Examples of tools used by business analysts

Need good examples of the tools use by business analysts.

Business Analysts focus on a number of different tasks in order to do their job well.

They depend largely on their experience and abilities to complete some of what they do.

But, the tasks can prove to be overwhelming without the help of some helpful tools.

Any tools you learn to use well will increase your value as a Business Analyst because it will streamline your work and help you communicate with all parties involved.

Some of the areas Business Analysts use software and tools to help them are:

• User Interface (UI) Modeling Tools

• Reporting Tools

• Software Testing & Defect Management Tools

• Use Case Modeling

• Business Modeling Tools

• Automation Tools

• Change Management Tools

• Process and Templates

• Configuration Management

• Database Tools

• Spreadsheet Tools

• Word Processing Tools

• Analysis Tools

• SDLC Tools (Systems Development Life Cycle)

• Requirements Management Tools

Here are some of the tools Business Analysts use:

*Rational Unified Process (RUP)

Initially produced by Rational, the company was acquired by IBM, so it is now available through IBM.

It is an adaptable process framework that allows you to customize it for your own business’ needs.

The basis of RUP is a set of building blocks that determine:

who (roles) , what (work products) and how (tasks) a project will be done.

Within this are tasks that are categorized into nine disciplines based upon the Six engineering disciplines:

Business modeling, Requirements, Analysis and Design, Implementation, Test and Deployment and the three supporting disciplines:

configuration and Change Management, Project Management and Environment.

The tool also breaks down the project into four phases: Inception, Elaboration,
Construction and Transition.

UML (Unified Modeling Language)

The standard was created by Object Management Group.

This is a modeling language that is standardized and general purpose in the object oriented software engineering field.

It includes graphic notation techniques to help create visual models.

*SEI-CMM

The Software Engineering Institute created by CMU created this Capability Maturity Model tool.

The CMM is a set of structured levels which describe how well the processes, practices, behaviors of an organization produce required outcomes.

It provides a place to start, experience benefits, the shared goals and visions, a way to prioritize and define improvement.

It takes into account maturity levels, key process
areas, goals, features and Key practices an five levels of maturity:

Initial, repeatable, defined, managed and optimized.

Within each maturity leel, Key Process Areas (KPAs): goals, Commitment, Ability, Measurement and Verification.

The program moves sequentially from one level to the next, not allowing for skipping levels.

Rational Requisite Pro

(Most companies use Rational Unified Process (RUP methodology), so this is an excellent choice for Requirements.

It is a requirements management and
use case writing tool.

It allows you to easily set up requirement documents. It is Web-based so can be accessed from anywhere in the world.

It allows you to set up and track relationships between the requirements.

It offers detailed reporting for standards.

The program offers graphic displays and automatic email notification to stakeholders when a requirement changes.

*Rational Rose

Now part of IBM, Rational Rose products offer a variety of useful tools for the Business Analyst:

*Rose Enterprise – A visual modeling and development tool that uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to offer component based modeling, web services design, legacy
application extension, software application development, business and data modeling.

*Rose Data Modeler – A visual modeling tool that captures and shares business
requirements.

It offers tracking change throughout the process.

*iRise ManagerThis is an excellent requirement gathering tool that helps stakeholders
visualize a project.

*MS Visio – This is a Micro Soft product that allows you to drag and connect shapes and
add text to create flow charts which can be used for a variety of uses including presentations, UML diagrams such as Activity diagrams and UseCase diagrams.

*ConceptDraw – Pretty similar to MS Visio.

*MS Powerpoint – This is essentially a slide show that you compile on your computer.

*MagicDraw – UML tool

*SnagIt – Great for visualizing a project, it offers far more than simply capturing your screen shots.

You can create by combing multiple images, spotlight a specific area, make
it prominent and easy to focus on, and mark it up.

Then, you can easily email exactly what you see and integrate them with Powerpoint presentations through URLs, tag specific people, send it through AIM, Flickr or Skype and even upload it to a web page using FTP.

