Business process modeling notation, or BPMN, is the way BPM professionals communicate the design of a specific process, be it simple or exceedingly complex. There are various steps in any process that may come up, and notation helps a business process management (BPM) professional identify these at a glance, and to describe what needs to be done at any given point during the process based on element types.

Are you thinking about initiating a digital transformation campaign in your company?

If so, you may be worried about what could go wrong, and the challenges that possibly lie ahead. You’ve probably heard about the many unsuccessful stories, and you’re right to be concerned.

We’ve all encountered problems in our attempts to communicate business insights. Managing denial and setting expectations requires a positive rapport with critical stakeholders if we are to overcome these issues.

To bridge communication gaps, understand why establishing a good rapport is vital. Then, apply these methods to building relationships with your most important stakeholders.

Your team will need to stay wary of this potential hindrance and develop countermeasures to it if it's an error that you’re prone to committing. The following tips will guide recognizing analysis paralysis, along with ideas for limiting its negative potential.

How can we aim for, or even define, business success, if we don't know what it is? Critical success factors (CSFs) are an important element in business, and essentially entail identifying what really matters. In this blog post, we will explain exactly what critical success factors are, and take you through some of the different types.

This article discusses four online survey platforms that provide free survey management features which can be used with either the internal or external customers of a business.

The value proposition is the reason why customers turn to one company over another, and can be viewed as the collective attribute(s) or a bundle of services/products that satisfy the unique needs of the specific customer segment a business serves.

Are you looking to create a business model canvas? The following tools have been provided as an initial starting point.

Companies - startups in particular, have to keep up with innovation and need to spend their time wisely. Business plans tend to take time, significant effort and resources to prepare. The Business Model Canvas is the lighter and more agile version of a business plan that can help businesses define what they are about. It is suitable for both new and existing businesses.

It pays to learn from history – the losses and successes of other business.

So, what exactly is a business model and what should you know about innovating your business model?

The new normal of online working is bound to introduce new habits and opportunities for new learnings for business analysts looking to navigate the tides of the post-pandemic workplace.

So, if you’re a BA charged with preparing a business case or identifying benefits for one, here are some key facts to be aware of:

Most software development and process improvement projects involve introducing new ways of working as part of implementation. Creating a procedure document users can follow thus becomes a key activity for business analysts that needs to be completed so that system users can perform their duties using the new system or process on day one.

A well-written business requirements document (BRD) forms the basis of successful project documents and can be used to verify that all stakeholders are on the same page regarding their requirements. Three words that are often misunderstood and therefore misused in requirement documents are shall, should and will… Guest Post

Moving from the traditional/waterfall approach to an agile approach certainly involves a mindset shift that may not always come naturally or even easily for Business Analysts. This mental shift comes with implicit obligations of adopting new ways of working.

Though the Agile Methodology is used heavily in software development domains, it has since spread into different sectors. With Agile comes a growing emphasis on equipping the development team, e.g. your software developers, content writers, engineers, designers, etc. with the information, tools, and direction they need to produce a tangible output within a fixed period of time, that is, sprints of typically 2 weeks. Guest Post By Greg Kellner

Business Analysts are often required to write business cases to justify whether or not a concept/product is viable. Business cases can be of varying lengths and structure. Taking on such a task can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are four basic but easily forgotten tips that will make the process easier, and result in a winning business case.

In order to keep your business competitive, drive growth, ensure continuous improvement and enhance profits, a Business Intelligence (BI) strategy is essential. But a BI strategy is not just about technology or choosing the right platform. Like any part of your business, BI requires strategy, planning, buy-in, execution and continuous review. In this blog post, we will look at the key steps to implementing a business intelligence strategy.

Once you embark on a new business analyst job or project, chances are that you will try to avoid past mistakes and look for ways in which you can deliver better results. 

A lot can be said for this motivation. The beginning of a project is usually an opportunity for a fresh start. Regardless of how advanced your business analysis skills are, or how mature your processes are, there is always room to do better. Guest post by Jason Hartman.

If you’ve worked as a Business Analyst for a while, you’ve probably encountered stakeholders who appear quite economical with information. You know there’s more to the issue than they’re letting on. The key question is, how can you get stakeholders to open up when conducting elicitation events like interviews or workshop sessions? 

