Four People Described the Same Process, All Four Were Right
Ask 4 people to describe a process they work on daily. You’ll get 4 different answers. The instinct is to treat that as a problem, something to resolve quickly so you can get on with the map. It isn’t a problem. It’s the most valuable thing you’ll find on the whole engagement. Those differences are […]
Anyone Can Learn BPMN 2.0, Not Everyone Can Lead the Team Using It
You can teach BPMN 2.0 to a competent graduate in a fortnight. Tasks, gateways, events, pools, lanes. Give them 3 months on a real program, they’ll be modelling processes as well as anyone. The notation was never the scarce skill. What’s scarce is someone who can take a group of analysts with that same notation, […]
The Requirements Are in the Conversation, Not the Document
Ask most people what a business analyst does and you’ll get an answer about documentation. Writing specs, keeping the traceability matrix current, running things through a change control process. That’s the visible part. The part that actually determines whether a program lands is much less visible, which is sitting with people until you understand their […]
Running BPMN 2.0 Workshops That Actually Produce a Map
Process mapping workshops have a reputation for being long, tiring, then producing something nobody uses. Usually that’s not a notation problem. BPMN 2.0 is well designed, widely understood, precise enough for developers while still readable by the business. The problem is what happens in the room. Someone puts a blank wall in front of 12 […]
How to Get Time Poor SMEs to Give You Information, Then Actually Review the Document
Every technical writer hits the same wall eventually. The document is 90% done. It just needs 1 subject matter expert to confirm a few details, then sign off. That expert is a senior engineer with 40 meetings a week, a system outage to manage, plus 3 other projects asking for the same thing. Your document […]
Why People Skills Matter More Than Technique for a Business Analyst
You can learn the technical side of business analysis in about 6 months. Requirements templates, process notation, user stories, traceability matrices, gap analysis. It’s all learnable, all documented, all fairly consistent from one organisation to the next. What takes years is the other part. Getting a room full of people who disagree to tell you […]
🔍SIPOC for Business Analysts Who Want a Clear Starting Point
If you’ve ever tried mapping a messy process and didn’t know where to start, SIPOC is your friend. It’s simple. It’s quick. And it helps you get your head around the whole thing before diving into the details. 🔍 So, what’s SIPOC? SIPOC stands for: It’s basically a high-level view of any process. From start […]
🧠How to Conduct Impactful Requirements Workshops That Drive Real Results
Requirements workshops are one of the best tools a Business Analyst can use to gather the right information from the right people. Done well, they save hours of confusion, rework and second-guessing. But without structure, they can also waste everyone’s time. Here’s how to run requirements workshops that actually move the needle. 🎯 Start With […]
🚀 Why Business Analysts Need to Think Like Investigators Not Just Note Takers
One of the biggest mistakes new business analysts make is taking what they’re told at face value. The SME says “that’s how the process works” — and they write it down. The stakeholder says “we just need a system that does this” — and they add it to the list. But experienced BAs know that […]