TASK-1 BUSSINESS ANALYST

(Mukundam) Business Analyst Candidate Oct- batch 2024

Ans 1- Business analysts (BAs) are responsible for bridging the gap between IT and the business using
BRS and other reports to assess processes, determine requirements, and deliver data-driven
recommendations and reports to executives and stakeholders.

BAs engage with business leaders and users to understand how data-driven changes to process,
products, services, software, and hardware can improve efficiencies and add value.

Creating a detailed business analysis in an effort to outline problems, opportunities, and solutions for a
business

Budgeting and forecasting

Planning and monitoring

Variance analysis

Reporting.

Ans 2-There are follwing steps-

1-Requirement and specification

2-Design and specification

3-Coding and unit/module testing

4-Integration and system Testing

5- Maintenance

Business analysts are tasked with prioritizing technical and functional requirements, identifying what
clients want, and determining what is feasible to deliver. It requires a deep understanding of systems,
how they function, who will need to be involved, and the necessary steps to get everyone on board.

Ans 3- Functional Requirements

Functional requirements define a function that a system or system element must be qualified to perform
and must be documented in different forms. The functional requirements describe the behavior of the
system as it correlates to the system's functionality.

Functional requirements should be written in a simple language, so that it is easily understandable. The
examples of functional requirements are authentication, business rules, audit tracking, certification
requirements, transaction corrections, etc

Non-functional requirements

Non-functional requirements are not related to the software's functional aspect. They can be the
necessities that specify the criteria that can be used to decide the operation instead of specific behaviors
of the system. Basic non-functional requirements are - usability, reliability, security, storage, cost,
flexibility, configuration, performance, legal or regulatory requirements, etc

Ans 4-Step 1 – List All Your Projects. ...

Step 2 – Determine Criteria for Priority. ...

Step 3 – Assign Weight to Your Criteria. ...

Step 4 – Review and Validate. ...

Step 5 – Score Your Projects Based on the Weighted Criteria. ...

Step 6 – Calculate the Total Scores.

Ans 5-Technical Tools- Power Bi,Microsoft Excel, Visio, Jira, Confluence.

Power Bi- Power BI helps users analyze data to make better decisions.

-Power BI allows users to create interactive visualizations and dashboards that display
information from different sources

- Power BI analysts need to be able to collect, organize, and clean data to extract insights and
also use for Presentation.

Microsoft-Business analysts need to develop skills in creating, formatting, and manipulating

spreadsheets. Key Excel features for business analysts include IF formulas, VLOOKUP,
PivotTables, data visualization tools, and the ability to automate tasks with Visual Basic for
Applications.

-Includes Azure Synapse Analytics, a distributed system designed to perform analytics on large
data.

Visio- Show the current and future states of a process or organization, which can help identify
gaps and opportunities for improvement

- Depict the steps involved in a process and the order in which they should occur.

Jira-

Planning: Create user stories, issues, and sprints, and distribute tasks

Tracking: Monitor the team's activity, prioritize tasks, and track workflow progress

Reporting: Generate reports on project status, requirements coverage, and more

Collaboration: Facilitate communication and collaboration among stakeholders

Requirements management: Capture and manage requirements, and establish traceability

between requirements, tasks, and test cases

Integration: Link requirements with Confluence documentation.

Confluence-

Confluence is a collaboration tool that companies can use to share project updates and meeting
notes to encourage superior communication between team members. Managers can introduce
Confluence as a tool that streamlines operations, fosters collaboration and saves time for
everyone who uses it.

Ans 5-A SWOT analysis is a project management tool that helps identify and analyze a project's
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It can help project managers and stakeholders
in a number of ways, including:

Identifying areas of focus: A SWOT analysis can help identify areas for a project to focus on.

Addressing potential risks: A SWOT analysis can help identify potential risks and gaps in a
project. This allows project managers to address concerns proactively with a project plan.

Optimizing planning and efficiency: A SWOT analysis can help optimize planning and
efficiency.

Improving collaboration: A SWOT analysis can help improve collaboration among project
stakeholders.

Simplifying brainstorming: A SWOT analysis can help simplify brainstorming.

