Making Recommendations

It is the responsibility of those who comissioned the study to decide which option to take, not the Business Analyst.

The client must be able to see why we are making our recommendation and to then reach their own conclusions. We therefore need to outline the alternatives and explain if and why we deem them unsuitable.

The choice may culminate in a simple cost/time/functionality matrix and the customer will make their selection based on these criteria alone. However, even in this scenario, the business Analyst will usually provide some guidance on where the optimum cost/benefit is to be achieved.

What's in it for me?

There is a natural tendency to view each organization as an entity with a single purpose, yet the reality is usually quite different.

What benefits one department may do nothing for another, yet resources will be consumed and other projects will not proceed. You must endeavour to show how your recommendation will benefit everyone or expect resistance to it.

This is where your early consultation with stakeholders will help you to understand what your recommendation needs in order to be successful. 

Study Report

Your report will form the basis for the project Business Case and should address a real business need as outlined in the Terms of Reference. We then make our recommendation based on that need, not on how fancy or smart a system may appear.

Business improvement does not come in isolation and we must consider questions of feasibility and risk for the business in its entirety.

• Strategy - Will it fit and is the business ready?
• Production/Manufacturing - Are there any operational constraints or technical showstoppers?
• Finance - Can we afford it? What are the likely investment returns?
• IT - How compatible are existing skills and infrastructure?
• HR - Are there conflicts with unions or established working practices? What training will be needed?
• Marketing/Sales - Does it actually meet a need and can it be sold?
• Legal - Are there any regulatory implications?
• External - Could there be issues with competitors, customers or the general public?

Always look at the consequences of doing nothing as this can be a surprisingly attractive option when the cost and risk of change is being considered.

If business process re-engineering is being supported you must still produce justifications. The probability of success, readiness of the organization etc., will all need to be appraised.

Do not assume that making a simple change will ever be simple.

Conclusion

The primary deliverable from your initial study will be a recommendation, even if this is only a request for further study or to suggest doing nothing at this time.

However compelling an option may appear to you, the alternatives must be presented for completeness.

The business makes the final decision on which option to take

Key Stakeholders will expect their concerns to be addressed.