19 Courses in Edinburgh

Business Analysis Fundamentals: In-House Training This course is part of IIL's Business Analysis Certificate Program (BACP), a program designed to help prepare individuals to pass the IIBA® Certification exam to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™). This course teaches participants the overall process of business analysis and where it fits in the bigger picture of the project life cycle and the business context. The course is interactive and combines discussion, active workshops, and demonstrations of techniques. The goal is bottom-line results that cut through the real-world problems facing people seeking to improve the way they operate to develop new and improved systems and products or otherwise deliver results through project performance. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Define the solution scope Work with the development team in the systems testing stage Ensure the solution is usable in the business environment Foundation Concepts Defining the business analyst (BA) function The role of the BA as change agent An introduction to the BABOK® Guide BA roles and relationships through the project life cycle (PLC) Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Overview of business analysis planning and monitoring (BAP&M) Business analysis planning and monitoring - process and tools Business analysis planning and monitoring - roles and responsibilities Business analysis planning and monitoring - governance, information management, and performance improvement Elicitation and Collaboration Overview of elicitation and collaboration Elicitation and collaboration techniques Requirements Life Cycle Management Overview of requirements life cycle management Requirements life cycle management task details Strategy Analysis Overview of strategy analysis Analyze current state Define future state Assess risks Define change strategy Requirements Analysis and Design Definition Overview of requirements analysis and design definition (RA&DD) The anatomy of requirements RA&DD task descriptions RA&DD techniques Solution Evaluation Overview of solution evaluation Solution evaluation tasks Solution evaluation in development stages Underlying Competencies Overview of underlying competencies (UC) Underlying competencies

Overview Objective Understanding the Importance of Business Analysis Model Determining various techniques of Process Modelling Understanding the scope of modelling Efficiently mapping the business landscape Analysing the enterprise structure How to avoid project failures. Learning efficient skills of being a successful business analyst. Understand and document various techniques for the organization delivers value. Successful project conversion Building team, changing the organization and overcoming resistance. Creating an effective Business Case.

Use Cases for Business Analysis: In-House Training The use case is a method for documenting the interactions between the user of a system and the system itself. Use cases have been in the software development lexicon for over twenty years, ever since it was introduced by Ivar Jacobson in the late 1980s. They were originally intended as aids to software design in object-oriented approaches. However, the method is now used throughout the Solution Development Life Cycle from elicitation through to specifying test cases, and is even applied to software development that is not object oriented. This course identifies how business analysts can apply use cases to the processes of defining the problem domain through elicitation, analyzing the problem, defining the solution, and confirming the validity and usability of the solution. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Apply the use case method to define the problem domain and discover the conditions that need improvement in a business process Employ use cases in the analysis of requirements and information to create a solution to the business problem Translate use cases into requirements Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts Overview of use case modeling What is a use case model? The 'how and why' of use cases When to perform use case modeling Where use cases fit into the solution life cycle Use cases in the problem domain Use cases in the solution domain Use case strengths and weaknesses Use case variations Use case driven development Use case lexicon Use cases Actors and roles Associations Goals Boundaries Use cases though the life cycle Use cases in the life cycle Managing requirements with use cases The life cycle is use case driven Elicitation with Use Cases Overview of the basic mechanics and vocabulary of use cases Apply methods of use case elicitation to define the problem domain, or 'as is' process Use case diagrams Why diagram? Partitioning the domain Use case diagramming guidelines How to employ use case diagrams in elicitation Guidelines for use case elicitation sessions Eliciting the problem domain Use case descriptions Use case generic description template Alternative templates Elements Pre and post conditions Main Success Scenario The conversation Alternate paths Exception paths Writing good use case descriptions Eliciting the detailed workflow with use case descriptions Additional information about use cases Analyzing Requirements with Use Cases Use case analysis on existing requirements Confirming and validating requirements with use cases Confirming and validating information with use cases Defining the actors and use cases in a set of requirements Creating the scenarios Essential (requirements) use case Use case level of detail Use Case Analysis Techniques Generalization and Specialization When to use generalization or specialization Generalization and specialization of actors Generalization and specialization of use cases Examples Associating generalizations Subtleties and guidelines Use Case Extensions The <> association The <> association Applying the extensions Incorporating extension points into use case descriptions Why use these extensions? Extensions or separate use cases Guidelines for extensions Applying use case extensions Patterns and anomalies o Redundant actors Linking hierarchies Granularity issues Non-user interface use cases Quality considerations Use case modeling errors to avoid Evaluating use case descriptions Use case quality checklist Relationship between Use Cases and Business Requirements Creating a Requirements Specification from Use Cases Flowing the conversation into requirements Mapping to functional specifications Adding non-functional requirements Relating use cases to other artifacts Wire diagrams and user interface specifications Tying use cases to test cases and scenarios Project plans and project schedules Relationship between Use Cases and Functional Specifications System use cases Reviewing business use cases Balancing use cases Use case realizations Expanding and explaining complexity Activity diagrams State Machine diagrams Sequence diagrams Activity Diagrams Applying what we know Extension points Use case chaining Identifying decision points Use Case Good Practices The documentation trail for use cases Use case re-use Use case checklist Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?

Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) Boot Camp: In-House Training The course provides targeted exam preparation support for IIBA® Level 3 - CBAP® exam candidates, including both a BABOK® Guide Version 3.0 content review and exam preparation tutorial. The class is interactive, combining discussion, application of concepts, study tips, and a practice exam. Knowledge Check quizzes and self-assessments allow candidates to identify areas of weakness and create a custom study plan tailored to their individual needs as well as study aids to support their exam preparation after the course. The course materials include a copy of A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) Version 3.0. What you will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Demonstrate familiarity with the structure and content of the IIBA® BABOK® Guide Improve their probability of passing the Level 3 - CBAP® Exam Identify their knowledge gaps through the use of module Knowledge Check quizzes Gauge their readiness for taking the exam by IIBA® BABOK® Guide Knowledge Are Foundation Concepts for IIBA® CBAP® Prep IIBA® - the Organization Business Analysis - the Profession Knowledge Check Terminology and Key Concepts IIBA®'s BABOK® Guide - the Standard Underlying Competencies BA Techniques Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Knowledge Check Overview BAP&M Tasks BAP&M Techniques Elicitation and Collaboration Knowledge Check Overview E&C Tasks E&C Techniques Requirements Life Cycle Management Knowledge Check Overview RLCM Tasks RLCM Techniques Strategy Analysis Knowledge Check Overview SA Tasks SA Techniques Requirements Analysis and Design Definition Knowledge Check Overview RA&DD Tasks RA&DD Techniques Solution Evaluation Knowledge Check Overview SE Tasks SE Techniques Exam Preparation Practice Exam and debrief Exam Preparation Study Tips Manage Study Plan Exam Process Exam day

Facilitation Skills for Business Analysts: In-House Training This course is part of IIL's Business Analysis Certificate Program (BACP), a program designed to help prepare individuals pass the IIBA® Certification exam to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™). Business analysts are communicators who bridge the gap between people with business needs and knowledge and the people who will provide solutions. Business analysts are continuously involved in communications with stakeholders and developers as they create the solution to business problems. They participate in information-gathering sessions including interviewing, joint requirements definition, and Joint Application Design (JAD) workshops which are used to streamline information gathering and get immediate validation from user representatives. The business analyst is also involved with negotiating the solution with the stakeholders, upper-level management, and the developers, mediating among the groups when disagreements take place, and influencing the results of decisions during the solution cycle. This course teaches the methods needed to organize and run information-gathering events. It combines the basics of graphic decision making and modeling with facilitation, communication, and meeting management skills. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Identify the major touch points between key BABOK® Guide knowledge areas and business analysis communication Describe the facilitation skills that are most supportive of those intersections Improve your ability to apply these skills in the context of your business analyst functions Foundation Concepts The role of the Business analyst (BA) An Introduction to the BABOK® Guide Business analyst roles and the product / project life cycle (PLC) Facilitation skills for the business analyst The BABOK® Guide and Communication An introduction to the communication process Addressing basic communications challenges Planning business analysis communication Communication and BABOK® Guide tasks Targeted Elicitation Techniques Synergy between communication and targeted elicitation techniques Preparing for elicitation Cornerstone targeted technique: interviews Other targeted elicitation techniques Related general communication skills Group Elicitation Techniques Synergy between requirements communication and group elicitation techniques Cornerstone group elicitation technique - requirements workshops Other group elicitation techniques Related general communication skills - meeting management best practices Related general communication skills - facilitating best practices Process / Model-Based Elicitation Techniques Synergy between requirements communication and process / model-based elicitation techniques Process / model-based elicitation techniques Related interpersonal skills - problem solving and decision making Investigative Elicitation Techniques Synergy between requirements communication and investigative elicitation techniques Cornerstone investigative elicitation technique - document analysis Other investigative elicitation techniques Summary of elicitation techniques by usage in the requirements process Using Presentations, Structured Walkthroughs, and Influencing Structured walkthroughs, presentations, and influencing within BABOK® Guide tasks Cornerstone technique - structured walkthroughs General communication skill - presenting Related interpersonal skill - influencing Special Facilitation Skills - Negotiating and Mediating Negotiating Mediating

