HANDLING CHANGE REQUEST AS A BUSINESS ANALYST

Business Analysts should be aware of handling change requests at any point of time. It is very obvious that the Requirements are inbuilt to change and it will continue throughout the life. It is because people change their minds, tastes etc over day to day life. Let us suppose that a project is initiated and progressing through time and all of a sudden the client has come up with some more requirements adding to the previous requirements. These change requests may affect the project and sometimes your requirements may also change. So basically Business Analysts should be prepared for change requests and come out of it with a most suitable solution.

When a Business Analyst receives a request of change from the client, he analyzes the request and clarifies exactly what the request is asking you to do. He performs some activities to improvize and change the project as per the Clients Requirement. They are:
1. Feasibilty Study
2. Impact Analysis
3. Effort Estimation

FEASIBILITY STUDY:
Basically, this is the first step a Business Analyst does whenever he comes across the Change Requests. This Feasibility Study helps in answering the possible question like “Are we supposed to proceed with the proposed project change requirements?”. If yes, he will go accept the change request and goes to the Impact Analysis.

IMPACT ANALYSIS:
Impact Analysis is nothing but identifying all the possible consequences or guessing what requirements are to be modified to carry out the change. Later they perform the Effort Estimation.

EFFORT ESTIMATION:
It is the process of identifying the approximate amount of Effort required to implement the change in the project. Here, Effort in terms of resources, time, money etc.,

Generally, Change Management will have impact on the earlier Project Scope. Here, the Change Management/Control Technique and the Business Analyst including Project Manager has to scope the initial Business Requirements document with a new scope which is not a part of initial documents. Then review the documents carefully and follow the change control process deligently.

When a change is requested, what a Business Analyst should do? In simple terms,
1. Firstly, BA documents the change requests.
2. BA identifies whether the change in the ongoing project is really worth it or not.
3. Project Manager should approve the change requests. If yes, the project will move furtherly.
4. Business Analyst along with the Project Manager ensure whether the change is a minor or a major change.
5. If the new requirement is a major change, they make sure that it should not impact the delivery date of the project or any changes in the project scope.
6. Also try to help the other stakeholders to understand the importance of change requests which helps to reduce the negative impact of the project.

A successful Business Analyst is a person who acts a Problem-Solver and create clarity whenever a change request comes from the client.