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BABOK v3 A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge

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A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) is the only globally recognized standard of practice for business analysis. Developed through a rigorous consensus-driven standards process, the BABOK® Guide incorporates the collective wisdom and experience of experts in the field from around the world.

Previous editions have guided hundreds of thousands of professionals in their work, and it has been adopted by hundreds of enterprises as the basis of their business analysis practice. This latest version of the guide extends its scope beyond business analysis in projects to address agile development, business process management, business intelligence, and business architecture.

This thoroughly revised and updated version includes:

� A concept model that unifies ideas and terminology across business analysis disciplines.

� Restructured knowledge areas to support business analysis at every level from small tactical initiatives to major business transformations.

� Five perspectives covering the most prominent business analysis disciplines and demonstrating how to apply the knowledge areas in different situations.

� Coverage of new business analysis techniques that have gained wide acceptance in the community.

� Updated and revised content in every knowledge area and more!

Whether you are considering starting a career in business analysis, or you are an experienced professional in the field,the BABOK® Guide is your key resource to help you and your stakeholders discover opportunities for business success, deliver successful organizational change, and create business value.

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

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808 people want to read

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5 stars
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90 (23%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Bob S..
14 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2010
As is typical of books of this sort, the Guide to the BABOK does not offer a predefined methodology for Business Analysis. Instead the reader will find descriptions of the components of a methodology (processes, artifacts, & techniques) that they must assemble themselves into a workable methodology.

The strengths of such an approach are first, any methodology must typically be tailored for implementation within a given organizational context. Second, books that provide a coherent, ready-to-use methodology necessarily exclude alternative techniques, artifacts, and processes that might be useful to some of the readers. Thus the Guide to the BABOK opts for comprehensiveness, and might overwhelm some audiences.

The book is well suited to a semi-experienced BA, or at least a neophyte who is embedded in an organization with an established BA process. Such a person would benefit from seeing how the activities they already perform fit into a larger context, or formalize the knowledge they might have acquired intuitively.
Profile Image for Mariya Lotsman.
1 review5 followers
October 29, 2016
Comparing to v2 this one actually talks about "value" which your work as a business analyst brings to your customer. Realistic new concepts, much better wording. This all gives 4 stars to new version. The old one was so old :( didn't have a bunch of useful techniques and totally was lacking strategy section. The information is still not full in new one (like if you really want to know about business models it's better to read about them separately), but much better than v2.
Profile Image for Terry.
18 reviews
July 3, 2015
Very repetitive, mostly common sense. If you have to read this book to learn how to be a BA, you won't make it. Mostly teaches you the terminology hiring managers are expecting to hear in an interview, or read on your interview.
46 reviews2 followers
February 23, 2022
Review of the BABOK guide (v3)

Reviewer profile: Mid-range BA seeking certification, visual learner

SUMMARY: Better used as a reference guide for actual BA work than as a primary learning tool or sole study aid for the IIBA exams.

Pros:
- Very good reference guide for experienced BAs: A great resource to have on hand for any BA in the field to use as a checkpoint on their BA-related work.
- Thoughtful layout: You can tell that a lot of consideration went into developing the layout of the guide. It is consistent and sets good expectations for the information that you will find contained within each section.
- Complete task information: This guide breaks down every BA-related task into sections describing purpose, description, inputs, elements, guidelines/tools, techniques, stakeholders, and outputs. This makes it a great cross-checking tool for BAs performing any task.

Room for Improvement:
- An incredibly dry read: The information presented in this guide is largely theoretical and repetitive, which makes for a difficult read-through if you're attempting the whole guide at once.
- Lack of practical examples: There are little to no practical examples in this guide. From a learners perspective, I feel this would be a very difficult read for beginners as well as visual learners. The lack of practical examples makes the information in the book hard to digest and get through. Beginners should find supplemental materials to aide in their BA learning.
- Visual models are largely repetitive and generalized: With the exception of Chapter 10: Techniques, the models in this book are few and largely repetitive. It would be a breath of fresh air to see some more dynamic models to explain concepts in this guide. In Chapter 10, models appear more often and are more dynamic. However, they are mostly general in nature, which makes them widely applicable (pro) but perhaps a bit harder to interpret without actual examples (con).
- The Solution Evaluation knowledge area is missing key information pertaining to the IT perspective: The significance of software testing or quality assurance testing as part of solution evaluation is not clearly defined in Chapter 8: Solution Evaluation. It is much better defined in Section 11.3.6: The Information Technology Perspective | Solution Evaluation.
- Both the Glossary and the Index in this guide seemed incomplete: The Glossary seemed scant, and the Index was either missing what I felt were key terms (e.g. Fishbone Diagram/Ishikawa, Decision Tables) or not all pages were listed (e.g. Decision Trees on 266-267).
- Not the best study guide: The repetition in the guide makes it difficult to draw out the important information to take away from each section. As a result, your notes might get repetitive and it is difficult to ascertain what's worth retaining for the purpose of an exam. You will likely need to seek out addition resources for further understanding if you are using this guide primarily for certification.