Writing and Managing Requirements Documents: In-House Training This course is part of IIL's Business Analysis Certificate Program (BACP), a program designed to help prepare individuals pass the IIBA™ Certification exam to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP™). Learn more at www.iil.com/bacp. Once a business analyst has completed the information gathering and analysis to produce the solution to a business problem, the results must be documented for all stakeholders to see and understand. This course will enhance the skill set needed for writing and managing the complex readership that business analysts interact with on a day-to-day basis. What you will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Write an understood requirements document that is approvable and acceptable Validate a requirements document Manage the changes to requirements documents through the SDLC Foundation Concepts The role of the business analyst An introduction to the BABOK® Guide The business analyst and the product/project life cycle The requirements documentation process Planning for Effective Requirements Documentation Overview of requirements planning Planning for validation Planning for verification: well-formed criteria Planning for verification: understood and usable criteria Writing Effective Requirements Documents Overview of writing requirements documents Using a standard structure / template Applying formatting techniques Meeting the challenge of writing non-functional requirements Baselining Requirements Documents Overview of the requirements baseline process Validation Verification Approval Managing Requirements Change through the Product Life Cycle Overview of requirements change management Establishing a formal change management process Tracing requirements through design and development (build, test, and implementation) Following through to post-implementation (transition and early production)

Estimating for Business Analysts: In-House Training A business analyst does not have authority to estimate the project and will not be held responsible for the project staying within the proposed budget; however, the business analyst does participate in various planning exercises with the project team. Many times the business analyst is on his or her own, required to provide estimates of how long it will take to perform their tasks. This course acquaints you with the basics of estimating from the point of view of the business analyst, emphasizing time estimates for the work. It also covers some of the product cost estimates that a business analyst may have to provide when the business is performing a cost/benefit analysis for the project. What you will Learn You'll learn how to: Translate business needs and requirements into estimates Estimate durations using a variety of techniques Negotiate differences in estimates Getting Started Introductions Course structure Course goals and objectives Foundation Concepts The importance of estimating to a business analyst The good and bad of estimating The project context The meaning of good estimating Focuses of estimating Characteristics of a good estimate Estimating the Time Requirements Applicable BABOK® Knowledge Areas Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Elicitation and Collaboration Estimating the elicitation Information Gathering Plan Relative times for elicitation activities Planning and estimating the business analysis approach and activities Planning the business analysis activities Impact of process Estimating the Product Estimating the value of the product Business analyst's role Defining and determining value Function and use case points Agile estimating Planning Poker Other agile estimating techniques Negotiating estimates Negotiation techniques Negotiation approaches Summary What did we learn, and how can we implement this in our work environment?

Effecting Business Process Improvement: In-House Training Business analysts facilitate the solution of business problems. The solutions are put into practice as changes to the way people perform in their organizations and the tools they use. The business analyst is a change agent who must understand the basic principles of quality management. This course covers the key role that business analysts play in organizational change management. What you will Learn You will learn how to: Define and document a business process Work with various business modeling techniques Perform an enterprise analysis in preparation for determining requirements Analyze business processes to discern problems Foundation Concepts Overview of business analysis and process improvement Defining the business process Introducing the proactive business analyst Focusing on business process improvement for business analysts Launching a Successful Business Process Improvement Project Overview of the launch phase Understanding and creating organizational strategy Selecting the target process Aligning the business process improvement project's goals and objectives with organizational strategy Defining the Current Process Overview of current process phase Documenting the business process Business modeling options: work-flow models Business modeling options: Unified Modeling Language (UML) model adaptations for business processes Analyzing the Current Process Process analysis overview Evaluation: establishing the control group Opportunity techniques: multi-discipline problem-solving Opportunity techniques: matrices Building and Sustaining a Recommended Process Overview of the recommended process and beyond Impact analysis Recommended process Transition to the business case Return to proactive state

