SYMPOSIUM DAY TRACK DESCRIPTIONS
TRACK: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
The AI Balancing Act: Risk, Reward, and Real People
Speaker: Aaron Reihl
Description: This session intends to cut through the sensationalism around Artificial Intelligence (AI) to discuss the careful balance required to navigate and harness this technology starting with a non-technical shared understanding of AI as a spectrum of tradeoffs around complexity, transparency, and capability. This will inform perspective for finding an equilibrium between the promising value of AI with the inherent regulatory and societal risks of AI adoption. Then it will conclude with a look at frameworks to enable a sweet spot between speed and thoughtful deployment of AI solutions. And by the end of the session, you should have a stronger but accessible vocabulary to discuss this technology, simple but penetrating questions to uncover the risks around a given AI solution, and the familiar but improved frameworks to begin your journey in delivering value with AI.
AI & Business Analysis World of Work
Speaker: Marcus Udokang
Description:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way business analysts work, automating tasks, improving decision-making, and creating new opportunities. This presentation explores how AI is shaping the business analysis profession, from enhancing data insights to influencing strategy. We’ll discuss key AI tools, real-world applications, and how business analysts can adapt to stay relevant. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on integrating AI into their work and understanding its capabilities, benefits, and challenges.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the impact of AI on the business analysis profession, including emerging trends and skill shifts.
- Identify AI-driven tools and techniques that enhance business analysis workflows and decision-making.
- Develop strategies for leveraging AI to drive innovation and create value in business analysis.
- Analyze AI’s role in automating routine BA tasks such as requirements gathering and process modeling.
- Evaluate the potential risks and biases in AI-driven decision-making and their implications for business analysts.
AI-Enhanced Business Analysis
Speaker: Brandon Olson
Description: Recent advances in artificial intelligence products have caught our attention and we are experiencing a rapid rise of AI tools. Generative AI (GenAI) products show a lot of promise but there is also a lot of confusion on its abilities. In this presentation, we will wade through the hype and determine how AI can help the business analyst automate, assist, and augment work in order to spend more time on higher-value work.
Intersections Between Data, Capabilities, Value Streams, and Organization Designs in AI
Speaker: Stephen Clark
Description: Whether your organization is in the business of inventing, selling and delivering emerging AI solutions to the market or you are making AI purchases as an individual, a team, or for a whole enterprise, aligning the ‘Why’ with planned Outcomes sets the stage for wise purchase and support decisions.
Differences between these orientations to AI compel organizations to roadmap its usefulness in ways specific to their objectives. Common to the wide variety of approaches are a focus on strategic alignment with role-specific motivators, the data stewardship required to source data into the AI tools, and the organizational maturity to coordinate its Capabilities per Value Stream Stages so individual contributors, leaders and external stakeholders are positioned to succeed.
This conversation will rely on commercial and public sector case studies from 2024, as well as applied innovation using thought leadership from colleagues such as Whynde Kuehn and Brian Cameron, regarding Strategic Business Architecture.
TRACK: METHODS/PROCESSES
Enabling Disruptive Thinking with Matrix Morphology
Speaker: David Quimby
Description:
"We can’t solve our problems with the same kind of thinking that created our problems." – Albert Einstein
What is the problem?
What is the problem with problem solving?
In a world that is defined by volatility, un-certainty, complexity, and ambiguity, conventional approaches to problem-solving are simply not adequate. Practitioners and leaders struggle to navigate technical and organizational challenges because conventional thinking fails to address deep-rooted contradictions.
Matrix Morphology offers a new way of thinking. A unique approach to systematic innovation, it provides a repeatable path for identifying, defining, and solving pertinent problems and opportunities. Although the method originated in the context of a patented invention in the technical domain, it has been adapted across the organizational, behavioral, and social domains. The model finds its roots in three schools of ancient philosophy. By using the dialectic (thesis / anti-thesis / syn-thesis) to identify and resolve contradictions, this approach offers un-conventional solutions that enable individuals and organizations to thrive in a turbulent world.
Let's explore an approach to problem-solving that amplifies product / service value and
accelerates the development cycle.
