Foundation in Digital Business Change

Who is this course for?

Business analysts, customer journey analysts, project leaders, business change managers and anyone who need a practical introduction to IT-enabled business change. Foundation in Digital Business Change is also a Specialist Foundation module on the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

About the course

The pace of business change is at an all-time high. Business change professionals must overcome many challenges for business change to be successful.  

The Foundation in Digital Business Change course explains the business change lifecycle, introducing learners to key frameworks and techniques which will support their work defining and delivering effective change. The course mirrors the actual business change process, from the initial investigation of the organisation to the implementation of proposed changes.

Each member of our Foundation in Digital Business Change training team brings substantial practical knowledge of business change projects to this programme. 

About the course

The Foundation in Digital Business Change eLearning course introduces the business change process and to the range of techniques used in effecting change in organisations. The course offers an approach that extends from the initial investigation of the organisation through a business change lifecycle to the implementation of the proposed changes and benefits realisation. Key areas include:

• Defining business change
• Understanding how IT may be used to improve and transform organisations
• Defining a lifecycle for business change
• Identifying techniques used to align organisations with changes in their environment
• Explaining an approach to defining business improvement
• Identifying techniques used to design business changes
• Explaining the issues concerned with implementing business change.
• Identifying business and modelling techniques that may be used to ensure effective business changes are identified.

Learning objectives

Upon the completion of this course, candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:  

1. Aligning change to the external environment, internal strategy and the enterprise architecture. 
2. Techniques for identifying the need or opportunity for change. 
3. Establishing, validating and categorising change requirements. 
4. The ethical considerations of digital change. 
5. The Agile Manifesto and Agile development practices. 

How is the course structured?

To give you more of an idea of what you’ll learn and how the course will help you, here’s a quick guide.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Course manual

For virtual courses a printed copy of the latest edition of the comprehensive course manual will be sent to your home address in good time for the start of your course. Our delegates tell us that having access to a physical document is beneficial as both a reference document and for taking notes during the course. In addition, a link will be emailed to you to enable you to access an electronic copy of the same comprehensive manual for convenient future reference.

Is there an exam?

Yes. During this course you’ll receive all the training you need to prepare for the BCS Foundation in Business Change certificate multiple choice examination. A pass means a Foundation certificate in Business Change and that puts you one step closer to a BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

For delegates attending a classroom, virtual classroom or eLearning course, the exam may be taken remotely using the BCS online proctoring service. This 1 hour exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with a pass mark of 26/40.

What’s next?

If this course is part of your BCS Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have a choice of further modules which include the core BA Diploma modules, Business Analysis Practice and Requirements Engineering. Candidates who have already completed Foundation in Business Change also need to pass one of the Specialist Practitioner modules, from Benefits Management and Business Acceptance, Systems Modelling Techniques, Modelling Business Processes, Systems Development Essentials and Data Management Essentials. The structure of the certification is shown here.

Full course outline

Foundation in Digital Business Change (a three-day course)

Course Content

Business change principles

• The business change lifecycle
• Business change drivers
• Risk appetite and risk categories

Business alignment

• Understanding the organisation and the business environment
• Strategic analysis techniques
• SWOT analysis
• Key areas for business change alignment
• The cultural web
• Enterprise architecture
• Performance measures and the balanced scorecard
• Ethics and sustainability

Business improvement definition

• Investigation techniques
• Documenting business situations
• Analysing stakeholders
• Gap analysis
• Design thinking
• Developing a business case
• Options and feasibility
• Risk and impact analysis
• Investment appraisal
• Change definition in an Agile environment
• Identifying and prioritising requirements
• Principles of user-centred design and accessibility

Business change design and development

• System development lifecycles (Linear and iterative)
• Business acceptance testing

Business change implementation

• CPPOLDAT framework 
• Managing the change
• Changeover strategies
• Emotional impact of change
• Reviewing success

Benefits management and realisation

• Approach to benefits management and realisation
• Benefits management lifecycle
• Benefit categories
• The benefits plan
• Benefits review

Updated: September 2024