IIBA ECBA – Requirements Analysis and Design Definition (IIBA – ECBA)

1. Section Overview

The Requirements Analysis and Design Definition course is the 6th course of the Business Analysis Certification program, which includes a total of 14 courses. The content is aligned with the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge Guide, and in this course we are going to begin looking at the knowledge area called Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition.

The course covers the first three tasks, which involve creating a list of requirements and then verifying that they are of sufficient quality to be used for further work, and after that, validating them to ensure that they deliver benefits to the stakeholders aligned with business goals and aligned with the objectives of the change.

The first section of this course is called Requirements Analysis and Design Definition and has the following structure the overview of Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition requirements Analyzes and Design Definition and the Business Analyzes Core Concept Model and an exercise on understanding the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition.

The second section of the course, the one called Specify and Model Requirements, includes lecture on specify and model Requirements, inputs and Elements, requirements Modeling, Guidelines and Tools, and finally, an exercise on defining requirements.

The third section of the course covers the part on verify Requirements and includes the following topics verify Requirements, Inputs and Elements, Verify Requirements, Tools and Techniques and finally, an exercise on obviously verify requirements.

The fourth section and the last one is called Validate Requirements and has the following structure validate Requirements, Inputs and Elements, Validate Requirements, Guidelines and Tools, and an exercise on Validating requirements. You can use this course to improve your Business Analyzes knowledge and abilities and to obtain the certifications provided by the International Institute of Business Analyzes. That’s what this course will be about. Next, a program overview just to see the broad picture.

2. Overview of RADD

Overview of Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition the purpose of the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition knowledge area is to describe the requirements discovered during elicitation structure and organize them in this knowledge area. The Business Analyst will specify and model requirements using various techniques such as process models, data models and decision models. The models used by the Business Analyst are considered designs. He or she will identify solution options that meet the business need and estimate the potential value of the solution.

The business analyst will use input from other knowledge areas including the business analyzes plan, strategy analyzes solution evaluation and requirements lifecycle to manage the requirements in the business analysis value spectrum. Requirements Analysis and Design Definition traces requirements back to ensure the requirements align to the solution scope. The business need and potential value requirements and designs will be used to deliver the actual value of the solution, so the knowledge area is Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition. A diagram illustrates the Business Analyzes knowledge areas. You can imagine this. The diagram contains an outer half circle and an inner full circle. You will see the picture in the course. Each section has three nodes linked with bidirectional arrows. In the outer section, the nodes are labeled Business Analysis, Planning and Monitoring, elicitation and Collaboration and Requirements Lifecycle Management, respectively.

These three nodes are linked to the three nodes in the intersection, which are Strategy Analysis, Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition and Solution Evaluation. The business analyzes value spectrum. A diagram illustrates the business analysis value spectrum and you will see this in the course. The spectrum depicts three elements of Business Analyzes along the horizontal spectrum labeled Potential on the left hand side and Actual on the right hand side.

The three sections are strategy analysis requirements analysis and Design definition and Solution evaluation. The Strategy Analyzes section is on the potential end of the spectrum and includes need and Solutions copy the Requirement Analyzes and Design Definition section is in the middle of the spectrum and contains requirements and design. The Solution Evaluation section is on the actual end of the spectrum and includes proof of concept or prototype, pilot or beta, and operating to conduct a thorough analysis of the business need discovered during elicitation activities.

The Business Analyst will use modeling to view the needs from different perspectives. Once analyzed, the Business Analyst will write requirements to describe the business need. Requirements are inputs to design. For example, the business requirement to process an insurance claim in 24 hours would be illustrated in a process model, which is a design of the future state. A prototype is a design that will illustrate the screens that will be used by the customer to input insurance claim information. While modeling a solution, the Business Analyst may uncover other requirements. In the case of the insurance example, the prototype may reveal missing data entry fields.

Requirements versus Designs requirements focus on need and are inputs to design, while designs focus on solutions and may reveal further requirements. The diagram illustrates the steps in requirements, Analyzes and Design. Definition. Again, you will see this in the course. Although they are presented as linear in the diagram, they tend to be incremental and iterative in nature, meaning that as Requirements Analysis proceeds and designs are defined, there may be new requirements that come to light. The task specify and Model Requirements Analyzes solicitation results through modeling and other analyzed techniques which result in requirements and designs.

