This page is part of the ForgeSDLC knowledge base — an AI-assisted, human-directed methodology for taking product work from concept to production. For the core operating model and vocabulary, see Forge SDLC overview and What is ForgeSDLC?.
Strategy Analysis
Defines the business need, understands the current state, envisions the future state, and recommends a change strategy and solution scope. This is the knowledge area most closely aligned with PDLC phases P1–P3.
BABOK alignment: Knowledge Area 3 (Strategy Analysis).
Lifecycle mapping: Primarily PDLC P1–P3 (Discover Problem, Validate Solution, Strategize). Strategy Analysis provides the analytical backbone for product discovery and investment decisions.
1. Tasks
1.1 Analyze current state
Document the existing situation — capabilities, processes, organizational context, pain points, constraints — as a factual baseline for change.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Business need, organizational context | Current state description (capabilities, processes, pain points, constraints) |
What to document: - Existing capabilities and their effectiveness - Current processes and their bottlenecks - Organizational structure and decision-making patterns - Technology landscape and constraints - Regulatory environment - Existing solutions and their limitations
PDLC connection: This maps directly to P1 Discover Problem — the BA provides structured analysis of the problem space, complementing the PM's user research and market analysis.
1.2 Define future state
Articulate the desired outcomes — what the organization looks like after the change is successfully implemented.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Current state description, business objectives | Future state description (desired capabilities, outcomes, success criteria) |
Elements of future state: - Business goals and objectives the change will achieve - New or improved capabilities required - Process changes expected - Organizational changes needed - Metrics that will indicate success - Constraints and assumptions
PDLC connection: Maps to P1–P2 — the future state vision aligns with the product vision in docs/product/vision/, but from an organizational perspective rather than market perspective.
1.3 Assess risks
Identify threats and opportunities that could affect the change initiative's success.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Current state, future state, organizational context | Risk assessment (identified risks, probability, impact, mitigation strategies) |
Risk categories for BA: - Requirements risk — incomplete, ambiguous, or volatile requirements - Stakeholder risk — disengaged sponsors, conflicting stakeholder needs - Organizational risk — resistance to change, capability gaps, political barriers - Technical risk — feasibility concerns, integration complexity (shared with SDLC) - External risk — regulatory changes, market shifts, competitor moves
Project mapping: Risk analysis outputs feed into docs/requirements/risks/ (the project's risk register and RBS).
1.4 Define change strategy
Recommend the overall approach to achieving the future state — build vs buy, phased vs big-bang, scope boundaries, transition approach.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Current state, future state, risk assessment, organizational constraints | Change strategy (recommended approach, scope, transition plan, resource needs) |
Change strategy elements: - Solution approach (build, buy, configure, outsource, or combination) - Implementation approach (phased, big-bang, pilot, parallel) - Scope boundaries (what is in and out for this initiative) - Transition needs (training, data migration, process changes) - Resource and timeline estimates - Success criteria and measurement approach
PDLC connection: Maps to P3 Strategize — the change strategy becomes the business case and investment decision for the stage gate (G3). It shapes what enters SDLC Phase A.
1.5 Define solution scope
Delineate the boundary of the solution — what capabilities are included, what is deferred, and what is explicitly excluded.
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| Change strategy, business objectives, constraints | Solution scope (in-scope capabilities, out-of-scope items, deferred items, dependencies) |
Scope artifacts: - In-scope capability list with rationale - Out-of-scope list with rationale (prevents scope creep) - Deferred items with conditions for future inclusion - External dependencies and integration boundaries - Assumptions and constraints affecting scope
SDLC connection: Solution scope becomes the input to SDLC Phase A (Discover) — it defines the boundaries of what the delivery team will build. Maps to docs/requirements/ structure.
2. Techniques commonly used
| Technique | Usage in This Knowledge Area |
|---|---|
| SWOT analysis | Assess organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (§1.1, §1.3) |
| PESTLE analysis | Assess external factors affecting the initiative (§1.3) |
| Benchmarking | Compare current capabilities against industry standards or competitors (§1.1) |
| Root cause analysis | Understand why current state problems exist (§1.1) |
| Gap analysis | Compare current state to future state (§1.2) |
| Decision analysis | Evaluate change strategy options (§1.4) |
| Scope modeling | Define solution boundaries (§1.5) |
| Business model canvas | Articulate value proposition and business model for the change (§1.4) |
| Feasibility analysis | Assess viability of proposed change strategy (§1.4) |
| Risk analysis | Identify and assess risks to the change initiative (§1.3) |
| Document analysis | Review existing documentation, contracts, regulations (§1.1) |
| Estimation | Size the change effort and required resources (§1.4) |
Full technique catalog: techniques/README.md.
3. Relationship to PDLC and SDLC
| Strategy Analysis Task | PDLC Mapping | SDLC Mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze current state | P1 Discover Problem: structured analysis of the problem space | — (upstream of delivery) |
| Define future state | P1–P2: future state vision complements product vision | — (upstream of delivery) |
| Assess risks | P2–P3: risk assessment informs stage gate decisions (G1, G2, G3) | Risk register feeds into docs/requirements/risks/ |
| Define change strategy | P3 Strategize: change strategy shapes investment decision and GTM plan | — (upstream of delivery) |
| Define solution scope | P3 → SDLC handoff: scope definition creates the boundary for SDLC Phase A | Phase A receives scope as input |
Overlap with PDLC
Strategy Analysis and PDLC P1–P3 cover similar ground from different angles:
| Concern | Strategy Analysis (BA) | PDLC P1–P3 (PM) |
|---|---|---|
| Problem framing | Organizational needs, process gaps, capability deficiencies | User pain points, market opportunity, competitive landscape |
| Solution direction | Change strategy, build/buy/configure decision | Product vision, solution hypothesis validation |
| Investment decision | Business case with quantified costs and benefits | Stage gate review with success metrics and resource request |
| Scope definition | Capability boundaries, integration scope, transition needs | Feature scope, MVP definition, roadmap phasing |
In practice, these activities often happen concurrently — the PM leads market/user analysis while the BA leads organizational/requirements analysis. Their outputs converge at the P3/G3 stage gate.