ITEC324 - Business Analysis

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

ITEC316 Business Process Modelling

Incompatible

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

This unit explores business analysis as a discipline with an emphasis on requirements analysis, an essential skill required in the role of business analysts globally. It focuses on providing students with the knowledge and practical skills to identify, classify, elicit, analyse and communicate and validate requirements for business processes, and polices to achieve strategic goals. These changes include changes to strategies, structures, policies, processes, and information systems. This unit describes the skills required by business analysts to identify business requirements and determine solutions to business problems including ethical consideration of workplace impacts and working for the common good.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Examine the roles, responsibilities of business analysts embedding responsibility to the common good, business analysis methods, tools and applications (GA2, GA5) 

LO2 - Evaluate relevant business requirements for organisations by identifying project scope, stakeholders and feasibility (GA5, GA8)  

LO3 - Create a requirement specification document after critically analysing and validating different types of business requirements for a new or changed business process or system within an organisation (GA4, GA5) 

LO4 - Liaise with appropriate business stakeholders including employees to obtain feedback and negotiate using persuasive communication skills to sign off on the specification document (GA5, GA9)

LO5 - Apply relevant tools to elicit business requirements in organisations (GA5, GA10)

Graduate attributes

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

1. Introduction to Business Analysis

• Roles and responsibilities of Business Analyst with reference to the common good
• underlying competencies of Business Analyst (Relationship, Leadership, Communication, business and analytical skills etc.)  

2. Initiating the Project

• Creating & analysing a business solution by identifying objectives, problems, risks & issues with the stakeholders of the business
• Determine the project scope and doing feasibility study 

3. Analysing Requirements 

• Understanding business and/or user requirements and its classification (FURPS + Requirements)
• Understanding and applying different requirement gathering tools

4. Requirement specification validation & elicitation 

• Understanding purpose of Requirement elicitation 
• Learn different elicitation techniques.
• Stakeholder engagement

5. Requirement specification documentation 

• Identify assumptions & constraints of the business
• Use different Process/ Flow Models/ Usage Models
• Create requirement specification document.

6. Requirement specification communication 

• Create communication plan for business stakeholders
• Utilise relevant tools and information technologies
• Appropriate Conflict Management with stakeholders
• Obtain requirement specification feedback & sign off

7. Business Analyst Role in Solution design & feasibility study

• Evaluate TELOS on suggested design by enterprise architects

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The standard mode of delivery for this unit is multi-mode. However, the unit may also be offered in online and intensive modes according to University and student requirements. In multi-mode or online the unit will be delivered over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period. Students will have access to all primary learning materials online through LEO, along with formative and summative assessments, all of which will be available online to provide a learning experience beyond the classroom. While there are no formal classroom lectures for this unit, students taking the unit in multi-mode will be required to attend weekly two-hour workshops, which will include a seminar and specific tasks related to achievement of the unit learning outcomes. 

Students should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit, including class attendance, readings, online forum participation and assessment preparation.

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy for this unit is based on the need to determine authentic student achievement of the learning outcomes. A reflective report and a case study are included to allow students to be engaged in a simulated business environment, enhanced learning experience and integration of theory and practice. In accordance with professional accreditation requirements, the project work provides assurance of assessment authenticity and that students have attained the required knowledge, skills and dispositions. All submissions will undergo Turnitin check to ensure academic integrity.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Cadle J, Eva M, Hindle K, Paul D, Rollason C, Turner P, & Yeates D, 2014, Business Analysis, 3rd edn, BCS Learning & Development Limited, Swindon.

http://proquestcombo.safaribooksonline.com/9781780172774

Blais, S, Business Analysis: Best Practices for Success, Wiley, Hoboken, US. http://site.ebrary.com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/lib/australiancathu/detail.action?docID=10503021

Cadle J, Paul D & Turner P, 20140, Business Analysis Techniques: 9972 Essential Tools for Success. British Computer Society, London.

James, Vicki. (2015). Leveraging Business Analysis for Project Success. Business Expert Press. http://portal.igpublish.com/iglibrary/search/BEPB0000397.html?1

Hass K, 2014, Breakthrough Business Analysis, Management Concepts Press, London.

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=3338105