Here's how you can conduct a post-mortem analysis after a failure in Business Analysis.

To perform a post-mortem analysis following a failure in Business Analysis, consider these steps: - Assemble the pertinent stakeholders. - Examine the project timeline and significant milestones. - Determine the missteps and their underlying causes. - Evaluate the aspects that were successful, despite the setback. - Formulate practical suggestions for action. - Record the findings and insights gained. - Devise a strategy for implementing enhancements.

Here's a detailed guide on conducting a post-mortem analysis after a failure in Business Analysis, incorporating steps and considerations: 1. Gather Data Objective: Collect all relevant information and data related to the failure. Document Events: Record what happened, when it happened, and the context in which it occurred. Collect Evidence: Include emails, reports, meeting notes, system logs, and any other documentation. Quantify Impact: Assess the financial, operational, and reputational impact of the failure.

Usually, most projects will FAIL in only minor ways such as taking more time than planned or costing more money. However, when a project fails completely, the RCAs should be evaluated fairly & factually. Still, sometimes a leading edge project may not cross the finish line in winning fashion & there is a new to start from the drawing board again. Using PMBOK "Lessons Learned" framework, some areas to explore include: * Was this a failure in ANALYSIS? * Was this a failure in PLANNING? * Was this a failure in EXECUTION? * Was this a failure in TESTING? * Was this a failure in COSTS? And it is best to not highlight individual failures or allow emotions to filter in. Gather FACTS & stay "+" as possible under circumstances :)

2. Assemble Team Objective: Bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive analysis. Include Key Players: Involve individuals who were directly involved in the project and those impacted by the failure. Ensure Diversity: Include team members from different departments to get multiple perspectives. Assign Roles: Designate a facilitator, note-taker, and timekeeper to manage the discussion effectively.

The PMBOK "Lessons Learns" step offers excellent recommendations for assimilation of a representative team & guidelines to make this a "+" and beneficial exercise. It does not help much on the current FAILED project, but most importantly the TEAM will gather evidence & key findings that will help on all FUTURE PROJECTS :)

After bringing together everyone involved in the project and gathering all the data: 1. See if the issue is recurring, which could point to bigger problems within the project or organization. 2. Figure out what's just a symptom and what's the real problem. For example, missing a deadline might be a symptom, while not having enough resources could be the root cause. 3. Rank the issues based on how serious and frequent they are. Focus on the most important and common ones first for the biggest improvements. 4. Use tools like the "5 Whys" to get to the root of the problems. Make a detailed RCA document to share with the team and guide future projects. Include an action plan with clear responsibilities and timelines to fix the issues.

3. Identify Issues Objective: Pinpoint the specific problems that led to the failure. Review Data: Analyze the collected data to identify anomalies and deviations from the plan. Ask Questions: Encourage team members to ask probing questions to uncover hidden issues. Use Tools: Utilize root cause analysis tools like Fishbone diagrams or the 5 Whys method. 4. Analyze Causes Objective: Determine the underlying causes of the identified issues. Categorize Causes: Group causes into categories such as people, processes, technology, and external factors. Examine Relationships: Look for connections between different causes to understand how they contributed to the failure.

5. Plan Improvements Objective: Develop actionable steps to prevent similar failures in the future. Brainstorm Solutions: Engage the team in brainstorming sessions to come up with potential improvements. Create Action Plans: Develop detailed action plans for each solution, specifying responsibilities and deadlines. Set Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the improvements. 6. Monitor Progress Objective: Ensure the implemented improvements are effective and sustained. Track KPIs: Regularly monitor the defined KPIs to measure progress. Conduct Reviews: Schedule periodic reviews to assess the implementation of the action plans.

7. Here’s What Else to Consider Objective: Take additional factors into account to enhance the post-mortem process. Foster a Blame-Free Culture: Encourage openness and honesty without fear of blame or punishment. Document Learnings: Create a repository of lessons learned for future reference. Communicate Findings: Share the results of the post-mortem analysis with the wider organization to promote learning. Continuous Improvement: Treat the post-mortem as part of a continuous improvement process, not a one-time event.

Additional Tips: Leadership Support: Ensure leadership supports and participates in the post-mortem process. Use Technology: Leverage tools and software to facilitate data collection, analysis, and tracking of improvements. Training: Provide training for team members on how to conduct effective post-mortem analyses. By following these steps and considerations, you can turn failures into valuable learning opportunities and drive continuous improvement in your business analysis processes.

Complete project failures are most often a negative experience for all participants. In major failures, it may even be a career impacting event. For example, one may be unfairly marked down some in the next performance appraisal review - even if not their fault. However, one can recover on "+" basis with successful future projects. The key is to learn from this experience in a "+: way to do better in future. Just as it took Thomas Edison 1000X for the 1st light bulb, not every project will be successful. Reasons for failure are often outside our realm of control. Mainly to share from personal experience that "+" thinking is a helpful approach to recover with, when "Murphy's Law" comes into play