Category: Business Analyst

The Business Analyst BA Role in Agile Delivery

The BA Business Analyst Role in Agile Delivery
BA Role in Agile Delivery

Running UAT as a Business Analyst BA

1. Running UAT as a Business Analyst
2. Running UAT as a Business Analyst
Running UAT as a BA Business Analyst

Etsy FREE Upgrade Project Management Templates

Senior IT Project Manager Mark Whitfield sells his extensive, battle-tested framework toolkits on Etsy via his official shop, ProjectTemplatesSoft and also on this website.

Plan On a Page POAP example
Plan On a Page POAP example

With over 30 years of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) experience, his kits are explicitly broken down across Agile (Scrum), Waterfall (PRINCE2), and hybrid project delivery frameworks.

🏃‍♂️ Agile & Scrum SDLC Templates

Designed specifically for iterative software delivery, these tools focus on short execution cycles, continuous feedback, and visual tracking:

  • Agile Sprint Burndown Charts: Automated Excel dashboards that graphically map remaining sprint efforts.
  • Sprint Burndown Tables: Fully tailored structures to handle dynamic sprint metrics.
  • Weekly Agile Status Reports: Combined internal and external summary views built to capture incremental team velocity.
1. Burn Up and Burn Down Chart examples
2. Burn Up and Burn Down Chart examples
Burn Up and Burn Down Chart examples

🌊 Traditional Waterfall & PRINCE2 Templates

Geared toward highly structured environments requiring robust governance, baselines, and clear, chronological stage-gate approvals:

  • Waterfall Project Planners: MS Excel sheets mirroring MS Project functionality for license-free client portability.
  • PRINCE2 7th Edition Toolkits: Dedicated governance frameworks explicitly updated for current PRINCE2 compliance standards.
  • Baseline vs. Forecast Trackers: Columns built for tracking baseline starts/finishes against ongoing project forecasts.
MS Excel Project Forecast Tracker
MS Excel Project Forecast Tracker

📊 Cross-Framework & PMO Master Files

Hybrid templates engineered for executive presentation, stakeholder alignment, and risk documentation, irrespective of the delivery method:

  • Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 30 slide variations in PowerPoint and Excel formats to compress multi-phase timelines for C-suite briefings.
  • RAIDs Logs & Pivot Summaries: Consolidated risk, issue, assumption, dependency, and action matrices feeding dynamic summary tables.
  • Statement of Work (SoW) Estimators: Costing planners mapped straight across timelines to help establish quick bid quotes.

Project Management Templates with FREE upgrades

The IT Project Management (PM) toolkits created by Mark Whitfieldprovide a comprehensive digitized repository of over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates designed to structure, track, and report on software delivery lifecycles (SDLC).

Hosted on his platform PROject Templates, these artifacts bridge the gap between fast-paced Agile sprint execution and structured governance frameworks like PRINCE2 and Waterfall.

Here is an overview of the core template categories and artifacts included in the toolkit:

📅 Schedule, Planning & Timelines

  • Detailed SDLC / PRINCE2 Project Plans: Native Microsoft Project (.mpp) and Excel (.xlsx) files featuring stage-gate structures, resource sheets, and milestone tracking.
  • Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 35 PowerPoint variations and simplified Excel dashboards used to present high-level, visual timelines to executives and senior stakeholders.
  • Agile Scrum Sprint Planner & Delivery Plan: Templates constructed in Excel to track sprint velocity, capacity planning, and product backlogs.

⚠️ Risk, Governance & Tracking

  • Comprehensive RAID Logs: Centralized trackers mapping Risks, Actions, Issues, and Dependencies, including secondary tabs for opportunities, lessons learned, and change requests.
  • RACI Matrices: Responsibility assignment matrices used to formally define team roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) across delivery workstreams.
  • Project Charter Blueprint: A foundational setup template used to establish formal authorization, align stakeholders, and outline scope boundaries.

📊 Performance & Financial Tracking

  • Project Financial Tracker: Metric dashboards containing charts for measuring internal and external forecast versus actual costs, profit margins, and expense variances.
  • Agile Burn Down & Burn Up Charts: Standalone spreadsheet alternatives built specifically for environments where dedicated Agile software like Jira or Azure DevOps is unavailable.

📢 Status Reporting & Communication

  • Weekly/Monthly Status Reports: Formatted templates available in Word and PowerPoint summarizing project health, milestone progress, and immediate priorities for internal and client updates.
  • Project Kick-Off Slide Decks: Presentation baselines to align teams, outline deliverables, and walk members through execution workflows at launch.

Business Rules vs Acceptance Criteria in Project Management

PM Business Rules vs Acceptance Criteria in Project Management
Business Rules vs Acceptance Criteria

IT Project Management (PM) toolkits provide over 200 tailored templates spanning Agile, Waterfall, & PRINCE2 methodologies

The IT Project Management (PM) toolkits created by Mark Whitfield provide over 200 tailored templates spanning Agile, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 methodologies. These artifacts are designed to structure, track, and report on software delivery lifecycles (SDLC).

The framework’s core templates are categorized below by operational delivery area, specific template artifact, and native file format:

📅 Schedule, Planning & Timelines

Focuses on structural design, building work breakdown structures (WBS), and visualizing milestones for senior stakeholders.

  • Detailed SDLC / PRINCE2 Project Plan: Microsoft Project (.mpp), Excel (.xlsx)
  • Agile Scrum Sprint Planner & Delivery Plan: Microsoft Project (.mpp), Excel (.xlsx)
  • Plan on a Page (POaP) Milestone Visualizer: PowerPoint (.pptx)—over 35 custom variations
  • Gantt Chart Trackers: Excel (.xlsx)

🔍 Risk, Issue & Change Control (RAID)

Manages constraints, operational hazards, dependencies, and baseline deviations.

  • Simple RAID Log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies): Excel (.xlsx)
  • Comprehensive Tracking Register (Includes RAIDs, Suppliers, Deliverables, and Out-of-Scope tasks): Excel (.xlsx)
  • Change Request Tracker: Excel (.xlsx)

📊 Governance, Tracking & Status Reporting

Facilitates communication across team tiers and summarizes health indicators for client or internal reviews.

  • Weekly & Monthly Project Status Reports: PowerPoint (.pptx), Word (.docx)
  • RACI Matrix (Roles & Responsibilities Tracker): Excel (.xlsx)
  • Agile Burndown and Burnup Charts: Excel (.xlsx)
  • Meeting Minutes and Action Item Logs: Word (.docx)

💰 Finance, Resources & Benefits

Tracks financial trajectories, internal/external staffing allocation, and post-launch outcomes.

  • Full Project Financial Tracker (Forecasts, Actuals, Variances, Margins, and Expenses): Excel (.xlsx)
  • Simple Monthly Budget Forecast: Excel (.xlsx)
  • Resource Cost & Annual Leave Tracker: Excel (.xlsx)
  • Benefits Realisation Analysis Tracker: Excel (.xlsx)

🏗️ Initiation, Structure & Walkthroughs

Establishes the foundation of the delivery framework and walks team members through how to execute templates.

  • Project Kick-Off Presentation Deck: PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • Project Organisation Charts: PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • Template Walkthrough Documentation Guides: Word (.docx)

Agile Waterfall Scrum Kanban Lean XP for BA & PO

Agile Waterfall Scrum Kanban Lean XP for BA & PO
Agile Waterfall Scrum Kanban Lean XP for BA & PO

Business Analysis Techniques for Project Managers

1. Business Analysis Techniques for Project Managers
2. Business Analysis Techniques for Project Managers
3. Business Analysis Techniques for Project Managers
BA Techniques for Project Managers