Most of my time, especially at the tail end of software development projects, is spent preparing user guides for end users. I try to be creative by including screenshots and business process models so that readers can completely understand what the automated processes are about, and how the supporting business applications work. As a BA, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to prepare user guides for end users. 

Ready to plunge into the networking space? Professional groups on LinkedIn offer an effective platform for you to share ideas, stay on top of trends, explore opportunities and advance your career as a Business Analyst. 

Here is a selection of LinkedIn groups you should explore:

Transferrable skills are a core set of skills and abilities, which can be applied to other jobs and industries. Though most examples you will see are related to soft skills like communication, listening, leadership, etc, transferrable skills extend beyond these and it’s extremely important to identify them when thinking of a career change or advancement.

If you’re ready for socializing and networking or just looking for professional development opportunities, here are some business analysis events to get you started in 2018. So, go ahead and save the dates:

When you are unable to speak your mind for fear of upsetting others or not playing along with the team, there are far ranging consequences.

Failures can come from any aspect of an organization and they may be interconnected. A failed software implementation may have happened for multiple reasons. For example, bad project management, inaccurate requirements, poor training, etc

When we have a strong belief about something or a bias towards a particular opinion, we consciously or unconsciously seek out evidence that validates what we already believe. When we come across contrary evidence, our default behaviour is to ignore it, diminish it or in some cases, conclude that it’s wrong prematurely without exploring its merits.

Here is a list of the most popular 2017 posts, as determined by BAL readers. This list is based on the number of page views recorded for each post.

A Master’s in Business Management can be just what you need to set yourself apart from your competition and build an essential foundation that can help you with your every business and career goal. It is not, however, for everyone. You need to be 100% certain that an MBA is right for you, that you have chosen the right MBA concentration, and that the institution you have chosen offers the right support, information, and resources to help you with your ambitions.

Starting a new job is always full of both excitement and uncertainty. While you may think about how much you will miss your ex-coworkers or may be concerned with how HR will respond if you ever need to contact them in the future, for example, getting pay stubs from your old job, you also need to look forward.

Without any further ado, this article outlines what employees need to do when starting out at a new company.

So, to take advantage of evolving business analytics, you need to first understand the role of future generations and how changing demographics are influencing business technology. We explore these topics here.

As a business analyst, you need to provide solutions to your organization's problems to enable positive change. Whether it’s planning or designing successful strategies, you’ll feature in different aspects of the enterprise.

In today’s data-driven world, there is an increasing demand for statisticians. A professional with a master’s degree in statistics, however, has an edge and can use their advanced knowledge to get ahead in many industries. Besides a career as a statistician, master’s graduates have a range of options to explore, which can offer good earning potential and job satisfaction.

Do your career plans include becoming a business analyst? If so, it's important to know two things right off the bat. First, business analysts are in-demand professionals who work with clients to identify solutions to their business problems.

Scrum has become incredibly popular over the last couple of decades as a framework for product development and project management. Although you can adopt Scrum without having official qualifications or certifications, having the right credentials is evidence and proof that you are proficient in using this framework and understand the practices and principles involved. There are several different credentials out there now, though, so how do you go about choosing the right one?

All resumes should start with a tailored resume introduction. A resume objective is a type of resume introduction that summarises in a few lines why you would be the perfect person for the job. Guest Post By Samuel Johns

More and more companies are beginning to make positions available for business analysts. This is because the role of a business analyst has grown over the years to cover a wide range of responsibilities.

This article discusses 3 roles of a business analyst with respect to system implementation in the insurance industry.

Business Analysts need to consciously work on developing and improving the skills they have acquired on the job. Negotiating is one of those transferrable skills that will never go out of style as you will always need to work with stakeholders and other professionals across projects to get the best outcome possible.

Business analysts play a critical role in businesses as they contribute to the development of products, services, processes and practices within businesses.

There’s no question that it is a competitive world out there when it comes to finding the perfect career. Sure, networking can help you find that perfect job, but it takes a lot more than just good contacts to land a job in any industry.

The complexity of web development should never be underestimated. Wide-scope projects such as these are like fitting together pieces of a very large and complicated jigsaw puzzle. When you think about the variety of components that need to slide seamlessly together, it takes a lot of careful thought and strategy to make it a success. From design to production, the entire process needs to be bespoke in order to meet the requirements of your client. This is where a business analyst can step in to save the day.

