Business Analysis – 2025
Jochen De Weerdt
Inhoud
1. Introduction to Business Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. What is Business Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2. Role of a Business Analyst & competencies ......................................................................................................... 5
1.3. BA planning and monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.4. Stakeholder engagement ..................................................................................................................................... 7
2. Context analysis..................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.1. Business Strategy ................................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2. External Context Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 10
2.3. Internal Context Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4. Strategy Execution ............................................................................................................................................. 13
2.5. Link to Enterprise Architecture (EA) ................................................................................................................... 19
Guest lecuter: Panenco .................................................................................................................................................... 21
3. Requirements Engineering ................................................................................................................................... 23
3.1. Requirements Definition and Types ................................................................................................................... 23
3.2. Requirements Elicitation .................................................................................................................................... 25
3.3. Requirements Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 26
3.4. Requirements Validation ................................................................................................................................... 29
3.5. Requirements Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 30
3.6. Requirements Modelling .................................................................................................................................... 32
3.7. Requirements Management .............................................................................................................................. 37
3.8. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 38
Guest Lecture Colruyt: The empathy Edge – Mastering Communication for business Analysis Succes .......................... 39
1. About Empathy and supercharging BA work ..................................................................................................... 39
2. Empathy mapping: first encounter .................................................................................................................... 39
3. Being empathetic starts with yourself ............................................................................................................... 39
4. The types of conversations ................................................................................................................................ 40
5. Active listening, the “No”-oriented question and mirroring .............................................................................. 41
6. Labelling, the verbal “master-key” .................................................................................................................... 41
7. Linguistics: every word matters ......................................................................................................................... 41
8. Empathy mapping: a second look .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Delivery of Solution and Project Management .................................................................................................... 43
4.1. Making the Business Case .................................................................................................................................. 43
4.2. Solution Development Approaches .................................................................................................................... 46
4.3. Testing the Solution ........................................................................................................................................... 49
4.4. Delivering the Solution ....................................................................................................................................... 52
, 4.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Guest lecture AE: Analysis in real life ............................................................................................................................ 55
1. Analysis: What & why? ...................................................................................................................................... 55
2. Business analysis: acerta ................................................................................................................................... 57
Case 2: toekomst atelier de l’avenir ................................................................................................................................. 60
1. Introduction to BPM ............................................................................................................................................ 61
1.1. The world of Business Process Management (BPM) .......................................................................................... 61
1.2. The BPM lifecycle ............................................................................................................................................... 63
1.3. Process identification ......................................................................................................................................... 63
1.4. Process discovery: as-is process modelling ........................................................................................................ 68
2. Essential Process Modelling ................................................................................................................................. 70
2.1. Process modelling languages............................................................................................................................. 70
2.2. Process modelling with BPMN: control-flow...................................................................................................... 74
2.3. Process modelling with BPMN: subprocesses .................................................................................................... 74
2.4. Process modelling with BPMN: repetition ......................................................................................................... 77
3. Advanced Process Modelling ............................................................................................................................... 80
3.1. Process modelling with BPMN: events ............................................................................................................... 80
3.2. Process modelling with BPMN: exception handling ........................................................................................... 83
3.3. Resource modelling............................................................................................................................................ 86
3.4. Data modelling .................................................................................................................................................. 87
4. Declarative Process Modelling ............................................................................................................................. 88
4.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 88
4.2. Declarative process modelling ........................................................................................................................... 89
4.3. Declare ............................................................................................................................................................... 90
4.4. Declare constraints and execution ..................................................................................................................... 91
4.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 95
5. Process Model Verification, Validation and Certification ..................................................................................... 95
5.1. Process model quality assurance ....................................................................................................................... 95
5.2. Syntactic quality – Verification .......................................................................................................................... 96
5.3. Semantic quality – Validation ............................................................................................................................ 99
5.4. Pragmatic quality – Certification ..................................................................................................................... 100
5.5. Case study: predicting errors in process models .............................................................................................. 102
5.6. Conclusion: ............................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
6. Decision Modelling with DMN ........................................................................................................................... 103
6.1. Process modelling and decisions – why is it needed? ...................................................................................... 103
6.2. Decision Model and Notation (DMN) .............................................................................................................. 107
6.3. Decision requirements modelling .................................................................................................................... 109
6.4. DMN decision logic .......................................................................................................................................... 112
6.5. Decision tables ................................................................................................................................................. 114
, 6.6. Expression language for decision logic (FEEL) ................................................................................................. 117
6.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 117
7. Qualitative Process Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 119
7.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 119
7.2. Value-added analysis & waste analysis ........................................................................................................... 119
7.3. Issue documentation........................................................................................................................................ 122
