What's the secret to creating and sustaining a business analysis plan?

1 Know your stakeholders

The first step to creating a business analysis plan is to identify and understand your stakeholders. These are the people who have an interest or influence in the project outcome, such as the sponsor, the users, the developers, and the testers. You need to know their needs, expectations, preferences, and communication styles. You can use various techniques to gather this information, such as interviews, surveys, workshops, or stakeholder maps. By knowing your stakeholders, you can tailor your plan to meet their requirements and ensure their engagement and satisfaction.

2 Define your scope

The next step is to define the scope of your business analysis work. This means specifying what you will and will not do as part of the project, and what are the boundaries and assumptions of your analysis. You can use tools such as scope statements, context diagrams, or use cases to document the scope. By defining your scope, you can avoid scope creep, manage changes, and focus on the most important and relevant aspects of the project.

3 Set your objectives

The third step is to set your objectives for your business analysis work. These are the measurable and achievable outcomes that you want to deliver as part of the project. They should align with the project goals and the stakeholder needs. You can use SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to define your objectives. By setting your objectives, you can track your progress, evaluate your performance, and demonstrate your value.

4 Plan your deliverables

The fourth step is to plan your deliverables for your business analysis work. These are the tangible and verifiable outputs that you will produce as part of the project, such as requirements documents, models, diagrams, or reports. You need to decide what deliverables you will create, when you will create them, how you will create them, and who you will share them with. You can use tools such as work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, or dependency diagrams to plan your deliverables. By planning your deliverables, you can manage your time, resources, and quality.

5 Choose your approach

The fifth step is to choose your approach for your business analysis work. This means selecting the methods, techniques, tools, and standards that you will use to conduct your analysis. You need to consider factors such as the project type, size, complexity, risk, and culture. You can use frameworks such as BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge), Agile, or Waterfall to guide your approach. By choosing your approach, you can ensure consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness.

6 Review and update your plan

The final step is to review and update your business analysis plan throughout the project. This means checking if your plan is still valid, relevant, and realistic, and making adjustments as needed. You need to monitor the project environment, the stakeholder feedback, the project changes, and the project performance. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, lessons learned, or change requests to review and update your plan. By reviewing and updating your plan, you can stay on track, cope with uncertainty, and deliver value.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?