Leadership & Management

Recently I wrote a paper on the general state of craftsmanship which was geared more for public consumption as opposed to any specific industry. To my way of thinking, craftsmanship is a universal concept that touches all industries, regardless if they are product or service related.  This resulted in a flurry of e-mails to me questioning how it pertains to specific types of work, including Business Systems Analysis (BSA) which, of course, is applicable but I question whether we have truly realized craftsmanship in this field.

From the outset, let me say unequivocally that business systems analysis is not a new concept and has been with us for a long time, actually predating the modern computer era of the 20th century.  Prior to this, companies had formal "Systems & Procedures" departments with analysts focusing on streamlining business processes and primarily using paper and manual procedures.  As tabulating and other office equipment emerged, they were responsible for their integration into the business.  But as computers were introduced, a new function was devised that greatly impacted the future of analysts, namely programmers. 

Before we go further, let's examine what exactly we mean by the term "craftsmanship":

"The practice and pursuit of excellence in building/delivering superior work products by workers."

This implies craftsmanship is a universally applicable concept for any field of endeavor, be it producing a product or delivering a service. Basically, it is a commitment to excellence which is most definitely not the same as quality. Quality simply relates to the absence of errors or defects in the finished product or service. In other words, finished goods operate according to their specifications (customers get precisely what they ordered). Although quality is certainly an element of craftsmanship, the emphasis on "superior work products" means the worker wants to go beyond the status quo and is constantly looking for new and imaginative ways to produce superior results. This suggests the craftsman is personally involved with the work products and treats them as an extension of his/her life.

Craftsmanship can be found in either the overall work process or a section of it.

Whether you call them Systems Analysts, Business Analysts, Systems Engineers, or Enterprise Architects, it is very encouraging to see this vital function being reintroduced to companies. As far as I am concerned, it was inevitable. I guess companies finally figured out you cannot satisfy your systems problems simply by using better programming tools and techniques.

Each day businesses call upon a business analyst to determine what must be done in order to accomplish a certain task. Each avenue must be explored and analyzed for a project proposal to be implemented. The project scope determines what the course of action may or may not be. Each person involved must answer to another until management is satisfied all has been done to rectify the situation. Everything stays on task. The project as a whole is coming together. Teams are co-ordinating with each other to apply the objective into the code. It is all going according to plan. At the end, it all falls apart. Nothing is as it seems. The project has failed to accomplish what it set out to do. The business analyst is hung out to dry. Every finger points to him or her. In actuality it is not the fault of the analyst.

Author: Tony de Bree

There are times when a company must hire a business analyst. When searching from an outside source there are certain things an employer should determine when hiring the perfect business analyst. Some of these suggestions are common sense. Other items listed may be overlooked in the desperation to find a qualified business analyst.

Author: Tony de Bree

There are times when a business starts to lose money and no-one is sure where the problem is located. Going over facts and figures only points to the bottom line. The bottom line continues to shrink. People start to get desperate. Strategies are planned and implemented to no avail. Tried and true measures are no longer working. It is time to call on the experts. The business analyst needs to be brought in. The problem is finding one who knows the company.

Author: Tony de Bree

The project scope is the core of an individual project. Without a project scope the project will just float. Proper needs assessments and other intricate details will be overlooked. Each project is designed to resolve issues the stakeholders are experiencing in their company. These well meaning individuals will dump data and information charts, lists and figures presumptuously on the desk expecting it to all make sense. The "here's the problem, fix it" attitude can be frustrating. There are numerous feature requirements which must be met. It is unclear as to what to prioritize where. Cost estimates may not be accurate. Delivery dates are tentative. It is enough to make someone through up their hands in desperation and say "I QUIT!". The trained business analyst will just grin and dive in. He or she will know what is needed is a project scope.

Author: Tony de Bree

I was recently helping a friend staff a fairly large project with a team of very experienced, very skilled people. I mentioned that people were really excited about the opportunity. He asked me “Why are they excited? What is it about this project that makes people want to work on it?”

That led us to a discussion about teams of highly skilled people and what motivates them to want to work on a project.

Author: Geri Schneider Winters

* Article used with permission from Wyyzzk, Inc.’s Resources for Business Analysts site at http://www.writingusecases.com This website of reports and tips contains information to help you succeed as a Business Analyst in IT.