Hathaway & Associates, Inc. is a Florida-based training and consulting firm

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Analyze Business Problems

Seminars and Services We Offer to Perform this Process
Techniques We Use and Teach to Support this Step
Other Steps (Activities) We Can Help You With

Analyze Business Problems

We can:

		show you how to do this activity
	with e-mentoring

		teach you how to do this activity
	with our in-house or public seminars

		lead your experts through this activity in an
	interactive JAD or e-JAD

Problem analysis is a set of techniques that flush out and define areas in which the end users are unsatisfied with an existing solution. These techniques help you understand the business problems and their context sufficiently to avoid introducing negative side effects with your solutions. It is also your best insurance against solving the wrong problem.

Business Problem Analysis
		enables early scope definition for your projects

		avoids marginal-value add-ons

		ensures common understanding of purpose of project

		establishes foundation for funding of project

		creates basis for development of test strategy and plan

		sells the project to the outside world

		facilitates cross-project risk-based management decisions

When should you analyze problems?

Problem analysis should precede the development of the solution. If, at any time during the project, the decision makers can not communicate what problems the project will solve, problem analysis is a good idea.

Who should analyze problems?

Business analysts, system analysts, customer liaisons, project leaders and managers from impacted business areas need to understand the business and technical problems that the project will solve.

Basic Problem Definition

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Get a written list containing 5 - 9 answers to the question:

"What is the problem?"

from each involved party.

Define who wants to solve each problem, who cares how it is solved and who might resist the solution.

Identify the players by role or job title, not name.

Separate the "real" problems from the symptoms and proposed solutions.
A "real" problem has multiple potential solutions. A good solution will cause all related symptoms to disappear.

If necessary, apply problem/symptom reduction.

Problem/Symptom Reduction

STEP 1: Ask each involved party,

"What is wrong with how things work today?"
Capture the answers as a numbered list of potential problem statements expressed as complete sentences.

STEP 2: For each problem statement on your list, ask,

"Can anyone involved with the project do anything about it?"
If not, move it to an "out of scope" list to be reported back to management.

STEP 3: For each problem statement on your reduced list, ask,

"Can anyone on the project identify multiple (different) solutions?" If there is only one solution, the statement is an implied requirement. Rephrase the statement and move it to the requirement list.

STEP 4: For each problem statement on the remaining list, ask,

"If this problem were solved, would any other problem go away?"
A "problem" that disappears when you solve a different problem is a symptom. Associate the symptom with the related problem.

Any problem statement that is still on the list is considered a "real" problem. These are the problems that any solution needs to address while making sure that all of the identified symptoms disappear.

Training for the Novice Business System Analyst

Identifying Business Problems and Needs (BARE)

Defining Business Problems (BARG)

Defining Business Problems (BARDTT)

Defining the Project (SPM)

Training for the Experienced Business System Analyst

Identifying Business Problems and Needs (BARE)

Effective Information Gathering (ABAT)

Preparing for a JAD Session (JADREQ)

Methodologies and Acceleration (JADREQ)

Analysis and the UML: A Summary (BAUML)

Finding the Right Questions (ABAT)

Training for the Expert Business System Analyst

Business Architecture Analysis (BAUML)

Managing the Working Session (JADREQ)

Profile of a JAD Facilitation Team (JADREQ)

Dealing with Difficulty (JADREQ)

Problem and Opportunity Definition (SYSDEV)



	Under Time Pressure?

	Learn how to run an efficient, effective JAD session that does this activity faster. Facilitating Productive JAD Sessions

	Our eMentoring offer is a cost-effective alternative for small groups to learn these and other business system analysis techniques at their own workplace or for follow-up after a training seminar

JAD Sessions for Your Time-Critical Projects

your business
analysis skills

Business Area Analysis

Business Rules Definition

Business Process Improvement

Process and Workflow Modeling

Requirements Gathering

	Analyze Business Processes
	Gather Prioritized Requirements
	Model Business Data
	Design System Architecture
	Develop Quick Fixes
	Engineer Business Processes
	Evaluate Potential Solutions
	Engineer Test Data
	Execute Tests
	Plan Testing Activities

Hathaway & Associates offers training, virtual and in-house services to support a wide range of activities within the system development life cycle all targeted exclusively to the Business Analyst, Requirements Engineer and the Subject Matter Expert.

You can also visit our bookstore for the newest in the business analysis field

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