2014: 5 Most Popular Business Analyst Learnings Posts

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Here's a list of the most popular 2014 posts, as determined by BAL readers. This list is based on the number of page views received by each post.

A special thanks goes to all BAL readers for making 2014 worthwhile.

Here it goes:

  1. Coursera: A List of Free Courses For Business Analysts: The courses listed here provide the knowledge needed to recommend effective business solutions, manage stakeholder relationships, cope with stress on the job and assume leadership positions.
  2. The 5Ws of Requirements Sign-off: I've worked on a number of projects where I had to chase stakeholders for sign-off on requirements. I have also worked on projects where sign-offs were not required or even necessary, due to the "agile" approach adopted. The first and perhaps obvious step to obtaining requirements sign-off is understanding what it entails. This article discusses the 5Ws and 1H of requirements sign-off.
  3. Weighted Scoring Model: A Technique for Comparing Software Tools: This post is a response to one of my readers who wanted to know how to compare different software solutions. She wanted to compare bug-tracking tools and recommend an option to her team members. Since this is a situation that most analysts would face at one point or the other, I decided to share this technique for comparing software in this post.
  4. How to Improve Your Domain Knowledge: There's no easier time to feel uncomfortable than at the start of a project in a new domain. Yes, the journey ahead may seem challenging and interesting, but anxiety quickly builds up when you think of how little you know and how much groundwork there is to be done before you can add value to the project. This post provides information on how to hit the ground running in a new domain.
  5. 3 Quick Tips for Requirements Sign-off: When sign-offs are sought without political undertones and with the right intentions, there are certainly benefits to be had. The sign-off process should be approached as an opportunity for discovery that allows stakeholders to ask questions and get clarification on their areas of concern. A huge benefit of obtaining sign-off on requirements is that it indicates stakeholders are aware of, and are committed to seeing the solution live and in action. This post provides quick tips for getting the sign-off you need.

Picture Attribution: "Top Rated Smartphone Shows Internet Number One Or Best Seller" by Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.Net