I am working on Enterprise Architect ( a tool from Sparx systems) . This is my first ever tool to be used as a Business Analyst in my profession . Earlier tools that I have used are pen,paper and microsoft word and excel.
I am asking a lot of people in my field their palliness with tools like these.
I must admit the general awareness as well as enthusiasm to use these tools is very limited. I see a general tendency (including myself to switch back to word and excel to express thoughts. I am worse ..I switch back to using pencil and paper :-)
A few thoughts as to why we Business Analysts are not tool friendly ..
1) We see tools like EA,rational as storage mechanisms and not something which can
help us design our thoughts better.
2) The tools in use demand so much of our thinking and in depth enquiry into
scenario that by our sheer laziness we refuse to use these tools.
They challenge us to think beyond our percieved limits.
3) The freedom that other tools give ,that kind of freedom is not available for
expression in these tools .It is but natural as they are made for a specific
purpose
For me EA has become a good learning tool as it is not only telling me the scenarios to be thought through but also how well I can represent and communicate them.
Ofcourse it is also forcing me to give up my Laziness !!