Recommendations for the next revision of the guide:
- More consideration into keeping readers engaged
- Cut out some of the repetition to make the book easier to digest
- More consideration to end-user learning types (or "techniques", as referred to in this book) and entry-level BA stakeholders
- Add more dynamic visual models to assist with understanding concepts in this guide
- Add more practical examples in the guide, or at the very least develop official IIBA supplementary study guides for certification containing practical examples and concise information. (I know I would opt for and purchase an official IIBA study guide as a compliment to owning the BABOK, if one was available.)
- Include key perspective-based information in chapters describing the six key knowledge areas
- Further develop both the Glossary and the Index in this guide for easier reference and more complete traceability
7 reviews
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August 26, 2014
Help me to understand about task/job/role a business analyst in software development life cycle. all of us need to read and apply it. thanks
Profile Image for Scott Fabel.
128 reviews5 followers
April 29, 2013
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) is published by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) as the de facto standard for business analysis. In many ways, it mimics the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), yet it has a lot of its own unique features. It focuses on the six knowledge areas of business analysis, their associated tasks, and the techniques that can be used to achieve goals of the tasks.

The first chapter of the BABOK Guide prepares the reader by covering an introduction to business analysis. Much of this chapter is dedicated to ensuring that the reader has a clear understanding of the vocabulary that will be used throughout the book. For example, there is emphasis on what the BABOK Guide actually is; business analysis as a profession; the relationship among knowledge areas, tasks, and techniques; and other underlying competencies that are required to be a successful business analyst.

Chapter two begins digging into the knowledge areas with Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring. While I don’t believe that this is the best knowledge area to start with, there is very little evidence that these chapters need to be read in order. In fact, I believe that this knowledge area will only make sense after several of the other knowledge areas are read. Nevertheless, the chapter provides a good introduction to the six tasks of Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring. The six tasks are Plan Business Analysis Approach, Conduct Stakeholder Analysis, Plan Business Analysis Activities, Plan Business Analysis Communication, Plan Requirements Management Process, and Manage Business Analysis Performance.

Chapter three is the chapter that I would recommend starting with because it covers the Elicitation knowledge area. Elicitation is an iterative process that occurs throughout the business analysis lifecycle. As such, its tasks are extremely vital. There are four Elicitation tasks, and they are Prepare for Elicitation, Conduct Elicitation Activity, Document Elicitation Results, and Confirm Elicitation Results.

Chapter four is another iterative knowledge area, Requirements Management and Communication. Requirements Management and Communication is another knowledge area that spans the entire business analysis lifecycle, and its five tasks enable the business analyst to ensure that all of the requirements are managed effectively and that they are appropriately communicated throughout an organization. The five tasks are Manage Solution Scope and Requirements, Manage Requirements Traceability, Maintain Requirements for Re-Use, Prepare Requirements Package, and Communicate Requirements.

Chapter five is a great chapter that relates to the Enterprise Analysis knowledge area. During this knowledge area, the business analyst completes five tasks to ensure understanding of a business need so that a business case can be created. Personally, I have found this to be one of the best chapters in the BABOK Guide, and the five tasks can apply to any kind of business need. The five tasks are Define Business Need, Assess Capability Gaps, Determine Solution Approach, Define Solution Scope, and Define Business Case.

Chapter six is my favorite chapter; however, it is one of the most complex chapters. It covers the Requirements Analysis knowledge area. It is during Requirements Analysis that a tremendous amount of business analysis work is completed. There are six tasks in this chapter, and they are Prioritize Requirements, Organize Requirements, Specify and Model Requirements, Define Assumptions and Constraints, Verify Requirements, and Validate Requirements.

Chapter seven covers the final knowledge area, Solution Assessment and Validation. Once a solution has been built (and during its construction), a business analyst still has a lot of work to complete. There are six tasks in this knowledge area: Assess Proposed Solution, Allocate Requirements, Assess Organizational Readiness, Define Transition Requirements, Validate Solution, and Evaluate Solution Performance.

Chapter eight presents a collection of underlying competencies. I greatly enjoy this chapter; however, I wish there were even more information presented. Of course, each of the six underlying competencies could be its own book! The underlying competencies in the BABOK Guide are Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving, Behavioral Characteristics, Business Knowledge, Communication Skills, Interaction Skills, and Software Applications.