7.4. Root cause analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 123
7.5. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
8. Quantitative Process Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 125
8.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 125
8.2. Flow analysis .................................................................................................................................................... 126
8.3. Queuing analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 129
8.4. Simulation ........................................................................................................................................................ 133
9. Process Redesign ............................................................................................................................................... 134
9.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 134
9.2. Business Process Reengineering ...................................................................................................................... 135
9.3. Heuristic process redesign ............................................................................................................................... 139
9.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 143
10. Process Automation .......................................................................................................................................... 144
10.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 144
10.2. Bridging the gap: A five step approach............................................................................................................ 145
10.3. Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) ............................................................................................. 149
11. Process Mining – Process Discovery ................................................................................................................... 152
11.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 152
11.2. Process discovery ............................................................................................................................................. 153
11.3. The Alpha algorithm ........................................................................................................................................ 156
11.4. Heuristic process discovery .............................................................................................................................. 157
11.5. Other process discovery approaches ............................................................................................................... 160
11.6. Event data ........................................................................................................................................................ 163
11.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 166
Guest lecture: Celonis ................................................................................................................................................. 167
PWC – guest lecture .................................................................................................................................................... 168
12. Process Mining – Conformance checking ........................................................................................................... 172
12.1. Introduction to Conformance Checking ........................................................................................................... 172
12.2. Measuring fitness ............................................................................................................................................ 174
12.3. Measuring precision ........................................................................................................................................ 177
12.4. measuring generalization/simplicity ............................................................................................................... 181
12.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 181
13. Process Mining – Extension and Tooling ............................................................................................................ 181
, 13.1. Extension Techniques ....................................................................................................................................... 181
13.2. Predictive Process Mining ................................................................................................................................ 186
13.3. Tool Support..................................................................................................................................................... 189
Closing session BA/BPM ............................................................................................................................................. 191
1. Q&A.................................................................................................................................................................. 191
2. Exam information ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. Example exam questions ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Three most difficult questions of last year’s exam.................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Jochen De Weerdt
Inhoud
1. Introduction to Business Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. What is Business Analysis .................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2. Role of a Business Analyst & competencies ......................................................................................................... 5
1.3. BA planning and monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.4. Stakeholder engagement ..................................................................................................................................... 7
2. Context analysis..................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.1. Business Strategy ................................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2. External Context Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 10
2.3. Internal Context Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 12
2.4. Strategy Execution ............................................................................................................................................. 13
2.5. Link to Enterprise Architecture (EA) ................................................................................................................... 19
Guest lecuter: Panenco .................................................................................................................................................... 21
3. Requirements Engineering ................................................................................................................................... 23
3.1. Requirements Definition and Types ................................................................................................................... 23
3.2. Requirements Elicitation .................................................................................................................................... 25
3.3. Requirements Analysis ....................................................................................................................................... 26
3.4. Requirements Validation ................................................................................................................................... 29
3.5. Requirements Documentation ........................................................................................................................... 30
3.6. Requirements Modelling .................................................................................................................................... 32
3.7. Requirements Management .............................................................................................................................. 37
3.8. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 38
Guest Lecture Colruyt: The empathy Edge – Mastering Communication for business Analysis Succes .......................... 39
1. About Empathy and supercharging BA work ..................................................................................................... 39
2. Empathy mapping: first encounter .................................................................................................................... 39
3. Being empathetic starts with yourself ............................................................................................................... 39
4. The types of conversations ................................................................................................................................ 40
5. Active listening, the “No”-oriented question and mirroring .............................................................................. 41
6. Labelling, the verbal “master-key” .................................................................................................................... 41
7. Linguistics: every word matters ......................................................................................................................... 41
8. Empathy mapping: a second look .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Delivery of Solution and Project Management .................................................................................................... 43
4.1. Making the Business Case .................................................................................................................................. 43
4.2. Solution Development Approaches .................................................................................................................... 46
4.3. Testing the Solution ........................................................................................................................................... 49
4.4. Delivering the Solution ....................................................................................................................................... 52
, 4.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Guest lecture AE: Analysis in real life ............................................................................................................................ 55
1. Analysis: What & why? ...................................................................................................................................... 55
2. Business analysis: acerta ................................................................................................................................... 57
Case 2: toekomst atelier de l’avenir ................................................................................................................................. 60
1. Introduction to BPM ............................................................................................................................................ 61
