Do BAs Really Lack the Tools to Succeed? [ Edited ]

[LeslieDiceExpert]

Really? According to Forrester Research, 99 percent of Business Analysts still rely on rudimentary software applications such as documents and spreadsheets resulting in budget overruns of 40 percent on average and in 29 percent of cases, project cancellations. Do you agree?

Here's a link to the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/hot-job-most-business-analysts-not-adequately-equipped-180035639.html

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That's a silly puff piece on the PR wire by a company selling "tools" on the cloud for BAs to use.

[LeslieDiceExpert]

Could be. But they do quote a Forrester report, so it will be interesting to see if BAs agree or disagree.

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LeslieDiceExpert wrote:

Could be. But they do quote a Forrester report, so it will be interesting to see if BAs agree or disagree.

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What do you mean, they quote a Forrester report? 

But according to Forrester Research, 99 percent of Business Analysts still rely on rudimentary software applications such as documents and spreadsheets.

Hey, it's much worse than that, 99 percent use nothing but the Normal style in their documents, and maybe 59 percent don't even speak or write fluent English, 49 percent have never really had a real business role so don't really understand anything about business processes, and 101 percent are ignorant about the issues that will actually be important as the code monkeys try to turn requirements into systems.

It was probably a Forrester report on a survey of requirements tools, but the case has yet to be made that anything better is needed than MS Office and good worker qualifications.  As usual, no doubt the idea is with a magic tool you can hire any kind of monkey and will then get a wonderful, useful analysis.  And I don't think so.

Most agile processes look down on extensive documentation anyway.

[LeslieDiceExpert]

So BAs, do you agree with OxFFFFFFFF?

[jblocks]

IT has been retrograde for a long time. When the small IT shops gave way to the ERP Bloatware of Oracle, IBM and Msoft, we got left with a bunch of mouseclickers and a thin veneer of people who really know what they are talking about.  BAs morphed from the old  'System Analysts'  who could write a tech spec and program it too in many cases as they worked up from being 'Programmer Analysts'.   BAs are basically non tech aware and they go round trying to develop use cases and such. What they come up with depends on how they gather requirements and who they gather them from.

Tools? Like what? A robotic interviewer?  A groupware shareware crowdsourcing mobile aware app?

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jblocks wrote:

Tools? Like what? A robotic interviewer?  A groupware shareware crowdsourcing mobile aware app? 

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You can click through on the original article, some mooks with a cloud-based integrated document, diagram, screen designer, requirements matrix and source traceability with versions and signoffs and yada yada yada.

I'm sure it's nice, but nothing you can't do with MS Office, and if you gold-plated it, it still wouldn't matter.

[idm]

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LeslieDiceExpert wrote:

So BAs, do you agree with OxFFFFFFFF?

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Good Business Analysts can prepare exceptionally complete documents using a word processor, spresdsheet, and presentation application. Typically, Microsoft Office is the default chose. I have several years experience as a BA and these were the only tools required.

[2wallsinc]

The article/white paper accurately reflects many of the frustrations I've experienced with requirements documentation and approval as a BA. Almost every BRD I've worked with required tailoring to accurately meet the needs of the project. Most BRD templates are geared towards ensuring that no requirement aspects are overlooked. Inherent in that objective, unfortunatley, is the presence of extraneous BRD sections that often result in a lengthy document and review. I agree with the article's assessment of the obstacles presented by email distribution of BRDs and supporting docs. A central document repository is usually the answer to this issue, providing that all stakeholders have access to it. The most effective BA tools are those that support the AGILE methodology of managing requirements piecemeal based on priority and moving them through the subsequent SDLC phases as quickly as possible. Whether the Blueprint tools meet this challenge is yet to be determined.