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 saving…

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; a…

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 te…

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…

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…

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 archite…

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…

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;…

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 k…

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 organisationa…

Neurodiversity is a word we hear, but how much do we really understand it and recognise neurodivergence in ourselves and others? Only by better understanding can we support and champion people with neurodiversity and appreciate what they can offer the BA community. In this awareness-raising BA Brew, guests Nicola Pinkney and Paul Haywood share some…

In AssistKD’s 2023 BA Brew Christmas message, the Crew compare their favourite Christmas songs and share their highlights of the year.

Editor Tom found this BA Brew ‘mind-blowing’ and we think you will too. If you have ever felt ‘put in your box’ as a BA, you need to hear what Enterprise Architect and Strategy Delivery Consultant Vicky Rothwell has to say. Vicky challenges business analysts to push for a strategic role, to be bold with our BA toolkits and to build our understandin…

Self-assessment and development tools provide useful insights which can benefit individuals, teams and organisations. This BA Brew features special guest Corrine Thomas (business analysis leader, coach, mentor, writer and author) and looks at some of the tools including MBTI Myers Briggs, StrengthsFinder, Engage, Strengths Profile, the Strengths De…

Newly crowned IRM UK Business Analyst of the Year winner Pip Hall joins the Brew Crew this week. Pip talks about her BA journey and those key life skills to be found beyond the standard BA toolbox. The inspiring and heartwarming chat covers what we can learn from our hobbies, interests and relationships; the importance of empathy and why Pip thinks…

In this fascinating BA Brew, business consultant and communications specialist Miruna Ursache talks about the different ways we communicate, and the power of understanding where our personal communication styles, habits and patterns come from. Miruna is the founder of training and coaching company Refraiz, and has led fun, interactive communication…

Between them, our Brew Crew have decades of presentation-giving experience. In this eye-opening chat they share some useful and practical advice… and a few embarrassing stories. From testing the tech to the best throat pastilles, discover some handy hacks and hints to make sure your presentations go without a hitch. Find out about AssistKD’s Presen…

It took Ian Richards and Filip Hendrickx five days and an entire wall of Post-It notes to create the storyline for the business novel Brainy Glue. It then took them three years to write it, around their many commitments. In this BA Brew, Filip and Ian talk about the main themes explored in the novel – business analysis, innovation and change… and h…

How do you become a BA professional? In today’s BA Brew, the crew talk about their respective journeys and business analysts can gain certifications, increase their skills and raise the standard of their business analysis work. Topics covered include: Training and development in business analysis; the pros and cons of the multiple-choice question a…

🤖💼 The Future of Work: AI & Human Collaboration 🤝 This week's BA Brew is taking a futuristic turn, as we host an exclusive session led by a ChatGPT Avatar! Yes, you heard that right—a digital entity ready to explore, engage, and enlighten us on the potential and pitfalls of AI in the workplace. Join us to dive into topics like: How AI is reshaping …

You know you’ve had great advice when you remember it and feel inspired by it throughout your life. This week the Brew Crew and special guest Julie Walker share some valuable gems of wisdom – including how to eat an elephant (one bite at a time). Julie Walker is the author of the historical novel ‘Bonny & Read’, about the lives of the famous women …

Communications failure is behind most business disasters, where people are afraid to admit they don’t fully understand what they are supposed to be doing, and why. Luckily, our latest BA Brew guest is on the case. In this fascinating discussion, Felicity Cowie –communications consultant, multi-award winning investigative news journalist and former …

This week our intrepid crew are joined by Jo Fahy to talk about Imposter Syndrome, something 80% of us admit to having experienced. The discussion includes what Imposter Syndrome is; the many ways it can manifest itself; personal experiences; gender and age factors; why a little self-doubt is useful but a lot is prohibitive; the power of being auth…

