BS flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Business analysis

The practice of enabling change in an enterprise by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders, spanning strategy, requirements and solution evaluation.

Requirement levels

Four levels: business requirements state enterprise goals; stakeholder requirements state the needs of a group; solution requirements cover functional and non-functional detail; transition requirements cover temporary capabilities needed to reach the future state.

Project versus program

A project is a temporary effort producing a unique product, service or result; a program is a group of related projects managed together to obtain benefits not available from managing them separately.

Analyst versus project manager

The business analyst focuses on defining needs, requirements and value; the project manager focuses on delivering agreed scope within schedule, budget and resource constraints while managing the plan and team.

Scope creep

The uncontrolled expansion of scope through small, unapproved additions to requirements, which erodes schedule and budget because no impact analysis or change decision ever takes place.

Assumption versus constraint

An assumption is a factor believed true but not yet confirmed, and must be validated; a constraint is a non-negotiable limitation such as a fixed budget, deadline, regulation or technology platform.

Baseline

An approved, version-controlled reference point for scope, schedule or cost against which actual performance is compared and against which changes must be formally authorised.

Agile four values

The Agile Manifesto values individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration and responding to change, while still recognising value in the items listed on the right-hand side.

DMAIC

The Six Sigma improvement cycle: Define the problem and goal, Measure current performance, Analyse root causes, Improve the process, and Control the gains so results are sustained.

Kanban WIP limits

A Kanban control that caps the number of items in progress at each workflow stage, exposing bottlenecks, reducing multitasking and allowing new work to start only when capacity frees up.

Predictive versus adaptive choice

Choose a predictive lifecycle when scope is stable and verification dominates; choose an adaptive lifecycle when uncertainty is high, feedback is cheap and change during delivery is expected.

PERT estimate

A three-point weighted estimate where expected duration equals (optimistic plus four times most likely plus pessimistic) divided by six, with approximate standard deviation (pessimistic minus optimistic) divided by six.

Critical path

The longest total duration path through the schedule network; activities on it have zero total float, so any delay on the path delays project completion.

MoSCoW prioritisation

A scheme grouping requirements as Must have, Should have, Could have and Won't have this time; the Must set is the minimum usable subset, usually no more than 60 percent of timebox effort.

Gap analysis

A comparison of the current state with the desired future state that identifies missing capabilities, processes or data and converts each gap into an action or requirement.

RACI accountability rule

In a RACI chart each activity has exactly one person Accountable, who owns the outcome and approves the work; any number of people may be Responsible, Consulted or Informed.

Cost performance index

CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost; below 1.0 means work is costing more than planned, above 1.0 means cost efficiency is better than planned.

Change control board

A group holding authority to review change requests, assess impact on scope, schedule, cost, risk and quality, and approve, reject, defer or modify them.

Tuckman team stages

The five stages of team development: Forming for orientation, Storming for conflict, Norming for agreement on working norms, Performing for productive delivery, and Adjourning for disbandment.

Risk score

A risk score multiplies probability by impact to rank exposures; scores above the organisation's threshold require a named owner, a documented response and escalation.

Threat response strategies

Four standard responses to negative risk: avoid by removing the cause, transfer by shifting financial consequence, mitigate by reducing probability or impact, and accept by retaining the exposure.

Risk versus issue

A risk is an uncertain event that may affect objectives in the future; an issue is a problem that has already occurred and requires resolution now.

Conflict of interest

A situation where a personal, financial or other interest could improperly influence professional judgement; it must be disclosed and managed, or the affected work reassigned.

User story format

A requirement written as: as a role, I want a capability, so that a benefit; stories are refined until they meet INVEST criteria and have agreed acceptance criteria.

Traceability matrix

A table linking each requirement to its source, design element, test case and acceptance decision, supporting coverage checks and impact analysis when change is requested.

Data quality dimensions

Common dimensions used to assess data: accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity and uniqueness, each measured against a defined threshold with a named owner.

Communication channels formula

For n participants the number of communication channels is n times (n minus 1) divided by 2; adding one person adds n channels, so coordination complexity grows faster than team size.

Power-interest grid

A stakeholder classification plotting influence against interest; high power and high interest are managed closely, high power and low interest kept satisfied, low power and high interest kept informed.

Thomas-Kilmann conflict modes

Five conflict-handling approaches defined by assertiveness and cooperativeness: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating; collaborating suits important issues needing long-term buy-in.

PDCA cycle

Plan sets objectives and targets, Do executes the plan, Check compares results with targets, and Act standardises what worked or corrects what did not; it underpins continuous improvement.

SMART objectives

Objectives stated as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, so that progress can be monitored and completion judged without ambiguity.

Lessons learned register

A living record of knowledge gained from successes and problems, including context and recommended action, captured continuously so it can be reused before project closure.