I am sure that most of us would agree that “Every Project Has Requirements”. Every time a new software application is being developed explicitly or implicitly there is always a ‘Business Analyst’ (BA) from the project team who performs the role of requirements gathering for every software project. While some requirements are crucial to the application others are considered to be gold-plated luxuries.
How do we determine that the approach being adopted to gather the requirements is accepted as a good practice? What makes an individual a successful BA who not only understands the business problems but also models a solution which can be effectively leveraged through the use of technology?
How can one be assured that a BA is given the power of execution to get the things delivered with a benchmark of quality and within the defined timeframes? Let’s touch base upon some of the key pointers which are essential and indispensable for business analysis.
Who Gather’s Project Requirements
Determining the project requirements is vital in developing successful software as they form a baseline between the IT team, the customers and the stakeholders on what features will be delivered in the new system. One needs to identify at the beginning of the project who would be taking the ownership for capturing the project requirements.
Today, many software developers do perform the role of a BA. The technical discussion coupled with absence of soft skills and business acumen not only dilutes the interest levels of the customer but can also witness a total disconnect. It would be best in the interest of all the stakeholders that the individual who is going to perform of the role of a BA master’s the basics of interviewing techniques for gathering project requirements coupled with a formal training or exposure in business analysis.
Requirements Gathering at Customer Site
Before going to the customer’s site and to facilitate smooth requirements gathering it would be advisable if the BA reviews any existing project reference material or supporting project documents. The documents would help a BA get the pulse of not only the current systems and processes but also identify the drawbacks or deficiencies in the existing systems. A BA should also be cognizant of the various stakeholders associated with the project coupled with their roles and responsibilities and interview the stakeholders accordingly to get more information.
Requirements Specifications, Tools and Templates
Business Analyst (BA) should communicate to the customer in the early stages of the project the standard templates and requirement management tools they would adhere to in order to document the requirements specifications. A Business Analyst (BA) analyses, documents, manages and presents the project requirements for review and approval to the client in a most comprehensible manner. Best approach would be to adhere to a standard template for documenting the software requirements. Most organizations make effective use of the SRS template described in the IEEE Standard 830-1998.
For projects large in size and complexity it is appropriate to make use of requirements management tool in documenting project requirements, versioning requirements, managing requirements change, tracking the requirements and reusing the requirements wherever possible. Some examples of requirement management tools are: Requisite Pro, Caliber-RM, Telelogic.
Managing Requirements Change
Should there be any queries or concerns towards any aspect of the planned project activity it is appropriate that one defines a clear process in identifying the key points of contact in the project engagement with proper escalation mechanism. The steering committee identified is responsible to advise on strategic direction, oversee planning and implementation, resolve open issues to manage requirements change. Proper protocols must be set to establish a process through which requirements changes are reviewed, analyzed and resolved. New changes must be mapped to the project objective. If the requirement does not map it either means the requirements are missing or they fall out of scope.
Industry Certifications
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is an independent non-profit professional association serving today the growing field of Business Analysis. The IIBA has created the Certified Business Analysis Professional certification (CBAP) which would not only strengthens one’s conceptual base but would also leverage one’s existing career opportunities in today’s world of emerging and competitive markets. The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) also gives the necessary knowledge of the skills necessary to be an effective Business Analyst.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Leaders Are Readers
Couple of years ago I happened to read this quote "Leaders Are Readers". The quote made a favorable impression on me. Although Charles Jones had coined this quote I ensured that it was committed to my memory as I realized that the key to expanding one's knowledge is by reading. Perhaps not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. If that's true, then why don't more people read? There are a variety of reasons why people don’t read as much as they should. They feel that it's not their responsibility after they finish school whereas others don't read because they are simply indolent. On an average people read about two or three books per year.
Today, with easy access to malls, multiplexes, sending sms or scraps back and forth on social networking sites it’s very unlikely we see individuals getting engrossed into the discipline of reading. In fact it is the responsibility of an individual to inculcate the discipline of reading within them after finishing school. One’s mind should be open to absorb as much information as it can and grab knowledge because knowledge is that wealth an individual can acquire and store in his brain where no thief can come and touch it.
Successful people command successful vocabulary and they read an average of two to three hours per day. Reading a book on 'Self Improvement' for half an hour just before starting your starting your day is itself inspiring as it sets the spiritual tone for the rest of the day and it pays to increase one's word power by not only keeping the channels of communication open but to also express more completely as individuals.