Finally, chapter nine includes details about all of the general techniques that are referenced throughout the six knowledge area chapters. A general technique is one that could be used by any number of tasks in various knowledge areas. Because of their wide applicability, they are all listed in their own chapter (alphabetically). There are 34 general techniques defined by IIBA. While I wish that they were integrated more tightly with the individual tasks that use them (with more specific examples of how they could be used for the tasks), I understand why they are placed in their own chapter. Incidentally, there are also 15 specific techniques. Each one of these relates to only one task in the entire BABOK Guide, so they are described when they are encountered in each chapter.

For anyone interested in effective business analysis, this book would be an excellent addition to your library.
Profile Image for Danijela Jerković.
127 reviews12 followers
September 19, 2024
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (Paperback)
by the International Institut of Business Analysis (IIBA)

Page No. 430


All great men are gifted with intuition. They know what they need to know without reasoning or analysis.
~ Alexis Carrel



CONTENT:

Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the BABOK® Guide
1.2 What is Business Analysis?
1.3 Who is a Business Analyst?
1.4 Structure of the BABOK® Guide

Chapter 2: Business Analysis Key Concepts
2.1 The Business Analysis Core Concept Model�
2.2 Key Terms
2.3 Requirements Classification Schema
2.4 Stakeholders
2.5 Requirements and Designs

Chapter 3: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
3.1 Plan Business Analysis Approach
3.2 Plan Stakeholder Engagement
3.3 Plan Business Analysis Governance
3.4 Plan Business Analysis Information Management
3.5 Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements

Chapter 4: Elicitation and Collaboration
4.1 Prepare for Elicitation
4.2 Conduct Elicitation
4.3 Confirm Elicitation Results
4.4 Communicate Business Analysis Information
4.5 Manage Stakeholder Collaboration

Chapter 5: Requirements Life Cycle Management
5.1 Trace Requirements
5.2 Maintain Requirements
5.3 Prioritize Requirements
5.4 Assess Requirements Changes
5.5 Approve Requirements

Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis
6.1 Analyze Current State
6.2 Define Future State
6.3 Assess Risks
6.4 Define Change Strategy

Chapter 7: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
7.1 Specify and Model Requirements
7.2 Verify Requirements
7.3 Validate Requirements
7.4 Define Requirements Architecture
7.5 Define Design Options
7.6 Analyze Potential Value and Recommend Solution

Chapter 8: Solution Evaluation
8.1 Measure Solution Performance
8.2 Analyze Performance Measures
8.3 Assess Solution Limitations
8.4 Assess Enterprise Limitations
8.5 Recommend Actions to Increase Solution Value

Chapter 9: Underlying Competencies
9.1 Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
9.2 Behavioral Characteristics
9.3 Business Knowledge
9.4 Communication Skills
9.5 Interaction Skills
9.6 Tools and Technology

Chapter 10: Techniques
10.1 Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria
10.2 Backlog Management
10.3 Balanced Scorecard
10.4 Benchmarking and Market Analysis
10.5 Brainstorming
10.6 Business Capability Analysis
10.7 Business Cases
10.8 Business Model Canvas
10.9 Business Rules Analysis
10.10 Collaborative Games
10.11 Concept Modelling
10.12 Data Dictionary
10.13 Data Flow Diagrams
10.14 Data Mining
10.15 Data Modelling
10.16 Decision Analysis
10.17 Decision Modelling
10.18 Document Analysis
10.19 Estimation
10.20 Financial Analysis
10.21 Focus Groups
10.22 Functional Decomposition
10.23 Glossary
10.24 Interface Analysis
10.25 Interviews
10.26 Item Tracking
10.27 Lessons Learned
10.28 Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
10.29 Mind Mapping
10.30 Non-Functional Requirements Analysis
10.31 Observation
10.32 Organizational Modelling
10.33 Prioritization
10.34 Process Analysis
10.35 Process Modelling
10.36 Prototyping
10.37 Reviews
10.38 Risk Analysis and Management
10.39 Roles and Permissions Matrix
10.40 Root Cause Analysis
10.41 Scope Modelling
10.42 Sequence Diagrams
10.43 Stakeholder List, Map, or Personas
10.44 State Modelling
10.45 Survey or Questionnaire
10.46 SWOT Analysis
10.47 Use Cases and Scenarios
10.48 User Stories
10.49 Vendor Assessment
10.50 Workshops

Chapter 11: Perspectives
11.1 The Agile Perspective
11.2 The Business Intelligence Perspective
11.3 The Information Technology Perspective
11.4 The Business Architecture Perspective
11.5 The Business Process Management Perspective

Appendix A: Glossary
Appendix B: Techniques to Task Mapping
Appendix C: Contributors
Appendix D: Summary of Changes from BABOK® Guide v 2.0


