Agile or Waterfall - The Choice of Business Analysts

In the classical sense, a business analyst is an economist who understands processes, economics, finance, organizational development and helps a company solve strategic problems. For example, to optimize business processes, develop a development strategy, or launch a new business in another country.

With such multitasking and quality work, speed matters, and here proven tools, services, and methods come to the rescue. Before we know which is better: agile vs. waterfall project management, let's look at a few useful tools that influence method choice.

Top Tools for Business Analysts

We have prepared a selection of tools for analysis, structuring, information visualization, and project management. Explore the tools to be the best in analytics.

Tableau

Tableau is a simple and straightforward data analysis tool. The program has a good drag and drop function, with which you can create or edit analytical charts, even without in-depth knowledge of the data structure. The tool helps the user visualize ideas — you can demonstrate all ideas to the team online.

QlikView

QlikView is a self-service product with which you can search and explore analytic applications. QlikView helps you quickly generate information by creating various databases with a single keystroke. In the program, you will find a useful function - a data indexing mechanism, which allows you to cope with information analysis quickly.

VeePN

VeePN is a service that provides end-to-end encryption for company devices connected to the network. VeePN provides a secure connection for all VPN-connected devices, regardless of where they are located.

For a business analyst, reliable cyber protection is the foundation of a profitable business. The service uses AES-256-bit encryption, which allows you to hide all data transmitted over a communication channel connected to a private network. Also, a VPN service provides additional protection against malware. With VeePN connection, you securely protect all presentations, plans, schedules, and other documents.

To use their services: register, download the program and connect to any server. The service offers a trial so that each user can make sure that the servers work efficiently. With the free version, you can use Facebook, LinkedIn, Gmail, and other services that you are prohibited from. There are many advantages, and we recommend using the service.

Yellowfin

Yellowfin is a program that combines several tools for data analysis and reporting. You can create ideas for business projects and share them with the team. In the form of notification, the whole team will be aware of the project's changes or news. The program also includes several other useful components: dashboards, history, data discovery, and data preparation. You can customize Yellowfin for any application. The program is very flexible, and the business analyst will not get lost in the data stream.

Agile and Waterfall - What Is It?

What is Agile?

If you open the Oxford Dictionary, you can read at least two definitions there:

1. Able to move quickly and easily.
2. Able to think and understand quickly.

Using Agile methodology, business analysts create a product serially. That is, each subsequent version of a workable solution has more functionality than the previous one. Such a consolidation of processes can significantly reduce the time for a finished product to enter the market, which is especially important.

What is Waterfall?

This project management technique allows analysts to move from one stage of project development to the next consistently. In this case, the method does not allow returning to the previous steps. The expert must break the project into several stages to facilitate the task and achieve the desired result. Using the waterfall technique the employee must make sure that he has completed the stage correctly, and only after checking can he proceed to the next.

You are now familiar with the concepts of the two methods. Let's compare Waterfall versus Agile and find out what advantages or disadvantages each method has.

Agile Advantages and Disadvantages

The advantages of the method include:

● short and clear time frame - developments can last from 2 weeks to 2 months. At the end of the term, the developer must provide a finished product that does not require modifications;
● performers, organizers, and customers are 100% involved in the project due to the limited deadline.

The disadvantages of the method include:

● due to flexibility, the creation of the product may not reach the final version. A manufacturer can continuously make changes to a design without creating a perfect product;
● high demands on the team due to the limited time frame;
● after completing the project, it is difficult to calculate the total work volume, as there are no clear stages.

Advantages and disadvantages of Waterfall

The advantages of the method include:

● clear and understandable instructions - this reduces the risk of doing something wrong;
● easy to create a report - you can track the spent resources, time, finances, looking at all stages of work;
● straightforward tasks - the team initially understands what they are working on and nested in the deadline;
● it is easy to estimate the cost and release of the product - the business analyst can calculate when the project will be ready, even before starting work.

Among the disadvantages of the waterfall method are:

● due to clear stages, it is impossible to make changes to the project since the method does not allow returning to the previous stages;
● due to the division of project development into stages, financial costs may increase. However, shortening the steps will lead to a disruption in the process, so it is impossible to save;
● increased risk - the method involves testing each element of the project using a team, leading to unexpected results.

Conclusion

Agile and Waterfall are two methods that fundamentally differ in their approach to project development. The method designers have created hundreds of techniques that only apply to a specific project format. Therefore, before choosing a specific method, analysts investigate the business's features, techniques, and tools to reduce the risks of losing money and time. However, do not forget to use convenient applications such as VeePN encryption, Tableau, QlikView, Yellowfin, WebFOCUS so that the methods have an effective result.