TIDBITS on the Microsoft Power Platform

I love it when I can tap into my years of experience and answer a question such as why you might seriously want to consider including a product platform experienced Business Analysis on your Power Platform or Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Model Driven App project.

Consider these variables 

1) You might someone who can translate a business users need into a well documented set of Scenarios, and digest these into Features with supporting User stories. People also use the term requirement; however, Features, Scenarios and User Stories provide even more information and future perspective  which is critical for any configuration or development team.

2) You need someone who deeply understands the platform fits and gaps. The Power Platform and EACH individual Dynamics 365 CE model driven app includes within it not only already developed key features and functions, but also layers of maturity for each. IT also includes standards refined from millions of user's feedback. Each of these features was designed with very specific specifications and "fits" and if you don't understand these fits and gaps you can spend a LOT of money extending and maintaining extensions over the years. 

3) Architects are wonderful! BUT architects don't build houses. They design the blue print and offer continued high level perspective. The people involved in building the house (or project) have a daily understanding of the minuet needs of the business and the tiny required changes to get a good fit. 

4) You might think you know what you want, BUT do you really know what is available? An experienced business analyst has usually seen many, many, many similar projects, built on the same platform. They offer a RIGHT or LEFT Shift from "I require this" to "Here are the many, many, many different options to meet this defined need" . First they capture the need and then they help engage the entire team for all of the current and FUTURE options. How can the team develop and deliver the best solution for each tiny need if they actual business processes and scenarios are not specifically communicated aligned? 

CONFIGURATION FIRST 

We have all heard it, from the greatest leaders.

Low code, no code buzz

We have all heard it, from the greatest leaders.

We want or need custom 

We have all heard it, from the greatest leaders.

AND there are times to extend

Do consider that the Power Platform is "CUSTOM", it is just built and designed by the Microsoft product teams with a huge number of layers of configuration choices. Microsoft gives everyone at least 3 choices for everything you want to do. 

The BA understands these choices

The BA understands how to capture business scenarios 

The BA understands how to communicate business process

The BA understands how to document using many different tools (Visio, Power Point, Word, Mural, Azure DevOps, Jira, etc. etc. ) depending on audience and translation need

The BA understands the platform offerings and choices

The BA can present

The BA can write 

"A business analyst (BA) is someone who analyzes an organization or business domain (real or hypothetical) and documents its business or processes or systems, assessing the business model or its integration with technology"