IN THIS ISSUE
Featured articles showcased in this issue:
> BA ABCs: “C” is for Class Diagram
> Document Decisions Separately and Explicitly – A Proposed Use Case Scenario Best Practice
> It’s a New World for the Business Analyst: We need to Grow up Fast!
> The Decision Model Meets Agile

Webinar: How the Business Analysts can Align Agile Development with Business Priorities
Webinar: 10 Key Business Analysis Trends for 2012

Also in this issue:
> More Business Analyst Humor
> Even more Resources for Business Analysts
> New Interview Questions

FEATURED ARTICLES
BA ABCs: “C” is for Class Diagram
by Howard Podeswa, Leader in Business Analysis, Noble Inc.
Today’s letter is “C” – for Class Diagrams. Business Analysts use Class Diagrams to help them discover ‘structural’ business rules and to document them in a visual form that is readily understood by developers. What is a structural rule? 
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Document Decisions Separately and Explicitly – A Proposed Use Case Scenario Best Practice
by Mark Monteleone, CBAP, PMP, CSM, CSPO
This article proposes a use case best practice technique: Always document decisions separately and explicitly in use case scenarios. This practice assists the business analyst in identifying where alternate and exception paths may be needed. This is similar to how decisions and resulting gateways are documented in Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN). The article provides a before and after example of a use case scenario along with a BPMN choreography diagram of the scenario.
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It’s a New World for the Business Analyst: We need to Grow up Fast!
by Kitty B. Hass, Sr. Practice Consultant, Kathleen Hass & Associates, Inc.
In many organizations, culture and conventional wisdom make it difficult for the BA to break out of mostly tactical roles within projects. However, in many ways, the future competitiveness of your organization (and consequently of your future employment) depends on it! So don’t blink or you will miss out on the best BA opportunity of your career.
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The Decision Model Meets Agile
by Barbara von Halle & Larry Goldberg, Knowledge Partners International, LLC
Inspired by a recent discussion in The Decision Model Group, this month’s column focuses on the emerging role of decision models on Agile projects. While Chapter 6 of our book introduces a connection between decision models and Agile development, The Decision Model Group takes it one step further based on recent experiences.
Read more...

WEBINARS
How the Business Analysts can Align Agile Development with Business Priorities
March 15, 2012 - Register Now, Cost: FREE 

10 Key Business Analysis Trends for 2012
March 27, 2012 - Register Now, Cost: FREE 

Transform Software Delivery to Address Market Complexity and Change
On Demand - Register Now, Cost: FREE 

MORE FROM ModernAnalyst.com
More Items of Interest
> An Introduction to Data Flow Diagrams
> Methodologies & The Dance of the Fairies
> The 21st Century BA: From Tactical Requirements Manager to Creative Leader of Innovative Change