PMI PMI-PBA - PMI Professional in Business Analysis

 The requirements baseline is a document that contains the approved and validated requirements that are used as the basis for developing the solution. The requirements baseline defines the scope and boundaries of the product development, as it specifies what the product must do, what features and functions it must have, and what criteria it must meet to satisfy the stakeholders’ needs and expectations. The requirements baseline also serves as a reference point for measuring the progress and performance of the product development, as well as for managing changes and resolving issues. The requirements baseline is established after the requirements have been elicited, analyzed, prioritized, and verified by the business analyst and the stakeholders, and it is formally approved by the project sponsor or other authorized person. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline1, page 18; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 92.

 A weighted-ranking matrix is a technique that involves assigning scores and weights to different criteria and options to compare and prioritize them. A weighted-ranking matrix can help the business analyst to prepare the recommendation by quantifying and ranking the three different solution options based on their alignment with the business objectives, benefits, costs, risks, and other factors. A weighted-ranking matrix can also help to justify and communicate the recommendation with evidence and transparency. References: = PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline (2019), page 11; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide (2015), page 66.

 Inspection is a technique or tool that is used to obtain acceptance of the delivered product. Inspection is a process that involves examining and measuring the product or its components against the predefined standards, criteria, or specifications, to determine its quality, completeness, and correctness. Inspection can help the business analyst and the project team to identify and correct any defects, errors, or deviations in the product, and to ensure that it meets the requirements and the stakeholder expectations. Inspection can also help to obtain the formal approval and acceptance of the product from the customer and other stakeholders, and to confirm that the product is ready for delivery or deployment. Inspection can be done using various methods, such as reviews, walkthroughs, audits, or tests. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline1, page 21; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 101.

 Solution scope is the set of features and functions that define the boundaries of the solution and align with the business requirements. Solution scope describes what will be included in and excluded from the new system, and helps to manage stakeholder expectations and avoid scope creep. The business analyst has defined the solution scope by working with project team members to define what will be included in and excluded from the new system. The other options are not correct. Solution design is the process of creating a detailed specification of how the solution will meet the requirements. Business requirements are the higher-level needs or goals of the organization or stakeholders that justify the project. Business case is a document that provides the justification for initiating a project based on its expected benefits, costs, and risks. References: PMI-PBA® Examination Content Outline, page 13; PMI-PBA® Reference List, page 1, BABOK® Guide v3, page 39.

A questionnaire is an elicitation technique that involves sending a set of written questions to a large number of users or stakeholders to gather information about their needs, preferences, opinions, or feedback. A questionnaire is best suited for eliciting information from a large group of users in a short period of time, as it is cost-effective, easy to administer, and allows for anonymity and standardization. A questionnaire can also reach users who are geographically dispersed or unavailable for face-to-face meetings. References: PMI Guide to Business Analysis, Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.9; PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline, Domain III: Analysis, Task 2.

A fishbone diagram, also known as a cause-and-effect diagram or an Ishikawa diagram, is a tool that helps to identify and analyze the possible causes of a problem or an effect. It can help the business analyst to perform a root cause analysis in order to analyze and resolve the discrepancy identified through user acceptance testing. A fishbone diagram has a structure that resembles a fish skeleton, with a head, a spine, and several branches. The head represents the problem or the effect, the spine represents the main cause categories, and the branches represent the sub-causes or factors that contribute to the problem or the effect. By creating a fishbone diagram, the business analyst can brainstorm and organize the potential causes of the software flaw, and then investigate and verify the most likely root cause. A fishbone diagram can also help to communicate the findings and recommendations to the stakeholders and the development team. An interface analysis is a tool that helps to identify and describe the interactions and dependencies between different components or systems. It does not help to perform a root cause analysis in order to analyze and resolve the discrepancy identified through user acceptance testing, as it does not focus on the causes and effects of the problem. A Delphi estimation is a tool that helps to obtain a consensus among a group of experts on a complex or uncertain issue. It does not help to perform a root cause analysis in order to analyze and resolve the discrepancy identified through user acceptance testing, as it does not provide a systematic and structured way to identify and analyze the causes of the problem. A functional decomposition is a tool that helps to break down a complex system or process into smaller and simpler components or functions. It does not help to perform a root cause analysis in order to analyze and resolve the discrepancy identified through user acceptance testing, as it does not show the relationships and influences between the components or functions. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline1, PMI Guide to Business Analysis2, Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide3, Root Cause Analysis: Definition, Examples & Methods | Tableau1

 Business use cases are the documents that the business analyst should pay the most attention to ensure the project succeeds this time. Business use cases are documents that describe the interactions between the users and the system, and the value or benefit that the users obtain from the system. Business use cases can help the business analyst and the project team to understand the business needs, goals, and expectations of the stakeholders, and to define the scope, functionality, and behavior of the system. Business use cases can also help to verify and validate that the system meets the requirements and delivers the desired outcomes. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline1, page 18; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 93.

The requirements sign-off is a process that involves obtaining the formal approval and acceptance of the requirements from the customer and other stakeholders. The requirements sign-off confirms that the requirements are clear, complete, correct, and consistent, and that they meet the customer’s needs and expectations. The requirements sign-off also establishes a baseline for the development and testing of the solution, and serves as a reference point for managing changes and resolving issues. The business analyst should first facilitate the requirements sign-off with the customer before the developers start development, to ensure that the requirements are agreed upon and validated by all parties, and to avoid rework, delays, and conflicts later in the project. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline1, page 18; Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide2, page 92.

Requirements status during the project development cycle is the information that should be reported to the stakeholder who wants to know how the implementation of new features in the development of a product is progressing. The requirements status shows how many requirements are in each stage of the development cycle, such as analysis, design, development, testing, or deployment. This information can help the stakeholder understand the progress and quality of the product development and identify any issues or risks that may affect the delivery of the new features. Distribution of project changes is not relevant to the implementation of new features, as it shows how many changes have been requested, approved, or rejected for the project scope, schedule, cost, or quality. Number of requirements approved vs. number of requirements rejected is not relevant to the implementation of new features, as it shows how many requirements have been accepted or discarded by the stakeholders during the requirements analysis phase. Number of requirements tested and approved is not sufficient to report the implementation of new features, as it only shows how many requirements have passed the verification and validation process, but not how many are still in development or deployment stages. References: Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, page 161-162; PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline, page 19.

The best approach to resolve this issue is to suggest re-estimating the requirement and following the change control process. This would allow the project team to assess the impact of the change request, evaluate the feasibility and cost of the modification, and obtain the approval of the stakeholders before implementing the change. A change control process is a method used to manage change requests for projects and big initiatives. It’s part of a change management plan, which defines the roles for managing change within a team or company1. Meeting with the customer and apologizing for misunderstanding the business’s need is not sufficient, as it does not address the root cause of the problem or propose a solution. Providing the stakeholder with a copy of the approved requirements baseline and moving forward without making a change is not acceptable, as it ignores the stakeholder’s feedback and dissatisfaction. Requiring development resources to work overtime to modify the deliverable to satisfy the stakeholder is not advisable, as it may compromise the quality of the work, increase the project cost and risk, and demoralize the team. References: PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline2, PMI Guide to Business Analysis3, Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide4, What Is a Change Control Process? (with Example Change Log)