BA Brew - A Business Analysis Podcast

What’s all the fuss about cybersecurity? And why do business analysts need to understand it? Cybersecurity and business analysis expert Bindu Channaveerappa is the special guest on this week’s BA Brew, where she argues that an understanding of cybersecurity is now integral to the work of the BA. “When we create the value, why leave the security to someone else?” Bindu Channaveerappa is a highly re...

This BA Brew focuses on the newly published ‘Business Architecture: a comprehensive guide.’ Authors Jonathan Hunsley and Debra Paul and contributing author Victoria Banner discuss the ‘why’ of the book; the joy of collaborating and sharing ideas; and some of their favourite content including: - leveraging capability to meet goals and outcomes using the CALM model - comparing the business architect...

Difficult stakeholders or colleagues? Help is at hand! How we (and others) react in response to challenging situations at work – especially where there is resistance to change – is explained by the Transactional Analysis model. This week’s special guest, and an expert on #transactionalanalysis, is Leadership Development Consultant and MD Mandy Green. Watch the Brew to find out more about the ego s...

In AssistKD’s latest Business Analysis podcast the team discuss why every touchpoint of the customer journey matters... and how a deeper understanding of the customer experience can only benefit organisations and the wider economy. Kerry, Mike and Jonathan get some serious mileage out of a restaurant analogy and Mike gets extra brownie points for mentioning POPIT™️within the first two minutes of t...

Are you a Business Analyst considering your next career move? Our latest BA Brew considers an academic route for BAs and how a Master of Business Administration (MBA) postgraduate degree could revitalise your career. AssistKD’s Debbie Paul and Lisa Hudson are joined by IIBA UK Director and Transformation Consultant at Burendo Christina Tan to talk about their respective MBA journeys. They discuss...

In AssistKD’s 2024 BA Brew Christmas message the Crew discuss what they are most looking forward to about Christmas and share some very cheesy jokes. Lisa and Kerry are excited about Christmas Day; Mike (or is it Santa?) is going to parkrun, Pete does not need any more socks, and Jo is looking forward to playing Cards Against Humanity with her 90-year-old Grandad! #merrychristmas #BABrew #business...

Do we need a rebrand of the business analyst role? Experts in the field Debra Paul, Jamie Toyne and Michelle Shakesheff put their heads together to discuss the current BA market, and the ongoing implications for BAs. Topic discussed include: the current demand for BAs; recruitment challenges; the need for a broad BA skillset; rebranding the BA role; changing the narrative; role clarity; the need f...

The Double Diamond approach is a popular (and fun) design thinking technique designed to help you generate ideas; problem solve; challenge and even reverse assumptions. Our latest BA Brew with Jonathan Hunsley, Lisa Hudson and special guest Liza Laya introduces the framework – discussing its uses, benefits and some real-world applications. Liza Laya is Head of Technology and Digital Reform at a st...

Have you heard of Character Crafting and how it can be used to build resilience and leadership skills? In this enlightening chat our special guest, Helen Holder, discusses the positive character traits and behaviours central to the BA role… and how we can develop and maintain them. Topics discussed include: the Personal Strength inventory; character vs. the cult of personality; identifying your ch...

Do you love a success story? BA Apprentice of the Year 2024 Lorna Mylett is this week’s special BA Brew guest. She shares her experience of the Business Analyst Apprenticeship supported by her employers DWP, and AssistKD. Topics discussed include: learning and applying new skills and understanding; the value of learning as part of a group and having a mentor; and what it’s like to be thrown at the...

Tricky business problem? Get those (creative) thinking caps on! In this week’s BA Brew the Crew discuss how creative thinking can help business change professionals challenge the status quo, think expansively and come up with effective solutions. Questions addressed include: What is creative thinking? How can you create an environment for creative thinking? What are the potential barriers? What ar...

If you have ever wanted to know more about psychological safety this brew is a one not to be missed. Jonathan Hunsley and Philippa Thomas are joined by Emma Lee (Chief Psychologist at Matthew Syed Consulting and registered psychologist) to discuss this important topic. Collectively they explore questions such as: ▶️What is psychological safety? ▶️Why is psychological safety important? ▶️How does p...

