For BAs, planning is a crucial step in the business analysis process. Throughout my career, I've noticed that the type of plan a BA needs to prepare often depends on the current project phase and their role and responsibilities:
New project: At this stage, the BA lead is typically responsible for creating a high-level plan for the BA team. This plan outlines the overall BA process across different phases and resource allocation.
Ongoing/starting project: In addition to the high-level plan, BAs need to prepare a detailed plan. This detailed plan varies depending on the BA's role. If you're a team member, the plan describes the specific tasks, timelines, etc. If you're the BA lead, the detailed plan outlines the tasks for all team members, including time allocation and resource management.
In this post, I'll focus on creating a detailed plan for individual BAs. If you need advice on creating a high-level plan, feel free to ask me separately or let's schedule another post for that.
1. Preparation
To create a good plan, you need to understand your own capabilities. For example, how much time do you need to complete a task of a certain complexity? Tip: Diligently track your work performance based on task difficulty. Remember to include research and document review time from the moment you start working, not just the time spent writing the actual document.
Task breakdown and scope of work: BA tasks are often divided according to the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) or function list, which I discussed in this post [link to your post about WBS/function list]. However, this task list doesn't always include everything you need to do in reality. When breaking down tasks for planning, don't forget these: requirement elicitation meetings, researching/reading reference documents, transferring documents, supporting developers/testers, reviewing documents, and updating documents. This task list will vary depending on the project, scope of work, and plan, so you might need to add or remove items. At this stage, you can consult with the BA lead to define the tasks accordingly.
Stakeholder engagement plan: Work can only be done effectively with clear requirements from stakeholders. So, your plan should be structured to ensure that documentation/detailing is done after requirements have been gathered.
Project/BA team's overall plan: A good plan is one that aligns with the entire team. Therefore, when creating your plan, make sure it doesn't deviate significantly from the milestones set in the overall plan..
2. Implementation
Prioritize tasks: The tasks in the function list or WBS are often not arranged in the correct priority order for the project. So, when assigned tasks, rearrange them based on their importance and impact on the project.
Assess task difficulty: Each task has a different level of difficulty, and more complex tasks take longer to complete. If you're new to assessing task difficulty, consult with the BA lead for advice. If you still want to do your own assessment, here are some factors to consider: business complexity, technical complexity, impact on other tasks, and task duration (some tasks aren't difficult, they just take a long time).
Add task details: After arranging the tasks, add the details I mentioned in section 1: meetings, reviews, updates, support, etc.
Estimate time: Fill in the start/end times based on your work efficiency. For easier tracking and management, each task should be under 4 hours. If a task takes longer than 4 hours, try to break it down further and add the corresponding time.
Submit your proposal: As I mentioned, the individual plan must align with the overall project plan. After completing your part, discuss it with the team to balance the plan. This avoids scheduling conflicts with other team members (e.g., overlapping review times with the BA lead).
3. Track, Update, and Stick to the Plan
Stick to the plan: Once the plan is agreed upon, ensure your work follows it. During the work process, you'll encounter unexpected issues that affect your initial plan (e.g., delays in gathering requirements, the BA lead being unavailable for review). In these cases, reassess the impact on your personal plan and the project plan. Then, update the plan and get confirmation from the BA lead.
Track the plan: During plan execution, add information about task status and completion percentage for easier tracking. This, along with updating actual working hours (start/end), helps you record your work efficiency and monitor your progress.
In the file share, I've included a sample file that I use for planning, which you can refer to:
Link: https://www.tankbaclass.com/file-share/ee0b8d6d-0e86-4828-9db2-538c59d82e44
Note:
If possible, use Microsoft Project for professional plan creation.
The file has been converted and edited, so the task execution and completion times only have dates, not hours. When creating your plan, ensure tasks are broken down appropriately.
The "Milestone" sheet is a high-level plan for work completion milestones and is not used for tracking.
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