BCD study plan
BCD · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Investigating the business situation & Business process modelling and analysis
Map the investigation techniques (interviews, workshops, observation, document analysis) to the types of business situations they suit
Draft a stakeholder interview guide covering context, pain points, and desired outcomes
Model a simple end-to-end process using a swimlane diagram and annotate bottlenecks
Compare as-is versus to-be process models and list three improvement hypotheses
Your checkpoint
A one-page investigation plan plus an as-is process model for a chosen case organisation
Business process modelling and analysis & Stakeholder analysis and management
Apply process analysis techniques (value-add, handoff, cycle time) to identify waste in the week-1 model
Construct a stakeholder power/interest grid for the same case and assign engagement tactics
Write a stakeholder communication plan with frequency, channel, and key messages
Identify potential resistance and propose mitigation actions
Your checkpoint
A stakeholder analysis pack (grid, engagement plan, resistance log) tied to the process model
Stakeholder analysis and management & Identifying and evaluating options
Facilitate a mock requirements workshop and capture decisions, actions, and conflicts
Generate at least six solution options across people, process, and technology
Define evaluation criteria with weights and score the options
Draft a shortlist recommendation with rationale and risks
Your checkpoint
An options appraisal matrix with a half-page recommendation memo
Identifying and evaluating options & Defining the business requirements and solution
Conduct a feasibility check (technical, financial, operational) on the shortlisted option
Translate the chosen option into a set of business requirements using a structured template
Distinguish functional from non-functional requirements and add acceptance criteria
Trace each requirement back to a stakeholder need or process pain point
Your checkpoint
A requirements catalogue with traceability matrix and acceptance criteria
Defining the business requirements and solution & Strategic context and business analysis
Analyse the internal environment (capabilities, culture, constraints) using a suitable framework
Analyse the external environment (market, competitors, regulation) and summarise implications
Validate requirements against strategic objectives and flag misalignments
Prioritise requirements using MoSCoW and justify the ranking
Your checkpoint
A strategic context summary linked to a prioritised requirements backlog
Making the business case and gaining approval & Strategic context and business analysis
Build a cost-benefit model with capital, operating, and benefit cash flows over three years
Calculate NPV, payback, and ROI and interpret the results
Identify and quantify the top five risks with owners and mitigations
Draft the business case narrative aligned to strategic context
Your checkpoint
A financial model spreadsheet plus a two-page business case draft
Making the business case and gaining approval & Stakeholder analysis and management
Tailor the business case into an executive summary for senior sponsors
Prepare and rehearse a ten-minute approval pitch with anticipated objections
Define the approval governance path and decision criteria
Update the stakeholder plan with approval-stage communication actions
Your checkpoint
An executive summary and a recorded ten-minute pitch with objection-handling notes
Strategic context and business analysis & Stakeholder analysis and management & Investigating the business situation & Business process modelling and analysis & Identifying and evaluating options & Defining the business requirements and solution & Making the business case and gaining approval
Synthesise the case study into a single end-to-end portfolio document
Complete a timed mock exam and review every incorrect answer by domain
Create a one-page memory aid per domain and test recall
Identify the two weakest domains and schedule targeted revision
Your checkpoint
A consolidated case portfolio plus a mock exam score report with a revision plan
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain three investigation techniques and when to use each, and produce a stakeholder grid from a short scenario without notes
Week 4: Can model a process, identify two improvement options, and score them against weighted criteria in under 30 minutes
Week 6: Can write five traceable requirements and calculate simple NPV and payback from given cash flows with no errors
Week 8: Score at least 70% on the mock exam with no domain below 60%, and present the business case in ten minutes without prompts