Needs Assessment

POSTER 08

Section 3 · Business Analysis — Domain 1

Needs Assessment

Before any solution: understand the problem or opportunity, compare current vs future state, weigh viable options, and recommend & justify a solution in a business case. This is where bad ideas should die cheaply — and good ones earn their funding.

Visual Map — From Problem to Business Case

Identify
problem / opportunity ▸ Assess Current State
capabilities, costs, pain ▸ Define Future State
goals & objectives ▸ Determine Options
assess feasibility ▸ Recommend & Justify
the business case ▸ → Charter
hand-off to delivery

The gap between current and future state defines the solution scope. Options are screened on feasibility — operational, technical, financial, schedule — before one is recommended.

Define the Problem

Situation statement: problem/opportunity + impact + consequence.
Root cause: 5 Whys · Ishikawa (fishbone) — fix the cause, not the symptom.
SWOT to frame internal/external factors.
Quantify the cost of the problem & cost of delay.

Define the Future State

Goals (broad) → objectives (SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound).
Identify capability gaps to close.
Set the success measures / KPIs up front.
Bound the solution scope.

The Business Case

Recommended option + rationale.
Costs vs benefits — NPV, ROI, payback, IRR.
Risks, assumptions, constraints, dependencies.
Success measures & recommendation to proceed.

Exam Concepts

Needs assessment may occur pre-project (portfolio) or in-project.
Assess the current state — don't assume it.
Goals vs objectives; objectives are SMART.
Feasibility = operational · technical · financial · schedule.

Executive View

Kills weak ideas early — protects the budget.
Aligns each investment to strategy.
Locks in measurable success criteria before spend.

Industry Example

Manufacturing

"Should we automate the welding line?" Current state: labour cost & defect rate. Future state: +30% throughput, −50% rework. Options: cobots vs full automation vs outsource. Business case picks cobots on payback < 18 months.

Relationships

Output → business case → charter → BA plan & delivery.
Feeds portfolio selection & prioritisation (Poster 18).
Future-state measures become solution-evaluation criteria (Poster 10).

Memory Hooks

Sequence — P·C·F·O·C: Problem → Current → Future → Options → Case.
"Don't fall in love with a solution before you've defined the problem."
Gap = future − current = the scope.

60-sec Review Recite the P-C-F-O-C flow Write a situation statement Goals vs SMART objectives 4 feasibility types Business-case components

PMI Visual Wall · Poster 08 · Business Analysis — Needs Assessment · original instructional design · A3 landscape