Foundations of Business Analysis

Foundations of Business Analysis

Credits: 28 PDUs / CDUs
Course Duration: 4 days (instructor or virtual led)
Course Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Prerequisites: No prior knowledge of Business Analysis is required

Course Description

This course provides a solid foundation in the principles, practices, and techniques of business analysis, aligned with the IIBA® BABOK® Guide and ECBA® exam blueprint. Participants will gain practical skills to identify business needs, define solutions, collaborate with stakeholders, document requirements, and support organizational change. Through lectures, discussions, case studies, and hands-on workshops, participants will build confidence in applying analysis methods while preparing for the ECBA® exam.

Intended Audience

• Aspiring and entry-level Business Analysts preparing for the ECBA® (Entry Certificate in Business Analysis) exam.
• Professionals in related roles (project managers, product owners, business users, systems analysts) seeking foundational knowledge in business analysis.
• Anyone interested in learning how to apply business analysis techniques to deliver organizational value.

Course Outline

Day 1 – Foundations and Strategy

Introduction to Business Analysis

• Defining business analysis
• The role of business analysis in project success
• Common challenges faced by business analysts
• Key outcomes and benefits of effective BA work

A Closer Look at the Business Analyst Role

• Core responsibilities of a Business Analyst
• Communication and collaboration skills
• Comparing Business Analyst vs. Project Manager vs. Systems Analyst roles
• Professional associations and certifications (IIBA®, PMI®, CBAP®, CCBA®, ECBA®, PMI-PBA®)
• Underlying competencies for success

Strategy Analysis and Change

• What is strategy analysis and when is it performed?
• Understanding current vs. future state
• Defining business needs and writing problem statements
• Root cause analysis (5 Whys, Fishbone Diagram)
• Business models and alignment with strategy

Defining a Change Strategy

• Developing and evaluating solution options
• Performing a gap analysis
• Assessing enterprise readiness, cultural fit, and stakeholder impact
• Defining transition requirements

Day 2 – Stakeholders, Scope, and Requirements

Stakeholder Analysis

• Identifying stakeholders and their roles
• Stakeholder maps and grids (influence/impact)
• Building relationships and trust
• Managing diverse stakeholder needs

Understanding and Defining Solution Scope

• Distinguishing project scope vs. product scope
• Techniques for defining scope (context diagrams, features, actors)
• Boundary definition and system interactions

Business Process Modeling

• Why we model processes?
• Introduction to BPMN notation
• “As-Is” vs. “To-Be” models
• Process analysis and improvement

Understanding Requirements

• Types of requirements (business, stakeholder, functional, non-functional, transition)
• Assumptions, constraints, and business rules
• Writing clear, SMART requirements

 Day 3 – Elicitation and Analysis

Preparing for Requirements Elicitation

• Planning elicitation activities
• Interview techniques and good questioning strategies
• Selecting appropriate elicitation methods

Elicitation Using Interviews and Workshops

• Conducting effective interviews
• Active listening and feedback techniques
• Facilitating collaborative workshops
• Brainstorming and managing group dynamics

Analyzing Requirements with Use Cases

• Actors and use case identification
• Use case diagrams
• Writing main, alternate, and exception scenarios
• Best practices for use case documentation

Confirming Elicitation Results

• Prioritizing requirements (MoSCoW, timeboxing, voting)
• Traceability matrices
• Requirements documentation and communication
• Obtaining stakeholder approval

Day 4 – Communication, Documentation, and Evaluation

Documenting Requirements

• Techniques for documenting requirements (models, specs, user stories)
• UML basics for Bas
• Maintaining clarity and traceability

Managing and Communicating Business Analysis Information

• Best practices for BA communication
• Tools and templates for sharing information
• Managing stakeholder expectations

Evaluating the Solution

• Purpose of solution evaluation
• Measuring business value
• Assessing whether requirements were met
• Continuous improvement mindset

Final Session:

• ECBA® Practice Questions & Review
• Wrap-Up Discussion & Next Steps