Learning Objectives
- Reinforce the rationale of a "definition-first" vs. "solution-first" culture and mindset
- Understand the nature of a contradiction -- a particular type of problem that represents opposing forces
- Understand how to use matrix analysis for framing problems as contradictions
- Understand how to use this method for an integrated approach to problem identification, problem definition, and problem resolution
- Understand how solving a contradiction relates to customer value and competitive advantage
- Understand how to use this format as a common language for conducting portfolio analysis of multiple initiatives across various domains
How NOT to Manage Requirements (aka 'Requirements Done Wrong')
Speaker: Mark Hunt
Description: As a business analyst, you have countless tools and methods for planning, managing, and documenting requirements. But are you using them effectively? Have you ever felt lost in a maze of confusing documents, overly complex processes, or endless review cycles? Worse yet, have you noticed your users are confused or disengaged with the materials you provide?
In this session, we’ll explore real-world examples of what not to do and uncover strategies to make your requirements process seamless, efficient, and user-friendly. Get ready for an interactive discussion where we’ll share experiences and learn how to make your requirements process as elegant and impactful as possible!
Strategic Business Analysis for Excellence
Speaker: Trent Leopold
Description: Strategic Business Analysis for Excellence is an educational and fun presentation showcasing proven ways for Business Analysis to strategically impart excellence to projects. Each attendee receives takeaway material including tools and techniques for their immediate use in advancing their individual professional practice.
The presentation showcases via a real-world case study how Business Analysis imparts excellence to any initiative and is suitable for Software Developers, Engineers, Project Managers, and Product Managers. The presentation is also suited for anyone seeking ways to impart excellence (or more excellence) to their operation or organization. A recent attendee (at a PMI conference) commented that “every professional, including executive management can benefit from this presentation.”
The presenter, currently a brain research participant in an international longitudinal study led by a major US university, showcases recent research findings particularly related to human strategic thought processes and their direct correlation to excellence. This includes demonstration and discussion concerning the human mind.
The fun presentation includes attendee participation, and at least one valuable giveaway in addition to the invaluable takeaways for every attendee!
Establishing Trust and Credibility Through Critical Thinking
Speaker: Nic Paulus
Description:
Presenting or acting on dubious information can lead to organizational and initiative failures, and damage your personal credibility. By prioritizing critical thinking, you can improve your personal and team performance across a variety of skills and prepare you for the information risks uniquely posed by AI. This session will help you:
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Understand how mastering critical thinking can establish your reputation as leader and improve results for your organization
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Learn practical techniques to improve your ability to interpret and evaluate information from human and AI sources, understand and communicate numerical information, and avoid decisions based on bad information
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Discover how to communicate and influence effectively using the language of critical thinking
This session is ideal for any BA looking for practical ways to build trust, establish credibility, and grow their leadership reputation.
TRACK: BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE/FUTURE
Intersections Between the BABOK and the Business Architecture Body of Knowledge
Speaker: Stephen Clark
Description: When it comes to planning for and governing data in a decentralized cloud-supported ecosystem there are practices, methods, techniques, and tools we should advocate for, and demonstrate across our clients and delivery teams.
Join a discussion with a panel of Business Analyst, Business Architecture, and Product Management specialists as they trace connections between high-value areas of professional’ bodies of knowledge to maximize just-in-time credibility during can’t fail delivery engagements.
Cybersecurity Requirements: How to Build Them INTO Your Solutions
Speaker: Jamie Champagne
Description: Cybersecurity is everyone’s concern in today’s fast-paced, and ever-changing digital environments. Too many times we see products where security features are only discussed AFTER the solution, resulting in major rework or worse, being found by malicious actors. Come learn some of the key topics that you need in your digital toolbox without having to become a cybersecurity expert. Let Jamie guide you through how to ask the right questions to ensure you’re covering the valuable cybersecurity components necessary for successful technological projects. And even learn some great analysis approaches to any requirements that work so that your solutions are successful for years to come.
Capability Mapping: Knowing Where to Invest to Mature Your Services
Speaker: Terry Baresh
Description: Are you ready to take on your next role as a business analyst? Do you want to be more involved in your department's goals, planning, and budgeting process? If you answered yes to either of these questions, join us as we explore a 10-step process to develop a capability matrix. This matrix will help your team prioritize investments, mature the right services based on customer needs, and bring transparency to the services you provide. These ten steps can be initiated without any special tools or skills and can capture the attention of your senior leadership teams. In just a few months, you can develop a service catalog for your department or team and create a measurable system to help your team focus on achievable means for maturing your services.
