3. Performing Business Analysis

Approaches to Your Work

The Business Analysis Standard

IIBA.org KnowledgeHub The Business Analysis Standard 3. Performing Business Analysis Approaches to Your Work

Predictive Approach

Step-by-step

Predictive approaches start with a plan. They are considered predictive because they try to identify all the information needed to create the desired value.

Plan all the work upfront and then work your plan.
Consider everything that needs to be done.
Create documents and models to describe what will be built, including:
- scope statement;
- requirements documents;
- design documents;
- schedule baseline;
- cost baseline;
- test plans.
Track progress against the plan.

Adaptive Approach

Learn and adapt

Adaptive or iterative approaches focus on delivering value in small, prioritized increments.

Prioritize high-value outcomes or deliverables.
Plan for the upcoming iterations first.
Create the outcome defined for each increment (just enough and just-in-time documentation).
Focus on:
- value creation;
- workable solutions;
- speed of delivery;
- the time it takes to create the desired value.
Share what’s created with stakeholders to elicit feedback.
Use that feedback to help the team learn and adapt the solution.

Refer to: The BABOK Guide: Perspectives: Agile Perspective: Approaches – for information on various Agile approaches.

Hybrid Approach

Use what works best

Hybrid approaches describe work in an organization where:

some initiatives use a predictive approach, and other initiatives in the organization use an adaptive approach;
parts of an initiative use a predictive approach and parts of the same initiative use an adaptive approach.

In some cases, an approach will be imposed on the team. Whenever the business analysis professionals can choose the approach to use, they should consider:

using a predictive approach where the work is:
- well-defined;
- heavily regulated;
- relatively straight-forward; or
- can be completed sequentially;
using an adaptive approach when a solution is being built to:
- address business needs that are complex;
- find solutions for poorly defined challenges;
- deal with uncertainty; or
- manage emerging needs as the solution is being built;
becoming knowledgeable about how to create value using any of the approaches.

Refer to: “How do I…Identify What Needs to Be Done” – This provides additional information about both predictive and adaptive approaches, including case study examples. (For IIBA members)