10/30/2017 22 Visual Models Used by Business Analysts

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YOU'LL RECEIVE:
Today we’re going to go through 22 different models BAs use in their work. You
may not be aware of all 22 of them, so even if you’re familiar with a few, keep your Step-By-Step BA Career
eyes open for new ones you can use.
Planning Course

(By the way, real-world samples of each of these visual models are included in our New Articles to Help You

Visual Model Sample Pack.) Succeed as a Business

Analyst
While it will be unnecessary to use every model for every project (the samples are Information on New Course
drawn from experience across 10 years of BA work in 6 difference companies), the Sessions, Books, and Work
more models you know, the more likely you’ll be able to apply the best model to Aids
keep the requirements process moving faster in the situation you find yourself in.
Click here to learn more

#1 – Activity Diagram
What They Do: Activity Diagrams break the process down in detail and are great TOP ARTICLES
for being sure you don’t miss any steps. They are good complements to use cases
***Business Analyst
since they provide a visual picture of the text describing the basic, alternate, and Webinars
exception flows. (Complimentary)***

What They Look Like: An Activity Diagram illustrates the steps a system What Experience “Counts” as
undertakes to deliver an outcome and the procedural logic required to proceed Business Analyst
through those steps. Activity Diagrams can be completed as a workflow diagram or Experience? (5 Examples)
in a more formalized version in UML notation.
What Does Success Look
Like?
#2 – Business Domain Model
Being a BA is Not for the
What They Do: Business Domain Models clarify the information created and
Faint of Heart
managed by an organization without diving deep into the database structures.
Creating and walking through a model like this can often clear up
How Do I Convince My Team
misunderstandings and get everyone speaking the same language. to Adopt Better
Requirements Practices?
What They Look Like: In a Business Domain Model, each key concept gets a box.
Important attributes for each concept are listed within each box. Lines connecting Why This Might Be Taking
the boxes show the relationships between concepts. Longer Than You Expect

The Danger in Being an

#3 – Competitive Comparison Matrix Expert

What They Do: Competitive Comparison Matrices compare the current state or
Use Cases: A Personal
a potential future state of a product or system to that of an organization’s
History (and a bit of a love
competitors. This kind of understanding can help significantly with prioritization as it a air)
clears up what requirements are important to gain a competitive advantage or
simply catch up in the marketplace.

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What They Look Like: Competitive Comparison Matrices can be presented in What To Do When a
many different forms. They often include a list of competitors on one axis and a list Developer Says “That’s
Impossible”
of features on the other. Then each box in the matrix is filled in to identify the
competitor’s offering for each feature. In the real-world sample provided in the
Pack, we developed a matrix/roadmap combination that fits easily on one
PowerPoint slide.

#4 – Data Flow Diagram

What They Do: A Data Flow Diagram illustrates how information flows through,
into, and out of a system. They are especially useful when evaluating data-intensive
processes and looking at how data is shared between systems or organizations.

What They Look Like: Data Flow Diagrams show the data sources, data
processes, and data stores. The BABOK® Guide identifies two formal notations for
representing data flow diagrams: Yourdon and Gane-Sarson. It’s possible to create
an informal data flow diagram as well, which typically takes the form of a workflow
diagram.

#5 – Data Model
What They Do: While the Business Domain Model illustrates a high-level
representation of the information managed by an organization, a Data Model goes
deep into the database structure. Mapping data and creating new tables or
attributes often has a direct impact on reporting and other system functionality.
Even while this is a more technical model, your business stakeholders often have
many relevant concerns.

What They Look Like: Most Data Models contain a matrix of attributes that helps
your development team know exactly what data fields to create, along with their
associated data types and allowable values. In other situations, a Data Model
includes a mapping from one information source to another.

#6 – Evaluation Criteria and Recommendation

Summary
What They Do: Evaluation Criteria and Recommendation Summaries are useful
when evaluating off-the-shelf software, comparing potential vendors to engage, or
even in preparing to interview job candidates. They will help you gain clarity on
what your options are and make decisions from the information instead of untested
opinions.

What They Look Like: Evaluation Criteria list specific ways that a potential solution
will be evaluated to determine if it’s desirable or acceptable to stakeholders. A
Recommendation Summary provides supporting detail to back up a
recommendation, ideally made based on previously agreed to Evaluation Criteria.
Both Evaluation Criteria and a Recommendation Summary are often organized
visually for ease of scanning, review, and comparison.