In this 50-minute presentation, we will learn about ten steps to building a capability matrix and describe the processes to measure the maturity of the service and assess gaps. This information can be used to prioritize investments in capabilities (people, processes, technologies, data) to grow and mature your services.
1. Understand the 10-step process to develop a capability matrix: Learn how to create a capability matrix that helps prioritize investments and mature services based on customer needs.
2. Gain insights into the importance of transparency in service provision: Discover how developing a service catalog can bring transparency to the services your department or team provides.
3. Learn how to measure the maturity of services and capabilities: Understand the process to assess gaps and measure the maturity of services and capabilities, which can be used to prioritize investments in people, processes, technologies, and data.
4. Explore practical steps to initiate the capability matrix without special tools or skills: Learn how to capture the attention of senior leadership teams and focus on achievable means for maturing services.
Mastering Modern (and Future) Business Analysis: Your Questions Answered
Speaker: Vince Mirabelli/Jamie Champagne
Description:
The role of a business analyst is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead requires mastering modern techniques and approaches. In this dynamic and interactive session, Jamie Champagne and Vince Mirabelli bring their signature BA master class insights to the stage, focusing on the concepts that matter most to today’s business analysts.
Rather than a lecture, this session is all about you. Come ready with your questions, challenges, and curiosities, and walk away with actionable advice to tackle the complexities of your projects and career growth. Whether it’s about refining your analysis techniques, navigating stakeholder relationships, or understanding emerging trends, Jamie and Vince are here to help you unlock your potential.
Key Takeaways:
• Gain clarity on the most pressing challenges faced by modern business analysts.
• Learn practical, real-world techniques to apply immediately in your work.
• Leave inspired and empowered with solutions tailored to your unique needs.
This is your chance to get expert guidance and connect with peers who share your passion for business analysis excellence. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in a lively discussion that delivers actionable insights!
TRACK: ADVANCED: LEADERSHIP/STRATEGY
You're Not a Fraud: Ditch Impostor Syndrome and Own Your Success
Speaker: Treva Graves
Description: Do you ever feel like you’re not as competent as others think you are? That any success you’ve achieve is just luck or timing and at any moment, you’ll be found out? You are not alone impostor syndrome affects even the most accomplished women keeping them stuck in self doubt and holding back their true potential. But hold on. It affects men too!
In this empowering session, you will:
- Learn what impostor syndrome is and where it comes from.
- Hear Treva’s journey through impostor syndrome and her personal story of resilience.
- Identify the 5 competence types of impostor syndrome and understand it doesn’t define you.
- Learn about the Confidence Gap between men & women and what that really means.
- Learn strategies and reframes to stop feeling like a fraud and own your success.
- Embrace your expertise, amplify your voice and claim “your seat at the table.”
If I Only Had a Brain! Embracing Neurodiversity to Be a Better Leader, Follower, and Teammate
Speaker: Scott Helmers
Description: Working with people can be a challenge for the best of us. Engaging in useful conversations; working effectively as part of a group; disagreeing without causing arguments; building great teams – these activities are all harder than they should be. Is it because everyone (else) just does things wrong? Or could it be that if we understood more about how the brain works and the different ways that people think, we could communicate more effectively?
That’s the focus of this presentation: improving communication and collaboration through a better understanding of the human brain. We will engage in several hands-on activities to learn about each other and ourselves. You’ll hear about the Whole Brain Model and learn more about the “toward” and “away” responses that guide nearly everything we do, both at work and at home. We’ll talk about ways to draw on our own strengths while being respectful and appreciating that some people genuinely think differently. In short, we will leverage basic neuroscience principles to communicate and collaborate more effectively.
Learning Objectives
- Identify your thinking preferences
- Recognize the spectrum of thinking styles
- Appreciate how deeply social experiences affect communication
Unlocking Gen Z+ Insights: Tailoring Business Analysis for Future Workforce
Speaker: Luke Goetting
Description: The business landscape is rapidly evolving, and understanding how to effectively engage with Gen Z+ stakeholders is crucial for success. Join Future of Work expert Luke Goetting for a session designed to equip business analysts with the tools they need to bridge the generational gap and gather valuable insights from this critical demographic.
Move Beyond Assumptions: Go beyond outdated stereotypes about Gen Z+. Discover data-driven insights and actionable strategies specifically designed for business analysts to:
- Build Trust & Transparency: Learn how to tailor your communication style to resonate with Gen Z+ preferences for directness, data-driven decision making, and collaborative problem solving.
