1. BABOK® v2.0 Chapter 9:
Techniques
Outline:
High-level overview of the Techniques
referenced in the Knowledge Areas of the
Techniques
BABOK Guide. Techniques alter the way a
business analysis task is performed or
describes a specific form the output of a task
may take.
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2. Thank you and Contact Info
 Special thanks to DAXKO for sponsoring this meeting
 Presenter: Tammy S Bishop, CBAP
Business Systems Analyst, Senior
Drummond Company, Inc.
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3. Techniques
 Techniques listed here are a subset of those used by practitioners of
business analysis.
 Business analysts who specialize in a particular methodology or business
domain may use only a few of the techniques mentioned or may use
other techniques not described herein.
 Techniques listed here are applicable to different situations and business
domains.
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4. 9.5 Data Dictionary and Glossary
 Purpose
 Defining key terms and data relevant to business domain
 Description
 Formally identify and define all terminology used by the
organization or organizational unit
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5. 9.5 Data Dictionary and Glossary
 Elements
 Glossary
 Data Dictionary
 Primitive Data Elements
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Name
Aliases
Values/Meanings
Description
 Composite Data Elements
 Sequences
 Repetitions
 Optional Elements
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6. 9.5 Data Dictionary and Glossary
 Usage Considerations
 Useful for ensuring all stakeholders are in agreement on
the format and content of relevant information
 Capturing in a single model ensures terms will be used
consistently.
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7. 9.6 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) - Purpose
 Purpose
 Shows how information is Input, Processed, Stored, and
Output from a system
 Description
 Visual representation of how info is moved through a system
 External Entities that provide data to or receive it from a
system
 Processes of system that transform data
 Data stores in which data is collected for a period of time
 Data Flows by which data moves between entities,
processes, and data stores
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8. 9.6 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) - Elements
 Elements
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External Entities
Data Store
Data Process
Data Flow
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9. 9.6 Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) - Usage
 Strengths
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Discover technique for processes or data
Verification of Functional Decomposition or Data Model
Easily understood
Useful analysis deliverable for developers in Structured
Programming Environment
 Weaknesses
 No responsibility shown
 No alternative paths
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10. 9.6 Data Flow Diagram (DFD) - Example
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11. 9.7 Data Modeling - Purpose
 Purpose
 Describe concepts relevant to a domain, relationships
between those concepts, and info associated with them
 Description
 Diagram supported by Textual description
 Represents People, Places, Things, and Concepts
important to the business
 Entity Relationship Diagram and Class Diagrams are
most common
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12. 9.7 Data Modeling - Elements
 Elements
 Concept
 Attributes
 Name
 Values/Meanings
 Description
 Relationship
 Metadata
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13. 9.7 Data Modeling - Usage
 Advantages
 Flexibility of different levels of description
 Consistent modeling approach that supports transition
through Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation
 Disadvantages
 Complex
 Concepts may be unfamiliar to people without background
in IS
 Difficult to understand if not properly presented
 Terms/Definitions vary in use
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14. 9.7 Data Modeling - Example
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15. 9.12 Functional Decomposition - Purpose
 Purpose
 To decompose processes, functional areas, or
deliverables into component parts and allow each part to
be analyzed independently
 Description
 Ensure problem is separated into sub-problems that are
as independent as possible so work can be assigned to
different groups.
 Provides ability to scale and manage large projects
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16. 9.12 Functional Decomposition - Elements
 Elements
 Identifies high-level functions and then breaks those
functions down into smaller pieces
 Represent processes carried out by the organization
 Continues until sub-function cannot break down further
 Similar to a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)
 Use Hierarchical Diagrams, Tree Diagrams, or numbering
each sub-function
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17. 9.12 Functional Decomposition - Usage
 Advantages
 Provides consistent view of scope of effort
 Estimates can be made easier
 Conceptual model of work needed to deliver solution
 Disadvantages
 No guarantee all components are captured
 Decomposing a problem without understanding the
relationship between the pieces may create an
inappropriate structure that impedes analysis
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18. 9.12 Functional Decomposition - Example
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19. 9.21 Process Modeling - Purpose
 Purpose
 Gain understanding of how work involving multiple roles
and departments is performed
 Description
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Process linked by sequence
Shows events by people, rules, or passage of time
May include manual or automated activities or both
Complete when objective or goal is completed
Used for Current and Future state processes
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20. 9.21 Process Modeling - Elements
 Elements
 Notation Elements
 Process Improvement
 Six Sigma
 Lean
 BPM approaches
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21. 9.21 Process Modeling - Usage
 Advantages
 Users are comfortable with elements / concepts
 Effectively show how to handle large number of scenarios
 Used for eliciting, verifying requirements and training
 Disadvantages
 May be complex and hard to understand when contain too
much activity
 Problems are not always readily identifiable by looking at
model
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22. 9.21 Process Modeling - Example
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23. 9.27 Scope Modeling - Purpose
 Purpose
 Used to describe scope of analysis or solution
 Description
 Basis for defining and delimiting scope of business
analysis
 Shows boundaries of scope and business domain
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24. 9.27 – Scope Modeling - Elements
 Elements
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Context Diagram
Events
Features
Use Case Diagram
Business Process
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25. 9.27 Scope Modeling - Usage
 Advantages
 Makes it easier to determine what should be in scope and
out of scope for solution
 Disadvantages
 Usually leave much detailed scope still needing to be
investigated and detailed
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26. 9.27 Scope Modeling - Example
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