The IIBA – Salt Lake Chapter

Recently, I came to find out that Salt Lake didn’t have its own chapter for the IIBA. My co-worker Greg Garner and I decided to take on the task of creating and building the local chapter. We complete the set up for our website, located at http://saltlake.theiiba.org.

I am excited for this opportunity to be a part of an organization that has already helped me grow immensely in my profession. I encourage all those involved in any kind of analysis to come and take part in our kick off meeting. We are planning to hold this event on February 26th. The location is tentatively scheduled to be held at Neumont University at 6:30pm. This is a great time to learn what the IIBA can do for you, and what benefits being a member of a local chapter can bring.

I’ve had the chance to work in many environments, and I feel that the skills learned from this kind of organization can extend into any business model or type.

Personal Analysis

I recently decided to start looking at other opportunities in my career. Its not that I hate my job, but the job functions have drastically changed from what I originally was hired to do. I posted my resume on a few websites, and within a day I had multiple opportunities presenting themselves.

The need for IT business analysts is definitely growing! The role the  BA fills can prove invaluable. One of the reasons I love being a BA, is because I get to really impact the business. For example, in my current job, I have discussed issues, created project plans, run analysis and data gathering session, developed solutions, and increased the overall effeciency of the company. It isnt just limited to IT related issues either. I know that the skills learned as an analyst will directly impact my future, as I continue to advance in my career. 

I recently joined the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis.) It has already been a great resource, and I highly recommend reading the documentation they provide. They have fairly comprehensive documentation regarding the role a BA fills. Some of the topics include: Creating and Maintaining the Business Architecture, Conducting Feasibility Studies, Determining Project Scope, Preparing the Business Case, Conduction Risk Assessment, Understanding Roles, Requirement Gathering Activities, and much more.

Business Analyst

A business analyst or “BA” is responsible for analyzing the business needs of their clients and stakeholders to help identify business problems and propose solutions. I have obtained a new position (courtesy of Jeremiah) as a Business Systems Analyst! I already get alot of heat from people who dont really understand the role.  However actually being in this role, I can see with the right situations, BA’s are invaluable.

I think one of the perks of the job, is that I’m not always sitting at my desk. I am constantly in contact with clients, the business, and the developers. I am always analyzing our application and designing solutions for many of the different roles. I really enjoying having such a big hand in how the application turns out.

Of course, the company you work for is a big deal. And First American is amazing. They really value each employee’s happiness. Of course I’ve only been here for 3 weeks so I dont really know it fully yet. However in the 3 weeks I *have* been here, I have been treated so well. The perks are great, the benefits are great, and the environment I am working in is by far the best I have ever been in.

I am begining to read alot of books about Agile development. As I learn some more things, I plan on posting some snipets to share the wisdom. For now, check out this site about Agile Software Development. Also, you can read about XP or Extreme Programming here. This is the methodology that we currently use in our shop (with slight variations.)