1. Does
Agile Analysis
Require a
Business Analyst?
Kurt Solarte, IBM-Certified Managing Consultant
March 25th 2011

2. Building a smarter planet
What is Agile?
IBM: a collaborative, incremental, and iterative Wikipedia: a group of software
approach to software development that can development methodologies based on
produce high-quality software in a cost effective iterative and incremental development,
and timely manner. Unlike traditional software where requirements and solutions
development, agile development emphasizes evolve through collaboration between
flexibility, continuous testing and integration, and self-organizing, cross-functional teams.
rapid delivery of functionality.
The Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing
software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more
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3. Building a smarter planet
What is wrong with Waterfall?
Royce, Winston (Aug 1970), "Managing the Development of Large Software Systems", Proceedings of IEEE WESCON
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It’s a Myth!
Royce, Winston (Aug 1970), "Managing the Development of Large Software Systems", Proceedings of IEEE WESCON
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5. Building a smarter planet
History of Agile
The important highlights as I see them 2001 – Ken Schwaber & Mike Beedle
publish the now famous: Agile
1980 – Toyota Production System (TPS) 1995 – Adaptive Software Software Development with Scrum
becomes popular in manufacturing, the Development, Feature
beginnings of ‘Lean’ Driven Development, and
Dynamic Systems 2005ish – Agile Unified
Development Method Process(AUP) - Scott Ambler, Open
1990 – Wicked Problems, Righteous (DSDM), all begin to evolve Unified Process (OpenUp) - eclipse
Solutions by Peter DeGrace & Leslie
project, Essential Unified Process
Hulet Stahl discusses the scrum 1999 – Extreme (EssUP) - Ivar Jacobson; all start to
approach and other Lean methods for Programming Explained is emerge
Software Development published by Kent Beck
1980s 1990s 2000s
2006 – Implementing Lean Software
Development, by Mary and Tom
1996 – Extreme Programming Poppendieck, introduces Kanban
1986 – The New New Product
(XP) begins on the Chrysler
Development Game by by
Payroll Project
Hirotaka Takeuchi & Ikujiro 2010 – A Practical Guide to Distributed
Nonaka is published in Harvard Scrum is published by: Elizabeth
Business Review, mentioning 1995 – Ken Schwaber & Jeff Woodward, Steffan Surdek, &
Rugby/Scrum approach to Sutherland present Scrum Matthew Ganis
manufacturing methodology for Business object
design and implementation at
OOPSLA '95 workshop proceedings 2001 – The Agile Manifesto is signed
© 2009 IBM Corporation
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6. Building a smarter planet
History of Agile
The important highlights as I see them
1980 – Toyota Production System (TPS)
becomes popular in manufacturing, the
beginnings of ‘Lean’
1989-90 – Wicked Problems, Righteous Solutions
by Peter DeGrace & Leslie Hulet Stahl discusses the
scrum approach and other Lean methods for
Software Development
1980s
1986 – The New New Product Development Game
by by Hirotaka Takeuchi & Ikujiro Nonaka is published
in Harvard Business Review, mentioning Rugby/Scrum
approach to manufacturing
© 2009 IBM Corporation
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7. Building a smarter planet
History of Agile
The important highlights as I see them
1995 – Adaptive Software Development,
Feature Driven Development, and
Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM),
all begin to evolve
1999 – Extreme Programming Explained
is published by Kent Beck
1990s
1996 – Extreme Programming (XP)
begins on the Chrysler Payroll Project
1995 – Ken Schwaber & Jeff Sutherland present
Scrum methodology for Business object
design and implementation at OOPSLA '95
workshop proceedings
© 2009 IBM Corporation
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8. Building a smarter planet
History of Agile
2006 – Implementing Lean Software Development,
by Mary and Tom Poppendieck, introduces Kanban
2001 – Ken Schwaber & Mike Beedle
publish the now famous:
Agile Software Development with Scrum 2010 – A Practical Guide to Distributed Scrum
is published by: Elizabeth Woodward, Steffan
Surdek, & Matthew Ganis
2000s
2003–2005
Agile Unified Process(AUP) - Scott Ambler,
Open Unified Process (OpenUp) - eclipse project,
Essential Unified Process (EssUP) - Ivar Jacobson;
all start to emerge
2001 – The Agile Manifesto is signed
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Where do these agile methods lay?
