Business analysis glossary
Workshop
What it is
A workshop is a facilitated group session with a clear purpose, such as agreeing a process, listing requirements or prioritising features. A facilitator prepares an agenda, keeps discussion on track and records decisions and actions. Typical outputs are a shared diagram, a prioritised list or a set of agreed decisions, captured live so nobody leaves with a different memory of the result.
Why it matters
Workshops get several stakeholders to resolve disagreements in one room, which is faster than passing messages between them. They work only when the right people attend and the goal is specific. Without a facilitator, a few confident people can dominate; a prepared workshop gives quieter experts a structured chance to contribute as well.
Example
The analyst at Cedar Credit Union runs a 90-minute workshop with loan officers and risk staff to map the current approval steps on a whiteboard. By the end they have agreed a shared process picture and a list of five pain points.