BUSINESS ANALYST

In today’s complex business environment, an organization’s adaptability, agility, and ability to manage constant change through innovation can be keys to success. Traditional methods may no longer lead to reaching objectives when economic conditions are unfavorable. That’s where business analysis comes in. Corporations achieve goals through projects that translate customer needs into new products, services, and profits. Business analysts can make it all happen more efficiently and effectively.

The business analyst’s primary objective is helping businesses implement technology solutions in a cost-effective way by determining the requirements of a project or program, and communicating them clearly to stakeholders, facilitators and partners.

Requirements Are the Core of the Business Analyst’s Role:

Business analysis training teaches requirements management – one of the core skills of business analysts. Developing technical solutions to business problems, or to advance a company’s sales efforts, begins with defining, analyzing and documenting requirements. Managing requirements at the project level can help fulfill business needs.

Business analysts typically take the lead role in:

  1. Assisting with the business case
  2. Planning and monitoring
  3. Eliciting requirements
  4. Requirements organization
  5. Translating and simplifying requirements
  6. Requirements management and communication
  7. Requirements analysis

Skilled business analysts also use requirements to drive the design or review of test cases, process change requests, and manage a project’s scope, acceptance, installation and deployment.

What it takes to Be a Business Analyst:

Becoming a successful business analyst takes core business skills and specialized knowledge that will advance a firm’s objectives, and contribute to its remaining competitiveness in a complex economy. These core skills include:

  1. Written and verbal communication, including technical writing skills
  2. Understanding of systems engineering concepts
  3. The ability to conduct cost/benefit analysis
  4. Business case development
  5. Modeling techniques and methods
  6. Leadership

The goal is to master the skills needed to:

  1. Implement advanced strategies for gathering, reviewing and analyzing data requirements
  2. Prioritize requirements and create conceptual prototypes and mock-ups
  3. Master strategic business process modeling, traceability and quality management techniques
  4. Apply best practices for effective communication and problem-solving