9 Top Business Analysis Models _ Lucidchart Blog.pdf

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/business-analysis-models 1/13
9 essential business
analysis models for the
BA’s toolbox
Reading time: about 7 min
Posted by: Lucid Content Team
The role of the business analyst (BA) requires not
only sound data analysis but effective data
modeling. The right visual model streamlines data
and makes it easy for stakeholders at every level to
identify and understand project strategies,
relationships, and responsibilities.
In the past, data modeling meant writing out
processes in plain text or sketching out a basic
diagram.
Fortunately, those days are over.
Today, a good BA is armed with a diverse toolbox of
strategies and visual modeling techniques to help
them drive successful project outcomes.
As you read more about business analysis models,
remember that Lucidchart helps you create elegant
diagrams with intuitive design solutions, ready-
made shape libraries for consistent notation, and
Start
diagramming
with
Lucidchart
today—try it
for free!
Sign up free
Popular now
Why you should do
an end-of-year
process audit
How visual
collaboration
changes the way
your team works
together
Communicating
technical
information to non-
technical personnel
Sign up to
get the latest
Lucidchart
updates and
tips
delivered to
Tech Blog Sign up free
Categories
🙌It's free to sign up for a
Lucidchart trial. Can we help you
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
clear data linking and formatting for dynamic data
modeling and sharing.
Choose from a variety of business analysis
templates to get a jump on your next project today.
(Note that some templates contain advanced
features that require a paid Lucidchart
subscription.)
What is a business analysis
model?
Simply put, a business analysis model outlines the
steps a business takes to complete a specific
process, such as ordering a product or onboarding
a new hire. Process modeling (or mapping) is key to
improving process efficiency, training, and even
complying with industry regulations.
Because there are many different kinds of
processes, organizations, and functions within a
business, BAs employ a variety of visual models to
map and analyze data.
Take a look at these nine essential business analysis
models to include in your toolbox.
1. Activity diagrams
An activity diagram is a type of UML behavioral
diagram that describes what needs to happen in a
system. They are particularly useful for
communicating process and procedure to
stakeholders from both the business and
development teams.
A BA might use a UML diagram tool like Lucidchart
to create an activity diagram to map the process of
your inbox
once a
month.
Subscribe to our newslette
About
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is the
intelligent
diagramming
application that
empowers
teams to clarify
complexity,
align their
insights, and
build the future
—faster. With
this intuitive,
cloud-based
solution,
everyone can
work visually
and collaborate
in real time
while building
flowcharts,
mockups, UML
diagrams, and
more.
The most
popular online
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
logging in to a website or completing a transaction
like withdrawing or depositing money.
Activity Diagram for ATM (Click on image to modify online)
2. Feature mind maps
Business diagrams aren’t just for late-stage analysis
or documentation. They are also useful during a
project’s initial brainstorming phase. Feature mind
maps help BAs organize the sometimes messy
brainstorm process so that ideas, concerns, and
requests are clearly captured and categorized.
Visio alternative,
Lucidchart is
utilized in over
180 countries by
millions of
users, from
sales managers
mapping out
target
organizations to
IT directors
visualizing their
network
infrastructure.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
This visual ensures initial details and ideas don’t fall
through the cracks so you can make informed
decisions about project direction, goals, and scope
down the line.
Basic Mind Map (Click on image to modify online)
3. Product roadmaps
A product (or feature) roadmap outlines the
development and launches of a product and its
features. They are a focused analysis of a product’s
evolution, which helps developers and other
stakeholders focus on initiatives that add direct
value to the user.
The beauty of product roadmaps lies in their
flexibility and range of applications. BAs can create
different product roadmaps to illustrate different
information, including:
Maintenance and bug fixes
Feature releases
High-level strategic product goals
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
While product roadmaps are commonly used
internally by development teams, they are also
useful resources for other groups like sales.
A defined product outline and schedule helps sales
stay on the same page as the developers so they
can deliver accurate, updated information to their
prospects and clients. Because of their versatility
and broad applications across teams and
organizations, product roadmaps are a core part of
an analyst’s toolbox.
In Lucidchart, you can link data to and set
conditional formatting within your product
roadmap to quickly monitor your progress. Check
out the template below!
Product Roadmap Example (Click on image to view larger in Lucidchart)
4. Organizational charts
An organizational chart outlines the hierarchy of a
business or one of its departments or teams. They
are especially helpful reference charts for
employees to quickly understand how the company
is organized and identify key stakeholders and
points of contact for projects or queries.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
Additionally, organizational charts prove useful for
stakeholder analysis and modeling new groupings
and teams following organizational shifts.
Marketing Org Chart Example (Click on image to modify online)
