Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper
Hello JDE Connection listeners! Welcome back! It’s your podcast hosts, Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper. In our latest episode, we had an engaging chat with Alysa Mauer, IT Business Solutions Senior Manager at MDC Holdings, who you might know as Richmond American Homes. Alysa shared her experiences, insights from BLUEPRINT 4D, and her thoughts on the evolving role of Business Analysts (BAs).
Alysa’s Journey in JD Edwards
Alysa started by giving us a peek into her career journey. She’s been with MDC Holdings for 11 years, transitioning from procurement and cost accounting to becoming a senior BA and eventually a manager of a team of five BAs. Her love for problem-solving and working with JD Edwards shone through as she shared her passion for finding solutions and making systems work more efficiently.
The Role of a BA: Change Leaders and Innovators
Alysa emphasized the critical role BAs play as change leaders within an organization. Balancing the present state of the system with future improvements, BAs must be adaptable, curious, and detail-oriented. Alysa highlighted the importance of fostering strong relationships with the business side to understand their needs and deliver effective solutions.
Empowering BAs with Tools and Techniques
We discussed how tools like Orchestrations, automations, and logic extensions are pivotal in supporting the business. Alysa praised the continuous improvements in JD Edwards, especially the capabilities that allow for more efficient processes and better integration. She also shared her team’s collaborative approach, including involving developers earlier in the requirements gathering process to enusre they have a firm understanding in the business problem they are trying to solve.
Highlights from BLUEPRINT 4D
Alysa found the BLUEPRINT 4D conference incredibly valuable. She mentioned sessions on AI and the evolving role of BAs that stood out to her. The insights on how AI might shift BAs’ roles from tactical to more strategic were particularly intriguing. We discussed and agreed that while automation will play a significant role, the human element of critical thinking and ensuring solutions make sense will always be essential.
Building Trust and Gaining Leadership Buy-In
Alysa shared her strategies for getting senior leadership to buy into the importance of the BA role. By delivering quick wins and consistently proving the value of their work, her team has built strong trust with the finance leadership at MDC Holdings. This trust allows for more significant projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
Training and Developing Future BAs
Alysa’s approach to training new BAs involves a mix of recruiting from within the business and hiring externally, depending on the complexity of the role. She stressed the importance of mentorship and hands-on training to build confidence and expertise in new BAs, ensuring they are well-prepared to support the business effectively.
The Balance Between Speed and Thoroughness
We wrapped up our conversation by discussing the delicate balance between speed and thoroughness. Alysa highlighted the importance of taking the time to dig into issues and understand the root causes, even when there’s pressure to deliver quickly. This approach ensures more sustainable and effective solutions.
Concluding Thoughts
We want to extend a big thank you to Alysa Mauer for joining us on the podcast. Her thoughtful insights and practical advice are invaluable for our listeners. We hope to have her back for future episodes to share more about her experiences and the innovative solutions her team is working on. Until next time, let’s keep learning, sharing, and most importantly, laughing together.
Toodles!
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