Challenges of Business Analyst in Hybrid Methodology Approach to Project Delivery

This report discusses the challenges faced by business analysts in hybrid methodology approach to project delivery. It covers categorization of business processes, prioritization and integration of requirements, communication and collaboration, and more. Recommended steps of action are also provided.

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Challenges of Business Analyst in Hybrid Methodology Approach to
Project Delivery
Report
1/19/2019

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................2
Top Trends in Project Management.......................................................................................................2
Emotional Intelligence.......................................................................................................................2
Predictive Analysis............................................................................................................................2
Hybrid Methodology.........................................................................................................................3
Challenges of the Business Analyst Role in Hybrid Methodology to Product Delivery........................3
Categorization of the Business Processes..........................................................................................3
Prioritization & Integration of the Requirements...............................................................................4
Description & Documentation of Requirements................................................................................4
Requirements Traceability.................................................................................................................5
Communication & Collaboration.......................................................................................................5
Recommended Steps of Action..............................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The business requirements and specifications are analysed and defined by the Business
Analyst in a project. The primary role of a Business Analyst includes the interactions with the
Project Clients and other project stakeholders to determine the needs of the project and come
up with the detailed requirements and specifications to be accomplished. The gathering,
analysis, and documentation of the business requirements are performed by the Business
Analyst. The role of the Business Analyst is changing with the advancements in technology
and modifications in the approaches to project management. There are new tools that are
being developed to automate the process of requirements analysis. Also, there is a mix of
methodologies that are being applied in the projects to manage the project tasks and
activities.
Top Trends in Project Management
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the capacity to be aware of the emotions along with the ability to
control and express the emptions judiciously. The interpersonal relationships can be
effectively handled by the people with higher Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional
Quotient (EQ). EI plays a significant role for the project managers as well. The Project
Managers can operate in complex matrix environments with the aid of higher EI. The
management of changes can also be effectively done by controlling and assessing the
emotions adequately.
The project management activities are influenced using EI with better decision making
processes. The problem-solving capabilities are also enhanced using the EI mechanisms.
Predictive Analysis
Predictive analysis is a process in which the abundant sets of data are analysed to determine
the associated trends and patterns.
The practice and technology is being used in the area of project management to determine the
management practices that shall be carried out. The leadership traits and processes are also
regulated using the patterns and trends that are recognized.

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Hybrid Methodology
The methodologies for managing the projects are primarily classified in two categories.
These include predictive and adaptive methodologies. The predictive methodologies are the
ones that follow a defined set of processes and guidelines for managing the project processes.
The adaptive methodologies are the ones that are ad-hoc in nature and can be altered as per
the project tasks and processes. Agile methodologies come under the category of adaptive
methodologies while Waterfall methods and work breakdown structure are the predictive
methods of project management (Jahr, 2014).
Hybrid methodologies are the combination of the predictive and adaptive sets. These are
considered to be the best of the both worlds as the amalgamation of the two categories of the
methodologies is used to manage the project activities. For instance, Agile SCRUM for
project management is combined with Waterfall Model for Project Management (Ziolkowski
& Deregowski, 2014).
Challenges of the Business Analyst Role in Hybrid Methodology to Product Delivery
The role of the Business Analysts has changed over the years. With the implementation of
hybrid methodology in the projects, there are certain challenges that have come up for the
Business Analysts to deliver the projects. Some of these major challenges and issues have
been discussed below.
Categorization of the Business Processes
In case of the hybrid projects, it is necessary to classify the project tasks and activities on the
basis of the project methodology. It is not easy to classify the project processes that must be
regulated using the agile or other adaptive methodology and the processes that shall be
managed using the predictive methodology. The decision to allocate the methodologies to the
project processes in a hybrid environment is one of the major challenges that are observed for
the Business Analysts.
The selection of the tasks and activities is usually done on the basis of the nature of the
business process. For instance, the business processes that are expected to be changed on a
regular basis are assigned with an adaptive methodology (Alotaibi & Liu, 2016). On the other
hand, the business processes that are less likely to change are regulated using the predictive
methodology. From the theoretical point of view, such classification is easier to make.
However, during the actual project execution, the determination of the nature of all of these

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activities may not be easy to be identified in the initiation and planning phases of the project.
The selection of incorrect or inadequate methodology for a business task may do more harm
than good (Whitfield, 2014).
Prioritization & Integration of the Requirements
The nature of the Waterfall models or other predictive methods is to follow a linear
sequential step for execution and management of the project tasks and activities. In these
methods, a subsequent activity is started only when the one prior to it is completely
accomplished. However, in the case of agile methods, there are activities that run in parallel.
There may be two or more activities that may be simultaneously carried out. The integration
of such activities in a hybrid environment is one of the primary challenges that a Business
Analyst faces (Delen & ram, 2018).
Another challenge that comes up for the Business Analysts is in terms of the prioritization of
the requirements. There are some of the project requirements that may be necessary to be
delivered at the end of the project life cycle. However, there may be certain requirements that
may be needed in the beginning. In a hybrid environment, the analysis of the requirements
and the prioritization of these requirements is a challenging task.
Description & Documentation of Requirements
There are specific standards that are followed in each of the project management
methodologies. For instance, Projects in Controlled Environment (PRINCE2) is a
methodology that uses different terminology than Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBoK) methodology. Similarly, the terminology used in Waterfall Model is different from
the agile methodologies. Apart from the difference in the description and terminology, there
is also different in the importance and prioritization to documentation in all of the project
management methodologies (Shah, 2017).
Documentation is an activity that is provided a lot of importance in PRINCE2 methodology
while there is a limited focus presented to documentation in the agile methods. The syncing
of such variations is difficult in the hybrid environment. The Business Analysts find it
challenging to adhere to the principles and guidelines to all the methodologies being used in
the project. The non-adherence may lead to the compliance issue and the standardization may
also come up as a concern during the project activities.