Capturing logos and buttons is made easy.

*Coding Languages Like HTML and CSS – Learning coding languages such as Hyper Text
Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (css), which is a way ot using one set
of formatting for a web page across an entire website, streamlines the communications,
not only between the Business Analyst and the IT Departments, but also opens up useful
possibilities in communications with all involved parties especially where the internet
is used.

*Crystal Reports – From SAP Crystal Solutions, this tool helps you design, share and
embed reports.

*Microsoft Access – This helps you to focus your efforts on getting the job done in less
time and reduce errors. Allows for multilingual users, it allows you to track your data
and share it through publishing, updating and managing data over the web. It offers a
one-click app creator. It helps you analyze your information from a number of sources to
gain more insights. It synchronizes offline and line-of-business information
automatically once you reconnect.

*Business Objects – From SAP, Business Objects is designed to help small business or
mid-sized companies. It helps bring your business closer to your vision by empowering
individuals, teams and business networks in meeting their goals. The tools helps enable
business analytics.

*Rational ClearQuest – From IBM, Rational ClearQuest provides an
“out-of-the-box” Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) template, reporting in
real time, access control, electronic signatures, and integration with requirements,
development, testing and management tools. It supports AIX, HP-UX, Linus, Solaris, and
Windows and is customizable to create repeatable, automated workflows.

*Quick Test Professional (QTP) – Part of HP Quality Center Tool Suite. It is an
automated testing software that uses VBScript language. It is used to test software
applications and environments. It identifies the objects in the application user
interface or from a web page then performs operations and can capture name and handler
IDs.

*Win Runner/Load Runner – From RPM Solutions, Win Runner is used as a load testing tool
that allows recording and playback of user actions, as if a real user had executed the
actions manually. It operates at the GUI (Graphical User Interface) layer. Win Runner
can be used with another software program called LoadRunner when you need to record user
experience response time.

*TestDirector – Originally from Mercury, now HP. It is a test management tool that
assists the Business Analyst in gathering requirements, planning and scheduling tests and
then analyzing the results. It also manages defects and issues. It is web based. It
supports communications on a high level among Information Technology teams.

*ClearCase – From Rational, now IBM. Allows local or remote work flexibility out of the
box with a usage model based on proven best practices to increase team productivity and
efficiency. It offers a wide range of supported environments to connect different teams.
With its real-time file access, it offers an efficiency tool. It can now be combined
with Cadence Design Framework II software for configuration management.

*ClearQuest – From Rational, now IBM. It is a flexible and customizable solution tool
that provides change tracking, process automation, reporting and lifecycle traceability.
It is ready to go out of the box to offer real-time reporting. Suitable for any size of
organization.

*RSA (Rational Software Architect) – Originally a product of Rational, now IBM. It is
for use with model-driven development with the UML and provides integrated design and
development support. There are various extension packs to offer a variety of additional
tools.

*MS Project Professional – A tool to help manage a wide range of projects and programs.
It is visually enhanced to help meet deadlines, select resources and build teams. The
tool helps to simplify plans, assist in the management and collaboration of individuals,
teams and business enterprises.

Websphere Business Modeler (WBM) – A Business Modeler from IBM that helps business users
model and analyze processes. The tool is used to help document, visualize and report on
business process models. It integrates reporting tools with MS Word and PDF files. The
newest version also adds more modeling, simulation and analysis to bridge the gap between
business and IT, simulation, analysis, continuous process improvement, and speeding
time-to-value by customization to specific industries.

*ProVision Enterprise – A MetaStorm product that offers support by providing a framework
to understand, analyze and improve all aspects of the organization.

*MeetingSense – This automates and captures every aspect of meetings.

*Iserver – This is a product of Orbus Software which allows reusable objects to be shared
and also provides an audit trail of any changes.

*Optimal Trace – A product of Compuware that offers both requirements definition and
management. It is easy to use for both business and technical users.

*Ideascope – An Orasi product that allows surveys to be sent to stakeholders, capture
responses and then prioritize their ideas, turning them into requirements.

