BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (inc exam)

What do Business Analysts do? What skills and competencies do they require to do their role? This 3-day Foundation level course provides delegates with a 'whistle-stop tour' of the role of the Business Analyst who acts as the link between business needs, users and IT within change initiatives.
This 3-day course is fast-paced and through the use of examples and a simple case study introduces delegates to the contribution that a business analyst makes within a business. We also consider the tools and techniques available to Business Analysts to assist them in their role.
At the end of the course you may sit a multiple-choice examination to obtain the BCS Business Analysis Foundation Certificate. This qualification provides a foundation to the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis and covers the knowledge-based element of the qualification.

Koulutusmuoto

Remote

Kesto

3 päivää

Hinta

2571 €

This fast-paced, three-day course introduces the essential concepts, techniques, and competencies of business analysis. It is designed to equip learners with a clear understanding of the role business analysts play in linking business needs, users, and IT teams. Through practical examples and a simplified case study, learners will explore core methodologies and frameworks used in business analysis and understand how these support change initiatives. Successful completion of the course prepares participants for the BCS Business Analysis Foundation Certificate, which is a recognised entry point into the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

Define the role and responsibilities of a business analyst
Describe key business analysis concepts and lifecycle models
Identify and apply stakeholder analysis and management techniques
Analyse and improve business services and processes
Define, document, and validate business requirements
Understand how to make and support a business case
Prepare for and complete the BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam

Prerequisites

Participants must be able to commit to approximately one hour of revision or reading per evening during the course. Pre-course reading will be provided and must be reviewed prior to attending.

Target audience

This course is ideal for professionals new to business analysis, as well as those seeking to gain a broader understanding of the role within change programmes. It is especially suitable for those working toward the BCS International Diploma or those with some prior exposure to business analysis. Learners preferring a slower pace may consider the four-day version of this course.

Course Content

Understanding business analysis

Business change lifecycle and the principles of business analysis
Role variants and purpose of business analysis in change

Core competencies of a business analyst

The T-shaped professional model
Key competency areas for business analysts

Strategic context for business analysis

PESTLE and VMOST for environmental analysis
Business models, performance metrics, SWOT, and POPITTM
Using the business model canvas in strategy execution

Business analysis service framework

Overview of the seven services in the BASF including requirements definition and stakeholder engagement

Investigating the business situation

Workshop types, observation, interviewing, scenarios, prototyping, and user role analysis
Quantitative techniques and diagrammatic tools (rich pictures, mind maps)

Stakeholder analysis and management

Stakeholder categories, Power/Interest grid, RACI responsibilities

Improving business processes and services

Process hierarchies, SIPOC, value chain, UML activity models
As-is analysis, task and handoff evaluation, customer journey mapping

Defining potential solutions

Gap analysis using POPITTM
Developing solution options and applying design thinking

Building the business case

Structure and feasibility of business cases
Categories of cost and benefit, risk and impact assessments
Investment appraisal methods and CARDI log

Requirements engineering and analysis

Framework for establishing requirements
Stakeholder roles, types and hierarchy of requirements
Elicitation techniques and analysis filters such as MoSCoW and INVEST

Requirements documentation and modelling

Documentation styles and user stories
Use cases, class models, product backlogs, and business requirement documents

Validating and managing requirements

Techniques for formal and Agile validation
Requirements traceability and change control

Delivery lifecycles

Comparison of waterfall, V-model, incremental and Agile approaches
Pros and cons of different lifecycle models

Delivering the business solution

Business analyst’s role in solution implementation
SARAH model, business readiness assessment, benefits realisation

Exams and assessments

This course includes a BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam voucher. The exam is a one-hour, closed-book, multiple-choice assessment via remote proctor. Learners must schedule the exam to take place after the course. The exam voucher expires 12 months after confirmed attendance of the course.

Hands-on learning

Participants engage with practical examples and a simplified case study to reinforce learning. Instructor-led sessions incorporate workshops and collaborative exercises that simulate real-world business analysis scenarios, enabling learners to apply frameworks and techniques immediately.