5. SWOT analysis
The SWOT analysis is a fundamental tool in a BA’s
arsenal. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis
evaluates a business’s strengths and weaknesses
and identifies any opportunities or threats to that
business.
SWOT analysis helps stakeholders make strategic
decisions regarding their business. The goal is to
capitalize on strengths and opportunities while
reducing the impact of internal or external threats
and weaknesses.
From a visual modeling perspective, SWOT analysis
is fairly straightforward. A typical model will have
four boxes or quadrants—one for each category—
with bulleted lists outlining the respective results.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
SWOT Analysis (Click on image to modify online)
6. User interface wireframe
Another essential business diagram is the UI
wireframe. Software development teams use
wireframes (also called mockups or prototypes) to
visually outline and design a layout for a specific
screen. In other words, wireframes are the
blueprints for a website or software program. They
help stakeholders assess navigational needs and
experience for a successful practical application.
The level of detail in wireframes range from low-
fidelity to high-fidelity prototypes. Low-fidelity
wireframes are the most basic outlines, showing
only the bare-bones layout of the screen. High-
fidelity wireframes are typically rendered in the
later planning stages and will include specific UI
elements (e.g., buttons, drop-down bars, text
fields, etc.) and represent how the final
implementation should look on the screen.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
Basic Homepage Wireframe (Click on image to modify online)
7. Process flow diagram
A process flow diagram (PFD) is typically used in
chemical and process engineering to identify the
basic flow of plant processes, but it can also be
used in other fields to help stakeholders
understand how their organization operates.
A PFD is best used to:
Document a process.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
Study a process to make changes or
improvements.
Improve understanding and communication
between stakeholders.
These diagrams focus on broad, high-level systems
rather than annotating minor process details.
Business Process Flow Diagram (Click on image to modify online)
8. PESTLE analysis
A PESTLE analysis often goes hand-in-hand with a
SWOT analysis. PESTLE evaluates external factors
that could impact business performance. This
acronym stands for six elements affecting business:
political, economic, technological, environmental,
legal, and sociological.
PESTLE analysis assesses the possible factors
within each category, as well as their potential
impact, duration of effect, type of impact (i.e.,
negative or positive), and level of importance.
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
This type of business analysis helps stakeholders
manage risk, strategically plan and review business
goals and performance, and potentially gain an
advantage over competitors.
PESTLE Analysis Diagram (Click on image to modify online)
9. Entity-relationship diagram
An entity-relationship diagram (ER diagram)
illustrates how entities (e.g., people, objects, or
concepts) relate to one another in a system. For
example, a logical ER diagram visually shows how
the terms in an organization’s business glossary
relate to one another.
ER diagrams comprise three main parts:
Entities
Relationships
Attributes
Attributes apply to the entities, describing further
details about the concept. Relationships are where
the key insights from ER diagrams arise. In a visual
model, the relationships between entities are
illustrated either numerically or via crow’s foot
notation.
These diagrams are most commonly used to model
database structures in software engineering and
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
business information systems and are particularly
valuable tools for BAs in those fields.
P.S. In Lucidchart, you can automatically generate
an ERD when you import your databases and
schemas. Follow this guide to try it out or manually
build your ERD with the template below!
Entity-Relationship Diagram Example (UML Notation), (Click on image to modify online)
Start visual modeling with
Lucidchart
There are a variety of choices when it comes to
visual modeling. The best BAs will have a diverse
toolbox of business analysis diagrams so they can
match the right models to each scenario, whether
that’s a simple organizational chart for new
employees or an in-depth SWOT and PESTLE
analysis for executives and high-level stakeholders.
Lucidchart makes your job easier by providing
flexible, ready-made templates, dynamic design
features, and multiple sharing options so your team
can stay in the loop and you don’t have to miss a
Categories
get started today?
1

2/16/22, 1:01 PM (1) New Messages!
beat. From simple flowcharts to complex visual
models with data linking and conditional
formatting, Lucidchart is a must-have resource for
the savvy business analyst.
Choose the business analysis model that's right for
you, and start diagramming in Lucidchart today!
Get started
Get started
Pricing
Individual
Team
Enterprise
Contact sales
Product
Lucidchart
overview
Lucidscale
Integrations
Security
Solutions
Remote teams
Engineering
IT
Operations
Product
Sales
Education
Resources
Learning
campus
Blog
Templates
Webinars
Support
Case studies
Diagrams
Partners
Affiliates
Newsletter
Company
About us
Mission
Leadership
Newsroom
Careers
Privacy Legal
English
Categories
get started today?
1

9 Top Business Analysis Models _ Lucidchart Blog.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (14)

Similar to 9 Top Business Analysis Models _ Lucidchart Blog.pdf

Similar to 9 Top Business Analysis Models _ Lucidchart Blog.pdf (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

9 Top Business Analysis Models _ Lucidchart Blog.pdf