Test1

Question 1

What is a BA?

Answer 1

BAs are responsible for discovering, synthesizing, and analyzing information from a variety of sources within an enterprise, including tools, processes,documentation, and stakeholders. The business analyst is responsible for eliciting the actual needs of stakeholders—which frequently involves investigating and
clarifying their expressed desires—in order to determine underlying issues and
causes.

Question 2

Typical BA responsibilities

Answer 2

understanding enterprise problems and goals
analyzing needs and solultions 
devising strategies
driving change
facilitating stakeholder collaboration

Question 3

Common characteristics of BAs in the BA hall of fame

Answer 3

primarily non-IT people. all our hall of famers brought better solutions not better means to finding a solution.

Question 4

Adam Smith

Answer 4

Asserted that all economy and business is ruled by the invisible hand of self interest

Question 5

Herman Hollerith

Answer 5

Implemented hole punch cards for the census

Question 6

Frederick Winslow Taylor

Answer 6

first to apply systematic observation to the workplace

Question 7

Sherlock Holmes(written by Arthur Conan Doyle)

Answer 7

examining all the available data before coming to a conclusion about a solution

Question 8

Mark Twain

Answer 8

provided guidance in gathering data and assembling facts from a reporting perspective

Question 9

Phil Crosby, Armand Feigenbaum, William Edwards Deming

Answer 9

Quality Gurus

Question 10

Alex Osborn

Answer 10

advertising manager who developed the brainstorming method, creative thinking, and problem solving methods

Question 11

Michael Hammer and James Champy

Answer 11

coined the term business process re-engineering(BPR)

Question 12

Bill Smith

Answer 12

Brought the attention of six sigma to the business and IT people

Question 13

Pros of IT background

Answer 13

-independent from the influence of business management
-has good relation with technicians on solution team
-Can discern real problems from noise
=additional resource on solution team

Question 14

Cons of IT background

Answer 14

• conflict of interest trying to represent bus. to IT project
• looks at solution instead of studying problem
• may not really care about the bus. as much as tech
• keeps solutions within the confines of existing systems and knowledge
• jumps to solution

Question 15

Pros of business background(business area)

Answer 15

• bus. area gets a trusted resource
• more in depth knowledge of systems supporting bus. area
• can be an SME, relieving the bus. area from having to assign SMEs
• aid in transition from old process to changed process
• reduce risk by working within the confines of the bus.

Question 16

Cons of business background(business area)

Answer 16

• Too influenced by single business entity
• Not enough breadth to determine impact outside bus. area
• solutions determined by how things are done now instead of evaluating new potential solutions
• accepts symptoms as problems instead of investigating thoroughly
• regarded as “one of them” by IT allies
• tends to see changes only as incremental improvements

Question 17

positioning of BA function within the organization

Answer 17

A centralized BA group, operates separately from bus. or IT. allows it to solve bus. problem for the bus. as a whole pg. 37

Question 18

core competencies of communication

Answer 18

verbal communication
non-verbal communication
written communication
listening

Question 19

role of project manager

Answer 19

looks inward toward the solution team to make sure the solution is being built correctly,focused on efficiently solving it in a timely manner

Question 20

role of BA

Answer 20

the BA looks outward to the customer and organization., filters changes, issues, and problems that come from the bus. community

Question 21

role of a system analyst

Answer 21

focus on how the problem is going to solved: technologies, design, and code

Question 22

different members of the bus. community

Answer 22

BUSINESS MANAGER
problem owner
process workers
The BA defines the problems that need to be solved by them

Question 23

Technique for identifying the real problem

Answer 23

5 whys technique

Question 24

Another technique for identifying the real problem(problem determination game)

Answer 24

• Gather all possible problem candidates
• determine problems that are out of scope
• determine problem owner
• determine relevancy
• distinguish between problems and requirements
• distinguish between problem and symptoms

Question 25

language of the problem

Answer 25

- the problem should be stated negatively - should be as unambiguous as possible - stated in clear and concise language - everyone involved should understand the same problem

Question 26

product vision

Answer 26

the customer or problem owner have the vision and it is up to the BA to manage the expectations of that vision, it tells us when were done, helps focus efforts

Question 27

When Blais says "stop requirements" he means:

Answer 27

Gather as much information as possible and then use that to define requirements

Question 28

confirm elicitation results

Answer 28

involves ensuring that stakeholders have a shared understanding of the outcomes of elicitation, that elicited information is recorded appropriately, and that the business analyst has the information sought from an elicitation activity. This task also involves comparing the information received with other information to look for inconsistencies or gaps

Question 29

business case

Answer 29

relies on the product scope and is essential to the project charter