In this special BA Conference Europe BA Brew, AssistKD CEO Debra Paul is joined by three BA Conference legends: Shane McGlynn, Rachel Levermore, and James Archer (who started the ball rolling in the first place!) The BA Conference Europe is Europe’s foremost Business Analysis conference, which has evolved over the past 16 years to over 500 attendees and 6 streams of talks. This BA Brew celebrates:...

Are you an Activist, a Theorist, a Pragmatist or a Reflector? Our latest BA Brew could help you find out and get the most from your learning. The Brew Crew are joined by former Apprentice and now BA at the Environment Agency Cat Warren to talk about some of the different learning models (Kolb, Bloom and Honey and Mumford). They look at how the different learning approaches work with training cours...

This BA Brew is AssistKD’s second BA Question Time. Many of the questions focus on role clarity, a hot topic for BAs. Mike Williams is host, with expert panellists Jo Frances and Jonathan Hunsley providing the answers and insights. This week’s questions are: ❓What is the difference between a Business Analyst and a Business Architect? ❓What is the difference between a Business Analyst and a Servi...

If you’re concerned about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on your business or your job, this BA Brew is a must-watch. Debra Paul and Pete Thompson discuss the benefits, risks and opportunities with Donald Farmer – one of the foremost thinkers, researchers and presenters in the field. Topics discussed include: automating processes; cost savings; intellectual property; caring about the human e...

This BA Brew is all about bravery, asking what bravery is and how we can develop it. Charlie Payne and Kay Hardy join the Brew Crew to try to answer these questions and more. The discussion includes: how elements of police training can also apply to business analysis; a great skiing analogy; building resilience; psychological safety; power poses; and more. During the BA Brew, Amy Cuddy’s TED talk...

If you are interested in Agile, you won’t want to miss this. This BA Brew is all about the second edition of ‘Agile Business Analysis: Practical guidance for IT professionals’ by Lynda Girvan and Debra Paul. Watch as the authors discuss what readers can expect from the revised and updated edition, including: ⭐ the latest Agile developments ⭐ new techniques ⭐ new thinking ⭐ real-life case-studi...

In this special edition of our BA Brew, it’s BA Question Time! Mike Williams presides as AssistKD’s Fiona Bruce with Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley as the panellists. This week’s questions are: ❓Should BAs understand commerce/business? ❓How can a BA team of 20 balance sharing knowledge and experience as a team with time on their own projects? ❓How do I bring together a group of professionals w...

In our latest brew Jonathan Hunsley and Nicole Alderton are joined by Michelle Shakesheff and Tim Clark of Close Bros to share their thoughts on getting started in a BA career. They share insights on the different modes of learning available to build the professional toolkit, the importance of mentoring and stepping out of your comfort zone to take on new challenges. Handily, they also delve into...

The pandemic and new technology have changed the way we work, but how are we responding as humans? Special guest Helen Holder considers the human element of our professional lives in this fascinating BA Brew. Topics include: how we respond to our work, interact with stakeholders and deal with change; the personal attributes of BAs, business architects and service designers; investing in personal g...

Artificial Intelligence: a powerful ally with mind-blowing potential… or a threat to our jobs? @John Wisner joins the BA Brew crew for a lively discussion on where we are right now, and the possibilities and challenges ahead. Topics include: AI and automation; brainstorming with AI; machine learning and data analytics; asking AI the right questions; why BAs need to be aware of the new AI tools, an...

Daniel Squire and Jonathan Hunsley are passionate about business analysis… and martial arts (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo respectively). In this fascinating BA Brew, they discuss some of the misconceptions about martial arts and the many parallels between the disciplines.   Topics include: situational awareness; control, discipline and practice; inclusivity and respect... and much m...

In... or out? This BA Brew looks at the differences and common ground between the in-house and the external BA consultant roles.   Our special guest is Liz Calder, highly experienced BA and IIBA UK Chapter President.   Topics covered include: different agreements and expectations; skills sets; organisational culture and implicit rules; organisational knowledge; financial c...

When business analysts work at one organisation for a long time, they can lose sight of their value and transferable skills. They may even find it difficult to move on. This BA Brew In this BA Brew Chris Pyatt talks about how BAs can regain their professional confidence. Topics covered include: the ‘comfort zone’ of subject matter and organisational expertise; the skills you have which you may tak...