“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.�
~Steve Jobs
Profile Image for Helen.
96 reviews5 followers
September 2, 2019
Super dry and offers no practical or prescriptive advice, but does a thorough job of laying out the theory and concepts. I read in tandem with a study guide for CBAP and in some ways the practical guide was better, in others the philosophy was better. I wonder how helpful anyone thinks the philosophical diagrams of concepts are, because they don’t really say much to me.
Profile Image for Abby.
11 reviews33 followers
July 19, 2024
Passed my ECBA Exam on August 21 2023.
Aside from this book, I also took online course at uDemy and simulation exams.
It took me 8 months I think to focus on my review because I want to pass the exam by first take.
Onto many more certifications and learnings!
Profile Image for Jaimie Asakawa.
14 reviews1 follower
July 9, 2020
I love business analysis and I genuinely enjoyed reading this reference book! 🤓
8 reviews2 followers
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June 15, 2011
Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring
Overview
The Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Knowledge Area defines the tasks associated with the planning and monitoring of business analysis activities, including:

identifying stakeholders

defining roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the business analysis effort

developing estimates for business analysis tasks

planning how the business analyst will communicate with stakeholders

planning how requirements will be approached, traced, and prioritized

determining the deliverables that the business analyst will produce

defining and determining business analysis processes

determining the metrics that will be used for monitoring business analysis work

In addition, this knowledge area describes the work involved in monitoring and reporting on work performed to ensure that the business analysis effort produces the expected outcomes. If these outcomes do not occur, the business analyst must take corrective action to meet stakeholder expectations.

Profile Image for Jenny.
249 reviews4 followers
June 3, 2011
I wish I'd read this book earlier! I moved up from a developer role to a lead/PM/BA position a couple years ago. I had previous PM training, but the BA stuff was new. Reading this earlier would have made that part of the role feel much more comfortable. The voice isn't perfectly consistent throughout the book (it's obvious it was written by multiple people), but the information is great for someone trying to figure out the job, if a bit hard to read at times. It can get pretty technical and was definitely written by people who are used to choosing their words carefully and ensuring completeness.
Profile Image for د.نادر الملاح.
Author7 books36 followers
December 16, 2015
This is a study book that illustrates in detail the various methods, techniques, and other aspects of Business Analysis according to the IIBA Standards.

The book is only good for readers wanting to sit for IIBA examination or a go for some deep studies in the area of Business Analysis. I don't recommend this book for people attempting to create some general understanding of Business Analysis as it goes really deep and uses very technical language in this field.

As of the purpose of the book, it is a great asset.
Profile Image for Priyank.
5 reviews
September 19, 2016
A good study for Business Analysts and product / portfolio / project management Professionals alike.

Business Analysis encompasses a wide range of roles at various levels , and the BABOK has useful guiding techniques for everyone.

The only reason to rate 4/5 is that there is that it doesn't explore more on new-age methodologies like Agile. However there is an Agile supplement to this book , plus the newer version to this book is now in the market (v3) and deals with more techniques.
Profile Image for Meredith.
223 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2012
Perhaps I haven't found the right use for this book yet, as I'm not currently studying for my CBAP exam. However, I prefer texts that provide more helpful tips and methodologies, whereas the BABOK simply describes a framework and interrelated areas of competence for BAs.
Profile Image for Tony Tones.
5 reviews
December 28, 2015
The information is useful, but poor written; it is as if the book was not properly planned, so there are paragraphs tacked on the end of each chapter, that could have been included as part of the body of a particular chapter.
Profile Image for Vija Šiltere.
5 reviews5 followers
September 28, 2016
Izlasīju. Vairākas reizes. Man patika. Uzzināju šo to jaunu. Sastrukturēju esošās zināšanas. Noliku eksāmenu. Visjaukākais, aizverot šo grāmatu, ir tas, ka tagad atkal varēšu lasīt citas grāmatas :)
(Nu, un BABOK Guide, v3.0, protams arī).
Profile Image for Roman.
25 reviews
February 3, 2022
I mean� No?
It’s a compendium of stuff - and a very theoretical one at that. I can’t see how this can be an entry into a BA role - you need business and business analysis acumen to meaningfully understand anything here.
Profile Image for John.
13 reviews3 followers
March 15, 2013
Hope to take the test this year (2013).
Profile Image for Vince.
460 reviews11 followers
June 11, 2012
A solid and well-documented book of knowledge. I find many of the aspects quite applicable to my job.
71 reviews25 followers
August 9, 2014
BABoK V2.0 requires a lot of re-structuring, as well as usage of simpler language to promote understanding.
Profile Image for Retkhita Zarni.
1 review1 follower
Currently reading
September 14, 2013
A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge by Iba A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge
98 reviews
November 12, 2015
Essential to pass examination as well structures thoughts in business analysis.
Must read for the current and to be analysts.
59 reviews
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August 20, 2020
Done. Warning - do not attempt to read without some sort of Study Guide and/or support group to assist, it's a dry read and using supporting tools will bring it to life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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