One of the biggest gifts of life is access to education. Being a successful business analyst requires you to have a specific set of skills at your disposal to adapt well to any environment - including one that is continuously shifting beneath your feet.

Business analysis is an exciting field and one in which certification is desirable, not just to prove your skills but also to find jobs in higher ranks. In this article, we'll take a look at some common certifications and a few reasons why it's a good idea get certified.

Business analysts, regardless of their domain, should make an active effort to ensure continued professional development. To hone your BA skills and move your career forward, here are five strategies to consider adopting as part of your professional development goals.

A great resume can increase your chances of getting shortlisted in any recruitment process. Here are five resume writing tips that can make your CV stand out as a BA. 

If you landed on this page because you Googled something along the lines of “What it takes to become a business analyst,” then you've arrived at the site with all the information you need to know on what it's all about and how to become one. 

This article focuses on giving a few crucial pointers to those who would like to pursue a career as a business analyst. 

Communicating effectively with stakeholders and BA teams is one of the most essential skills a business analyst can possess. Written communication, in particular, is of vital importance, as there can be no room for error. Any details that must be communicated clearly are best written down, so as to avoid any confusion.

To become a successful business analyst, you require a set of skills that suit the requirements of the role. Moreover, you need to be adaptable to the highly dynamic modern-day business environment. The following three skills define a good business analyst and you should be able to highlight these skills when you are on the job as well as at job interviews.

One of the most important skills business analysts must have in their arsenal is effective communication. In a field where details are key and a wealth of information is shared on a regular basis, productive communication is key to success. Here are a few tips to hone your communication skills.

Not everyone is great at networking. In fact, for some, networking events are completely outside of their comfort zone. Like everything else however, knowing what to do and how to do it can reduce your uncertainty and give you the plunge you need to get started.

If you want to land your dream business analyst job, you should create the perfect resume.

Sometimes, it’s pretty difficult to understand what you should include in your resume and what you should remove from it. Check out the following recommendations. Guest Post By Sylvia Giltner

To be a good business analyst, one must have a clear-cut idea of what is required of them regarding their roles and responsibilities. A business analyst is an intermediary between customers and the company’s technical team. Below are 3 basic responsibilities of a business analyst. 

Lean & Six Sigma methods are preferred by most organizations for process improvement efforts and ensuring the successful completion of projects. Applied initially to manufacturing industry processes, Lean & Six Sigma can now be used in almost every domain of an organization for continuous process improvement.

If you want to choose a career that offers ample earning potential, interesting work and growing demand from employers, operations research analysis is one of the fields to consider. Demand for operations research analysts is growing at an astounding rate of 27 percent. Sponsored Post Submission

Cloud computing has taken off hugely in recent years, and most businesses these days store at least some, if not all, their data in the cloud. There are many benefits to doing so, such as scalability, flexibility, time and cost savings, data centralization, security, data backup, and more.

However, to get the best results from cloud computing, it’s vital to choose the right service provider for your needs. With so many options on the market these days, it helps to know some of the most trusted names worth checking out.

Web development is hot in demand in today’s market. Are you excited to start your journey as a developer or know how an app can change the game for your business?

Looking to purchase workflow automation software?

This article highlights the top five vendors that provide leading workflow automation products to their clients, with the clear intention of improving the business process management practice, and application functionalities every step of the way.

The healthcare or medical industry has become the epicenter of attention over the last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought intense pressure on healthcare workers all over the world with millions needing to be hospitalized. We owe our thanks to these modern-day heroes.

Starting your own eCommerce website is an exciting prospect and can represent a workable approach towards early retirement. While there are a number of factors that can make or break an eCommerce business, there’s one you should never make any compromises on - and that is security.

Most employees dread the prospect of virtual meetings, which isn’t especially surprising considering the challenges of telecommuting. While this form of work was necessary during the pandemic, many people found these meetings to be less productive than their in-person counterparts. However, this challenge doesn’t mean you have to settle. If you want greater productivity, there are several steps you can take. Here are the main ones:

Are you looking to develop apps and wondering whether Flutter is the right platform?

