Business Analysis Tool: Mindmaps for documenting Brainstorming sessions
One of the tools that I have recently started using for carrying out my work as a Business Analyst is Mindmaps. It is a simple yet very effective way of organizing your thoughts. I personally find it very useful during the brainstorming sessions. During the brainstorming stage a Business Analyst has tons of ideas flying all around. Mindmaps allow a BA to clearly organize these ideas.
It is not necessary to use a Mindmap software to draw the mindmaps, we can simply use a notepad and a pencil. I personally tend to use the brown paper and stickies to make the mindmaps during the brainstorming session and after the session is over, I quickly make a soft copy of the final map using the software.
Is mindmap a deliverable of a Business Analyst? NO, mindmap is not a deliverable. During the time of brainstorming stages BAs do not have to deliver as they are in the process of understanding the business and the issues of the client. Mindmap is a tool that helps a Business Analyst in documenting the brainstorming session better. As a good practice I send a copy of the mindmap as an email attachment to the stakeholders to validate my understanding of the business. Because mindmap is a very small pictorial presentation of the business it hardly takes any time for the stakeholders to go through it and it gives a clear picture of the understanding a BA. This helps me in keeping everyone on the same page after the brainstorming session.
A brainstorming session is a very effective way to get loads of ideas in a short span of time but at the same time it gives a false feeling to the client that they have revealed all the necessary info to you. After a brainstorming session it is necessary that you set the expectations of your client right by letting them know what have you understood and what areas were you focusing on. In case you don't do that it may lead to a situation that the client is under the impression that you know a lot while you are still in the early stages of making sense. Mindmaps is an effective way to let the client know how much you have understood from the session and dissipate the confusion, if any.
Do let me know how do you take down the learning from a brainstorming session.
Tarun Chandel
The Business Analyst
Interesting post. I've never used Mindmaps for brainstorming, although I can see why they'd be a good idea.
Brad
Oh I like this, I will try this in my next Brainstorming session. But I have a basic question if you are busy on the brown paper all the while how you manage the session?
John Gray
Excellent post.....I have been using mind mapping tools for a number of years now in business analysis. I find they are an invaluable tool for all aspects of the system development life cycle. In brainstorming sessions I have combined the stickies and the mind mapping software projected on to a wall, the visual aspect of the mind map helps to maintain client focus. Ideally after the stakeholder interviews you could prepare a mind map template for your brainstorming session. You would want to have two people doing the session, one facillitating the mind map and another leading the session.....mind mapping is the way forward especially in this agile world
Tarun Chandel
--> Jamie: Do let me know how was your experience with Mindmaps for documenting Brainstorming sessions.
Tarun Chandel
--> Brad: Managing your session takes planning beforehand (setup the meeting room before the meeting, be ready with all the stationery, brownpaper wall and whiteboard in place. If you have the luxury of people get someone to assist who can do the tasks like writing on post-its. Else the best way is to make it collaborative so that everyone is involved.
I just realized all of the above tips are for conducting a brainstorming session. Mindmap comes just after the session, if you conduct your brainstorming session in some other manner (every Business Analyst has it's own way) continue with it. But at the end mindmap is something that makes documenting the session easier for me.
Brad do let me know how do you document the brainstorming session?
Tarun Chandel
--> John: very valuable inputs. Projecting the mindmap itself on the wall is saving one step. Though sometimes your client may not be tools savvy in that case you should go for brownpaper wall.
John do let me know how has been your experience in making the session collaborative, while using the mindmapping software and a projector.
John (http://johngray.me.uk)
Totally agree Tarun, not all clients are tool savvy and your right you may have to go for the brownpaper wall. With the mind mapping software and a projector you need to do a bit more prep.
Here is a sample of how we conducted a session for a client who was wanting to optimise value on a project they where implementing.
I am using Mindjet's Mindmanager 6.0, I have created the map before the session begins with the 4 following basic ordering ideas (branches)
* what do we hope to achieve?
* how do we capture information?
* how do we measure success?
* building the Success Measure Model – what, where, who, why, when, how?
My colleague runs through the each of the heading's above using the stickies and brownpaper wall. I am adding branches to the map based on the stickies (I do n't have the map projected on to the wall yet). Once we run through all of the above, we break for coffee, come back and then project the map on to the wall. We now have an overall picture of what we have brainstormed during the session. We can then go through and flesh out and prioritise the requirements. I then can print out the map and export it to word and hand it to the clients as they leave the session.
I have ran sessions where we have skipped the stickies and went straight to the map using the timer and brainstorming function on mindjet's mind manager 6.0, we have done this for IT departments who have been more tools savvy, the example above was for a local government department where it might have been too much to launch straight into mind mapping, horses for courses, I think !
If I was doing the above on my own I would schedule the stickie session before lunch and durning lunch break I would build up the map
Vidya
Nice post Tarun. I have used the software. It is quite helpful. I also use good ol notepad to jot down my thoughts.
Tarun Chandel
--> John: Aha! That's really interesting. You gave me another thing to try at the next session. I never could make Brainstorming Sessions collaborative with a Projector but I am going to try this for sure.
Tarun Chandel
--> Vidya: Good to see you here :)
Paper and Pen are the best friends of a BA so can't really leave them behind!
The use of Mindmaps (not necessarily the software) helps in making the Brainstorming Sessions more collaborative and at the same time it is easier for us BAs to show what information we are getting from the session then and there.
John
Hi Tarun, excellent, go for it, I am enjoying your articles keep on keeping on !