When everything is labeled a “high priority,” it’s impossible to focus, and delivery slows down.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore how to prioritize requirements effectively without endless debates or stakeholder conflicts. They share practical methods to align priorities with business value while managing dependencies and constraints.
You’ll learn:
Why prioritization is critical for focused, value-driven delivery.
Structured techniques like MoSCoW and weighted scoring for practical prioritization.
How to handle stakeholders who claim everything is equally important.
A real-world example of how clear prioritization accelerated delivery without sacrificing quality.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or project manager, this episode will help you move your projects forward confidently by focusing on what matters most.
Change is inevitable in projects—but unmanaged change can derail delivery, create chaos, and frustrate teams and stakeholders.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss how to manage requirements changes effectively without losing control or momentum. They share practical steps for assessing, prioritizing, and communicating changes while staying aligned with business goals.
You’ll learn:
Why managing change is about control, not resistance.
How to set up a clear, lightweight change control process.
Tips for assessing the impact of change requests quickly and objectively.
A real-world example showing how managed change prevented scope creep and delivery delays.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or project manager, this episode will help you embrace change confidently while protecting timelines and focus.
It’s possible to gather, document, and sign off on requirements—only to discover too late that you built the wrong thing.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss why reviewing and validating requirements is critical before development begins. They share how structured reviews with stakeholders, peers, and technical teams can catch ambiguities, gaps, and misunderstandings early, saving time and money.
You’ll learn:
The difference between sign-off and true validation.
How to conduct effective requirements reviews without unnecessary bureaucracy.
Who should be involved in requirements reviews and why.
A real-world example showing how reviews prevented costly rework on a project.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or delivery lead, this episode will help you build the right thing with confidence by validating requirements early.
Users often think they know what they need—until they see it. Misunderstandings and rework happen when requirements stay abstract.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss why prototypes are powerful tools for clarifying and validating requirements early. They explain how even simple, low-fidelity prototypes can surface hidden needs, align expectations, and reduce wasted effort.
You’ll learn:
The benefits of using prototypes during requirements analysis.
Different types of prototypes (sketches, wireframes, clickable mockups) and when to use them.
How to gather actionable feedback from users using prototypes.
A real-world example of how prototyping prevented rework and clarified true user needs.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or designer, this episode will help you use prototypes to transform vague requirements into clear, aligned solutions.
Relying only on words to describe requirements often leads to misunderstandings, missed details, and rework.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss why visual models are essential tools for clarifying and validating requirements with stakeholders. They explain how simple diagrams can uncover gaps and align everyone’s understanding before development begins.
You’ll learn:
What types of models (process flows, data models, context diagrams) can clarify requirements.
How to use models to identify hidden requirements and inconsistencies.
Tips for keeping models practical and collaborative, not overly complex.
A real-world example showing how visual modeling prevented scope confusion and rework.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or team lead, this episode will help you replace assumptions with shared understanding through effective modeling.
Do you find your team writing the same types of requirements repeatedly, like login processes or audit logging, from scratch on every project?
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore the power of reusing requirements to save time, reduce rework, and maintain consistency across your projects. They explain how reusing requirements isn’t lazy—it’s strategic.
You’ll learn:
What types of requirements are ideal for reuse.
How to capture, store, and manage reusable requirements effectively.
How to adapt reusable requirements to fit specific project contexts.
A real-world example of how reusing requirements accelerated delivery while ensuring compliance.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or delivery lead, this episode will help you work smarter, not harder, while maintaining quality.
Projects often fail to meet expectations because quality attributes like performance, usability, and security are vague or undefined. “Fast,” “secure,” and “easy to use” mean different things to different people.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss how to specify and manage quality attributes clearly so you can build solutions that truly meet user and business expectations.
You’ll learn:
What quality attributes are and why they’re essential.
How to turn vague terms like “fast” into measurable, testable requirements.
How to balance quality expectations with project constraints.
A real-world example showing how clear quality attributes prevented rework.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or project lead, this episode will help you define “good enough” in a way your team can design, build, and test with confidence.
Many teams jump straight into feature lists without understanding what users truly need to accomplish with the solution. This often leads to bloated products and missed user needs.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss how shifting from a “feature request” mindset to a task and workflow focus can transform your requirements gathering and solution design.
You’ll learn:
Why asking “What do you need to do?” is more powerful than “What features do you want?”
A structured way to uncover real user workflows and pain points.
How to validate that your planned solution actually supports user tasks.
A real-world example of how focusing on user actions saved a project from unnecessary features.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or UX designer, this episode will help you build solutions that align with real user needs, not just wish lists.
Projects often stall when it’s unclear who has the authority to make decisions. Endless discussions and indecision waste time, delay delivery, and frustrate teams.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore why it’s essential to identify empowered decision-makers early in your project. They share how clear ownership accelerates progress and ensures alignment when priorities or requirements need clarification.
You’ll learn:
The difference between gathering input and making decisions.
A practical method to identify decision-makers for different areas of your project.
How to handle situations where stakeholders avoid taking ownership.
A real-world example of how clear decision authority kept a project on track.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or team lead, this episode will help you remove bottlenecks and keep your project moving confidently.
Many projects get delayed or miss the mark simply because teams don’t involve the right stakeholders early enough.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily discuss why identifying and understanding your stakeholders is critical to delivering successful outcomes. They explore how missing or misunderstanding stakeholder needs leads to rework, hidden constraints, and misaligned expectations.
You’ll learn:
Who counts as a stakeholder (beyond just end users).
A clear approach to identify, analyze, and engage stakeholders.
How to handle stakeholder conflicts and hidden influencers.
A real-world example showing how stakeholder discovery prevented delivery issues.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or project manager, this episode will help you avoid surprises by getting the right voices involved early.