Creating a mobile app successfully is not an easy task. At best, you will be able to identify prospective app users, and achieve the goals and objectives your company has. At worst, your app functions will be flawed due to low performance and would be unable to respond to users’ needs.

For any company to grow and expand, it needs to find a way to make the best business decisions quickly, regularly, and with accurate real-time data. This means it needs to constantly have access to sufficient and accurate user data for making informed decisions.

Disruptive innovation is all about spotting opportunities presented by the market and exploiting them successfully. Companies that identify such opportunities look to provide something different, convenient, affordable, reliable and answer neglected customers' needs.

Java is the most popular and widely used programming language in the world today. Here are some interesting facts about the language.

Despite the advantages of the open-source software available on Linux or the way Macbooks rarely have problems with bugs or viruses, the business world still runs on Windows. Powered by Microsoft, it still retains just over 3/4ths of the entire world's computing market share. This is just one example of why you might need to use software to run multiple operating systems on a different server.

Remote IT support is a type of technical support in which an IT support provider resolves queries or issues by connecting to the client's computer via the internet. Support is typically delivered through desktop sharing software, which allows support executives to access the client's machine and solve problems in real-time.

Laptops have become an essential part of business, academia, and entertainment, and computer issues can cause problems in all areas of life. If you're a laptop user who's noticing that your device is beginning to slow down and show signs of wear, you may be considering purchasing a new laptop.

The most common use of AI found in the analysis was the automation of tasks. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) uses software algorithms to mimic human behavior and automate manual tasks for speed and efficiency.

Whether you’ve just reinstalled your Windows or purchased a brand-new computer, installing new software to suit your requirements is probably the next thing you do. Knowing which programs to install makes the process quick and easy, as there are many Windows applications to choose from. Based on the windows server licensing guide, here are a few essential software programs to install on your PC to ensure the best use of your computer, in no particular order.

Businesses today rely a lot on determining potential business outcomes or “predicting the future,” so to speak. Companies take advantage of all the tools at their disposal to ensure that everything goes according to plan and that initiatives result in the expected business outcomes. Although new technologies have led to innovative tools and methodologies that help businesses achieve set goals, it could be argued that all these rely on a single encompassing concept: data analysis.

By fully understanding the high-quality options, you can give you and your team the best chance of succeeding and providing satisfactory service to your customers at the same time.

There are several solutions to consider when it comes to protecting your privacy online, with VPN and proxy servers being the most prominent ones. Both serve a specific function: they mask your real IP address and prevent websites from tracking you. Which is better? How do the two compare? This article addresses these questions.

Software has evolved into an absolute necessity for companies focused on maximising efficiency. The increased number of deployed information technology (IT) solutions can be counterproductive, however, if not implemented effectively or adequately monitored following implementation.

We've put together a quick guide to automated software that can help you go from basic insights to worthy marketing strategies in no time.

There are several ways you can use caching in your system, and it's important to know what data access strategy you're going to implement. Your chosen data access strategy will significantly affect your application or system design because it dictates the relationship between the data source and caching system. Before choosing one, you should first analyze the access pattern of the data to determine the suitable strategy.

The name of the game is big data and winning the game means employing tools that will help turn big data into insights that can push your business forward.

Collaboration software really has come a long way over the years. It’s making the world of virtual networking easier to navigate and also reshaping how teams work with one another.

The digital transformation of businesses also introduces the potential for increased revenue while decreasing the company’s costs simultaneously. Let’s take a look at how the optimization of internal processes can be implemented with a business process management system.

With the advent of big data, the power to make informed business decisions based on historical data is now possible. Given the progress made in data processing technology and the increasing adoption rates of cloud computing, smart devices, and in-memory data grids (IMDG’s), now is as good a time as ever to leverage big data and analytics tools to understand the behavior patterns of customers, stakeholders, and competitors.

As Artificial Intelligence moves from fiction to fact, companies have no choice but to integrate it into every aspect of their business to remain relevant. Whether it’s for marketing, R&D, or project management, Artificial intelligence is enhancing job efficiencies by taking over repetitive tasks and processes. The world is now looking to scale up business solutions with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A complete migration to the cloud isn’t necessary, however, and there’s a way to start your organization’s digital transformation journey while retaining the computing platforms that continue to serve you well.

