameworks and providing leadership and implementation support for clients selecting tools and approaches. Ms. Drew is a skilled course developer, trainer and presenter with strong communication skills that include the ability to interpret technical concepts for non-technical users. She is an experienced mentor for new analysts in the application of business analysis best practices at the project level as well as in the use of business analysis tools. Her personal strengths include an excellent work ethic, persistence and strong organizational skills.