Currently Browsing : Nik Gebhard

To technology or not to technology – Nik Gebhard 0

Posted on 23, February 2012

in Category practitioner experience

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To technology or not to technology Over the past few years I have come to realise that business stakeholders are growing in their understanding of technology. Does this understanding carry an advantage, a risk, or aspects of both within the project world? In my early years as an analyst, I remember working on a particular project and jotting down business requirements that were delivered from a strategic perspective. It was blatantly clear that these requirements were carefully derived to support an organisation’s strategic mission. I discussed these with the technical stakeholder before committing to the business what could or could [&hellip

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The stupid analyst – Nik Gebhard 0

Posted on 3, November 2011

in Category practitioner experience

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Here’s the scenario: You walk in starry eyed. A fresh start. A new challenge. An opportunity to learn and share knowledge. The introductions fly past and, if you’re lucky, you remember the name of the meeting’s facilitator. Kerryn. Or was it Karin? Ready – set – go! The conversation kicks off. Most of the stakeholders around the room already know each other. More importantly, they know the business. No question, no gain From the onset it’s evident that the project is about replacing the CDS with the QLT. Before long a seemingly uninterested attendee enters the room. It’s Gary from [&hellip

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Fostering a culture of innovation – Nik Gebhard 0

Posted on 21, July 2011

in Category practitioner experience

Fostering a culture of innovation

Something rings true about the age old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If a process is working, why change it, right? Wrong! As Bob Dylan rightly said: “The times they are a-changin’.” Our world is continually evolving and long-standing methodologies and techniques don’t necessarily provide the benefit that they once did. Similarly, the world of organisational strategy is shifting. This shift calls for innovation which will allow businesses to retain their competitive advantage. Innovation requires support In response to my last post, “The best methodology is freedom“, I have had a number of questions around how a [&hellip

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The best methodology is freedom – Nik Gebhard 0

Posted on 16, June 2011

in Category practitioner experience

The best methodology is freedom

There have been bounteous discussions around the need for new life to be breathed into business analysis methodologies. I have chosen to stay away from the agile versus scrum versus waterfall versus iterative versus I-don’t-care debate. I was always of the opinion that these discussions were intuitive and unnecessary. I was wrong. Business is changing. So is business analysis. Almost every article surrounding business today makes mention of the changing business world. Specific emphasis is placed on the doom that organisations face if they don’t adapt with the changing times. Cue the enormous gulp of fear. Given that a large [&hellip

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The link between stakeholder relationships and project planning – Nik Gebhard 0

Posted on 23, May 2011

in Category practitioner experience

The link between stakeholder relationships and project planning

During the past few days my curiosity-muscle has been tickled by the dormant value that resides in understanding stakeholder backgrounds early on in a project. Of particular interest is how this relates back to project timeline estimations and planning. “How?” you ask. Allow me to explain… I wouldn’t expect much “umming and ahhing” if I alleged that there was considerable value to be gained in building strong relationships with stakeholders. It seems almost logical that building robust connections brings with it not only commercial benefit, but also project benefit. It instills a sense of teamwork as opposed to the typical [&hellip

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