Elevate your career prospects with this capstone project, designed to help you showcase job-ready business analysis skills applied to a real-world inspired scenario.
This hands-on experience allows you to apply business analysis concepts and techniques through a case study, Enhancing Operational Efficiency in a Multi-Specialty Hospital. While working on this project, you’ll apply key business analysis skills, including requirements gathering, stakeholder analysis, project management, process modeling, and risk assessment. Additionally, you’ll use tools like Excel for data analysis and Cognos or Google Looker for creating impactful dashboards.
This project offers an opportunity to design key artifacts integral to a business analysis project, including a Business Requirements Document (BRD), Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM), Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Plan, Process Model Diagram, Scope Management Plan and Risk Mitigation Plan.
To conclude the project, you'll design a professional PowerPoint presentation summarizing your findings, sharpening your analytical and presentation skills.
By completing this project, you’ll refine your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities and business analysis skills that stand on your resume. Be prepared to power up your business analysis career!
Overview
Syllabus
- Project Overview and Requirements Gathering
- This module lays the groundwork for the capstone project by introducing the case study that you will work on. It also highlights the prerequisites, including awareness of the key concepts and essential tools of business analysis required to work on the capstone project. The module focuses specifically on requirements gathering, requirements prioritization, and documentation. You'll learn how to identify, organize, and document business requirements effectively. Through hands-on labs and demonstrations, you’ll practice creating a Business Requirements Document (BRD) and a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) – the foundational artifacts in business analysis.
- Stakeholder Analysis and Project Management
- This module focuses on two critical aspects of business analysis: stakeholder analysis and engagement and project management. With the demonstration videos and practical labs, you will develop a comprehensive Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement Plan, ensuring alignment with project objectives. Next, you will work on Project Scope Management and create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to define and organize project deliverables. The module will enhance your ability to engage stakeholders strategically and manage project scope efficiently.
- Process Modeling
- This module focuses on mastering process modeling techniques, a key aspect of business analysis that helps visualize and optimize workflows. You’ll gain hands-on experience with tools like Lucidchart or MS Visio to create clear and actionable process models. Building on these fundamentals, the module progresses to advanced process mapping techniques, including Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Swimlane diagrams. Through guided demonstrations and practical labs, you will refine your ability to create detailed process maps that improve clarity and identify opportunities for process optimization.
- Data Analysis and Visualization
- This module equips you with essential skills in data analysis and visualization, focusing on leveraging tools like Excel, Cognos, and Looker. You’ll begin by mastering data cleaning, manipulation, and analysis in Excel, ensuring the accuracy of your datasets. Next, the module focuses on dashboard creation using Cognos or Looker. You'll learn to design effective dashboards to present insights effectively, improving decision-making and stakeholder communication. Through guided demonstrations and labs, you will build dashboards that transform data into actionable visualizations.
- Risk Assessment, Mitigation and System Analysis
- This module focuses on the critical aspects of risk identification, management, and mitigation in business analysis. You’ll begin by learning the essentials of risk management, including how to identify potential risks and document them effectively using tools like a Risk Register and SWOT Analysis. Building on this foundation, the module advances to risk mitigation and control strategies. You’ll explore techniques for developing a Risk Matrix and creating mitigation strategies. Through practical labs and demonstrations, you’ll create a Risk Mitigation Plan that includes contingency measures to address identified risks.
- Final Project and Course Wrap-Up
- In this final module, you will work on combining and presenting your project work into a compelling presentation that demonstrates your analytical and presentation skills. You’ll learn to structure and design effective presentations, applying best practices for clarity, engagement, and professionalism. Finally, you will submit this presentation highlighting insights derived from the project, which will be AI-graded.
Taught by
Shubhra Das and IBM Skills Network Team
