COURSE

Detailing Business Data Requirements and Storytelling

Introduction

“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.” – Jim Barksdale

Missing a critical piece of data or incorrectly defining a data element contributes to poor decision-making, software maintenance problems, and results in systems that do not reflect or support the business needs. Business users often fail to articulate their business data needs because they are so inherent in their work that it is difficult to uniquely identify each data requirement. A business analyst, skilled in data elicitation and definition, can save the business significant time and cost for any project.

This course teaches students an in-depth approach to business data analysis: identifying and defining all necessary data components using both a visualization of business data and textual templates. The culmination of the course provides students with the tools and techniques of data story-telling, which is key to the success of data analytics.

It also teaches business analysis techniques for eliciting, analyzing, and documenting data requirements to both new and experienced practitioners. Additionally, this class will tie together other analysis techniques by highlighting the impact of data on the other core requirement components. Eliciting information needs often uncovers additional processes and business rules. Every business process uses data and business rules are enforced by or govern data.

Objectives

Learn to scope the business data needs of a business area, project, or system.
Identify relationships between data elements and their impact on the business.
Identify excellent data requirements at the appropriate level of detail.
Detail the data requirements (using a data dictionary and data model).
Use data requirements to verify and communicate a more complete understanding of the business domain
Assist with the transition of business data to database design.
Utilize easy normalization techniques (without all the mathematical theory).
Validate data requirements with activity (process or use case) requirements.
Learn to tell a story with your data using storyboarding and visualization techniques via charts and graphs.

Student Profile

This course is designed for business analysts, project managers, systems analysts, data administrators, database administrators, or any other project team member practicing business analysis. This course may also be appropriate for individuals who manage or mentor business analysts.

Even if your organization has a data administrator or data warehouse team who is responsible for documenting and managing the organization’s information needs, every project uses a subset of that enterprise information in its own unique way. Business analysts must understand the importance of data in all of their projects and include data requirements in their business requirements documentation. Failing to document which data elements need to be used in a calculation, or displayed on a report, leaves the developer the responsibility of choosing the correct pieces of business data from hundreds if not thousands of available fields. These missing requirements often lead to expensive and lengthy project delays during the testing phase.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites to attend this course. However, we recommend students attend our Essential Skills for Business Analysis class or have experience in project scope definition, gathering requirements from subject matter experts, and understand how business requirements fit into the entire systems development effort.

Course Materials

Each student will receive a copy of the course documentation prepared by Netmind.

Methodology

Engaging and interactive course. Our instructors teach all course materials using the demonstrative method; the participants learn new concepts through exercises and real application practices.

Students will be given data templates with a suggested documentation structure for defining Business Data Requirements. It supports and expands on the techniques in the IIBA BABOK Guide^® and the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB). Mentor-led workshops require students to practice the techniques as they learn. Students are encouraged to bring their own projects to the class.

Accreditation

A certificate of attendance will be issued to students who attend the course for at least 75% of the duration.

Certification

This course is included in our Business Analysis Certification Program. By attending this course, students earn credit towards the BA Associate and BA Certified certifications, as well as credit towards the Data Analysis Badge.

Additionally, students will earn 21 credit hours for their attendance.