BA Techniques: Analogy

Purpose

This technique help us to understand the key role that plays a major role in the discussion, discovery, and clarification of requirements. It will compare the concepts and produces the results.

The term analogy is referred to as relation between the source and the target which is often a similarity. Analogy is a cognitive process of transferring the information or meaning from particular subject to another in the analogical process. Analogy is an inference from one particular to another as opposed to deduction, in which at least one of the premises is general, rather than particular in nature. It plays a significant role in problem solving, as well as decision making, generalization, prediction, and communication. It lies behind the basic tasks such as identification of objects, places, and people etc. The concepts of association, comparison, correspondence, resemblance, and similarity are closely related to the concept of analogy technique. Analogy is also a basis for comparative arguments as well as experiments whose results are transmitted to the final products after the comparative study has been made with the other similar products.

The concept of analogical reasoning deal with the transfer of existing technologies, concepts, and general solutions between different industries and knowledge domains. The analogy in business analysis is mostly focused on the technology and the product innovation. This technique aims to investigate the approach of the different business models across various industries to compare and produce the best result. Analogy technique allows the dynamic understanding of the business model as a contextual and responsive in its environment. There are three sub-studies in the analogy technique such as, structured literature review, a comparative case study research, and participatory action results show how the managers in the company make use of analogies to develop and rethink the business models in their industry. The connection of the results with the existing concepts in the overall framework of analogy process for a new business model concept.

Some of the articles related to Analogy techniques are as follows,

• Analogy Technique - https://www.tutorialspoint.com/estimation_techniques/estimation_techniques_analogous.htm
• Techniques in Analogy - https://atestanswers.com/file/techniques-in-double-word-analogy
• Tips for Analogy Test - https://www.assessment-training.com/blogs/tips-to-pass-an-analogies-test
• Analogy Examples - https://www.examples.com/education/analogy-examples.html
• Analogy : Creativity Techniques - http://iss.uni-saarland.de/workspace/documents/ivm-7_creativity-techniques.pdf
• Analogy Research Method - http://euacademic.org/BookUpload/9.pdf
• Effects of Analogy Technique - https://core.ac.uk/reader/82372756
• Effort Estimation using Analogy - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3625950_Effort_estimation_using_analogy
• Applications of Analogy - http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12618956/index.pdf
• Analogies - https://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/downloads/program-overviews/S-analogies.pdf
• Analogy Reasoning - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/reasoning-analogy/
• Structured Analogies - https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1166&context=marketing_papers
• Analogy Communication System - https://www.smartzworld.com/notes/analog-communication-system-pdf-notes-ac/

Some of the simple examples for analogy technique are,

An analogy is like a metaphor where you explain the complex idea or situation in terms or in a story that the other person can relate to and understand easier.

• A detective investigates a crime to look for things that could lead to knowing who the suspects are. In case of doctors, they would also do the investigation about what disease their patients are having in order to know what sickness they are currently experiencing. In this, the suspects and diseases are similar, as well as investigators and doctors are similar.
• A business is nothing without the customers. Once establishes, its imperative for the business to feed their customers. Taking steps to engage the customers, listen to their business needs, and invest time, money, and energy. These efforts are the water that allow the business to acquire and retain the business more effectively. It is same like the proverb, there is no harvest without the water.

• Analogy for Comparative Thinking | Ruth Foster | https://www.amazon.com/5-Analogy-para-cr%C3%ADticas-Ruth-Foster/dp/1426639683/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=analogy+technique+books&qid=1597408065&sr=8-14
• Analogical Thinking | Cheryl Block | https://www.amazon.com/Think-Analogies%C2%AE-A1-Cheryl-Block/dp/0894557912/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=analogy+technique+books&qid=1593408885&sr=8-15