The second edition of this book is a response to the fact that today BAs are expected to not merely help in gathering requirement for software, but solve real-world business problems, act as design thinkers and innovators, architects, drive process, and business transformation, and become ‘trusted advisors’ to managements—while leveraging their core strength in Information Technology. If the earlier edition was the first book on the subject—this edition takes the subject to the next level by preparing a BA to become a design thinker!

An architect/design thinker usually views any problem from multiple perspectives. This edition, has therefore, been structured such that most of the chapters represent a distinct view-point about a problem space, business area or a process. Divided into five sections, the book delves onto three important aspects of Business Analysis—Processes, Information and Systems.

The external enterprise context, competitiveness and strategy; internal enterprise context; flow perspective; information perspective; decision/business rules perspective; dynamic perspective; innovation and human perspective and technology perspective are some of the key view-points described in the chapters. Each of these perspectives are covered by way of conceptual framework, real-life illustrations and practical tips for a BA.

With the help of a comprehensive cases, this edition guides the BA to synthesize these discrete perspectives, and propose meaningful solutions to the organization. In doing this, the book also explains the core artifacts which a BA produces, viz. Requirements Documents, Estimation and Business Cases.

The book is designed for the aspiring Business Analysts and IT Managers/CIOs. Besides, the book will be equally beneficial for the students opting for the courses on MIS, Systems Analysis and Design, MBA, MCA and Business Process Analysis.

Preface • Acknowledgements

How To Use This Book?

Section 1: Context and Frameworks

1. Business Analyst: The Changing Context and Its Evolving Role

2. Frameworks for Business Analysis

Section 2: Core Perspectives of a Business Process

3. The Customer’s Perspective

4. The Flow Perspective

5. The Information Perspective

6. Decision and Business Rules Perspective

7. Dynamic Behaviour of a Business Processes

8. Compliance, Quality, Security and Other Perspectives

Section 3: Innovation, Strategy and Solution

9. Visualizing an IT-Based Solution: The Solution Perspective

10. Innovation Perspective

11. Enterprise Perspective I: Business Strategy and Enterprise Architecture

12. Enterprise Perspective II: Information and IT Strategy

Section 4: Consolidating the Requirements and Synthesis

13. Outcomes of Business Analysis: Consolidation and Synthesis

14. Business Analysis Case Study

Section 5: Business Analysis Practice Areas

15. Evolving Role of a Business Analysis and Practice Areas

Suggested Readings