The Analyst's Emergeny Toolkit...
Hello everyone,
By trade, part of what I do is business analysis/system analysis. I created a direct, summarized version of my generic analytical methodology that can be used to map out a solution to any problem, I dare say business or personal.
Having a method by which to solve things provides you with comfort when you have to solve something you don't fully understand. SImply go through the steps, and as you do, the picture of what you must do to successfully complete your work will begin to take form.
I'll be tweaking the formatting later today, but this is the core content.
If there are any questions let me know and I'll be happy to answer them.
-Halla
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Analyst's Emergency Toolkit:
I. Summary:
There will come a time every career where a problem must be solved and no obvious answer to it is in plain sight. Under such circumstances it is necessary to be able to perform analysis on the fly in order to formulate a solution to the problem at hand. This document provides a simple yet effective problem solving methodology that can be applied to any situation imaginable.
II. Identify your Purpose, Schedule, and Budget:
A) Purpose:
State the problem in plain language. Solving the problem is the purpose of your team. Examples of purpose statements include:
“Create an interface for citizens to quickly obtain their tax information from the city's web site.”
“Design a process that allows volunteers to be assigned to work with organizations needing additional personnel.”
B) Schedule:
Determine when the problem must be solved. Is the time frame realistic? If not, what is the cause for urgency? Is it possible to solve the problem in phases and ask the powers that be for some flexibility in solving the problem?
C) Budget:
How much money is available to dedicate to solving the problem? Is it enough? If not who will ask for more and what will the justification for additional funding be based on? Before asking for more funds please complete the estimating exercise in step VII-A, 1-3.
III. Limit the Scope:
Scope creep is when the project team risks drifting away from its original purpose and scope into unplanned additions (CITE:
Scope creep - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). There is more than one solution to any problem. The only solution that matters is that which can satisfy the problem at hand in the time allotted with the funds available. Depending on the complexity of the problem, the amount of time, and money available it is necessary to choose a solution that is attainable with available resources. Three common levels of project solutions conceived by analysts are described below:
A) Minimum Acceptable Solution:
The problem is solved, all requirements are satisfied, but the solution might not be the most user friendly method of completing the work. Minimum acceptable solutions are usually selected when time, money, and manpower are in short supply but the problem cannot wait to be solved.
B) Middle of The Road:
Middle of the road solutions solve the problem and most likely are reasonably integrated into an existing workflow. These solutions can take anywhere from 3-6 months to formulate and implement. This level of work is often a good balance between functionality, cost, and time needed to implement.
C) Gold Plated:
Gold plated solutions are created when time and money are bountiful. These solutions are typically provided for high profile projects. All problem elements are addressed in an environment that is seamlessly integrated into the organization's information infrastructure. Automated data feeds, automatic population of information from data sources, and contextually designed screens provide users with pop-up help files on the fly. Gold plated solutions are usually outfitted with “sticky ends” or the ability to easily integrate with other systems if/when expansion is necessary in the future.
IV. Analysis Techniques:
The best way to quickly determine what a problem is really composed of is to utilize a combination of top-down and bottom-up analysis and design techniques. Once these two thinking exercises have occurred, it is necessary to rely on hard work and creativity to solve the remainder of the problem.
A) Top Down Analysis (~60% of a Problem Can Be Quickly Solved):
“Top down analysis is a problem solving mechanism whereby a given problem is successively broken down into smaller and smaller sub-problems or operations until a set of easily solvable (by computer) sub-problems is arrived at. The disadvantages of using a top down approach for detailed design, or the identification of individual implementation statements, may be listed as follows:
1. The designer ends up with very large tree structures.
2. There is no clear identification of the flow of control.
3. It is difficult to represent constructs such as selection, repetition and routine invocation.”
(CITE:
2CS21 - TOP DOWN ANALYSIS)
B) Bottom Up (~20% of a Problem Can Be Quickly Solved):
“In a bottom-up approach the individual base elements of the system are first specified in great detail. These elements are then linked together to form larger subsystems, which then in turn are linked, sometimes in many levels, until a complete top-level system is formed.”
(CITE:
Top-down and bottom-up design - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
C) Work + Creativity = Solving the Unknown (~20% of the Problem Remains):
Now that most of the problem has been conceptualized, it is time to begin brainstorming as to how to fill in the missing elements. Utilize internal resources, stakeholders at all levels, and consultants as budget allows. If the right diversity of thought is present, the problem will be solved. Be sure to have a champion of the proposed solution willing to sell it to senior management.
V. Gap Analysis (The Whiteboard is Your Friend, Draw a Picture!):
Gap analysis is a technique for the steps to be taken in moving from a current state to a desired future state. It begins with listing out the current factors/attributes to dtermine “what is,” then identifies factors needed to achieve future objectives or “what should be,” and finally highlights the gaps that need to be filled in order to create the desired change.
(CITE:
gap analysis definition)
A) Where we are now (Point A).
B) Where we need to be (Point B).
C) What it will take to get us there (The plan to get from A to B).
VI. Process and Task Identification – Basic Project Schedule:
It is critical to identify major processes, tasks, and the interdependencies of tasks if a gap analysis is performed on a whiteboard. The goal of completing the gap analysis should be to have a rough draft project schedule. “A project schedule consists of a list of the project's terminal elements (processes) with intended start/finish dates. Terminal elements are those that cannot be further subdivided. The terminal elements should be estimated in terms of their resource requirements, budget, and duration, and also linked by dependencies.
(CITE:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schedule_project_management).”
A) Major processes (terminal elements) – The big parts of the problem are identified.
B) Tasks – What must be done to make processes happen?
C) Task interdependencies – What tasks must be completed before others?
VII. Determining Cost and Time of Major Tasks:
A) Estimating cost, effort, and time is easy if kept simple:
1. Break down big problems into manageable chunks
2. Estimate each smaller unit's time and money to complete
3. Then add all units of time and effort together, add some room for slack, and arrive at a rough budget and schedule.
B) Assign work by department, subject matter expert, or via outsourcing.
VIII. Closing Shop:
A) Document Open Issues:
Not everything will be solved, it is necessary to keep tabs on unresolved issues. Writing them in a spreadsheet log is useful.
B) Document Risks:
When brainstorming be sure to identify risks, such as what happens if a given part of the plan fails. Formulate mitigation strategies for risks when possible.
C) Publish Formal Meeting Minutes:
Decide who will edit final meeting notes and who will review them. Be sure to include legible copies of all diagrams made on the whiteboard.
D) Determine Next Steps:
When will the next meeting occur? Who will speak with the decision makers? What is the due date for the meeting minutes?
E) Go to Lunch:
Team building is important if you wish to keep staff happy when working under stress on a tight schedule. Food is a great reward for the participants of a serious problem solving session.
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