Text to speech converters nowadays are becoming pretty sophisticated with different languages and features. Different companies are including all kinds of unique features into their platforms. Professionals tend to find this particular technology useful, especially when it comes to taking notes or creating documentation.

AI or artificial intelligence is being extensively used across multiple domains. There are obviously a number of reasons to implement Artificial Intelligence when developing websites. This article touches on the various pros and cons of AI and also looks at the use of AI in the web development of apps that cater to investigation and spyware systems.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Kanban, a workflow management method designed to:

So, what’s the best way to ensure all stakeholders understand and engage with program objectives? For large programs of work involving a multitude of stakeholders, having a high-level description of what the future organisation looks like after the program has been delivered will ensure stakeholders are engaged and encourage them to participate.

A lot of benefits can be had from using the right framework when running a project. You prevent scope creep, complete projects at a faster pace and may even reduce costs, amongst a host of other benefits. This article touches on a number of these frameworks and their characteristics.

Are you looking to implement a project based on an agile approach?

Let’s explore some of the notable tools out there that support agile project management.

Are you a business analyst or project manager looking to understand change management in detail or thinking of switching your career to change management?

Are you on the hunt for free project management courses? These courses can help you develop your project management skills, earn professional development units to retain your project management certification and also get you up to speed with trends in the project management profession.

When it comes to project failure, it's rarely ever attributable to a single reason. When a project is going nowhere quickly enough, you can often see the signs. Often, there are too many unpleasant signs. Regardless of the reason behind the failure, a decision will need to be made quickly on when to pull the plug.

 Here are some signs you should be aware of:

At the heart of every project are key questions every project manager should be able to answer, no matter how small or large the project is. Answers to these questions can help set direction for the project and lay the foundation for a successful project once it commences.

There are so many project management apps out there in the market that it might seem tedious figuring out which is best for your company’s needs. This article highlights three popular project management apps you can explore. Guest Post By Frank Hamilton

I finally passed my PMP exam today with an “Above Target” rating in all 5 process groups. Attaining the PMP certification is a journey I was on for quite a while, I must say. I set the goal a couple of years back but was too busy to do much about it. It feels fulfilling now that it’s done and dusted. I’ll outline in this post, what helped and what didn’t, especially for those on the path to getting certified. I hope this helps.

A lot of people claim there’s a significant difference between DevOps and Agile. Agile is the description of a set of processes and principles, or a set of values guiding how to run software development. DevOps, on the other hand, refers to the umbrella vision of what was once disparate functions of an organization, from development, testing, to other operational functions and how the automation magic can redefine the business.

Are you looking to put your BA skills to work in an Agile setting?

This post outlines a number of Agile certifications you could explore to prove you have the required knowledge required on Agile-based projects.

The term, Agile, in software development refers to a group of development processes based on solving problems through collaboration across teams. It is a framework that encourages developers to work together, stay accountable, and constantly seek improvements. Using Agile is a way to compete in a world of constant demand. 

This article discusses 3 main approaches used by scrum teams to manage work and prevent scope creep, which other teams may learn from, whether organised as scrum teams or not.

There are some activities, also known in scrum terminology as “ceremonies” which support the scrum team in delivering on its objectives. All these activities are important to scrum teams and should be fulfilled to ensure team performance is at its peak. They are:

One of the quickest ways to prove your competency as an agile business analyst is getting certified. Though having experience on agile teams is valuable, it’s also worthwhile going the extra mile to formalise that experience by getting certified. Certification is also a great path for those without experience on agile teams to get their feet wet.

Kanban is an agile methodology that involves constant communication amongst team members to ensure obstacles are minimized, especially while projects are ongoing. It also involves matching the amount of work in progress to the team’s capacity. 

Kanban is an approach to work that aligns with the agile framework. Principles surrounding the implementation of Kanban are as follows:

Scrum teams embrace certain core values to ensure their team’s health and success. While these values may also be embraced by factions of an organisation that do not necessarily form part of scrum teams, these values are typically at the centre of any scrum team.

Scrum is one of the most widely used frameworks aligned to Agile and is adopted extensively across software development teams.

This article highlights some characteristics of scrum teams you should be aware of if you are a business analyst and you find yourself working as part of a scrum team: