Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper

Hey JDE Connection listeners – Chandra and Paul here! In this episode, we picked up where our last conversation left off, continuing our discussion with Nathan Diamond about IIBA certifications and, more importantly, how to get real value from them. Because let’s be honest: certifications can either be a box you check… or a tool you actually use. And the difference usually comes down to when you pursue them and how you apply what you learn.

Timing Matters More Than Titles

One of the first questions we asked Nathan was whether an IIBA certification is something you should tackle right out of the gate or after you’ve spent some time in the BA role. His answer was refreshingly honest: context matters. Many of the concepts in the BABOK, especially the techniques, make far more sense once you’ve seen real projects, real constraints, and real tradeoffs. Without that backdrop, it’s easy to memorize terminology without truly understanding when (or why) to use it. As we talked it through, it reminded us of learning anything complex: you can study the theory all day, but it clicks faster once you’ve got something tangible to connect it to.

BABOK as a Toolkit, Not a Script

Nathan shared a helpful way to think about the BABOK: it’s not a novel you read cover to cover, it’s a toolkit you reach into when you need it. With roughly 50 techniques described, the goal isn’t to use all of them on every project. The real skill is knowing which technique fits which situation. Process flows, for example, are familiar to most BAs, but there’s an art to building them well, and the BABOK helps explain that nuance. A recurring theme we kept circling back to was this idea of “it depends.” Context, organizational maturity, and business culture all shape how techniques should be applied.

Certifications as Career Multipliers

We also explored how Nathan’s certification paid dividends beyond his BA role, especially after he moved into IT planning and governance. The frameworks he learned translated naturally into conversations about intake, prioritization, risk, and value realization. When you’re balancing dozens of requests, limited capacity, and competing priorities, having a shared language for current state, future state, and risk can be a game changer. It moves decisions away from who’s shouting the loudest and toward data-driven alignment.

The Reality of Capacity (and Why It Gets Ignored)

One of the most relatable parts of the episode was our discussion on capacity planning. BAs don’t get to work 100% on projects, there’s KTLO, ad-hoc requests, support tickets, vacations, and the occasional trip to the water cooler. Yet projects are often planned as if none of that exists. The result? Unrealistic expectations and burned-out teams. Nathan shared how BABOK concepts can help frame more honest conversations about capacity and tradeoffs, conversations that protect both people and outcomes.

Guardrails in a World of Shiny Tools

We also touched on a growing challenge: departments bypassing IT to adopt shiny SaaS tools with a credit card swipe. Without proper analysis, these decisions can create long-term headaches around integration, security, governance, and support. Strong business analysis acts as a gatekeeper, helping organizations ask the right questions before committing and ensuring JD Edwards capabilities are considered before bolting on something new.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Toward the end, Nathan described business analysis as having both tactical and strategic dimensions. One focuses on executing well: requirements, delivery, validation. The other steps back to ask whether the right thing is being done in the first place. Both matter. And developing that balance is where experience, curiosity, and frameworks like BABOK really come together.

Midwesternism of the Day

What is it about Midwesterners and their desire to one-stop-shop for everything? This week we introduce listeners to a Midwestern favorite where you can save BIG money!

Until next time, let’s keep learning, sharing, and laughing together.

Toodles!

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