*Rational Robot – Originally from Rational, now IBM, this tool is for test automation of
client/server applications for Quality Assurance teams. It enables defect detections,
test cases and test management. It supports multiple UI technologies.

*Oracle Business Process Analysis (BPA) Suite – This company provides a comprehensive
platform for Business Process Management to speed the process with tools to help in
design, modeling, simulating and optimizing business processes. It provides rapid
modeling of business processes, then converts them into IT executables.

*Blueprint – From Blueprint, is helpful in the Requirements stage. It helps to
accelerate the application lifecycle by providing blueprints of Development Models, Use
Caes, Flowcharts, Text Scenarios and documentation.

*CaliberRM – From Borland, this product is a web-based collaborative requirements
management tool.

*Contour – From Jama Software, this tool provides an easier, more collaborative way to
handle requirements
management.

*Doors – From Telelogic, this is an Object Oriented Requirements tool that works a lot
like MS Office. It includes a repository for storing requirements along with tools to
help maintain them. Each requirement is assigned a number to keep track.

*SQL Server Management Studio – This is a Graphic Unified Interface (GUI) tool that is
included with SQL Server. It is used to configure, manage and administer all components
within the MS SQL Server. Part of the SQL Server Management Studio is the Object
Explorer. The Object Explorer allows the user to browse, select and act. It helps to
visualize and analyze query plans. It can also be used to create a new database, alter
an existing database and analyze performance.

*MS Excel – A product of Microsoft, Excel offers editing in spreadsheets and charts for
data gathering and presentation.

*MS Word – A product of Microsoft, Word is a well-known program that allows for document
production, edits and presentation.

*Microsoft Works – MS Works offers basic tools to help coordinate tasks from the trivial
to the very large projects. It is helpful in scheduling and updating contacts along with
budgeting. Included is a word processor with customizable templates, proofing tools and
dictionary and works to interface both MS Word and MS Excel.

*Visual Paradigm UML – A software tool that helps you visualize Use Case diagrams,
workflow and specify testing procedures.

*Case Complete – A Use Case diagraming and workflow software that allows you to specify
use cases, requirements, test cases, diagrams and screen protypes.

*SQL – Database queries which are beneficial in the elicitation phase.

*Smartdraw – A graphic diagramming tool that includes stencils for ANSI flowcharts,
organizational charts, swim lane diagrams and data flow diagrams.

*Storyboards – Graphic organizers to help visualize and make presentations.

*Analyst Pro – From Goda Software, this tool helps to provide effective Requirements
stracking and management duties of Requirements Change Management, Requirements Analysis
and Requirements Traceability.

*Axure RP Pro – From Axure Software Solutions, this product is helpful in validating
reuirments with stakeholders and to clearly communicate designs to team members.

*System Architect – This software was previously sold by Popkin and is a comprehensive
modeling solution tool. It is made to offer all the necessary tools for development. It
is a multi-user product that integrates support for all major areas of the modeling
process: process, object-oriented and component with UML.

*Serena Requirements & Traceability Management (RTM) – This is an Oracle-based
requirements management tool. It is sometimes referred to as an Engineering Information
Management (EIM) tool. It might also be called a Development Data Management (DDM)
tool.

*Reconcile – This is a product of Compuware. It helps to define and track project’s
goals throughout the lifecycle.

*Enterprise Architect – A product by Sparx Systems. This program combines the latest UML
2.1 specifications with an intuitive interface.

*Rational Team Unifying Suite – This is an IBM product and offers numerous software
development tools which integrate to support the entire life cycle of the project. It
supports requirements documentation, management, test cases, traceability and issues
tracking.

*TestManager – This product was removed from the market in August, 2010.
*Rational SoDA – No longer marketed, but support is still available.

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Tags: ClearCase, ClearQuest, MsExcel, MsWord, QTP, Rational, RequisitePro, Visio

Category: How To Become A Business Analyst, How To Start A Business Analyst Career