It surprises me how often the Enterprise Analysis phase is missed from BA activity - probably because of project pressures or just because it’s a phase that doesn't produce standardised deliverables. Enterprise Analysis is a phase of finding out about the organisation or business areas that your forthcoming project will impact. Understanding the structure, what the culture is like, what they do, how and why they do it. It’s a chance to build up some valuable domain knowledge to shape thinking before the detailed work starts.
Every time I look for definitions of what Enterprise Analysis entails I only find dry lists of 'artefacts' that could be collected… But there's a really simple and engaging way to think about this phase... become a 'documentary maker'. Think of the process as being more about the relaying of the information you learn to others. Develop the narrative of the story with the raw information you've gathered and overlay it with insights gained to really bring the information to life (it obviously doesn't have to be a film!!).
How will this help?
- Going through the process of communicating the information makes you (and others) ask deeper questions and improves your own knowledge.
- In the same way that good Enterprise Analysis acts as a solid foundation for good quality requirements and designs for BAs, sharing the information with the project team has to ripple out into other activities and deliverables too.
- Creating this shared 'team memory' will aid in decision making when the project is in full swing.
Credits & Sources
Thanks to Sean Blezard for the Documentary Maker analogy
As we know, Google are one of the worlds computing superpowers, constantly delivering world-class user centred tools and services. But did you know that the unofficial company motto is 'Don't be Evil'? One simple rule which underpins their whole proposition. They mean that they want top be transparent, make it just as easy to opt out of services as it is to opt in, top notch UX, building both reputation and credibility. Something which not all of their competitors can say. It’s a recognition that you can only damage a customer relationship by undermining it for a short term gains once.