#7 – Feature Brainstorming Mind Map

What They Do: You know that early stage of the project when everything is fuzzy
but you absolutely need to get something down on paper? You need a way to keep
ideas organized while keeping it easy to add new ideas and other relevant
information. That’s a perfect scenario in which to create a Feature Brainstorming

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Mind Map – this visual model captures ideas from your stakeholders when it’s not
yet time to invest in a detailed scope statement.

What They Look Like: A Feature Brainstorming Mind Map contains a central node
for the project or product under discussion and a branch for each high-level area of
exploration. Ideas, concerns, and feature requests can be captured and linked back
to each branch.

#8 – Feature Matrix
What They Do: Have a complex set of features to track against? Looking for a
simple requirements tracking tool to manage your BA work? A Feature Matrix can
be used to analyze, rank, and assess the architectural impact of multiple features,
or track other attributes that are important to your project.

What They Look Like: A Feature Matrix lists each high-level feature in a row of a
spreadsheet. Then, columns are added to capture critical pieces of information,
such as a feature description, priority, state, and risk. Each box is filled in with
appropriate information for each feature.

#9 – Feature Prioritization and Stakeholder

Matrix
What They Do: Oftentimes different stakeholders are needed for different parts of
the project. They may also have competing priorities that need to be reconciled. A
Feature Prioritization and Stakeholder Matrix is a specific type of Feature Matrix
that addresses both concerns.

What They Look Like: For this type of Matrix, each feature is listed as a row in the
spreadsheet with columns for each corresponding stakeholder and individual
priority assessment. An additional column can be used to roll up priorities and with
a simple calculation you’ll have useful information for establishing an organization-
wide priority assessment.

#10 – Feature Roadmap

What They Do: A Feature Roadmap can be used to show how your project
investments have and will yield demonstrable value to the business. They are
useful for high-level summaries given to top executives and boards of directors.

What They Look Like: A Feature Roadmap contains 4 boxes – one for your past
state, one for your current state, one for your target future state, and one listing the
benefits of attaining the future state. Each box contains 2-3 short bullet points.
Graphics can be added to emphasize key elements.

#11 – Navigation Map
What They Do: A Navigation Map helps you keep the big picture perspective on
how the user interface flows. I often review a Navigation Map before starting a
wireframe for a new screen. With stakeholders, a Navigation Map is a useful tool to
set the stage for user interface or use case reviews.

What They Look Like: Essentially, each screen in the system is represented by a
box. Lines with arrows connect the boxes together and show how the user can
navigate through the screens.

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#12 – Organizational Chart

What They Do: An Organizational Chart represents the organizational hierarchy
in place for an organization or a part of an organization. Organizational charts can
be used as part of stakeholder analysis or to model new work groups to be created
as part of responding to organizational change.

What They Look Like: Organizational Charts typically contain a box for each
employee. Lines are used to connect managers to direct reports and show the
functional hierarchy in place within the organization. Organizational Charts can be
created at multiple levels of granularity and may show departments, teams,
functions, or individuals filling specific roles.

#13 – Performance Report

What They Do: A Performance Report shows the results from a project, project
phase or business activity. Looking at past data can help stakeholders make faster
and more informed decisions about next steps, ensuring that the organization is
learning from its own activities and results.

What They Look Like: Most typically, a Performance Report is captured as a

matrix. Each line represents an important element of the project, phase, or activity.
Columns are used to identify appropriate metrics. Boxes are filled in with measures
for each element.

#14 – Process Flow Diagram

What They Do: Process Flow Diagrams are an intuitive way for stakeholders to
understand the organization’s fundamental processes, get clarity on how work gets
done, and appreciate how value is delivered. They also put other requirements
activities in context. For example, a business process diagram can help facilitate
more effective use case reviews by providing context for how the system
functionality will support the business process.

What They Look Like: Like Activity Diagrams, Process Flow Diagrams exist in
multiple forms. Most BAs create simple workflow diagrams that show the end-to-
end business process. A smaller subset of BAs use BPMN (Business Process
Modeling Notation) to create more formalized diagrams. (We’ve included examples
of both in the Visual Model Sample Pack.)

#15 – Process Improvement Progress Report

What They Do: When we improve a business process, we expect to see results.
But how do you communicate the changes and results to executives? Commonly, a
list of bullet points is created to identify changes and improvements. Taking a more
visual approach, a Process Improvement Progress Report visually shows
improvements made to a business or technical process as the result of a project.

What They Look Like: A Process Improvement Progress Reports contains models
of the past, present, and target future states of the process and uses visual cues,
such as color codes, to show the changes.