Each one of us should become voracious readers. It takes effort, but it's worth it. A book a month will keep you even. If each of one us takes efforts in reading we would be proud to showcase our communication skills and writing skills by participating in international symposiums and competitions.
It takes regular, persistent reading and studying for one to improve and climb the ladder of success. The journey is indeed rewarding and also a voyage of discovery. The daily practice of reading in our chosen field will make us one of the best informed people in our field. With passage of time the habit of reading can leverage an individual both professionally as well as personally.
So, let’s make a resolution that may require a lifestyle change which is absolutely essential and indispensable for our success - 'The Discipline of Reading'.
Today, with easy access to malls, multiplexes, sending sms or scraps back and forth on social networking sites it’s very unlikely we see individuals getting engrossed into the discipline of reading. In fact it is the responsibility of an individual to inculcate the discipline of reading within them after finishing school. One’s mind should be open to absorb as much information as it can and grab knowledge because knowledge is that wealth an individual can acquire and store in his brain where no thief can come and touch it.
Successful people command successful vocabulary and they read an average of two to three hours per day. Reading a book on 'Self Improvement' for half an hour just before starting your starting your day is itself inspiring as it sets the spiritual tone for the rest of the day and it pays to increase one's word power by not only keeping the channels of communication open but to also express more completely as individuals.
Each one of us should become voracious readers. It takes effort, but it's worth it. A book a month will keep you even. If each of one us takes efforts in reading we would be proud to showcase our communication skills and writing skills by participating in international symposiums and competitions.
It takes regular, persistent reading and studying for one to improve and climb the ladder of success. The journey is indeed rewarding and also a voyage of discovery. The daily practice of reading in our chosen field will make us one of the best informed people in our field. With passage of time the habit of reading can leverage an individual both professionally as well as personally.
So, let’s make a resolution that may require a lifestyle change which is absolutely essential and indispensable for our success - 'The Discipline of Reading'.
Inflation at Double Digit Nightmare
There is a popular adage often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the father of time management. "Failing to plan is planning to fail". The quote may sound like music to our ears but planning is one area which needs to be given best attention at all points of time in our life which includes Financial Planning. Sadly, it is a step that is often overlooked.
A general and progressive increase in prices with inflation reaching double digits what does that mean to the common man living in an enterprising city like Mumbai which is our country's financial capital? Mumbai, has always meant to be the city meant for pursuing one's dream.
While a common man works hard throughout their life to acquire their dream house but with the possibility of home loans getting costlier coupled with rising EMI's does that mean that the common man today cannot live the life they had always dreamt off.
Will the current rising inflation detrimentally effect our financial planning for the good or the bad? Today, there is an imperative need for the common man to be cognizant of the various options as to where they can park their money to get the best out of it. It may involve efforts on the part of the common man to explore these options. Rightly said, it's not only money but lack of money which is the root of all evil and mental turmoil. A holistic approach is absolutely essential and indispensable for achieving financial freedom in our lives.
A general and progressive increase in prices with inflation reaching double digits what does that mean to the common man living in an enterprising city like Mumbai which is our country's financial capital? Mumbai, has always meant to be the city meant for pursuing one's dream.
While a common man works hard throughout their life to acquire their dream house but with the possibility of home loans getting costlier coupled with rising EMI's does that mean that the common man today cannot live the life they had always dreamt off.
Will the current rising inflation detrimentally effect our financial planning for the good or the bad? Today, there is an imperative need for the common man to be cognizant of the various options as to where they can park their money to get the best out of it. It may involve efforts on the part of the common man to explore these options. Rightly said, it's not only money but lack of money which is the root of all evil and mental turmoil. A holistic approach is absolutely essential and indispensable for achieving financial freedom in our lives.
Inflation at Double Digit Nightmare
There is a popular adage often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the father of time management. "Failing to plan is planning to fail". The quote may sound like music to our ears but planning is one area which needs to be given best attention at all points of time in our life which includes Financial Planning. Sadly, it is a step that is often overlooked.
A general and progressive increase in prices with inflation reaching double digits what does that mean to the common man living in an enterprising city like Mumbai which is our country's financial capital? Mumbai, has always meant to be the city meant for pursuing one's dream.
While a common man works hard throughout their life to acquire their dream house but with the possibility of home loans getting costlier coupled with rising EMI's does that mean that the common man today cannot live the life they had always dreamt off.
Will the current rising inflation detrimentally effect our financial planning for the good or the bad? Today, there is an imperative need for the common man to be cognizant of the various options as to where they can park their money to get the best out of it. It may involve efforts on the part of the common man to explore these options. Rightly said, it's not only money but lack of money which is the root of all evil and mental turmoil. A holistic approach is absolutely essential and indispensable for achieving financial freedom in our lives.
