BA Brew - A Business Analysis Podcast

Service frameworks are a powerful yet often overlooked tool that can fundamentally change how teams understand, collaborate, and achieve outcomes. In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley from AssistKD is joined by Chris Pyatt and Victoria Banner to discuss how service frameworks help business analysts, business architects and service designers clarify their value, improve collaboration and na...

Once you learn business analysis skills, do they ever really switch off? In this episode of BA Brew, Mike, Ruth, Kerry and Stu discuss how BA thinking becomes embedded into everyday life - shaping how we solve problems, make decisions and interact with others. The discussion covers: Why BA skills naturally carry over into everyday situations Real-life examples of using BA thinking outside of work...

Informal networks are one of the most powerful – and often overlooked - forces in organisations. For Business Analysts, understanding how information really flows can make the difference between struggling with change and successfully influencing it. In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley is joined by Michelle, Fiona and Carlos to explore the role of gossip and informal networks in the workp...

Active listening is one of the most valuable skills a Business Analyst can develop — and one of the easiest to get wrong. In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley from AssistKD is joined by Craig Rollason and Corrine Thomas to discuss how active listening helps business analysts build trust, improve stakeholder conversations and gather better requirements. The discussion covers: What active li...

What’s it really like starting out as a Business Analyst - and how do you avoid feeling isolated, overwhelmed or “behind” in your early career? In this episode of The BA Brew , Mike is joined by Joe and Jo from the Young Business Analysts (YBA) - a fast‑growing, volunteer‑led community designed to support Business Analysts aged 35 and under. They discuss: Why YBA was created and the gap it set out...

What does it really mean to be a “professional” Business Analyst? In this episode of BA Brew , Kerry is joined by Laurens and Lisa to explore professionalism in business analysis – from preparation and mindset to qualifications, growth, and career progression. They discuss: What professionalism means in a BA context Their journeys through the BCS International & Advanced Diplomas Achieving CIT...

Being part of a Community of Practice allows BAs to share knowledge and best practice, mentor or be mentored, and have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. But some of the benefits are less tangible. In this lively chat, Anthony Thompson and Mark Thompson of Close Brothers discuss the value of Communities of Practice with the Brew Crew. Anthony Thompson and Mark Thompson are b...

In this informative BA Brew Adam Pearson talks to the Crew about why BAs need to develop an accessibility mindset and how he, as a registered blind person, has used his BA skills to help to make it easier to both generate and consume accessible content. Topics discussed: why accessibility must be considered from the start of every project; useful tools for generating accessible content and for con...

Helen Holder developed an idea to help her children talk about their fears during lockdown – and it proved to be highly effective. Now Helen is using the same powerful visualisation technique to help business change professionals name, and tame, their self-limiting beliefs. In this mindset-challenging BA Brew, Helen and the Brew Crew discuss common 'Mental Monsters’ and share some practical strate...

If you have relevant transferable skills, it is possible to change careers at any time of life. In this thought-provoking episode, Lisa Croft of Herd Consulting and AssistKD’s Amanda Christianson talk about transferable skills with host Jonathan Hunsley. Relevant skills discussed include: stakeholder engagement; customer service; teamwork; data analysis; problem-solving; taking a holistic view; an...

If you’ve ever considered applying for the Business Analyst of the Year Award, this BA Brew special is for you. Current BA of the Year Mark Cross and 2024 winner Kay Hardy discuss what inspired them to apply, and some of the unexpected benefits of taking part. FURTHER RESOURCES Visit our BA of the Year page Assist’s Learning Zone  is packed with free learning resources, with new and topical conten...

In this stressbusting BA Brew, special guest and yoga teacher Jennie Macdonald talks to the Brew Crew about how yoga, mindfulness, and something as simple as a breathing technique can foster balance, calm and resilience in your work and home life. Jennie and Ruth recommend the following online Yoga and Mindfulness resources: Yoga with Adriene is a particularly good entry point – well worth subscri...

Bad service appears to be on the increase… why? Could it be because organisations are forgetting about the needs of the customer or are not sufficiently involving BAs, Service Designers or Business Architects? Debra Paul, Jonathan Hunsley and Mike Williams share a few ‘tales of woe’ and discuss some of their favourite trouble-shooting tools and techniques. Techniques discussed include scenario ana...

