Over the course of a 35-year career as a working Business Analyst, I have developed a structured approach to my craft. A Business Analyst gathers, documents, and manages information about processes, the information that those processes use, and the people and systems that execute those processes. I have learned and applied this approach in three countries, for several different types of financial services firms, a software development firm, and agencies for two national governments.
I have benefited from the experience of several mentors. They have shared their business knowledge, provided practical guidance in dealing with people and solving issues, allowed me to stretch my knowledge, learn from my mistakes, and provided their observations as I refined my approach to my craft. I am past retirement age, but I still have a passion for my work. I have been fortunate to find an employer who will let me work for as long as I am mentally and physically capable. If family history is any guide, then I have at least twenty years (as of now) left in my working life.
All of the foregoing is background. I learned much of my craft through direct one-on-one conversations with my colleagues, my mentors, my clients, and my fellow practitioners. I have read extensively on how other people approach business analysis. I have also arrived at certain conclusions about how to approach my craft.
If you were wondering about the name, "PIRRIDM", it is an acronym. The first four letters stand for Processes, Information, Rules, and Relationships - the components of requirements. The last three letters stand for Identify, Document, and Manage - the techniques of requirements.
Current technology, including the easy availability of tools with which to build a knowledge repository, are allowing me to share my knowledge, my experience, and my passion for my craft with a far wider audience than was ever possible for my mentors. I hope that the information you find here will be useful to you.
Flavelle Ballem
Toronto, Ontario
October 6, 2020