A general and progressive increase in prices with inflation reaching double digits what does that mean to the common man living in an enterprising city like Mumbai which is our country's financial capital? Mumbai, has always meant to be the city meant for pursuing one's dream.
While a common man works hard throughout their life to acquire their dream house but with the possibility of home loans getting costlier coupled with rising EMI's does that mean that the common man today cannot live the life they had always dreamt off.
Will the current rising inflation detrimentally effect our financial planning for the good or the bad? Today, there is an imperative need for the common man to be cognizant of the various options as to where they can park their money to get the best out of it. It may involve efforts on the part of the common man to explore these options. Rightly said, it's not only money but lack of money which is the root of all evil and mental turmoil. A holistic approach is absolutely essential and indispensable for achieving financial freedom in our lives.
Celebrity Blogging
Guess what's common between Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan. Well, all of them have made their presence felt in the cyberspace in terms of blogs. Celebrity blogging is the buzzword. Looking forward we should not be wouldn't be astonished if many more celebrities decide to join this global network of interconnected computers. What is the prime reason for the growing popularity of celebrity blogging?
So, are blogs being used as another medium to interact with the fans and the members of the film industry. Are blogs an invasion today by acting as catalyst to unite with their fans ? Is blogging an another tool being used effectively to leverage it for promoting, distributing, brand positioning and clearing any misunderstandings due to comments being posted for or against them by someone else.
If we were to go by these blogs I would say that words are the tools of thoughts and with words we govern men. Words expressed gives us the hope and encouragement to keep the channel of communications open. All writers, by the way they use the language, reveal something of their spirits, their habits, their personal experiences and their biases.
What's intriguing is the known fact that celebrities have been always tight on time so where do they find time to sit down and write at length their day to day events or express their flow of thoughts. I feel most celebrities might be having a dedicated personnel or writers to promote them. As rightly coined by the famous English novelist, poet, playwright and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton, "The pen is mightier than the sword".
So, are blogs being used as another medium to interact with the fans and the members of the film industry. Are blogs an invasion today by acting as catalyst to unite with their fans ? Is blogging an another tool being used effectively to leverage it for promoting, distributing, brand positioning and clearing any misunderstandings due to comments being posted for or against them by someone else.
If we were to go by these blogs I would say that words are the tools of thoughts and with words we govern men. Words expressed gives us the hope and encouragement to keep the channel of communications open. All writers, by the way they use the language, reveal something of their spirits, their habits, their personal experiences and their biases.
What's intriguing is the known fact that celebrities have been always tight on time so where do they find time to sit down and write at length their day to day events or express their flow of thoughts. I feel most celebrities might be having a dedicated personnel or writers to promote them. As rightly coined by the famous English novelist, poet, playwright and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton, "The pen is mightier than the sword".
Social Networking Sites : Heart throb of the Millions
Romantic Me:
Hi BEAUTIFUL!!!
How are YOU?
Your smile is so bright .. good enough to warm up my heart and brighten up the whole room …My co-ordinates are: MrRomantic@youthmail.com Anxious to hear from you …
If we have ever been on a social networking site, a conversation like this must not have been a surprise for each one of us. During the recent times, the online social networking sites like Orkut, MySpace and Facebook have become a common destination for the younger generation. The sites have been considered to be the heart throb of the millions.
Today, playing outdoor games like cricket have become things of the past for the school kids. Across the world, young kids login, create fancy profiles and write scraps back and forth on these social networking sites. Why teenagers flock to these networking sites? What attracts teenagers to these networking sites? Individuals surf these sites as it helps them to keep in touch with their friends, be a part of a group, find new friends, activity partners or go about dating.
Whatever might be the reasons the reality of what individuals say or what one actually does on these networking sites may witness a total disconnect. With easy internet access available today, teenagers end up spending long hours on these networking sites. By interacting or by establishing a contact with the unknown, individuals today get the opportunity to socialize within the society with or without knowing the person on the other end.
Rightly said, technology is change and change is often a cause of inconvenience even from the worse to the better. Those who can cope up with change are the one's who can cope up with the future. The technology advancements has given rise to the social networking sites thereby creating a niche for themselves.
Today, people have successfully developed professional as well as personal contacts using social networking sites with individuals across the world. Voice of the individuals is their very own platform for exchanging their flow of thoughts on these networking sites. However, one needs to use it correctly and in adequate measures and not get addicted to it.