This week we welcome two very special guests aboard the good ship BA Brew. 🏴‍☠️Novelist Julie Walker shares the incredible story of notorious female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read while facilitator, speaker and author Alex Barker encourages us to learn from the Be More Pirate’s pirate code (see below). Are you brave enough to find your inner pira…

This week the Brew Crew discuss why the customer should be at the centre of any change initiative. Their special guest is Sushma Sundaran, a Senior Technology Delivery Manager at the Home Office, with extensive experience of customer-centric change. Topics covered include: listening to, understanding and meeting diverse customer needs; customer jou…

Karl Wiegers and Candase Hokanson join the Crew this week to chat about requirements practices. Answering the need for a shorter book on requirements, their new book ‘Software Requirements Essentials’ focuses on the 20 core practices essential for software and systems projects. Topics covered in the Brew include: the requirements engineering framew…

Are you a business analyst with a story to tell? In this BA Brew, Lee Fewkes tells the Crew why he created The BA Story, where business analysts can share their BA stories and insights. Topics covered include: The power and connection of the personal story; how no two business analysts are the same; how it feels to reflect on your career challenges…

How can you make your customers or end users feel real, empathise with them and better understand what they really want and need? In this Brew Kerry, Mike and Pete discuss the power of Personas, and how BAs can create and use them effectively. The chat covers: what are Personas; avoiding stereotypes; customer research; using photos and names; how P…

The topic for this latest BA Brew was suggested by Principal Business Analyst Simon Platt. A keen Neurodiversity Advocate, Simon addresses this sensitive and sometimes challenging topic, sharing his insights into and experience of Neurodiversity with the Brew Crew and wider BA Brew audience. Topics discussed include: What is Neurodiversity?; lookin…

Our latest BA Brew guest is the wonderful Fae Marcano, Business Analyst of the Year 2022. In this episode Fae and the crew talk about how they became business analysts and their experiences of the BA of the Year awards. Topics include: how Fae, Jonathan and Lisa became BAs; the ‘why’ of becoming a BA; the Business Analyst of the Year experience and…

Can a book really change the way you work, or even how you look at life? The Brew Crew certainly think so. Watch this podcast to hear about the books that have made them think differently, and that they return to again and again for inspiration. Topics discussed include: how our reading choices evolve; people taking away different messages from the…

The new series of the BA Brew kicks off with a cracker of an episode. Author, life coach and business consultant Byron Morrison challenges us to learn from the CEO mindset in order to reach our full potential in life and in business. It’s inspiring stuff. Topics covered include: the decision framework; thinking holistically; risk aversion; the valu…

It’s our 50th BA Brew! To celebrate this momentous milestone Producer Tom finally steps out from behind the camera… but he’s not sure how comfortable he feels about it. From taking up bee-keeping to playing music on an open mic night the Crew share how they’ve stepped out of their respective comfort zones. And they discuss some useful strategies, i…

It’s the last BA Brew of 2022 and this one’s incredibly inspiring. Coach, speaker, psychotherapist and mental health consultant Petra Velzeboer shares her extraordinary story and talks to the Brew Crew about looking after our mental wellbeing and how we can ‘check in’ with friends, family and colleagues. Topics covered include: Growing up in a reli…

Now you can get everyone on the same page… literally. Chris Ingold joins the Brew Crew all the way from Melbourne to share his passion for the ‘one pager’. Topics covered include: The power of the one pager; A3 management; establishing the ‘why’ and the purpose; the misuse of small fonts and overcrowded PowerPoint slides; the one pager as a validat…

What is your ‘Why?’. In this inspiring BA Brew, Joe Newbert joins the Crew to talk about how we can create purpose and meaning in our personal and professional lives. Topics covered include: Jacob Morgan’s framework for purpose and meaning; values driven leadership; bringing our personal purpose and meaning to work; finding consensus on purpose and…

What is Business Service Design and is it the next big thing? If you’re curious about this powerful new human-centred approach you will be interested in this BA Brew where Jonathan, Kerry and Kate share their thoughts on the subject. Topics covered include: Systems, Service, Design and Lean Thinking; Business Service Design tools, frameworks, techn…