1.1. The world of Business Process Management (BPM) .......................................................................................... 61
1.2. The BPM lifecycle ............................................................................................................................................... 63
1.3. Process identification ......................................................................................................................................... 63
1.4. Process discovery: as-is process modelling ........................................................................................................ 68
2. Essential Process Modelling ................................................................................................................................. 70
2.1. Process modelling languages............................................................................................................................. 70
2.2. Process modelling with BPMN: control-flow...................................................................................................... 74
2.3. Process modelling with BPMN: subprocesses .................................................................................................... 74
2.4. Process modelling with BPMN: repetition ......................................................................................................... 77
3. Advanced Process Modelling ............................................................................................................................... 80
3.1. Process modelling with BPMN: events ............................................................................................................... 80
3.2. Process modelling with BPMN: exception handling ........................................................................................... 83
3.3. Resource modelling............................................................................................................................................ 86
3.4. Data modelling .................................................................................................................................................. 87
4. Declarative Process Modelling ............................................................................................................................. 88
4.1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 88
4.2. Declarative process modelling ........................................................................................................................... 89
4.3. Declare ............................................................................................................................................................... 90
4.4. Declare constraints and execution ..................................................................................................................... 91
4.5. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................... 95
5. Process Model Verification, Validation and Certification ..................................................................................... 95
5.1. Process model quality assurance ....................................................................................................................... 95
5.2. Syntactic quality – Verification .......................................................................................................................... 96
5.3. Semantic quality – Validation ............................................................................................................................ 99
5.4. Pragmatic quality – Certification ..................................................................................................................... 100
5.5. Case study: predicting errors in process models .............................................................................................. 102
5.6. Conclusion: ............................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
6. Decision Modelling with DMN ........................................................................................................................... 103
6.1. Process modelling and decisions – why is it needed? ...................................................................................... 103
6.2. Decision Model and Notation (DMN) .............................................................................................................. 107
6.3. Decision requirements modelling .................................................................................................................... 109
6.4. DMN decision logic .......................................................................................................................................... 112
6.5. Decision tables ................................................................................................................................................. 114
, 6.6. Expression language for decision logic (FEEL) ................................................................................................. 117
6.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 117
7. Qualitative Process Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 119
7.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 119
7.2. Value-added analysis & waste analysis ........................................................................................................... 119
7.3. Issue documentation........................................................................................................................................ 122
7.4. Root cause analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 123
7.5. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
8. Quantitative Process Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 125
8.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 125
8.2. Flow analysis .................................................................................................................................................... 126
8.3. Queuing analysis .............................................................................................................................................. 129
8.4. Simulation ........................................................................................................................................................ 133
9. Process Redesign ............................................................................................................................................... 134
9.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 134
9.2. Business Process Reengineering ...................................................................................................................... 135
9.3. Heuristic process redesign ............................................................................................................................... 139
9.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 143
10. Process Automation .......................................................................................................................................... 144
10.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 144
10.2. Bridging the gap: A five step approach............................................................................................................ 145
10.3. Business Process Management Systems (BPMS) ............................................................................................. 149
11. Process Mining – Process Discovery ................................................................................................................... 152
11.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 152
11.2. Process discovery ............................................................................................................................................. 153
11.3. The Alpha algorithm ........................................................................................................................................ 156
11.4. Heuristic process discovery .............................................................................................................................. 157
11.5. Other process discovery approaches ............................................................................................................... 160
11.6. Event data ........................................................................................................................................................ 163
11.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 166
Guest lecture: Celonis ................................................................................................................................................. 167
PWC – guest lecture .................................................................................................................................................... 168
12. Process Mining – Conformance checking ........................................................................................................... 172
12.1. Introduction to Conformance Checking ........................................................................................................... 172
12.2. Measuring fitness ............................................................................................................................................ 174
12.3. Measuring precision ........................................................................................................................................ 177
12.4. measuring generalization/simplicity ............................................................................................................... 181
12.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 181
13. Process Mining – Extension and Tooling ............................................................................................................ 181
, 13.1. Extension Techniques ....................................................................................................................................... 181
13.2. Predictive Process Mining ................................................................................................................................ 186
13.3. Tool Support..................................................................................................................................................... 189
Closing session BA/BPM ............................................................................................................................................. 191
1. Q&A.................................................................................................................................................................. 191
2. Exam information ................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. Example exam questions ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Three most difficult questions of last year’s exam.................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
