BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis

Expleo Academy’s BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis course provides a broad understanding of the concepts, approaches and techniques applicable to business analysis.

This course is delivered by BCS-accredited professional trainers with a depth of experience in business analysis roles. The training delivery approach includes collaborative accelerated learning activities, and quiz style practice questions that give you the opportunity to prepare for the exam.

On completion of this training, attendees will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles and techniques in the following areas:

• What is business analysis, its strategic context, and the competencies required
• The “business analysis service framework”
• Investigating a business situation, managing stakeholders, and improving processes
• Defining a solution and making a business case
• Establishing, documenting, modelling, validating, and managing requirements
• Delivering the requirements and the business solution

What is Business Analysis

• The business change lifecycle
• Principles of business analysis
• Variants of the business analyst role

The Competencies of a Business Analyst

• The T-shaped Professional
• Areas of business analysis competency

The Strategic Context for Business Analysis

• External environment analysis using PESTLE
• Internal environment analysis using VMOST
• Performance Measurement – CSF’s, KPI’s
• SWOT analysis
• Strategy Execution and Business Model Canvas

The Business Analysis Service Framework

• Services in the BASF

Investigating the Business Situation

• Interviews
• Workshops
• Observation
• Scenarios
• Prototyping
• User Role Analysis
• Quantitative approaches
• Techniques to record a business situation

Analysing and Managing Stakeholders

• Stakeholder categories
• Stakeholder wheel
• Power/Interest grid
• Stakeholder management strategies
• Stakeholder responsibilities using RACI

Improving Business Services and Processes

• Business process hierarchy
• Enterprise level process modelling and SIPOC
• Value chain analysis and value propositions
• Business events and business process models
• UML activity models
• Actor-task level analysis
• Analysing handoffs
• Analysing tasks and procedures
• Improving business processes
• Customer journey maps

Defining the Solution

• Gap analysis process
• POPIT
• Developing options
• Design Thinking

Making the Business Case

• Business case development lifecycle
• Feasibility assessment
• Structure and contents of a business case
• Cost and benefits
• Impact assessment and Risk assessment
• Business case in an Agile context
• CARDI log
• Investment appraisal techniques

Establishing the Requirements

• The requirements engineering framework
• Actors in requirements engineering
• Types of requirement
• Hierarchy of requirements
• Tacit knowledge
• Requirements filters
• INVEST
• MoSCoW
• Business Rules

Documenting and Modelling Requirements

• Documentation styles
• The requirements catalogue
• User stories format
• Use case diagram
• Class model
• Product backlog
• BRD Structure

Validating and Managing Requirements

• Types of requirements validation
• Traceability and change control

Delivering the Requirements

• Types of delivery lifecycles

Delivering the Business Solution

• BA role in the business change lifecycle
• SARAH model and business readiness
• Benefits plan in the realisation stage

There are no prerequisites. However, attendees are advised that the course covers a range of topics from each chapter of the BCS Business Analysis publication by Paul, Yeates & Cadle (4th edition). It is recommended that text from syllabus headings (course outline headings) are studied by those preparing to take the exam.

The certificate is relevant to anyone requiring a general understanding of business analysis. This includes Business Analysts, Product Owners, Change Managers, IT delivery project roles, business managers, and operational staff.

The course is also aimed at individuals who wish to become accredited in the internationally recognised BCS  Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis, on their path to achieving the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

To qualify for the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis, you should also attend:

• BCS Certificate in Requirements Engineering
• BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice
• BCS Certificate in Modelling Business Processes

The BCS offers you full flexibility when choosing the sequence in which you achieve these certificates. 

In general, Expleo Academy recommends that you attend the Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis after completion of the above practitioner courses, if intending to sit the International Diploma exam.

We are happy to discuss your specific training needs to advise on your optimal learning pathway.