As you undoubtedly know, mobile devices have brought about many changes in the way people live their lives and conduct their business. As a Business Analyst, I have worked on multiple mobile projects during the past decade. Although the IIBA would [probably] suggest that any Business Analyst should be able to do any type of project, I have learned (the hard way), that there are unique considerations for mobile business analysis.
In this blog, I’ll share what you need to know to avoid some common (and avoidable) things that can be overlooked when performing analysis for mobile application development. These areas of focus are covered in this blog:
Marketplace Changes
Technology is always accelerating in its advancement, and the market is constantly changing to adapt to the latest and greatest. As such, Business Analysts should be aware of these changes and follow them. This includes the fact that:
- Sales and usage of mobile devices has outpaced other device types, and this trend will only continue to increase
- More devices are available in more configurations (O.S. & hardware) than ever before
- Markets are moving toward mobile-first implementations because mobile:
- Engenders better user engagement
- Improves customer retention
- Increases employee productivity
- Opens whole new lines of business
Competitive Landscape
Companies and organizations that don’t have a mobile strategy or a mobile presence may not survive for long. In contrast, those that do have mobile solutions have a competitive advantage, because they:
- Provide an edge that only mobility can offer
- Can accomplish what other conventional platforms can not
- Help increase brand value
- Can be used to increase productivity
- Can help solve logistical and operational problems
- Allow for more personalized advertising
- Deliver highly targeted, flexible features that grow with the business
Mobile is “The Biggest Shift Since the Internet began”:
“…the mobile device has increasingly become the preferred tool for work and communication. How quickly and effectively an organization plans, develops, and adapts to deliver quality mobile experiences will likely become a competitive advantage.”
Source: https://searchenginewatch.com/
Consumer Expectations
People who use mobile devices have very little tolerance for poor user experience, and they also expect to be able to start an activity on one device, and seamlessly finish it on another. As a business analyst, you need to meet your customers’ expectations, including:
Omni-Channel
- Ability to start an activity on one device, and finish on another
- Seamless user experience expected across multiple channels
- Mobile application experience and app-store rating can make or break a brand
Down-time
- Apps must always be available
- Any down-time must be masked
- Online/offline capabilities may need to be considered
Feedback
- If something goes wrong, the consumer must be alerted
- There can be no ambiguity in what is communicated
Consumer Behavior
As a Business Analyst, you need to understand and predict your customers’ behaviors, and how they use their mobile devices. For most people, smartphones have become the hub of our virtual existence, including:
- Personal assistant
- Calendar
- Phone
- Social
- Credit Card, Wallet
- E-commerce, etc.
Image source: https://www.cato.org/
In addition to smartphones and tablets, hybrid devices have also become more prevalent, but have a different context of use:
- Previously, tablets were primarily consumer devices
- New hybrid options are now commonplace into the corporate landscape (called ultra-mobile)
- Portability and flexibility of devices is increasing
Technology
When eliciting and analyzing requirements for mobile, there are many different technology factors you need to consider, including:
- Speed and responsiveness (timeliness) is a basic tenant of mobility
- Mobile devices have unique data not available on other devices
- There are many unique device features on mobile platforms
- These all impact how you define the requirements of a solution as a business analyst
Desktop versus Mobile
You also need to recognize and account for the vast differences in behavior between desktop vs. mobile applications, including:
| Element | Desktop | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Environments | – Static locations (known IP) – Known user behavior | – Dynamic locations (variable IP) – Unpredictable user behavior |
| Human Input Mechanisms | – Keyboard entry – Mouse clicks – Drop & Drag | – Touch-screen gestures (taps, swipe, shake, hold, etc.) – Audio – Virtual keyboard – Camera |
| Native Hardware Features | – Video Camera | – Location Awareness – Push notifications – Bio-input (fingerprints) |
| Device & O.S. Variability | – Single O.S. – Single device – Single display size/resolution | – Multiple Operating Systems – Multiple Devices – Multiple Display Sizes |
| Security | – Network security – Single hardware login – Individual web site login – Less constrained | – Persistent login – Keychain – Biometric secured – Facial recognition |
| Availability | – Intermittent (only when in front of device) | – At all times |
| User Experience | – Predictable – Complex Features – Multi-functional – Comprehensive | – Pared down feature set – Single function/goal focus – Simple |
Unique Mobile Interaction Gestures and Mechanisms
Not only are there different device hardware features, there are also unique ways of interacting on mobile devices. I don’t know about you, but when I got my first smartphone, it took me a while to figure out some of these interaction options. I mostly discovered them by accident, but over time their use became intuitive. As an analyst, you can’t take for granted or assume that users of your mobile app will have knowledge or experience using these types of interactions, so be explicit in your requirements about what action the user takes.
Imagine that the blue dots are your fingertips:
| Gesture | Action | Mouse |
| Tap | I want this | Click / double-click |
| Swipe | Next! Move, or Scroll | Click arrow, Drag slider |
| Press and Hold(Android) | Do Something | Right-click |
| Slide | Change Value | Slide |
| Drag | Move Object | Drag |
| Pinch | Zoom out | Roller/slider |
| Spread | Zoom in | Roller/slider |
| Rotate | um, Rotate. | Roller/slider |
Unique Mobile Technology Interfaces
In addition to different device features and interaction gestures, there are also some unique interfaces that are available for mobile. To make the most use of the features of the device, consider including these natively available capabilities when you design your mobile application. Take advantage of these whenever you can.
- Pinching
- Accelerometer
- Rotation
- Location
- Voice input
- Shaking
- Camera
- Vibration
- Bluetooth
- Hardware Keys
- Swiping
- Tapping
Interface Guidelines
When it comes to interaction and interface design, you aren’t starting from scratch. If you want to learn about all the capabilities of the two largest operating systems (iOS and Android) for mobile, there are online guides available:
Final Thoughts
I dearly wish that there had been a blog like this when I started doing business analysis for mobile projects. I stumbled my way through the first mobile project, and made many missteps, but I did learn a lot along the way. I hope that this blog will be a handy guide to you if you are an analyst for a mobile project.
If you are an analyst who has run into the same or similar problems, I would love to hear about it! If you are just starting out with mobile analysis and have any questions, let me know! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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