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Why I’ve been quiet for a while (and what’s next)
Read the article →: Why I’ve been quiet for a while (and what’s next)I started the Practical Analyst blog in 2007. Back then, “data-driven decision making” was still a novel phrase. Business analysts were fighting for a seat at the table. “Agile” was mostly a…
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Specification: Where Clarity Becomes Commitment
Think of specs as the GPS for delivery—useless if incorrect or unclear, essential when right. Specification is the process of representing business or customer needs in a form…
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From Traceability to Trust: Why Requirements Management Matters
Requirements don’t manage themselves! Management refers to the ongoing coordination, traceability, and adaptation of requirements throughout the solution lifecycle. It’s how we maintain continuity and alignment, even as…
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Validation: Checkpoint, not Chokepoint
Validation is where we ask, “Did we get it right?” – before we build it wrong. Validation is the practice of confirming that documented requirements accurately reflect stakeholder…
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Analysis: Where Input Becomes Insight
Analysis isn’t about taking what you heard and writing it down. It’s about figuring out what was really meant, what’s missing, and what matters most. Analysis is the…
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What does it take to go from fuzzy concept to well-defined solution?
There’s a rhythm to effective solution definition, and it goes something like this: Elicitation. Analysis. Specification. Validation. Management. (EASVM, for short.) It isn’t the catchiest acronym or mnemonic,…
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Tweets of the Week – 20180713
This thread/narrative on agile planning and story points was entertaining, and thought provoking. This thread is just he beginning. Be sure to read it…
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On the Essence of Business Analysis
I recently had the opportunity to talk shop with Dave Saboe, who runs the Mastering Business Analysis website and accompanying podcast. The topic of…
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The Real Value of Visuals in Solution Delivery – A Reprise
The process of collaborative creation; of drawing and deliberating and rationalizing potential paths together until we reach an agreed upon “best way forward” provides…
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Hippocrates on Clarity of Language
Apparently, even back in Hippocrates’ day (approximately 450 BC), business professionals had a tendency to confuse their stakeholders with acronyms, jargon, and odd colloquialisms,…
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The Book, The Movie, and the Business Document
Communication using only words – whether verbal or written – leaves much to the imagination. Which is part of the appeal when it comes…
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Interview with Ryland Leyton, author of “The Agile Business Analyst”
Ryland Leyton recently released his book, The Agile Business Analyst: Moving from Waterfall to Agile. Over the years, Ryland has provided training and mentoring…
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