After studying the BABOK lecture on providing solutions, DFD lecture, and the Data Profiling Lecture, choose one of the scenarios provided in the discussion, identify the missing components or key elements from the solution and suggest a plan that the organization can implement to achieve a successful outcome.

This exercise is designed to challenge your ability to combine business acumen with data command.

A business analysts role is to optimize those around her as well as ensure quality data and utilization standards are met.

Sometimes, that means the business analyst has to challenge the projects and tasks assigned.

Scenarios

Imagine you are a business analyst tasked with one of the following scenarios. What is missing from the description, or is assumed (or presumed) that should be clarified? What is confusing, wrong, or misleading about the business problem described below?

Identify your best customers, predict the amount of money they will spend over the next three months, and engage your best salespeople to contact those customers.

Predict energy consumption over the next two weeks based on average demand over similar time periods modulated by the different weather patterns so as to best negotiate energy generation, acquisition, and delivery contracts.

Automatically assess global commodity prices and dynamically balance high net worth client investment portfolios to reduce risk while maintaining a high rate of return.