Business Analysis: a quick project onboarding

As a customer experience consultant, you sometimes get to join a project that is already ongoing and sometimes you are involved right at the start of a new project. Whatever scenario applies or which role you have, to make informed and evidence-based decisions, it is important to have a good understanding of the business processes. However, performing activities to have a clear understanding takes time, which is not always available. That is why it can be useful to find a way to quickly onboard to a project.

Various methods and techniques can be applied to perform a business analysis. Depending on the context, you often determine which technique best contributes to understanding the business.

In this blog, I will share a few techniques that I use frequently to gain a comprehensive and holistic understanding of a project or process. These techniques are related to the following skills: process analysis, stakeholder management and requirement analysis.

1. Process Analysis

Goal – Process analysis helps you to better understand business processes and evaluate them for efficiency and effectiveness.

Value – With process analysis you can identify bottlenecks in the process and opportunities to create more value.

Techniques – Some of the models or tools that I use:

• Ishikawa- diagram: this is a cause-and-effect diagram.

  

  The diagram clearly shows potential causes of problems that may arise or that are already there. The header of the diagram resembles a fishbone and indicates the problem of a project. The lines branch out high-over categories of causes. This is your input for next activities to get more details from stakeholders.

• SIPOC – analysis model: this diagram can be used to define your process based on supplier, input, process, output, and customer. The model visualizes the complete process from begin to end in the start of a project. Each step can be completed with additional information.

• Value stream mapping: this model helps evaluating the efficiency of the business process. It points out where repeatable steps or multiple handoffs are. If you want to know more about this model , then you should read my previous blog about: Value Stream Mapping.

2. Stakeholder Management

Goal – Stakeholder management helps you to understand who your stakeholders are, how to approach them and what is exactly needed from (and for) all stakeholders.

Value – With stakeholder management you perform activities to understand who the stakeholders are, the impact of changes on them, and the influence they may have on the change and/or the satisfaction by a solution.

Techniques – Some of the models or tools that I use:

• Organizational modelling: this model helps to understand and visualize the framework of the organizations. This can give insight in the structure of departments or networks needed to achieve a goal or fulfil a function.

  

  Additionally, organizational modelling is used to understand roles, responsibilities and reporting functions in an organization.

• Stakeholder mapping: this model helps to identify all the stakeholders involved in the project. This includes internal stakeholders such as employees and external stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and partners. Once all stakeholders are identified, it’s important to understand their interests and level of influence. When you update this map frequently, you can use the input for effective communication, nurturing relationships and improve collaboration.

3. Requirement Analysis

Goal – Requirement management helps you to determine the needs and expectations of a new product or system. Requirements focus on understanding what kind of value could be delivered when fulfilled.

Value – With requirement management you ensure that completed deliverables meet the expectations of the stakeholders.

Techniques – Some of the models or tools that I use: