Home References NTGI in the News Business Analyst Curriculum Business Analyst Courses Project Management Curriculum Project Management Courses

Business Analyst Courses Skills, Tools, and Techniques Methodology People Skills, Tools, and Techniques Business Systems Analysis - 5 days As the tools improve for software development, it is becoming clearer that the critical issue that still remains is the ability to define business requirements in a way that ensures that the needs of the business are met, while taking advantage of the emerging technology. This course is designed for business analysts, clients, project managers and software engineers who are responsible for analyzing business requirements. It is not specific to a particular programming language or platform. The course teaches business analysis skills and modeling techniques that are needed in developing systems.. It incorporates problem solving techniques, interviewing skills, and analysis techniques to take a project from feasibility through detailed analysis. This course can be tailored to your corporation's specific application development methodology. Advanced Business Analysis - 3 days This course is designed for business analysts, clients and project managers who are responsible for analyzing business systems. It is not specific to a particular programming language or platform. The course teaches business analysis skills necessary to identify automation opportunities and identify appropriate automation solutions including the internet. This course introduces USE cases as a tool in both requirements definition and interface design. Use Case Analysis - 2 days This 2-day course covers the widely accepted Use Case Analysis method for gathering and managing software requirements. Sample topics are What is a Use Case and Why do I Want One?, How to Run a Use Case Session with Customers, Techniques for Creating Effective Use Cases, Use Case Formats and Tools, and How to Progress from the Use Case Model to Design and Implementation. Joint Application Development - 3 days Joint Application Development (JAD) is a technique that is widely used as an effective method to gather and test requirements and design specifications. Studies showed that two thirds of the defects introduced into systems initiated in the requirements, analysis and design stages of product development. JAD combines the expertise of the IT and client communities in intensive workshop sessions. The objective of these sessions is to develop specifications from requirements to interface design quickly and with high quality. This course is supported by extensive workshop sessions where participants can experience JAD workshops and practice specific roles that they may need to play in the future. It highlights the deliverables from requirements gathering and has the participants create the basic deliverables. This workshop is designed for any individual who will be participating in a JAD workshop or who is responsible for the Business Requirements phase of a project. Client participants, IT participants, project managers, project leaders, facilitators and scribes will all benefit from this three-day workshop. JAD Facilitation - 3 days The success of the Joint Application Development (JAD) session often relies on the skill sets of the JAD facilitator. This course teaches JAD facilitators how to be effective group facilitators for cross-functional teams. The course focuses on the objectives and outputs of each type of JAD session as well as the issues surrounding group dynamics and facilitated meetings. Workshops, exercises and peer reviews reinforce skills learning. This course has been designed for project managers, IS professionals and clients who are or will be responsible for facilitating JAD sessions. Rapid Application Development - 5 days This course addresses the needs of companies who are currently using structured tools in a traditional lifecycle environment. The course teaches how to move from traditional development to a RAD environment. It incorporates data modeling, process modeling, JAD sessions, prototyping, design framing and structure charting. This course was developed based on the methodologies of both James Martin and Ed Yourdon. The case study follows the RAD lifecycle from the initial requirements JAD to implementation. The audience for this course would be experiences analysts, designers and customers who have worked with data and process models in a traditional development environment. Knowledge of specific CASE tools is not necessary. Structured Systems Testing & Quality Assurance - 3 days The estimated cost of a requirements defect that makes its way into production is at least a thousand times more expensive to fix than if we had been able to locate and remove the defect during the requirements phase. This course teaches proactive testing skills to uncover defects early in the development cycle, with particular emphasis on requirements testing. It teaches the four basic levels of testing -acceptance, system, integration and unit. The participants develop test plans in workshop sessions. This three day course is designed for clients, analysts, designers and developers. It is not specific as to a particular programming language or platform. Test Process Improvement & Quality Assurance - 2 days This course addresses advanced issues in testing, paying particular attention to analyzing and improving the participant's current test methodology and practices. In today's world, the importance of quality, reliable software is paramount to a corporation's success. This course is designed for clients, analysts, designers and developers. It is not specific as to a particular development language or platform. The goal of this course is to allow the participant to analyze their current test process, looking for areas to improve that test process and make it repeatable. The course discusses the issues around regression testing and the advantages of a "Model Office" approach, incorporating defect tracking and removal strategies. Methodology Life Cycle Overview - 1 day How do we get from conception to implementation? This course explores the roadmap necessary to bring an idea for software to an implementation solution. This course is designed for client participants, IT participants, business analysts, and project managers, who need to be introduced to the basics of a software project life cycle. It explores the phases included in a typical life cycle, highlighting the primary tasks, deliverables and participants. It includes some of the tools and techniques that are used in a structured life cycle. Project Management Concepts - 2 days This course is designed for business analysts, designers, new project managers or clients who need to be introduced to the basic concepts of managing a project that involves automation. Through lecture and group exercises, the participants will explore the steps necessary to plan, estimate, control and staff a project. They will be introduced to change management and issues management during the project's life cycle. RAD Overview - 1 day Corporations need methods to utilize technology quickly without increasing costs or losing quality. Rapid Application Development methodologies were created to address these issues. This one-day overview will