- Embrace New Technologies: Explore innovative data visualization techniques and collaboration tools favored by Gen Z+ to better understand their needs and perspectives.
- Elicit Valuable Input: Develop effective elicitation techniques that cater to Gen Z+ communication styles and preferences for visual content, real-time feedback, and interactive workshops.
Walk Away With:
- Actionable Engagement Frameworks: Develop practical communication strategies to build trust and transparency with Gen Z+ stakeholders, ensuring effective information gathering and project success.
- Enhanced Elicitation Techniques: Learn how to adapt your elicitation approach to capture valuable insights from Gen Z+ stakeholders, fostering a collaborative business analysis process.
- Future-Proofed Business Analysis Practice: Discover how to tailor your skills and approach to effectively engage with the next generation of business leaders and stakeholders.
Who Should Attend:
- Business analysts seeking to enhance their stakeholder engagement and elicitation skills.
- Anyone interested in understanding how to effectively work with Gen Z+ professionals within the business analysis domain.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify core communication styles and preferences of Gen Z+ stakeholders.
- Develop strategies for adapting your communication approach to resonate with Gen Z+ in the business analysis context.
- Explore effective elicitation techniques tailored to capture valuable insights from Gen Z+ stakeholders.
- Learn how to leverage technology and data visualization to enhance communication and collaboration with Gen Z+.
- Gain practical frameworks for building strong relationships and fostering trust with Gen Z+ stakeholders for successful business analysis outcomes.
Leading Through the Storm: Keeping Teams Engaged Amidst Crisis or Chaos
Speaker: Anne White
Description: In times of adversity, leadership plays a crucial role in guiding teams through uncertainty. This session will equip you with practical strategies to keep your team focused, engaged, and resilient. You’ll learn how to prepare for challenges, lead with clarity and empathy during crises, and transform obstacles into growth opportunities. Discover how to foster a culture of connection that empowers your team to not just weather the storm, but emerge stronger and more unified, ensuring long-term success and thriving in the face of adversity.
TRACK: DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA ANALYTICS
Navigating AI's Inflection Point: Chart Your Path to Success
Speaker: Dora Boussias
Description: The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence-especially generative AI-has brought us to a defining moment. Every day, new breakthroughs create both opportunities and challenges, leaving business and technology leaders tasked with integrating AI into operations while managing risk, compliance, and workforce implications. How can organizations confidently thrive on their path without getting lost in the AI whirlwind?
This insightful keynote will explore AI's far-reaching impact on businesses and their people, offering a practical roadmap to align strategy with execution. Attendees will gain:
-Actionable insights to confidently navigate this transformation
-Key considerations to balance innovation, responsibility, and strategic growth
-Pragmatic strategies for integrating AI while managing risk and workforce implications
-A clear path to harness AI's potential and drive long-term success
Whether you're a leader or practitioner in data & tech, this session will equip you with the essential knowledge and tools to lead through AI's inflection point with clarity and impact.
Securing Your Data in the Age of AI - How Do You Assess the Risk
Speaker: Ron Kuriscak
Description: The digital age, characterized by interconnected systems and artificial intelligence, presents evolving risks. How can your organization effectively assess and manage these risks? What processes and risk-based decisions should you anticipate? How can you fulfill your due diligence responsibilities in addressing these risks? What are the industry best practices for managing risk in the age of AI?
Join us for a one-hour discussion to explore how you should be thinking about and addressing risk within your organization.
Governance: Management of Your Data as AI Evolves
Speaker: Jody Burks
Description: Data quality, security and availability is a major point of concern for today’s enterprise. How is your organization using data today? Who has access to it? Join IBM to learn about Data Governance, which ensures
data integrity and
data security by defining and implementing policies, standards and procedures for data collection, ownership, storage, processing and use.
Emerging Technologies: What are They and How Can You Prepare Your Data for the Future?
Speaker: Jody Burks
Description: Generative AI. LLMs. Governance. Quantum Computing. Quantum Safe Cryptography. What does all this mean, and how will this impact your data and analytics? Given the advancements in data repositories and data analytic needs, what do data practitioners need to consider when creating and modernizing data pipelines? Join IBM to talk about discuss emerging technologies, trends in data management and how you can prepare for the future.