Principles of Agile BA – 8 things you need to know

8 key principles of Agile Business Analysis

In developing our Agile BA training, we often have to refer to the 8 key principles of Agile Business Analysis, these in turn highlight the attitude and mindset needed by the team.

As part of the Agile Business Anaylsis training we offer at Training ByteSize, you will begin the course with an overview of the fundamentals of an AgileBA role. We will then take a comprehensive look at why an AgileBA is so critical to any business. Moving to more practical application, you’ll take part in workshops and modelling techniques to put your knowledge into action.

One aspect of the training is the exploration of the key principles of Agile Business Analysis, here is a summary we share with our students which they can refer back to throughout their career, hopefully you will find this useful.

1. Focus on the Business Need

• Every decision taken on a project should be viewed in the light of the overriding project goal
  • To deliver what the business needs to be delivered when it needs to be delivered
• It is important to remember that a project is a means to an end, not and end in itself

2. Deliver on Time

• Delivering a solution on time is a very desirable outcome for a project
• Late delivery can often undermine the very rationale for a project
  • with respect to market opportunities or legal deadlines
• The best way to demonstrate control over the evolution of the solution

3. Collaborate

• Teams that work in a spirit of active cooperation and commitment will always outperform groups of individuals working only in loose association
• Collaboration encourages increased understanding, greater speed and shared ownership, which enable teams to perform at a level that exceeds the sum of their parts.

4. Never Compromise Quality

• In DSDM, the level of quality to be delivered should be agreed at the start
• All work should be aimed at achieving that level of quality – no more and no less
• A solution has to be ‘good enough’
• If the business agrees that the features in the Minimum Usable Subset meet the agreed acceptance criteria, then the solution should be ‘good enough’ to use effectively

5. Build Incrementally from Firm Foundations

• DSDM advocates first understanding the scope of the business problem to be solved and the proposed solution, but not in such detail that the project becomes paralysed by overly detailed analysis of requirements
• Once firm foundations for development have been established, DSDM advocates incremental delivery of the solution in order to deliver real business benefit as early as is practical.

6. Develop Iteratively

• DSDM uses a combination of Iterative Development, frequent demonstrations and comprehensive review to encourage timely feedback
• Embracing change as part of this evolutionary process allows the team to converge on an accurate business solution
• It is very rare that anything is created perfectly first time and it is important to recognise that projects operate within a changing world

7. Communicate Continuously and Clearly

• Poor communication is often cited as the biggest single cause of project failure
• DSDM practices are specifically designed to improve communication effectiveness for both teams and individuals

8. Demonstrate Control

• It is essential to be in control of a project, and the solution being created, at all times and to be able to demonstrate that this is the case
• High-level plans, designs and standards outline the fundamentals of what needs to be achieved
• It is also vital to ensure transparency of all work being performed by the team.

Top tip

Remember when reviewing principles of Agile Business Analysis that the three key areas to consider are:

• Compromising any principle undermines the philosophy and introduces threat
• Applying all principles ensures maximum benefit
• Collectively the principles enable an organisation to collaboratively deliver best value solutions

Our view of Agile Business Analysis

AgileBA, or Agile Business Analysis, is one of the fastest growing certifications in the Project Management area. Certified by APMG, it is replacing an element of our traditional PRINCE2 training, as more and more organisations look for an alternative approach which can provide more flexibility.

Studying for your AgileBA certification with Training ByteSize

An Agile Business Analyst (BA) plays a pivotal role within any team. They are the lynchpin between business stakeholders and the development team so need to be flexible, collaborative and open to changing direction at short notice, such is the nature of an Agile organisation.

There’s a lot to manage as an AgileBA but it can be a hugely rewarding role. Our AgileBA course will give you the information, training and tools you need to juggle multiple priorities and projects with ease. It will equip you with skills that will last you throughout your BA career, such as the key principles of Agile Business Analysis which we have covered here, and will position you as an expert within your field. It will also give you an overview of how Agile methods differ to more traditional Waterfall ways of working.

All of our accredited courses can be completed online and course participants will benefit from clear, engaging content that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. At the end of their course, each participant will complete an exam, which is also performed online. Our pass rates are well in excess of the national average – nearly 100% in fact.

At Training ByteSize we offer an excellent standard of training and a variety of options in which to learn, however our online course is by far the most popular. This option is flexible so you can fit your learning around your busy schedule, with minimal disruption to your day job.

For just $499 you can get access to our interactive and engaging online learning management system for three months, featuring films, activities and an extensive mock exam simulator, plus the online exam. Discover more about our training options here.

Try before you buy

Knowing what the AgileBA course looks like before you buy is a service we’re really proud to offer. Click here to see our Agile Business Analysis Foundation course demo. 

Look out for offers

We’re always supporting our customers with fantastic offers to help ensure you can afford to train, so make sure you check out our offers page before you buy. At the moment we are offering Agile BA online learning plus the official accredited online exam for incredible value at just $499, plus you also qualify for our buy one get one free offer!

Reach out

We’re here for you at every stage of your project management career, so please take the opportunity to talk to us. You can use the chat function in the bottom right of your screen, email me at [email protected], or call me on +61 (02)8072 0653.

If you are looking to train a team of people in Agile Business Analysis, you’ll find that our onsite training is a viable and cost-effective option for you. If you would like to find out more about this option or any other aspect of the course, please do get in touch.