As we wrap up 2025, I want to reflect on the year's journey, sharing insights and stories that highlight our shared growth in both business analysis and architecture. It's been a year of action, clarity, and innovation—blending AI advancements with timeless principles like critical thinking and strategies. And it goes without saying, I'm grateful for our vibrant learning community that's helped make this all possible.
Business Architecture Highlights
Business architecture continued to evolve as a cornerstone of our corporate training efforts in 2025. We provided BIZBOK® Guide updates, uncovering strong alignments with AI's potential while reinforcing foundational practices.
Key takeaways from these developments:
- Dynamic rules-based routing: Enables more agile AI integrations.
- Clarified value stream relationships: Aligns with AI trends for minimal exam disruptions.
- Practical integration: Reinforces that architecture is a dynamic framework, empowering bold, AI-enabled strategies that support on-the-ground analysts.
Business Analysis Highlights
Mid-year, we sharpened our focus on business analysis amid exciting shifts. The IIBA's ECBA exam updates emphasized a more context-driven approach, inspiring us to refresh our ECBA, CCBA, and CBAP masterclasses.
Key elements we've emphasized:
- Context-driven approaches: Prioritizing customer-centricity, ethical AI use cases, and human-centered design.
- Resources like our Business Analysis Standard review: Helping analysts navigate changes with confidence.
- Alignment with BABOK® principles: Offering bundles for IIBA certifications (CBAP, CCBA, ECBA, AAC) to turn analysis into a catalyst for transformation.
A standout moment was my interview with Susan Moore from the IIBA, "Embracing AI: A Journey into the Future of Business Analysis." We explored how AI agents should be viewed as stakeholders, not just tools—this was an "aha" moment for many in our community!
Webinars and Programs
Our webinars and programs brought these ideas to life, fostering deep, actionable conversations for analysts and architects. At the core was the AI Business Catalyst Program's live podcast sessions, themed around empowering "C" concepts: Connect, Clarity, Customer-Centricity, Context, Calibrate, Competency, Collaboration, Creativity, Conscience, and Curiosity. Shoutout to my wonderful co-hosts, Omar Gawad and Alain Picard, and our diverse global panelists!
Live events included:
- Connect panel (with Angelo Kalevela, Jessica Talisman, and others): Reframed ethics and human-AI integration for requirements mapping.
- Clarity (Omar Maher): Prioritized business-first use cases. Full Blog
- Customer-Centricity (Jonathan Mast) Explored AI personas for personalized engagement, data-driven insights. Full Blog
- Context (Dr. Raj Ramesh): Used doodles to make complex environments tangible for analysis.
- Calibrate (Dr. Suzannah Hicks): Aligned AI strategies.
- Competency (Marco Tabor): Tailored iterative AI design.
- Collaboration (Mufaro Nyachoto): Emphasized human-in-the-loop.
- Creativity (Tony Begum): Introduced GPS framework for innovation.
- Conscience (Rania Wasif): Focused on trustworthy data governance.
Educational Webinars
- BIZBOK 14 Updates
- Interview with Julian Fletcher on this book "Doing Business Architecture – The Rough Guide"
- ECBA Exam Update
- In interview with Susan Moore from the IIBA, "Embracing AI: A Journey into the Future of Business Analysis"
- AI Business Architect - Used Cases
- AI Business Analyst - Used Cases
Courses Launch
Course/Program | Key Focus |
Fundamentals, prompt engineering, Aidon.ai hands-on (5-day immersive for non-programmers). Explores how the role of the business architect will change and adapt. | |
Capability mapping, Aidon integration, ethical strategies (Guild CEUs). Focuses on adapting the business architect role in an AI era. | |
Markdown, JSON, agentic workflows, practical AI for analysts. Examines how the business analyst role will evolve. | |
Guild-endorsed CBA® prep, updated for BIZBOK® v14 (study guides, drills, videos). | |
Short intro aligning BABOK® and BIZBOK® for career shifts. | |
For IIBA certs (CBAP, CCBA, ECBA, AAC), including The Knowledge Brief. | |
Matching the new exam requirements with context-driven strategies. |
Blog Highlights
Our Agora Buzz blog remained a hub for curated wisdom. Top posts included:
- AI Agents Are Transforming Roles: Beyond chatbots to evolving analyst/architect responsibilities.
- Empowering AI through Business Architecture: Capabilities, policies, and knowledge graphs.
- Myth-busters: "A Plan is Not a Strategy" and "Maturity Assessments Don't Guarantee AI Success" (with tables and ethical steps).
- Human-AI synergy: "Unleashing Human Creativity in the Age of AI" and "Context is Everything."
- BIZBOK-focused: "Harnessing Dynamic Rules-Based Routing & Multiple AI Agents" (with visuals).
- Classics: "Strategy Development with Design Thinking" and "The Balanced Scorecard."
Don't forget to visit our blog to find all these and more
Looking Ahead
2025 was a year of bold moves—global dialogues, innovative launches, and community support for business analysts and architects. Thank you for engaging as readers, learners, and collaborators; your stories have helped shaped ours.
Looking towards 2026 we move from "Doing to Delivering" Expect more exciting insights, like real-world case studies on AI-driven transformations and hands-on training workshops!
Just a reminder that Agora Insights and now Aidon.ai open up a world of learning and AI-Assisted Solutions for Business Architects, Analysts, Strategists, and Business Leaders. Contact us for a demo.
To watch more videos, visit YouTube.
Interested in business architecture and business analysis certification, corporate and AI training?
Go to our website www.agorainsights.com
Connect with our Panelists:
Connect with Deirdre Caren on LinkedIn
Connect with Omar Gawad on LinkedIn or Visit his YouTube
Connect with Alain Picard on LinkedIn
Connect with Our Guests:
Angelo Kalevela: LinkedIn
Jessica Talisman: LinkedIn
Kitty Hung: LinkedIn
Eric Jager: LinkedIn
Jesper Lowgren: LinkedIn
Dora Boussias: LinkedIn
Tiankai Feng: LinkedIn
Andreas Galatoulas: LinkedIn
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