Informing strategic planning: A SWOT analysis can help inform strategic planning.

Ans 6-Adopt an agile approach.

Define and prioritize requirements.

Communicate and collaborate.

Manage scope and risks.

Test and validate.

Here's what else to consider.

Ans 7-Active listening - Listen to the concerns, frustrations and grievances of the customer and
understand what caused their dissatisfaction.

Empathy and clarification - Show empathy that you are equally concerned and willing to help
rectify the situation. Ask open ended questions and clarifying questions to ensure I fully
understand the concern and there are no misunderstandings

Influence and power - Perform a stakeholder analysis to know their influence and power on the
project's success.

Analyse and Evaluate priorities - Analyse the situation and the cause for the stakeholders
concerns, Determine their priorities and tailor the approach

Ans 8-The software development lifecycle (SDLC) is the cost-effective and time-efficient
process that development teams use to design and build high-quality software. The goal of SDLC
is to minimize project risks through forward planning so that software meets customer
expectations during production and beyond.

There are five secure SDLC phases: problem analysis and planning, designing, development,
testing, and deployment.
1-Requirement and specification(The first phase of the SDLC is the project planning stage where you are
gathering business requirements from your client or stakeholders.)

2-Design and specification(This phase is critical for converting the information gathered during the
planning and analysis phase into clear requirements for the development team. This process guides the
development of several important documents: a software requirement specification (SRS) or product
specification, )

3-Coding and unit/module testing (This SDLC phase can take quite a lot of time and specialized
development tools. It’s important to have a set timeline and milestones so the software developers
understand the expectations and you can keep track of the progress in this stage)

4-Integration and system Testing (Before getting the software product out the door to the production
environment, it’s important to have your quality assurance team perform validation testing to make sure
it is functioning properly and does what it’s meant to do. The testing process can also help hash out any
major user experience issues and security issues. )

5- Maintenance (The maintenance phase is the final stage of the SDLC if you’re following the waterfall
structure of the software development process. However, the industry is moving towards a more agile
software development approach where maintenance is only a stage for further improvement. )

Ans 9-The Business Analyst’s Role in the SDLC

1. Planning Phase

The planning phase sets the foundation for the entire project. During this phase, the project
scope, objectives, and feasibility are determined. The business analyst’s role in this phase is
crucial for defining the project’s direction and ensuring alignment with business goals.

Feasibility Analysis: BAs perform feasibility studies to evaluate the project’s viability from
technical, economic, and operational perspectives. They assess risks, benefits, and potential
challenges (learn more about feasibility studies).

2. Analysis Phase

In the analysis phase, detailed requirements are gathered, documented, and analyzed. The BA
plays a central role in ensuring that the requirements are clear, concise, and aligned with business
objectives.

Requirements Documentation: BAs create detailed requirements documents, including functional

and non-functional requirements. These documents serve as the foundation for the design and
development phases.
Use Case Development: Creating use cases and user stories helps in visualizing how the end-
users will interact with the system. BAs develop these artifacts to provide a clear understanding
of user interactions.

3. Design Phase

The design phase focuses on translating requirements into a blueprint for the system. Here, the
BA ensures that the design aligns with the documented requirements and business goals.

Prototyping: Creating prototypes or wireframes helps in visualizing the system’s interface and
functionality. BAs collaborate with designers and developers to refine these prototypes (how
prototyping enhances the design phase).

Technical Specifications: BAs contribute to developing technical specifications and design

documents, ensuring that all requirements are accurately captured and addressed.

4. Development Phase

In the development phase, the actual coding and creation of the software take place. The BA’s
role here involves ensuring that development aligns with the requirements and addressing any
issues that arise.

Requirements Clarification: BAs provide ongoing support to the development team by clarifying
requirements and addressing questions. This ensures that developers have a clear understanding
of what needs to be built.

Change Management: Managing changes to requirements is a critical task. BAs assess the impact
of any changes, update documentation, and communicate these changes to the development team
(effective change management strategies).

Stakeholder Communication: Keeping stakeholders informed about the progress and any issues
encountered during development is vital. BAs facilitate communication between stakeholders
and the development team.