When verifying requirements, the Business Analyst works with various stakeholders to ensure that the requirements and designs are of sufficient quality and detail to be usable. The requirements and designs are then validated to ensure that they meet organizational goals and deliver value. The Requirements Architecture is used to structure the requirements and designs into a cohesive representation of the solution. The Business analyst uses system thinking and creative thinking to explore solution options during the defined solution options task.

Once a potential solution is defined, it will be analyzed to ensure that it provides the value expected by the organization. The Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition Overview. So a diagram illustrates the steps involved in requirements Analyzes and Design Definition. Again, you will have the image in the course. The first step is specify and model requirements. The second step is verify requirements. The third step is validate requirements. The fourth step is define requirements architecture. The fifth one is defined solution options. And lastly, the 6th step is analyze potential value and recommend solution.

3. RADD and the BACCM (TM)

Requirements analyzes and design definition and the business analyzes core concept model. After completing this topic, you should be able to recognize how business analyzes core concepts are applied during requirements, analyzes and Design definition. The business analyst collaborates with stakeholders to elicit their needs and analyze those needs to ensure that they are aligned to business goals and objectives. Needs are analyzed to determine if a solution or solutions are possible and solutions are analyzed to determine if they will meet the stakeholders needs. The analysis of needs includes categorizing the needs.

For example, a need to manage a dental office would be categorized into patient information, insurance claims and scheduling. The business analyst will determine if there are needs that contradict each other and reach out to those stakeholders to better understand those needs and work with them to remove any contradictions. Modeling process flows may indicate that there are requirements that address the needs, such as patient agreement or treatment and or data storage rules. Change is facilitated by a solution that meets the business need.

No matter the size or complexity, change will likely impact people, processes and technologies. Analyzes of business needs results in solution options. One solution could be to do nothing because the resulting solution doesn’t provide enough value or a viable solution is not viable. A star shaped diagram depicts six business analyzes core concepts, one for each point of the star. Each concept connects to every other concept with a line. The concepts are needs changes, solutions, context, value and stakeholders. The role of a business analyst is to analyze needs and develop solutions that meet those needs. Business analysts define change while developing requirements and designs.

Business analysts define solution options. They recommend the option that best meets the need and provides the greatest value. Other options that should be considered are modifying the existing state, changing the existing state through the purchase of software as a solution, also known as SAS, or purchasing commercial of the share software or Buildtosuit. The solution must be evaluated for potential value and to ensure that it meets the business needs according to the Body of Knowledge version three. The context is the circumstances that influence, are influenced by and provide understanding of the change.

The business analyst describes the context in models and text and ensure it is understood and agreed to by stakeholders. The potential value must be analyzed and quantified. In other words, how does a solution provide value, such as reducing the cost of keeping paper dental records? The bidding analyst would calculate the cost of using paper records, such as the cost of immediate storage and storage overtime, the cost associated with the time needed to manage paper and the risk of losing patient records are also assessed.

This cost would be compared against the cost associated with an electronic solution. If the costs are less using an electronic solution, the business analyst would conclude that the solution meets the value needed by the business. The result of analyzes include requirements and design that reflect the business need. This must be communicated so that stakeholders understand and agree to the analyzes outcomes. The Business Analyst needs to make sure that the context is understood by all stakeholders. The Business Analyst must ensure that the potential value of a solution is quantified and analyzed, and the Business Analyst is required to provide understandable and usable requirements and designs.

4. Exercise: Understanding RADD

Exercise understanding Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition after completing this topic, you should be able to demonstrate your understanding of Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition. So in this exercise, you will demonstrate your understanding of Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition. This involves the following task understanding how the area relates to the other knowledge areas, recognizing how Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition fits within the Value spectrum, identifying the characteristics of the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition and finally, recognizing how the core concepts in business analysis are applied to Requirements Analysis and Design Definition. So here we have the question.

The requirements. Analyzes and design definition tasks are part of a broader context of business analyzes activities. How do the tasks perform during the Requirement Analyzes and Design Definition relate to the tasks performed during other phases of Business Analyzed activities. Here we have the options. They describe and organize the requirements discovered during the Business Analysis, Planning and Monitoring tasks. They use input from other tasks including the Strategy Analysis and Solution Evaluation to manage the requirements. They will supply the solution definition to the solution evaluation task they are the first step in the analyze process and do not receive significant input from the other knowledge areas. And finally they are only linked to the requirements lifecycle Management Task. And here you have the answer. Remember, take your time, try to answer by yourself and then compare. These are the correct options.