PMI-PBA® Exam Prep: In-House Training The course provides targeted exam preparation support for PMI®'s Professional in Business Analysis exam candidates, including a content review of The PMI Guide to Business Analysis, a review of the PMI-PBA® reference books, and an exam preparation tutorial. You will be given a Study Guide that you can re-use to assess your knowledge gaps as part of your Personal Action Plan. Your score on this for each Knowledge Area can be compared to your results on the quiz at the end of each course module to guide your study efforts. What you will Learn Upon completion, participants will be able to: Demonstrate familiarity with the structure, content and framework of The PMI Guide to Business Analysis Explain the six Knowledge Areas of The PMI Guide to Business Analysis, as well as, their inter-relationships with each other and the six Process Groups Differentiate among the five business analysis domains in the project life cycle Create a personal action plan to study and prepare for the PMI-PBA® Exam Getting Started PMI-PBA Examination Certification Process The Credential Examination Foundation Concepts for PMI-PBA® Prep Business analysis terminology and definitions Business analysis project, program, and portfolio management Product and project life cycles Skills and qualities of a business analyst Introduction to Business Analysis in Projects Business analysis overview How organizations implement business analysis Business analyst and project manager relationships Requirements definitions and types Practice quiz On-Demand Segment A: Define the Business Problem (Pre-work for Needs Assessment) Needs Assessment Review Needs Assessment knowledge area Identify problem or opportunity Assess current and future state Determine options and provide recommendations Facilitate product roadmap development Assemble business case Practice quiz Stakeholder Engagement Review Stakeholder Engagement knowledge area Identify Stakeholders and conduct analysis Determine Stakeholder engagement and communication approach Conduct business analysis planning Practice quiz On-Demand Segment B: The Elicitation Plan (Pre-work for Elicitation) Elicitation Review Elicitation knowledge area Determine Elicitation approach Preparing for Elicitation Conducting Elicitation Confirming Elicitation results Practice quiz On-Demand Segment C: Overview of Requirements Analysis (Pre-work for Analysis) Analysis Review Analysis knowledge area Determine Analysis approach Create and analyze models Define requirements and acceptance criteria Verify, validate, and prioritize requirements Identify and analyze product risks Assess product design options Practice quiz Traceability and Monitoring Review Traceability and Monitoring knowledge area Determine Traceability and Monitoring approach Establish relationships and dependencies Select and approve requirements Make changes to requirements and other product information Practice quiz Solution Evaluation Review Solution Evaluation knowledge area Evaluate solution performance Determine solution evaluation approach Evaluate acceptance results and address defects Obtain solution acceptance for release Practice quiz Exam Application and Preparation Process Applying for the Exam Studying for the Exam Sitting for the Exam Reviewing your Knowledge Gap Practice Exam Study Guide - a reliable learning aid Summary and Next Steps Crystallizing the Business Analysis Domains Developing a Personal Action Plan for Exam Study

AgileBA® Foundation and Practitioner: In-House Trainingr: In-House Training The AgileBA® Foundation and Practitioner course takes you through a business understanding of the external and internal forces that underline the project from a business perspective, looks at modeling techniques, (As Is - To Be), and also provides an overview to project management (AgilePM) from an 'Agile' perspective. The course explains the role's relevance and involvement throughout the project. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Understand business analysis in a project environment and the techniques used, as well as knowing more about the role of the business analyst in a project Business Analysis - Business Environment and Organizational Strategy Overview of AgilePM The Business Case Stakeholder Engagement/Analysis Techniques: Requirements and Estimating Prioritization Timeboxing Iterative Development Planning Facilitated Workshops Modeling - 'As Is - To Be' Making the transition to AgileBA