introduce the participants to the processes, techniques, tools and people that make up an RAD Development Project. This is not meant to teach skills, only introduce the concepts and terminology. This overview course is designed for any individual who will be participating in a RAD project. Both client participants and IT participants will benefit from this overview. Testing: A Management Overview - 1/2 day In most organizations, software testing is perceived as an activity that adds time and cost to the development cycle. It is usually positioned after the coding is completed and before installation. The majority of the test effort is spent in test execution and debugging. Because of this approach, testing is not considered to be a valued-added activity. As participants in the software development process, it is important that you address software testing as an issue of quality assurance and risk management. Therefore, the effort of assuring quality must be an integral part of all phases of the development life cycle. It must add immediate value to the developers by uncovering costly defects before they are coded into the system. This half-day course is intended to give an overview of the testing methodology. There are no exercises or case studies included. People Business Communication Skills for Technical and Business Professionals - 2 days Successful, effective communication is central to the creation of customer satisfaction and the achievement of excellence. We cannot afford to leave communication to chance, trusting to fate that somehow we will be understood and will understand others. As organizations implement the principles of cross-functional project management, shared responsibilities, and teamwork, technical professionals increasingly encounter the need to communicate skillfully-both face-to-face and in writing-with a wide variety of clients, customers, and colleagues. Working collaboratively with peers, users, managers, and executives, many of whom come from non-technical backgrounds, can present new challenges for technical professionals. This interactive course provides participants hands-on opportunities to improve their ability to achieve goals and get things done through practical, proven verbal and written communication techniques. Effective Interviewing - 2 days The successes of projects today rely on the skills of the business analyst to effectively gather and organize requirements to solve a business problem. The ability to elicit information from a business "client" in a structured manner is critical. This two day course concentrates on the skills necessary to plan, organize, conduct and document a data gathering interview. This course is supported by exercises and case studies. This course is designed for any individual who will be conducting data gathering interviews. Both business professionals and IT professionals will benefit from this course. Negotiation Competencies - 1-2 days Most negotiations courses focus on either a win-win approach or a tactical approach to the negotiation process. Negotiation Competencies provides an overview of win-win negotiations along with a proven strategy for dealing with difficult people who do not and will not aspire to a win-win philosophy. Each of us negotiates every day both personally and professionally. Once we understand what constitutes a negotiation we can enhance our skills to: reduce stress; save time and money; and achieve our objectives. Conflict Resolution - 1 day Conflict Management is a 1 day seminar designed to allow individuals the opportunity to successfully reach a conflict resolution that is wise, efficient and amicable, focusing simultaneously on results and relationships. Root Cause Analysis Effective Problem Resolution - 2 days Ever increasingly it seems that avoiding catastrophes and maintaining stability during crisis are the hallmarks of business survival. Managing problem containment, resolution and avoidance are probably some of the most critical skills to help a business face these challenges. All problems are not created equal, and as such, all approaches to them should not be either. Effective Problem Resolution provides an agile and adaptive process. This process uses iteration and levels of depth as its infrastructure. Such an approach can be used on a broader scope of problems and issues, and it can be incorporated into both production assurance environments as well as less crisis-motivated daily situations. Power Presentations - 2 days Power Presentations is a two day proven, polished and professional course designed to increase business presentation effectiveness. The benefits are both immediate and long term. Measurable and permanent results are guaranteed. Features which distinguish Power Presentations from other presentation skills courses include individualized assessment, real life application, flexible delivery options, and a high impact design. Internal Consulting for the IT Professional - 2 days The past decade saw a growth and change in the way we used information technology. For the first time, IT resources were looked as strategic in nature. This focus for the IT Professionals has created an environment where they need to market their services and act as internal consultants to their clients. We now have to work in partnership with our clients, consult with them, understand their business needs and develop systems. Internal Consulting for the IT Professional will help technical professionals, business analysts and managers develop their marketing and consulting skills to meet the challenges of this coming decade. This course includes business case development, marketing strategies and developing a marketing plan. It teaches the participant to incorporate many internal consulting skills such as: effective listening, persuasion, negotiation and handling client objections. Client Management for the IT Professional - 3 days The complaint about many IT organizations is that they don't listen to their clients or manage their expectations. The animosity between IT and the rest of the organization is often rooted in miscommunication about what needs to be accomplished, by whom and in what timeframe. Client Management for the IT Professional will help technical professionals and managers develop their skills in scope definition, change management and business case development, as well as increasing their awareness of customer service. The participants will build a simple business case for a project to be undertaken, clearly define the scope of a project and explain the implications of change, using a change management process and critical checkpoints. Quest for Team Excellence - 1-2 days Quest for Team Excellence is designed to allow individuals the opportunity to learn how to actively build working relationships, effectively manage conflict and use personal leadership to support and assist others in a mutual effort to achieve the organization's mission. Teamwork is the ability to work together to accomplish a common goal. The best results happen when groups that are put together, pull together as a team. Other courses include: Effective Meeting Skills Effective Decision Making Leadership Success Safari Quest for Team Excellence Emotional Intelligence Workshop Advanced Presentation Skills Managing Stress