LEAN
Advisory Philosophical
Kanban
Process focused
SCRUM
Team Focused
XP
Developer
Focused
Prescriptive
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Most Common Agile Roles
Programmer
On-site
Tester
Customer
Scrum
Master
XP
Product Team
Owner Member
SCRUM
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Who potentially makes up these roles
Architects
Program
and
Managers
Project Coders
Testers
Managers
Business Team
Business
Analysts Analysts Leads
Subject
Matter
Experts
Stakeholders
& Customers
Team Member /
Scrum Master
Programmer & Tester
Product Owner /
On-Site Customer
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Where does the Business Analysis Fit?
Source: Don Wells, 2001
Source: public domain graphics from Open Clip Art Library, 2009
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Agile Business Analyst – What is needed?
Take the Scrum analogy to heart
– No more kicking requirements over the wall
– No more big requirements documents
– Become embedded in the team and the process
Become part of the full project lifecycle
– Realise requirements is an ongoing process throughout project
– Prepare to be a part of the team for longer time frame, through many iterations/sprints
– Become imbedded in the Quality aspect of the lifecycle
Embrace change!
– Embrace the organisational change that comes with agile
– Embrace constant change to the project scope/requirements/needs/priorities
Become more then a requirements scribe
– Need to provide dialog and insight
– Need to assist in the process adoption
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Grow up, its time to mature
To fit the Agile methods the BA must mature
– No room for a simple requirements scribe
Improve the process of ‘making software’
Scope
– Focus on the process and efficiencies Business
– Be the champion of the process, not the Improvement
requirements Process
Improvement
Embrace a consultative approach System
– Provide insight and recommendations Improvement
– Add value to the whole process
Authority
AssistKD: The Business Analysis Maturity Model (BAMMTM)
Business Improvement is the BA’s GOAL!
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15. Building a smarter planet
Do the right things? or Do things the right way?
Just capturing requirements isn’t enough
– Maintenance isn’t sufficient anymore
– IT/Software must be a differentiator
Requirements don’t need to be perfect
– Perfect requirements are elusive
– Elusive tasks are a waste of resources
Create efficiency with the agile process
– Good collaboration and feedback
– Efficient use of time and documentation
Collaboration and efficiency breed growth
– With proper collaboration and feedback comes
proper alignment Avoiding the Alignment Trap in IT; David Shplberg, Steve Berez, Rudy
– With efficiency and process comes cost-savings Puryear, & Sachin Shah; MITSloan Management Review 2007
and growth
Avoiding the Alignment Trap in IT; David Shplberg, Steve Berez, Rudy
Puryear, & Sachin Shah; MITSloan Management Review 2007
Driving process efficiency increases BA’s Scope
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Control the scope, control the value
Time is fixed in agile
– Sprints and Iterations
– Releases and Milestones Offer three kinds of Service:
We
GOOD – CHEAP – FAST
Cost is constrained
You can pick any two
– Project costs are usually fixed
– Resources are constrained by Brooks’ Law won’t be FAST
GOOD service CHEAP Quality
GOOD service FAST won’t be CHEAP
Scope is the backlog/feature requests won’t be GOOD
FAST service CHEAP
– Not all ‘scope’ will be done
– Prioritisation is key to delivering value
Scope
Controlling backlog increases BA’s Authority
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Final Thoughts
Agile delivery methods are only delivery methods
– Business wants and needs still exist, and are still the focus of good IT
– Some form of requirements is how those wants/needs make it to the developers
– The backlogs must have SOMETHING in them.
Be more evolved and involved in the development process
– Agile BAs must evolve up the Business Analysis Maturity Model
More focus on process and business improvement
Accepting of more scope and authority
– Agile BAs must be more involved in the whole lifecycle of development
Iterative and collaborative requirements elicitation
Involvement in quality and traditionally ‘downstream’ activities
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18. Building a smarter planet
© 2009 IBM Corporation