Could BAs be the new digital solutions superheroes? This week’s BA Brew, which features special guest Catherine Plumridge, looks at how the skills of BAs plug into digital solutions across every element of the BA Service Framework. Questions addressed in the chat include: Could the BA role in the future embrace the development of digital solutions, using no-code platforms and AI? How does using th...

In this music-themed BA Brew, three piano-playing business analysts identify and draw parallels between business analysis and music, highlighting interesting similarities and connections. Claire Chaundy compares mentoring in music and in business analysis. AssistKD’s Stuart Mullinger discusses BA tools and techniques and the musical standards. And Dominic Ready (who also performs the intro and out...

In this week’s BA Brew, Kerry Adams chats to avid beekeepers Mike Williams and Mick Brian about what business analysts can learn from the organisation of a beehive – including how the bees communicate, make decisions, and allocate their resources. Interesting facts include the many different jobs of the worker bees (they don’t just collect pollen) and the intricacies of the ‘waggle dance’. FURTHER...

Ready for some BA toolbox inspiration? This BA Brew is all about business analysis techniques, and how to apply them. Podcast guest Carlos Pullen-Ferreira waxes lyrical about the Requirements Traceability Matrix and User Stories; Debbie sings the praises of Data Models, the CRUD Matrix and a good Value Stream Diagram; and finally Jonathan puts a word in for GAP Analysis and can’t resist talking (o...

According to Simon Platt, every one of us, regardless of our age, job, title or background, has it within us to inspire others – even if we don’t always realise it. Simon lived in the same village as Sir Captain Tom Moore, and observed close at hand how a simple idea lifted the nation’s spirits in lockdown and raised £39 million for NHS charities. In this uplifting BA Brew, Simon talks to the Crew...

AssistKD’s Product Strategy Director Pete Thompson is the author of the new BCS Digital Solutions series. In this BA Brew Pete, explains how he saw the need for an up to date, comprehensive body of knowledge for business and IT professionals, and talks about the process of writing the three books – Defining Digital Solutions, Designing Digital Solutions and Delivering Digital Solutions. Topics dis...

hat is Business Service Architecture, and why is it important to business change professionals? In this BA Brew, Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley, authors of Business Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide, answer these question, and more. All too often, services and products just don’t work, resulting in poor outcomes for customers and other stakeholders. Business Service Architecture takes an ecosys...

For the 100th Brew we decided to do something completely different. Fabricio Laguna joins the Crew for an in real time SWOT analysis of the BA profession – captured heroically by Jonathan on Mural – and available to download as a PDF here . Watch out for when everyone shares the one thing they would do to take the profession forward… (did anyone say ‘Empress of Business Analysis’?) Fabricio Laguna...

Everyone who watches this leadership focused BA Brew with Byron Morrison can think of someone they’d like to share it with. It’s packed with nuggets of wisdom from the author of ‘The Effective CEO 2.0’, including… At 2’ 41 – how to deal with overwhelm At 7’ 19 – moving from ‘doing’ to ‘leading’ At 14’ 01 – are you setting your team up for success… or failure? At 20’ 37 – what is your ‘Zone of Geni...

BA Brew guest Danny Kalkhoven warns against sticking too strictly to business models (such as the BA Service Framework) and recommends adapting them to context. Jonathan is impressed by Danny’s inspired analogy – applying a business model without context is like turning up at a building site with a shiny new drill and asking where you can use it. Danny quotes British Statistician George E.P. Box:...

What AI tools do you use as a BA? Business change consultant Mick Brian is an early adopter and expert on the subject. In this thought-provoking BA Brew, he discusses the challenges and rewards of introducing an LLM (Large Language Model) into a large organisation. Topics covered include: why the input of BAs is essential when introducing AI tools; the intangible benefits of LLMs; why you need to...

Have you ever wrestled with a box of tangled cables and leads… or tried to get the knot out of the chain of a necklace? Some business change problems can be as challenging. Change expert and BA leader Karen Newnham joins the crew to discuss engaging with stakeholders to tackle complex, persistent problems (otherwise known as ‘Mischief Management’.) Karen Newnham was also the special guest on BA Br...