Scope creep, missed expectations, and stakeholder frustration often happen because teams don’t define clear boundaries for their solutions.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore how to define and communicate solution boundaries before you start building. They discuss why it’s essential to clarify what’s in scope—and just as importantly, what’s out of scope—to protect your timelines, budget, and team focus.
You’ll learn:
Why solution boundaries matter for delivery success.
A simple, practical framework for defining scope clearly.
How to communicate boundaries with stakeholders without conflict.
A real-world example of how defining scope early prevented rework.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or team lead, this episode will help you manage stakeholder expectations and prevent unnecessary chaos.
It’s easy to get caught up in building features and solutions without pausing to ask the critical question: “Why are we building this in the first place?”
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily unpack the importance of defining clear business objectives before starting delivery. They explore how unclear objectives lead to wasted effort and misaligned features—and what you can do to prevent it.
You’ll learn:
How to identify the real business objectives behind requests.
A simple framework to clarify objectives and measure success.
The difference between stakeholder excitement and measurable outcomes.
A practical example of aligning delivery with objectives to avoid rework.
If you’re a BA, product owner, or team lead, this episode will help you connect your work to meaningful business outcomes.
Jumping into solutions without fully understanding the problem is a common trap for teams—and it leads to wasted time, money, and missed value. In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore how to step back and clarify the real business problem before building anything.
You’ll learn:
Why “requests” often hide deeper problems.
Simple questions to uncover the actual pain points.
How to write clear problem statements that align your team and stakeholders.
A practical example of how clarifying the problem saved a project from unnecessary work.
Whether you’re a business analyst, product manager, or project lead, this episode will help you avoid rework and ensure your efforts truly add value.
Welcome to Business Analysis Simplified, where we explore key business analysis concepts through fun, real-world storytelling.
In this episode, we dive into the Business Process Management (BPM) Perspective—how business analysts help organizations improve how work gets done. Join Michael and Emily as they follow a group of students—Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam—who transform the chaos of their school’s Fundraising Carnival into a smooth, well-run event using BPM principles.
Through this playful yet practical example, you’ll learn how business analysts identify broken processes, map out steps, fix bottlenecks, and introduce changes that lead to better outcomes—whether in schools, startups, or large enterprises.
Welcome to Business Analysis Simplified, where we decode business analysis through simple, relatable storytelling.
In this episode, we explore the Business Architecture Perspective—the big-picture thinking that helps organizations understand how everything fits together to deliver value. Join Michael, a seasoned business analyst, and Emily, our curious newcomer, as they guide fictional students Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam through designing a Greenfield Elementary Adventure Park.
Welcome to Business Analysis Simplified, the podcast where we bring business analysis to life through relatable, real-world storytelling.
In this episode, we dive into the Information Technology (IT) Perspective—a critical lens where business analysts help translate business needs into tech-enabled solutions. Join Michael and Emily as they guide fictional characters Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam through creating a School Library App for Greenfield Elementary.
You’ll discover how business analysts act as translators between business and technology, ensuring that what gets built truly solves the right problems. From gathering clear requirements to sketching user-friendly designs, managing trade-offs, and supporting testing and rollout—this episode unpacks the BA’s role in IT projects step by step.
Welcome to Business Analysis Simplified—the podcast where we unpack key business analysis skills through real-world storytelling.
In this episode, we explore the Business Intelligence (BI) Perspective, where business analysts help organizations transform raw data into smart decisions. To make it fun and practical, we join Michael and Emily as they guide fictional characters Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam in launching a School Recycling Program—and discover how tracking cans and bottles becomes a powerful lesson in data-driven improvement.
You'll learn how business analysts play a vital role in BI by defining what data matters, creating meaningful visuals, analyzing trends, and recommending action. It’s not just about numbers—it’s about making change happen.
Welcome to Business Analysis Simplified, the podcast where we break down essential business analysis concepts through engaging, real-world storytelling.
In today’s episode, we explore the Agile Perspective—how business analysis adapts in fast-moving, flexible project environments. To bring it to life, we follow fictional characters Michael and Emily as they guide Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam through a fun story about launching a school snack stand using Agile ideas.
In this episode of Business Analysis Simplified, Michael and Emily explore the hidden skills that power every great business analyst: the Underlying Competencies.
These are the essential abilities—like analytical thinking, communication, teamwork, business knowledge, and smart technology use—that make business analysis more effective and impactful.
To bring these ideas to life, they follow a fun, real-world story where Emma, Jack, Sophia, and Liam work together to plan a Community Carnival at Maplewood Town Center.
Through this lively example, Michael explains how each competency shows up naturally, from solving layout problems to managing volunteers and making clear announcements.
Emily asks the key questions along the way, helping uncover why these skills matter, how they apply in business environments, and what common mistakes to avoid.
Packed with practical tips, real-world connections, and a few laughs, this episode will help you understand why building strong underlying competencies is the true foundation for successful business analysis.
Join Michael and Emily for a fun, insightful journey—and discover how mastering these hidden superpowers can make all the difference in your BA career!
In this episode of Business Analyst Simplified, Michael and Emily unpack the power of Workshops within the Solution Evaluation knowledge area. They take listeners inside a lively School Fitness Program workshop, where students, teachers, and administrators collaborate to assess how well the new fitness initiative is meeting its goals.
Michael and Emily discuss how facilitated workshops help uncover hidden solution gaps, prioritize improvement ideas, and build consensus quickly among diverse stakeholders. They also share tips for designing workshops that foster open dialogue, manage conflicts, and ensure every voice is heard.
Whether you're planning a full-day session or a quick feedback forum, tune in to learn how workshops can drive smarter evaluations and more impactful outcomes!
