Business Analysis Explained
The tool tutorials on this site show how to do things in Visio, Excel, Jira and the rest. These longer videos explain the business analysis ideas behind them: what to ask, what to write down, and why. Each one follows a single worked example from start to finish, on the same made-up online shop used in many of the tool lessons, and names its source, usually the BABOK Guide from the IIBA.
What the videos cover
Requirements gathering: the questions to ask, and the elicitation techniques that draw out what people really need. Business analysis for beginners: the 6 BABOK knowledge areas shown on one example. The RACI matrix: what responsible, accountable, consulted and informed mean, and why each task needs exactly one A. BPMN: the 5 building blocks of a process diagram. Use case diagrams: actors, include and extend. Scope and scope creep: how to define scope and handle change requests. Root cause analysis: the fishbone diagram and the 5 whys.
How to use them
If you are new to business analysis, watch the beginners video first for the big picture, then requirements gathering, since almost every other task depends on it. After that, watch the one that matches what you are doing at work this week. Each video pairs with tool tutorials elsewhere on the site: the RACI video with the Excel RACI matrix lesson, the BPMN video with the bpmn.io and Visio BPMN lessons, and the use case video with the Visio and draw.io use case diagrams.
A note on the examples
The company in these videos is made up, so the examples are simple on purpose. Real projects are messier: more stakeholders, unclear ownership, changing priorities. The techniques still work the same way, and starting with a clean example makes it easier to spot what is going wrong when a real one gets complicated.
The videos
10 videos, in the order we suggest watching them.
Requirements Gathering: 10 Questions Every Business Analyst Should Ask
Business Analyst for Beginners: The 6 BABOK Knowledge Areas in One Example
RACI Matrix Explained: The 4 Letters and the One-A Rule (Full Example)
BPMN Explained: The 5 Building Blocks Every Business Analyst Should Know
Use Case Diagram Explained: Actors, Include and Extend (Full Example)
Scope Creep: How to Define Scope and Stop Creep in 5 Steps
Root Cause Analysis: 4 Steps, the Fishbone Diagram and the 5 Whys (Full Example)
Data Flow Diagram Level 0 and 1: Draw Both, Step by Step (Full Example)
Process Mapping: As-Is vs To-Be, Step by Step (Full Example)
Context Diagram Explained: Draw Your Scope in One Picture (Full Example)