Business analysts, customer journey managers, solution developers, project managers and anyone who needs a thorough practical understanding of the various systems development approaches including the Agile framework. Systems Development Essentials is also a Specialist Practitioner module on the BCS (ISEB) International Diploma in Business Analysis.

This course provides an overview of the issues and concepts involved in developing quality business solutions using Agile. It’s ideal for anyone involved in any aspect of digital solution development who would like to to validate their existing skills and experience, or simply understand more about best practice in Agile systems development. 

You will study a number of systems development life cycles (both defined and evolutionary) and examine the context in which they could be applied, before focusing on an Agile approach. 

Topics covered include examining how the systems development effort can be organised; understanding requirements; stakeholders and roles in an agile environment and techniques that support iterative development such as prototyping, hothousing and scenarios. 

When combined with our Systems Modelling Techniques course, this module provides you with the core tools and techniques you’ll need to become an effective systems analyst, development team analyst or technical business analyst. 

AssistKD's Systems Development Essentials using Agile eLearning course covers a number of systems development life cycles, both defined and evolutionary, and examines the context in which different lifecycles could be applied before focusing on an Agile approach. Some of the key areas this course looks at include examining how the systems development effort can be organised, understanding requirements, stakeholders and roles in an agile environment, and considering techniques that support iterative development such as prototyping, hothousing and scenarios.

Upon completion of this course, candidates will be able to: 

1. Identify the tasks and disciplines required for systems development and deployment. 
2. Describe the commonly used development lifecycles and select a particular development lifecycle based on specific scenarios. 
3. Describe in detail an Agile development method based around an iterative lifecycle, including the structure of the method, key roles & responsibilities, and key activities and deliverables. 
4. Interpret business requirements and produce systems requirements. 
5. Describe and interpret the key models used for defining the process, static and event perspectives of a system, and explain the differences between logical and physical models. 
6. Conduct a quality review of documentation representing system requirements. 
7. Identify different architectures relating to systems development. 
8. Explain how CASE, CAST and Application Management tools might be used to support Agile systems development. 

To give you more of an idea of what you’ll learn and how the course will help you, here’s a quick guide to those three days.

For virtual courses a printed copy of the latest edition of the comprehensive course manual will be sent to your home address in good time for the start of your course. Our delegates tell us that having access to a physical document is beneficial as both a reference document and for taking notes during the course. In addition, a link will be emailed to you to enable you to access an electronic copy of the same comprehensive manual for convenient future reference.

Yes. During this three day course you’ll receive all the training you need to prepare for the BCS Systems Development Essentials exam. A pass will contribute (as a Specialist Practitioner module) towards the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

For delegates attending a classroom, virtual or eLearning course, the exam is a written, scenario based exam, and is to be taken online from your home or office using our remote proctored service, TestReach. You have 90 minutes to complete the exam and the pass mark is 25/50.

If this course is part of your BCS Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have a choice of further modules which include the core BA Diploma modules, Business Analysis Practice and Requirements Engineering. Candidates who have already completed Systems Development Essentials also need to pass one of the Foundation Specialisms; in Business Analysis, IS Project Management, Business Change or Commercial Awareness. The structure of the certification is shown here.

If this course is part of your BCS Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have a choice of further modules which include the Core BA Diploma modules, Business Analysis Practice and Requirements Engineering. Candidates who have already completed Systems Development Essentials also need to pass one of the Foundation Specialisms; in Business Analysis, IS Project Management, Business Change or Commercial Awareness. The structure of the certification is shown here.

Systems Development Essentials using Agile (a three-day course)

Course Content

Introduction

• Characteristics of software quality
• The purposes, objectives and tasks of systems development
• Roles and responsibilities in systems development
• Technical and interpersonal skills of the business analysts and solution developers

Systems architecture

• Enterprise, systems and infrastructure levels of architecture
• Inputs at an enterprise level
• Inputs at system and infrastructure level
• Model Driven Architecture

Development approaches

• Bespoke development
• Commercial off the shelf (COTS) software package solutions
• Configuring and customising COTS software package solutions
• Component-based systems development
• Service-based solutions and other approaches
• Evolutionary prototyping

Systems development lifecycles

• Waterfall model
• V model
• Incremental model
• Spiral (evolutionary) model
• Advantages and disadvantages of each approach
• Selection of an appropriate development approach

Methods and approaches

• Detailed study of the Agile approach including life cycle, deliverables and roles
• Iterative systems development using the DSDM Atern methodology
• Other agile development methodologies (The Unified Process (UP), Scrum, eXtreme Programming)

Modelling techniques

• Models of the Unified Modeling Language (UML)
• Interpretation and principles of:
  • Use case diagram
  • Use case description
  • Class diagram
  • State machine diagram
• Validating models using a CRUD matrix

Requirements in an Agile environment

• Fact finding approaches:
  • Workshops
  • Interviewing
  • Questionnaires
  • Scenario analysis, storyboarding, user stories and hot-housing
  • Model office and focus groups
• Functional requirements definition
• Non-functional requirements definition
• Documenting & prioritising requirements
• Human aspects of systems investigation and introducing change

Iterative systems development

• Features of iterative development approach
• Prototyping
• Categories of prototype
• Timeboxing
• Prototype development plans

Systems design, implementation and maintenance

• Design principles and constraints (legal, ethical, financial)
• Systems deployment and hand over
• Post-implementation reviews
• Different types of maintenance
• Estimation and development planning

Quality assurance

• Definitions of software quality
• The V model
• Requirements-driven testing
• Static testing: types of walkthrough and inspection
• Post-project reviews

CASE and CAST tools

• Features of Computer-aided Software Engineering (CASE) and Computer-aided Software Testing tools (CAST)
• Life-cycle coverage
• Requirements traceability
• Advantages and disadvantages of software development support tools

©Assist Knowledge Development Ltd.

This course was written by our team of training consultants, who bring their substantial experience of business analysis projects to the programme.

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