Thursday, February 14, 2008

...and another trip ends.

I am wrapping up another project for a Healthcare Major in USA. For the first time I got a chance to work with a diverse team, A doctor with an MBA degree, a senior manager and lot of consultants. The best part was the client, a very senior guy with a PhD in marketing, a very nice and knowledgeable guy he made sure that I receive the 'tip of the day' from him everyday before I leave. Once he said: Ranjan, Projects are like pregnancy, and drew a big smile on the board and plotted it against Excitement (on Y axis) Vs Time. We start on a very high note with lot of enthusiasm, but as we get deeper in to it the excitement decreases as we face problems...and it almost zero in the middle....but once we complete it, the excitement is back .... just the way pregnancy is...for women…off course.

My role as a business analyst was to weave together the thought process, well, I was also the Web 2.0 expert ...which I can say I am familiar with now (after the project). Almost a dream project for any Business Analyst, got to explore many aspects of the modern trends in web...and used it for building the product.

I often feel that we people (business analysts) end of writing stories which is like a dream ...and believe it or not it ends up in reality ...and its sensational watching them turn into reality. Every time a technical guy asks me any question during the execution...my heart stops beating... now what have I missed. The toughest time was when I was made to sit with tech lead in the same cube in my last project... I use to go to nasty extent to save my requirements... no matter what they are always right and I will always stand by them.

The major learning from this project was how to convert a Business Strategy in to business requirements. With variety of people around, the key is to keep focus on the project... and drive the conversations...which can go any where... you know the way Americans talk :)