Course Overview

This course is also available as an e-learning course.

Foundation in Business Analysis

The Business Analysis Foundation Course Certificate encompasses a broad range of techniques within the structure of the business analysis process model. The qualification is based upon the BCS publication, Business Analysis (second edition). This book was co-edited by AssistKD's Managing Director, Debra Paul and includes contributions from James Cadle, Malcolm Eva and Keith Hindle, all members of the training team. The Business Analysis Foundation Course is an excellent introduction to Business Analysis, providing participants with knowledge that underpins the higher level Business Analysis qualifications. A copy of the book is provided with this course.

BCS Professional Certifications

This course prepares participants to sit the one-hour, multiple-choice examination leading to the Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis which is part of the BCS Professional Certification portfolio (ISEB). This certificate is a specialist module for the Diploma in Business Analysis.

SFIA Mapping

This course supports skill REQM, level 3.

Course Content

1. What is Business Analysis?
   • The rationale for business analysis
   • The development of business analysis
   • The scope of business analysis
   • The role and responsibilities of a business analyst
2. The Competencies of a Business Analyst
   • The Business Analysis Maturity Model
   • The responsibilities of a business analyst
   • The competencies of a business analyst
   • The Skills Framework for the Information Age
3. Strategy analysis
   • The strategic context
   • Developing business strategies
   • Strategic analysis techniques
   • SWOT analysis
   • Implementing strategy
4. The Business Analysis Process Model
   • The lifecycle for business analysis
   • Creative problem-solving approach
   • Stages of the lifecycle
   • Deliverables and activities for each stage
5. Investigation techniques
   • Interviewing and workshops
   • Observation approaches
   • Scenarios and prototyping
   • Quantitative investigation techniques
   • Documenting business situations
6. Stakeholder analysis and management
   • Categorising stakeholders
   • Analysing stakeholders
   • Stakeholder management
7. Modelling business systems
   • Soft systems methodology
   • Documenting business situations
   • Business perspectives
   • Business activity models
   • Business events and business rules
   • Performance measures
   • Gap analysis
8. Modelling business processes
   • The organisational view of business processes
   • Business process modelling techniques
   • Business process improvement
9. Gathering the Requirements
   • The requirements engineering process
   • Actors in requirements engineering
   • Requirements elicitation
   • Requirements analysis
   • Requirements validation
10. Documenting and managing requirements
    • The importance of documentation
    • The requirements document
    • The requirements catalogue
    • Managing requirements
11. Modelling requirements
    • Modelling system functions
    • Modelling system data
12. Delivering the requirements
    • The context for the delivery approach
    • The waterfall lifecycle
    • The ‘V’ model lifecycle
    • Incremental delivery
    • Iterative or evolutionary systems development lifecycle
13. Making a business and financial case
    • The business case in the project lifecycle
    • Identifying options
    • Assessing feasibility
    • Structure of a business case
    • Investment appraisal techniques
    • Presenting the business case
    • Realising the benefits
14. Implementing business change
    • Introducing a new business system
    • The environment for change
    • Emotions and the change process