Business Analysis Case Study - Access Management
Introduction
- Objective: To work on a business analysis case study that represents a typical day-to-day task for a business analyst.
- Scenario: Company A is growing rapidly, increasing the number of employees, and needs to manage access rights to prevent fraud and other issues.
- Task: Create a prototype for a software solution to let employees request access rights and have those requests reviewed by their line managers.
Case Study Overview
- Company A's Challenge: Managing access rights becomes challenging as the number of employees increases.
- Solution Need: A digitalized process to allow employees to request access rights and to enable managers to review and approve these requests.
- Prototype Objective: Develop a first prototype of the software that addresses the access management needs.
Requirements Gathering
- Methods: Conduct workshops or interviews to better understand the topic (linked additional content available on YouTube).
- Outcome of Workshop/Interview:
- Employee Requirement: Ability to request access to applications.
- Manager Requirement: Ability to review requests with outcomes of approval, rejection, or rework.
- Prototype Scope: Focus on a single-user executable software, ignoring the automated download and role concept.
Process Modeling with BPMN
- BPMN: Business Process Model and Notation, a standard for modeling business processes.
- Tools and Steps:
- Start Event: Beginning of the process.
- End Event: Conclusion of the process.
- Activity: Task representation, such as 'Request Access' or 'Review Request'.
Creating the Request Access Form
- Essential elements of the form:
- Application Selection: Drop-down menu with options (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, Word).
- Justification: Multi-line text field for the reason behind the request.
- Welcome Message: Greeting the user (e.g., "Welcome, Initiator").
Developing the Workflow
- Flow:
- Request Access Task: Employee fills out the form and submits the request.
- Review Request Task: Manager reviews the request and can approve, reject, or request rework.
- Gateway Decision: Determines the next step based on the manager's decision.
Implementing Decision Outcomes
- Possible Outcomes:
- Approve: Request is approved, ending the process.
- Reject: Request is rejected, ending the process.
- Rework: Sends the request back to the employee for additional information.
Testing and Iteration
- Prototype Testing: Running through different scenarios to ensure all paths work as intended.
- Approval Path: Request is approved and completes the process.
- Rejection Path: Request is rejected and completes the process.
- Rework Path: Request is sent back to the employee and then reviewed again after rework.
Conclusion
- Outcome: Successfully built and tested a prototype that meets the access management requirements of Company A.
- Tools: Utilized BPMN and a software tool (Flowable) to model and execute the business process.
- Next Steps: Gather feedback and refine the prototype to include additional features and improvements based on real-world usage.
Additional Resources
- YouTube Links: For further learning on conducting requirements workshops and interviews.
Thank you for following along. Comments and feedback are welcome. Take care!