Hi BEAUTIFUL!!!
How are YOU?
Your smile is so bright .. good enough to warm up my heart and brighten up the whole room …My co-ordinates are: MrRomantic@youthmail.com Anxious to hear from you …
If we have ever been on a social networking site, a conversation like this must not have been a surprise for each one of us. During the recent times, the online social networking sites like Orkut, MySpace and Facebook have become a common destination for the younger generation. The sites have been considered to be the heart throb of the millions.
Today, playing outdoor games like cricket have become things of the past for the school kids. Across the world, young kids login, create fancy profiles and write scraps back and forth on these social networking sites. Why teenagers flock to these networking sites? What attracts teenagers to these networking sites? Individuals surf these sites as it helps them to keep in touch with their friends, be a part of a group, find new friends, activity partners or go about dating.
Whatever might be the reasons the reality of what individuals say or what one actually does on these networking sites may witness a total disconnect. With easy internet access available today, teenagers end up spending long hours on these networking sites. By interacting or by establishing a contact with the unknown, individuals today get the opportunity to socialize within the society with or without knowing the person on the other end.
Rightly said, technology is change and change is often a cause of inconvenience even from the worse to the better. Those who can cope up with change are the one's who can cope up with the future. The technology advancements has given rise to the social networking sites thereby creating a niche for themselves.
Today, people have successfully developed professional as well as personal contacts using social networking sites with individuals across the world. Voice of the individuals is their very own platform for exchanging their flow of thoughts on these networking sites. However, one needs to use it correctly and in adequate measures and not get addicted to it.
'Why Monsoon Cripples Mumbai, year after year?'
'Why Monsoon Cripples Mumbai, year after year?'
Ever wondered what happens when the heaven wants to kiss the earth, it brings tears in her eyes in the form of rains with the flashes of blue and red known as lightening. What a way to describe the rains that lashes the city of Mumbai year after year, submerging large parts of the city and bringing it to a standstill. Mumbai, popularly known as the city of opportunities, the city of success stories, the city of dream and dream merchants. A city where everything is possible.
While the state gets busy gearing for the monsoons in the city with an adequate decentralized rescue system we must admit that the monsoon which cripples this city has left every Mumbaikar totally despondent and dejected. The collapsing infrastructure and flooding has continued to remain as a major crisis for Mumbai city in the last three consecutive years which sniffs at the city's inability to deal with the monsoon's rage.
The global financial center, Mumbai is literally washed away by a day's rain disabling the city's lifeline. The suburban train services gets crippled, arterial roads gets flooded, airport is being shut down and power supply getting disrupted in many parts of the suburbs.
Meteorological officials say that the flooding occurs due to the rains coinciding with the high tide. Even if the government has learnt its lesson after many lives were lost in the 26/7 deluge there is an urgent need to upgrade the existing system. It should be treated as imperative to get its act together for an enterprising city like Mumbai.
Monsoon which cripples Mumbai has only exposed the ineptness of the civic administration. The agony of the people of Mumbai is aptly summed up in one Mumbaikar's outburst: In Mumbai everything goes down the drain except water!!!
Ever wondered what happens when the heaven wants to kiss the earth, it brings tears in her eyes in the form of rains with the flashes of blue and red known as lightening. What a way to describe the rains that lashes the city of Mumbai year after year, submerging large parts of the city and bringing it to a standstill. Mumbai, popularly known as the city of opportunities, the city of success stories, the city of dream and dream merchants. A city where everything is possible.
While the state gets busy gearing for the monsoons in the city with an adequate decentralized rescue system we must admit that the monsoon which cripples this city has left every Mumbaikar totally despondent and dejected. The collapsing infrastructure and flooding has continued to remain as a major crisis for Mumbai city in the last three consecutive years which sniffs at the city's inability to deal with the monsoon's rage.
The global financial center, Mumbai is literally washed away by a day's rain disabling the city's lifeline. The suburban train services gets crippled, arterial roads gets flooded, airport is being shut down and power supply getting disrupted in many parts of the suburbs.
Meteorological officials say that the flooding occurs due to the rains coinciding with the high tide. Even if the government has learnt its lesson after many lives were lost in the 26/7 deluge there is an urgent need to upgrade the existing system. It should be treated as imperative to get its act together for an enterprising city like Mumbai.
Monsoon which cripples Mumbai has only exposed the ineptness of the civic administration. The agony of the people of Mumbai is aptly summed up in one Mumbaikar's outburst: In Mumbai everything goes down the drain except water!!!
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