The POPIT model and why you must know it

The POPIT model and why you must know it

The POPIT model can be seen as a strategic planning tool, however, it is also a tool that can be used by a Business Analyst to a variety of activities. At this time, my assumption is that you, the reader is still striving to get a grasp of what Business Analysis is all about. I am therefore going to scope the explanation of the POPIT model to an extent that makes logical sense to you.

You'd probably heard that a Business Analyst identifies and analyses business problems, then finds a solution for the problem. Think about it, if you were thrown into a bank or perhaps a big retail organization and told about a problem with invoicing, your first impression may sound promising, however, as you attempt to investigate further, you're quite likely to face some blockers.
This is how the POPIT model can help shape your perspective under such circumstances. Firstly, POPIT is an acronym which stands for

• People
• Organization
• Processes
• Information
• Technology

Firstly think of the people who are impacted by this problem, their roles, training, experience etc. Secondly, examine the existing processes and how efficiently the processes are running. You're likely going to have a slightly better understanding of the challenges at this point. Thirdly and perhaps concurrently, think about what data/information is collected, transferred and stored, and what systems are supporting the people whilst they're following the identified processes.

This should help in shaping your thought as to how you should approach a problem in the first place. During you're training, you'll learn the Business Analysis Process Model (BAPM) as a blueprint that guides you on how specifically you should then tackle a typical problem. It mildly suggests an order/sequence of activities starting from investigation and investigation techniques.