5. Testing Phase

The testing phase is crucial for ensuring the software meets quality standards and functions as
intended. The BA plays a key role in supporting the testing process and validating that
requirements are met.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT): BAs coordinate UAT, where end-users test the system to ensure
it meets their needs. They gather feedback, document issues, and ensure necessary changes are
made (best practices for user acceptance testing).
Defect Management: Managing and prioritizing defects is critical. BAs work with testers and
developers to address and resolve issues, ensuring the final product is of high quality.

6. Implementation Phase

During the implementation phase, the software is deployed to the production environment. The
BA’s role involves ensuring a smooth transition and addressing any post-deployment issues.

Implementation Planning: BAs assist in developing implementation plans, including timelines,

resources, and communication strategies. This ensures a coordinated and smooth deployment
process.

Training and Support: Providing training to end-users is essential for successful adoption. BAs
develop training materials, conduct training sessions, and provide ongoing support (tips for
successful software implementation).

7. Maintenance Phase

The maintenance phase involves ongoing support and enhancements to the software. The BA
continues to play a critical role in ensuring the system evolves to meet changing business needs.

Continuous Improvement: BAs gather feedback and identify opportunities for improvement.
They work with the development team to implement enhancements and address any issues that
arise (continuous improvement in software development).

Stakeholder Engagement: Keeping stakeholders informed about updates and changes is essential.
BAs facilitate communication and ensure that the system continues to meet business needs

Ans 13- To keep things consistent with project requirements, it’s super important to use a
common language and format that everyone, developers, testers, managers, and customers, can
easily get. This means steering clear of vague or conflicting terms and sticking to clear, standard
conventions. Stuff like user stories, use cases, or functional specs are great for explaining
software features. Using a consistent template or style guide helps keep everything uniform. And
don’t forget about visual aids like diagrams, charts, and mockups, they can really help clarify
complex requirements and make sure everyone’s on the same page about the project.

Consistency, proper naming conventions, and handling relevant documents can be extremely
helpful in challenging situations. Employees may leave when they get better opportunities, but
maintaining well-organized documentation and following best/common practices within the
project can help reduce the time needed to understand the project structure. Additionally,
thorough documentation can assist in understanding the module features in detail. It is essential
to use flowcharts and workflows for clarity.

Ans 14-Agile vs. Waterfall

Agile is an iterative approach to software development, emphasizing flexibility and collaboration

among cross-functional teams. It focuses on delivering small, incremental releases, adapting to
changes throughout the development process.

In contrast, Waterfall , where each phase must be completed before moving to the next. Changes
are difficult to incorporate once a phase is completed. Agile promotes adaptability and customer
feedback, while Waterfall provides a structured plan but may struggle with accommodating
changes late in the development cycle.

When it comes to software development methodologies, Agile and Waterfall are two prominent
approaches that offer distinct advantages and challenges. Understanding the key characteristics,
pros, and cons of each methodology is crucial for choosing the most suitable approach for your
project.

The Pros:

Flexibility: Agile allows teams to adapt to changing requirements and priorities, ensuring the
final product meets the evolving needs of stakeholders.

Faster Delivery: By breaking down the project into smaller increments, Agile enables faster
delivery of working software, leading to quicker feedback and validation.

The Cons:

Predictability: Agile may struggle with maintaining predictability in project timelines and
budgets, as requirements evolve over time.

Stakeholder Involvement: Agile requires active involvement from stakeholders and dedicated
resources, which may not always be feasible.

The Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall methodology follows a linear and sequential approach to software development, with
distinct phases such as requirements gathering, design, implementation, testing, and
maintenance.

The Pros:

Clear Roadmap: Waterfall provides a clear roadmap for project execution, making it easier to
plan and estimate resources and timelines upfront.

Stability: Well-suited for projects with stable requirements and predefined objectives, Waterfall
ensures thorough documentation and adherence to established processes.

The Cons:

Rigidity: The rigidity of Waterfall can be a drawback when faced with evolving requirements,
making it challenging to accommodate changes late in the development cycle.

Flexibility: Waterfall lacks the flexibility of Agile to adapt to changes quickly, potentially leading
to delays or rework if issues arise.