AssistKD’s Kate Biddle joins us for today’s BA Brew, her first as part of the Crew. It’s a good one, discussing how to break those bad habits and build positive behaviours instead. Topics covered include: the power of habits; self awareness; the habit loop; habit stacking; planning ahead; good BA habits and the value of moral support from friends, …

It just takes one person to gather people together to help each other. Today the Brew Crew chat with Lou Powell about how she set up and grew the BA Crowd, a Meet Up group for her local BA community. Topics covered include: the value of community, how to get sponsorship, finding speakers and more. Louise Powell is a Senior Business Analyst at BGL I…

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you’ve thought ‘You just could not make this up’? Today Jonathan, Mike and Lisa discuss their experiences as customers and as business analysts. They range from the sublime (luxurious upgrade, anyone?) to the ridiculous (a multi-million pound project with no agreed scope… two years in). Hear about J…

Are BAs leaders or followers? Jonathan, Debbie and guest Emily Tom explore this challenging question in today’s BA Brew. Topics discussed include: the importance of context; why BAs are more than scribes or translators; the new vs. the mature BA; lifelong learning; giving back to the BA community; growing your skillset and challenging stakeholders.…

Have you heard about job crafting? It’s where you make small changes to and personalise your role to make the most of your strengths, passions and experiences. Charlotte Axon is an expert on the subject and shares her wisdom in this first BA Brew of the new season. Topics discussed include: the five types of job crafting; self-actualisation and job…

In this latest BA Brew, the Brew Crew debate the value of data. Jonathan plays the role of Devil’s Advocate… can Debbie and Pete convince him that data is more than simply a means to an end? Topics discussed include: why data is fascinating; what data tells us; the difference between data and information; metadata; quantitative vs. qualitative data…

If you want to see Mike Williams wearing a very bad wig and (later on) a horse’s head, you won’t want to miss this extra entertaining BA Brew. Georgiana Mannion, known for her ‘Playful BA’ talks, very generously shares her inspirational ideas on how to bring play, fun and games into your BA practice. Topic discussed include: how to energise a Teams…

Moon, Rose, Fish is the English translation of Maan, Roos, Vis, a well known Dutch phrase connected to the early stages of learning to read and write. It’s the equivalent of ‘A, B, C’. In this episode the Brew Crew discuss the value of having a mental checklist of the basic elements when looking at the requirements of an IT system. Moon or Maan sta…

As BAs and business change professionals, how can we make an impact in our organisations and the wider business analysis community? That’s the question the Crew tackle in today’s BA Brew, with the help of our guest Christina Tan (and freshly brewed coffee or tea of course). Topics covered include: Leaving a legacy; making an impact on multiple leve…

This week, the Brew Crew are joined by guest Niven Postma, author of the highly acclaimed book If You Don’t Do Politics, Politics Will Do You. “If you think your work speaks for itself… Think again.” Niven and the crew discuss how, whether we like it or not, we all have to navigate office politics. Niven shares her valuable tips, leaving the crew w…

This week the Brew Crew are joined by guest Jamie Toyne, who explains how he has adapted the BA Service Framework to define and promote the services offered by his BA team. Topics covered include: how the BA Service Framework was developed (Debbie’s ‘lightbulb moment’); creating a common language to define the BA role; the shift from product focus …

Fuelled by freshly made coffee, Steve Wright and the Brew Crew discuss the difference between functional and non-functional requirements; why it pays to have non-functional requirements on the agenda from the start; the joy of checklists and more. During the chat Pete Thompson recommends the book Software Requirements Patterns by Stephen Withall, f…

In today’s BA Brew, our Crew talk with Sarah Gale about developing core business analysis skills, and how to use BA tools and techniques with confidence. Topics covered include softer skills including communication, relationship building and listening skills; business architecture; customer experience analysis and design thinking; mentoring and coa…