Keeping a keen eye on overall processes and team activity, a business analyst (BA) is the all-important connection between stakeholders and developers.
Their role goes beyond writing up data reports. A BA is an integral part of the product development team who is there to analyse the business, including its processes and systems, to uncover ways to improve efficiency during a product build. Ultimately, their role is to streamline processes to make sure the completed product aligns with the business’ requirements and value expectations.
They should communicate with all stakeholders, business leaders, product teams and marketing managers to uncover goals and recommend data-driven paths to reach those goals.
ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ANALYSIS (IIBA), BUSINESS ANALYSIS IS:
“A disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organisations.”
The key responsibilities of a business analyst
- Interpret business data to articulate problems, opportunities and solutions.
- Identify and prioritise both technical and functional requirements.
- Clarify KPIs and devise a product development roadmap to get there.
- Ensure the product aligns with business goals.
- Standardise and optimise the software development process.
- Document requirements, policies and protocols.
- Make sure the team meets deliverables and quality standards.
- Define the scope of the project and ensure feasibility.
Essential skills, knowledge & experience
- Analytical thinking
- Verbal and written communication
- Problem-solving & organisational skills
- An understanding of the business structure
- Technically-minded
- Cost benefit analysis
- Process modelling
- The ability to create clear, visual presentations
Embedding efficiency & adaptation into organisations
Without a professional bridging the gap between business and technology,
processes can quickly fall out of line. A BA fills this need, while using data to find ways to improve efficiency and business value, and ensure adaptation in an environment that’s constantly changing.
The result? An organisation can achieve consistent growth, despite the
challenges that may arise. A positive force for change, a business analyst does whatever it takes to capture information, recognise inefficiencies and quickly build a solution that keeps a product build firmly on track.