In this #BACommunity Webinar we were joined by Dr Debra Paul (Managing Director of Assist KD) Stefan Bossuwé (Holistic Business Analyst at Stef BOSS Coaching & Consulting) and Craig Jeffries (Business Designer and Principal BA at Jeffries Blue) for a panel discussion covering the differences (and similarities) between business and systems analysis. The webinar was recorded and you can view it below
Webinar Description
The disciplines of business analysis and systems analysis are essential for the successful delivery of beneficial change. The boundary between these disciplines is a point of debate in the change community–and the potential for miscommunication and misunderstanding of each role is rife. In this interactive panel session we discussed the similarities and differences between the roles, and aimed to address those tricky questions that you’ve always wanted answered but were too afraid to ask!
The panel covered topics including:
- What is a BA & SA, and what are the similarities and differences?
- What happens when one (or both) of these roles are missing?
- Can a single practitioner cover both roles? What skills are required to do this effectively?
- What does ‘system’ mean anyway?!
- …And much, much, more.
About the Speakers
Dr Debra Paul
Debra Paul is the Managing Director of Assist Knowledge Development Ltd, a training and consultancy company specialising in business analysis and business architecture. Debra jointly edited and authored the publication, Business Analysis, and is also the co-author of Agile and Business Analysis, Business Analysis Techniques and The Human Touch. Debra conducted doctoral research into the role of the business analyst and developed the Business Analysis Service Framework.
Debra is a regular speaker at business seminars and IS industry events. She has been a keynote presenter at business analysis conferences, delivering presentations such as ‘Business Analysis: The Third Wave’ and ‘Business Analysis: relevance and recognition’. Debra is a founder member of the BA Manager Forum, a networking organisation for senior BAs and BA managers and was the chief architect of the BCS Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis.
Stefan Bossuwé
Being passionate about business analysis, Stefan Bossuwé together with a small group of BA enthusiasts founded the IIBA® Brussels Chapter (covering Belgium and Luxembourg) in 2009, where he got appointed as Chairperson. He’s got more than 25 years of experience in various roles and in a wide range of different business domains, and in 2012 became the very first CBAP® in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Stefan assists organisations in increasing their maturity on business analysis: coaching, introducing and deploying methodologies & best practices, etc . Stefan firmly believes in the importance of business analysis. He spends much of his time in promoting the business analysis profession and shares his knowledge and experience as a speaker at various international conferences and seminars.
Craig Jeffries
Despite extensive experience in business analysis and holding the BCS Diploma, Craig doesn’t regard himself as a career BA. Instead he sees himself more as an interested party eager to understand more about the field of business analysis and how it plays into the adjacent fields of business design/architecture and strategic analysis. With an MBA from Cranfield and a background as an accountant, Craig has led a portfolio career including roles such as Head of Management Accounts; Internal Audit; Business Analysis Manager and Commercial Director. He now brings his broad experience, and maverick nature, to bear as a Freelance Consultant (T/A Jeffries Blue) focusing on Business Design and developing BA Practices.