Business Analysis 101 - Concepts, Tools and Techniques You Need to Succeed

This class is designed to provide entry-level, new and aspiring business analysts with the essential tools and skills they need to succeed.
About this Event

CONTEXT: The pace of change in today's business environment is only accelerating, and realizing true value and benefit from investments in change initiatives and projects increasingly requires the guidance of a skilled business analyst (BA). Business analysis knowledge and skills help organizations successfully and effectively bridge the divide between current state and desired future state.

TARGET AUDIENCE: This introductory, instructor-led, online class is designed to give new and aspiring BAs a quick leg up with the essential knowledge and skills to quickly become more effective at work, or in any organization where they might be involved with one or more change initiatives. This course is designed for those who don't want to spend an entire weekend or longer on a more comprehensive class that could cost hundreds of dollars, or well over $1,000. Nor is it intended for those who are preparing for a particular BA industry certification exam. To facilitate a more interactive learning experience, we limit class size to 8 students.

TOPICS:

The critical role of a Business Analyst in the context of organizational change
Holistic requirements management - from origin to implementation... and beyond
Core Business Analysis Knowledge Areas, Tasks and Techniques
Collaborating effectively with stakeholders, and other key competencies
Business Analysis in an Agile context
Next steps on your journey

WHAT'S INCLUDED: At the conclusion of this 4.5 hour online course, attendees will have:

A solid overview of essential business analysis concepts, terminology and practices, based on common industry frameworks from IIBA.org.
A read-only copy of the class presentation slides for reference.
Access to online tools and templates that you can utilize at work.
A list of online resources that attendees can pursue to further their knowledge, career development, and possible certification.
Free membership in the online community of ATS training graduates, for sharing tips/tricks, industry news/updates, and networking for job leads with fellow BAs.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: ATS Partners, Inc. (www.atspartners.net) is an Oakland, CA-based consulting and training firm that assists and guides clients in their transitions from current state to future state, with project/program management, business analysis, and business process management needs. Our instructors must have a minimum of 5 years' industry experience, one or more industry-standard BA certifications, and prior training/instruction experience.

For this particular class, ATS Partners founder Jay Ashford will be the instructor. He has almost 25 years' experience in the information technology domain, and 12 years' experience as a consulting IT project manager and business analyst. He currently holds PMP and ACP certifications from PMI.org, Certified Scrum Master certification from scrumalliance.org, and Certified Business Analysis Professional certification from IIBA.org. For almost 6 years, he volunteered as a PMP bootcamp instructor for the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the PMI. He earned a BA degree in political-economics from UC Berkeley in 1992, and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's College of California in 2009. Please visit his LinkedIn profile for additional information (www.linkedin.com/in/jayashford).

PREREQUISITES: To access this course, you will need:

1. A camera- and microphone-enabled device such as a desktop/laptop Mac or PC (a tablet could work, but will limit your ability to participate in exercises) with the Zoom online meeting app installed (www.zoom.us)
2. Reliable broadband internet connectivity
3. Recommended, but not required: A Gmail/Google Apps account, and basic familiarity with Google docs/spreadsheets.
4. Recommended, but not required: Ideally, 1-2+ years of professional work experience, preferably leading (or at least participating on) a project team.

CANCELLATION POLICY: You can cancel your attendance at least 1 week (7 calendar days) prior to the date of the course and receive a full refund. Cancellations submitted between 6 and 3 calendar days can get credit for the same training class in the future at no additional cost. Cancellations submitted less than 48 hours before the start of class start time will not receive a refund or future credit.

*Please contact us at [email protected] with any additional questions about this class, or other classes offered by ATS Partners.