How Not To Pave Cow Paths Barb Ash

How Not To Pave Cow Paths! Barb Ash Capital District BA COP April 26, 2012

Elicitation Techniques Quick Reference • William Nazzaro • Today will touch on: – Interface Analysis – Interviewing – Brainstorming – Focus Groups – Requirements Workshops

Advanced Strategies, Inc. • www. advstr. com • Resources – White Papers – Templates – Visio Stencils

Favorite Techniques • Joint Development Approach JDASM – Pronounced JAD • • • Pains and Pleasures Brainstorming Data Flow Diagramming Candidate Solutions Focus Statements Turn Around Documents (TAD)

We Adapted to Suit Our Terrain • Shorter work sessions • No recording analyst – tape recorder for backup • Too much information on some of the templates

Joint Development Approach - JDASM Facilitated Approach to the Group Development of Work Products

Business Process Improvement • Usually comes before a project is chartered • BAs participate in the identification and clarification of a need • After need has been clarified and appears viable, management commissions a formal project definition effort

Best Advice Do not lock into a technology solution until business requirements are fully understood.

Role of the Business Analyst • Helpful if the BA has some degree of business knowledge – However, the analyst is not the subject matter expert (SME) • Helpful if the analyst has some degree of technical knowledge – However, the analyst should not be intoxicated with technology

The BA Uses Analysis Skills to: • • • Use information from a variety of sources Sort through chaos and ambiguity Break the complex to atomic parts Craft statements of fact Represent facts in a structured instrument Identify additional information needed

Analysis consists of: • Discovery • Assessment • Specification

The role of a Process Analyst is to study the business, then discover and document relevant processing requirements.

Key Tenets: • Users’ expertise lies in doing the business, not in translating their business to system requirements. We can’t expect the users to come to us, we must go to them and speak their language when we get there. • Maximize the value of the users’ time.

BPI Project Definition • This includes identification of – The project stakeholders – Intentions of conducting the project – Any constraints on the solution – Agreements on the project approach – Selection of project participants

Project Intentions • Purposes or reasons the business would undertake the effort, and the business results that are expected from the effort. • Effort contributions recognize that the project may not fully achieve the identified intentions, but clarify what we expect this project to do toward the intentions.

Project Intentions Example Expected Business Result “In order to enable the business to…” Effort Contribution “This project intends to …” Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the check replacement process. • Identify and eliminate non-value-added process steps • Reduce cycle time • Reduce staff time

Project Stakeholders • Anyone who can impact or be impacted by the effort – Bureau of Accounting Operations – Department of Tax and Finance – Remittance Control/Cashiering Units – Banks – Payees

Focus Statement • Describes what portion of the world should be examined and potentially included in the development of the solution • Scope – where the process begins and ends and areas included or excluded from review

Focus Statement Breadth: Check Replacement Process From: Receipt of request for replacement (duplicate, triplicate) To: Check going to payee Including: • Any replacement checks (once the check has left the check writing process) • The following warrant checks: – A – General Checking Account (joint custody) – B – Payroll Checking Account (joint custody) – C – General Typed Payroll (joint custody) – M – Thruway (sole custody) – P – Comptroller’s Refund Account (sole custody) – R – Common Retirement Fund (joint custody) – W – Abandoned Property (sole custody) – Y – Manual General Checking Account (joint custody) • Checks damaged by the post office or payee • Notification to banks Excluding: • Checks damaged by BITS during the check writing process (they have own process for reprinting)

Project Participants • • Who are the SMEs? Who should attend sessions and when? Rule of thumb 6 -10 participants Ensure different perspectives

Plan the JDA Session(s) • Participants: – Business Experts (SMEs) – Facilitating Analyst – Recording Analyst/Tape Recorder – Observers (possibly) • Prepare an agenda

All Participants • Share an interest in the area being modeled • Are held accountable for the success of the project • Are expected to participate

Room • Comfortably accommodate the group • Provide an atmosphere that encourages free flowing discussion • Provide ample wall space for modeling instruments

Instruments Data Flow Diagram (Business Process Model) Business Process Model Text Focus Statement Design Considerations List (Candidate Solutions) • Issues List/Side Items • Pains and Pleasures List • •

Tools • • Static sheets and markers Tape Recorder Visio and Word (templates) Candy Dish

Hold Session • • Introductions/Clarification of Roles Review Project Intentions Review Stakeholders Review Focus Statement

Pains and Pleasures Brainstorm • Pain – something that is currently causing frustration, lack of productivity, poor quality, etc. • Pleasure – something that currently is working well. It would be great to continue it.

Prioritize Long Lists • Categorize or group similar ideas • Prioritize according to most desired benefits or most annoying issues • Clarify expectations

Business Models Facilitate: • Understanding that we hear the requirements and that we have documented them correctly • Participation by subject matter experts (SMEs) • Remembering and recalling key business decisions

Diagram As-Is Process • Data Flow Diagram • A network of processes connected by data paths

MODEL = Diagram + Text • Show the main elements of the business aspects in the diagram and the details and characteristics in the text • Write first, then erase • Capture candidate solutions and issues as they arise

Process/Function • Something that transforms input data to output data • Active verb/object

Data Flow • A conveyance of data from one process to another • Noun with modifier

External Entity/Source or Sink • An object (person, organization, system) that sits on the boundary of focus. They are of interest when they provide data (a “source”) or receive data (a “sink”). • Noun or Verb/Object

Data Store • A repository where data can be stored and later accessed. Could be a computer database, a spreadsheet, manual file, etc. • Noun with modifier

Trigger • An event or condition which causes a process to execute • Phrase

As-Is Purchasing Process DFD • Identify process steps 7 +/- 2 optimal (consolidate if necessary) • Iterative process • Numbered process steps • Alphabetical data flows, etc.

Turn Around Document - TAD • Who was there • Work products, e. g. , results of Pains & Pleasures, list of stakeholders, etc. • Decisions made, action items, candidate solutions • Next steps • Circulate to attendees with DFD and text to ensure accuracy, completeness, understanding

Lessons Learned • • Use a tape recorder Limit the size of the group Bring a candy dish More than one “right” way to diagram a process

Why Data Flow Diagram? • • • Easier to identify gaps Uncover business rules Alternate flows included in text Can develop additional models if needed Business Units like them and sometimes use them for other purposes

Analysis Phase • May want to have a subset of team report back to the larger group • As-Is Process is physical – what you see – current state • Strip the process down to its essential model and rebuild during analysis

“Analysis is the study of a problem, prior to taking some action…” Tom De. Marco

Analysis VS Design • Analysis: What? – Take a customer order. • Design: How? – A salesperson takes the order online from a customer phone call.

Types of Models

Build Essential Model • Pull the physical aspects • Challenge/reevaluate policies • Current Essential DFD – “perfect world” components of a system – those which have to exist for the system to accomplish its purpose.

Quick Quiz Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • An employee can have only one phone.

Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • Birds have feathers.

Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • The computer program limits an employee to a maximum of 8 dependents.

Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • A product is created by a manufacturer.

Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • Time sheets are due by the first day of the week after payday.

Facts of Life, Policy or Implementation? • A vendor must be paid.

The Brewery Story

To Be Model • Document Requirements • Prioritize – Must Have – Should Have – Nice to Have • Context Diagram • Make Business Case for any IT Project

The End… Thank You!