#16 – Scope Model

What They Do: The fundamental question to answer in many projects is what is in
vs. out of scope. A Scope Model is a visual representation of the features,
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processes, or functionality in scope for a specific project, solution, or system.

What They Look Like: Scope models can take many forms and how you decide to
put one together is typically driven by what project factors are driving scope.
Technical integration requirements are typically represented by a System Context
Diagram (more on that below). Business needs are typically represented by a high-
level business process. Feature-driven projects, such as a product for an end user,
are often accompanied by a visual representation of functionality.

#17 – Stakeholder Map

What They Do: A Stakeholder Map is a visual diagram that depicts the
relationship of stakeholders to the solution and to one another. Stakeholder Maps
visualize the temporary structures put in place for a project to show who is
responsible for what and how different artifacts get reviewed, approved, and ready
for implementation.

What They Look Like: A Stakeholder Map is a lot like an Organizational Chart,
except that it lays out the temporary team structure put in place to run a project
instead of a permanent structure to run an organization. It can be very useful in
clarifying stakeholder roles and responsibilities and identifying gaps in your
business analysis plan.

#18 – SWOT Analysis

What They Do: When stakeholders are stuck figuring out how to solve an issue,
whether that’s a minor issue in the project or a strategic issue facing the
organization, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)
Analysis can clear the air and pave the way toward improved decisions.

What They Look Like: A SWOT Analysis contains 4-boxes, one for each of the
four elements (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Within each
box, bullet points are used to list appropriate information.

#19 – System Architecture Diagram

What They Do: A System Architecture Diagram identifies the system
components and how they interact as part of the solution. This can help you figure
out how to best organize the detailed requirements. It can also help you
communicate the constraints of the solution to business stakeholders or help them
see why particular requirements need to be addressed.

What They Look Like: A System Architecture Diagram contains an element for
each key piece of technology. Lines are used to connect interconnecting or
integrated components. Visual hierarchies can be used to link technical
components to user-facing features.

#20 – System Context Diagram

What They Do: In today’s world of integrated components, it’s difficult to work on
one system without impacting others. A System Context Diagram is a useful tool
for confirming scope with business and technical stakeholders and ensuring you
address all necessary integration requirements in your analysis.

What They Look Like: A System Context Diagram contains a central box for the
primary system and additional boxes or circles for each potentially impacted
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system. Lines are drawn to identify integration points and specify what type of
information is passed from one system to another.

#21 – Use Case Diagram

What They Do: A Use Case Diagram is useful on a project with many use cases
to get the big picture of who is using the system and what functionality they can
execute. The diagram can be used to establish context before an individual use
case review meeting or to confirm the functional scope of a system.

What They Look Like: A Use Case Diagram is a UML (Unified Modeling
Language) diagram that shows the actors, use cases, and the relationships
between them. Actors are represented by stick figures, use cases by ovals, and
relationships by connecting lines.

#22 – User Interface Wireframe

What They Do: A User Interface (UI) Wireframe is a visual rendering of how a
specific screen to be implemented as part of a software solution will be laid out.
They are useful in generating “yes, but” conversations and eliciting information
stakeholders don’t think of until they see what an application might look like.

What They Look Like: UI Wireframes, also often called Prototypes or Mock-Ups,
can vary in fidelity, or the degree to which the presentation of the UI is intended to
be realized in the final application.

A low-fidelity UI prototype may show the general layout of the screen but not
the specific UI elements.
A medium-fidelity UI prototype will show the UI elements on the screen but
may not represent the actual look.
A high-fidelity UI prototype, often called a rendering, will represent exactly
how the UI should look and feel once implemented.

Which of These 22 Visual Models Can You Use

Right Now?
While you wouldn’t use all of these visual models on any given project, hopefully
you’ve noticed a few that look like they can give you immediate, practical value on
the project you’re currently working on. Bookmark or print this page for easy
reference at the beginning of each new project you start, and you’ll set yourself up
for a faster requirements process.

These visual models are invaluable tools for establishing context, addressing
communication challenges, and creating clarity – so the next time you feel your
requirements process screeching to a halt, consider what visual you might use to
speed the process back up again.

We provide more detail about each and every one of these models in the Visual
Model Sample Pack. The Pack contains 22 real-world visual model samples
covering everything from UML diagrams to whiteboard drawings shared from the
files of a working BA. You’ll be able to more easily incorporate visuals into your
requirements process and get the process moving faster.

Click here to learn more about the Visual Model Sample Pack
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