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Requirements Traceability
The tracking of the requirements becomes essential in a project to make sure that the project
status and progress can be easily evaluated. There are different methods that are used to trace
the requirements and one of the primary methods is the use of requirements traceability
matrix. It is a matrix in which the project requirements and specifications are mapped with
the business scenarios, test scenarios, and test cases. The completion of the requirement in a
project can be easily identified using the matrix.
In a hybrid environment, there may be more than one requirements traceability matrix that
may be required to be developed. The integration of the matrices may become difficult which
may bring up the issues of integrity in the process of requirements tracing. It is the primary
responsibility of the Business Analyst to make sure that the requirements traceability is
adequately done in the project (Grant, 2016). However, the presence of multiple matrices
may make it difficult to carry out the process. The Business Analysts usually resolve such
issue by developing a common requirements traceability matrix for the project. Such a
resolution may not be adequate for the large-scale projects with multiple methodologies and
modules involved. The issues of non-compliance and standardization may come up which
may be another concern for the Business Analysts involved in the project.
Communication & Collaboration
The Business Analysts are required to make sure that effective communication is carried out
in the projects. However, in the hybrid projects, there may be multiple resources and teams
involved. These teams may not be aware of the progress being made by the other team. For
instance, the agile teams are pro-active and self-directed in nature while the ones assigned to
the Waterfall Models are primarily dependent upon the leaders to receive the instructions for
executing the project activities. Communication is one of the major challenges that the
Business Analysts face in the hybrid projects as there may be gaps in the process of
information sharing that may come up (Sonteya & Seymour, 2012).
There are also scenarios wherein the communication and collaboration tools being used by
the team members are different. The integration and cohesion become primary issues in such
cases and the communication gaps also increase as a result.

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Recommended Steps of Action
The idea of hybrid projects can be beneficial for the project team members and especially for
the Business Analysts and Project Managers. It is because the managerial tasks and activities
can be simplified by using a combination of methodologies.
However, it is recommended that the challenges that may come up for the business Analysts
are resolved by following certain measures. In the hybrid projects, there must be use of
automated tools that shall be used for requirements management. The tasks, such as
requirements prioritization, integration, and traceability can be automated with the use of
such tools. As a result, the hassles associated with such processes in a hybrid environment
will be avoided.
Communication and collaboration issues shall be resolved by using a defined set of
communication guidelines set up in advance. There are a number of communication
standards and protocols that are available. The protocols applicable to the project must be
identified and defined for the projects. In this manner, the resources allotted to the hybrid
projects will be aware of the communication mechanisms to be followed. The involvement of
increased intra-team and department discussions will ensure that the information sharing is
pro-active and the project details are dynamically shared at all times (Yoo & Kim, 2012).
The Business Analysts must work on the documentation standards to be followed in the
project during the initiation phase only. There are different guidelines and templates available
under each of the project management methodology. The templates of the methodologies
being used in the project must also be integrated and a specific template applicable for all the
project activities must be designed and approved. The same shall be shared with all the
project team members and the project documentation must be prepared as per the new
template designed.
Conclusion
Hybrid methodologies are the mix of the prescient and versatile sets. These are viewed as the
better of the two universes as the amalgamation of the two classifications of the
methodologies is utilized to deal with the project exercises. The job of the Business Analysts
has changed throughout the years. With the usage of hybrid methodology in the projects,
there are sure difficulties that have come up for the Business Analysts to convey the projects.
Some of these challenges include issues in the categorization of the business processes,

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problems in integration & prioritization of the business requirements, communication &
collaboration issues, requirements traceability, and issues in description & documentation of
the requirements. The idea of hybrid projects can be beneficial for the project team members
and especially for the Business Analysts and Project Managers. It is because the managerial
tasks and activities can be simplified by using a combination of methodologies.
Communication and collaboration issues shall be resolved by using a defined set of
communication guidelines set up in advance. There are a number of communication
standards and protocols that are available. The Business Analysts must work on the
documentation standards to be followed in the project during the initiation phase only. The
use of technological tools and methods shall be done to avoid the other issues.

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References
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Delen, D., & Ram, S. (2018). Research challenges and opportunities in business analytics.
Journal Of Business Analytics, 1(1), 2-12. doi: 10.1080/2573234x.2018.1507324
Grant, D. (2016). Business analysis techniques in business reengineering. Business Process
Management Journal, 22(1), 75-88. doi: 10.1108/bpmj-03-2015-0026
Jahr, M. (2014). A Hybrid Approach to Quantitative Software Project Scheduling within
Agile Frameworks. Project Management Journal, 45(3), 35-45. doi:
10.1002/pmj.21411
Shah, M. (2017). Evolving Role of a Business Analyst. International Journal Of Business
And Management, 1(2). doi: 10.26666/rmp.ijbm.2017.2.2
Sonteya, T., & Seymour, L. (2012). Towards an Understanding of the Business Process
Analyst: An Analysis of Competencies. Journal Of Information Technology
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Yoo, M., & Kim, E. (2012). An Analysis of Service Design Research Trends and Business
Practices - Focus on a Service Design Business Analysis Model -. A Journal Of Brand
Design Association Of Korea, 10(2), 95-104. doi: 10.18852/bdak.2012.10.2.95
Ziolkowski, A., & Deregowski, T. (2014). Hybrid Approach in Project Management –
Mixing Capability Maturity Model Integration with Agile Practices. Social Sciences,
85(3). doi: 10.5755/j01.ss.85.3.8416