Option One this option is correct. The requirements discovered as part of Business Analyzed Planning and Monitoring are structured and organized as part of Research Analysis and Design Definition task. Option Two this option is correct. The business analyst will use inputs from other knowledge area tasks including the business analysis plan the strategy analyzes the solution evaluation and requirements lifecycle to manage the requirements. Option Three this option is correct. The solution will be defined and can be passed back and forth between the Solution Evaluation Task and the Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition task. Option Four this option is incorrect. The Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition Task use input from other tasks as well as supplying inputs to many of them. Option Five this option is incorrect.

The task performed during requirements, analysis and design. Definition use inputs from many other tasks including the business analysis plan, strategy analysis and solution evaluation. Task The Business Analyzes Value Spectrum measures the progress of potential value true to actual value. Which of the following statements regarding the requirements analyzes and design definition activities within the business analysis value spectrum are correct? Here you have the options on the value spectrum. The requirements. Analysis and design definition tasks are performed after strategy analyzes activities. Requirements analysis and design definition tasks are performed before Solutions cop Activities they fall before the Solution Evaluation task on the value spectrum. They lie between Strategy Analyzes and Solution Evaluation activities on the value spectrum, and finally, they fall after the proof of Prototype task on the value spectrum. And here you have the answer.

Option One this option is correct. The requirement. Analysis and design definition activities are performed after strategy analysis. Option Two this option is incorrect. The requirements. Analysis and design definition tasks are performed after solution scope is defined. Option Three this option is correct. The requirements. Analyzes and design definition tasks occur before the solution evaluation task. Option Four this option is correct. The Requirements and Design tasks occur after the Solution Scope task and before the Proof of Concept activities. Five and the last one. This option is obviously incorrect.

The design activities occur before the Proof of Prototype activities. Which of the following statements regarding the characteristics of Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition r Two Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition includes the presentation of a prototype as well as pilot and beta testing stages. When viewing on the business analysis value spectrum, the requirements analyzed and design definition is placed. After the Strategy Analyzes phase, requirements discovered in the Planning and Monitoring Knowledge area are organized. The Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition phase occurs in a set of linear activities.

The one leading to the other requirements are specified and modeled during Requirements Analysis and Design Definition activities. And here you have the answer. Option One this option is incorrect. These activities only occur in the solution evaluation Phase after Requirements analyzes and Design Definition Task Option Two this option is correct. The Requirements and Design tasks occur after the Solution Scope task and before the Proof of Prototype activities. Option Three this option is correct. The Requirements identifying during Business analysis, planning and Monitoring activities are structured and organized during the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition activities.

Option Four this option is incorrect. The activities tend to be incremental and iterative in nature. Option Five and the last one. This option is correct. Requirements analysis and design definition task include specifying and modeling requirements. Core concepts in the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition include needs changes and solutions. Which of the following statements regarding how core concepts are applied during the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition activities are correct. Here you have the options. Change is facilitated by transforming elicitation results into requirements and designs. Business needs are analyzed to determine solution options. The Analyzes of needs includes categorizing needs. One solution is necessary for each need and finally, changes should be kept to a minimum during Requirements Analyzes and Design Definition activities. And here you have the answer. Option One this option is correct.

Requirements are the result of a defined change. Option Two this option is correct. Options that should be considered are modifying the existing state or changing the existing state through the purchase of software as a solution. Option Three this option is correct. Needs must be categorized in order to be addressed. Option Four this option is incorrect. An individual solution can address one or more needs. Option Five this option is incorrect. Changes are necessary and help transform a need into a solution. Core concepts in the requirements analysis and design definition include context value and stakeholders identify the correct statements regarding how these core concepts are applied during the requirements, analysis and design definition activities. Here we have the options. The requirements and designs must be communicated to the stakeholders.

Context and changes are not related in any way. The potential value of solutions must be analyzed and quantified. Value is analyzed but cannot be yet quantified and the context is described in Models and Text. And here we have the answer. Option one this option is correct. The results of analyzes include requirements and designs that reflect the business need. This must be communicated so that stakeholders understand and agree to the analyzes outcomes. Option Two this option is incorrect. Context relates to the circumstances that influence and provide understanding of the change. Option Three this option is correct. The manner in which a solution delivers value needs to be analyzed. Option Four this option is incorrect. The manner in which a solution delivers value can be analyzed and quantified by assessing cost. And finally option Five this option is correct. The business analyst must describe the context and ensure that it is understood and usable by stakeholders.