The business analyst role necessitates a blend of technical and soft skills. Business analysts must be adept at extracting, analyzing, and reporting data trends, as well as effectively communicating this information to others and applying it to business operations. While not all business analysts need an IT background, a general understanding of systems, products, and tools is essential. Conversely, some business analysts may have a strong IT background with limited business experience, seeking to transition into this hybrid role through business analyst training.
Essential Skills and Experience for Business Analysts
According to the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), some of the most critical skills and experiences for a business analyst include:
- Oral and written communication skills
- Interpersonal and consultative skills
- Facilitation skills
- Analytical thinking and problem-solving
- Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy
- Organizational skills
- Knowledge of business structure
- Stakeholder analysis
- Requirements engineering
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Process modeling
- Understanding of networks, databases, and other technologies
The Role of Business Analysts in Software Development
Business analysts play a crucial role in software development by leveraging real-time customer data and analytics to identify trends, successful features, and potential adoption issues with applications. As data becomes increasingly vital to organizations, the business analyst role grows in importance.
“One of the key trends in the evolution of the BA role into product ownership, as the lines between IT, digital, and software development blur, is that this role is becoming more exciting,” says Kelly Emo, head of product and solutions marketing for application lifecycle and quality at HPE Software.
Due to the broad range of responsibilities, some organizations have created product manager positions that work alongside business analysts or lead teams of them. The shift towards faster, more iterative software development has also changed when business analysts get involved in projects. In a traditional waterfall development environment, a business analyst is more heavily involved at the beginning stages, gathering and analyzing requirements before handing them off to developers. In contrast, business analysts working on agile projects typically remain involved through implementation and multiple releases.
Organizations often assign business analysts to several small projects simultaneously or to a single complex project. In some cases, multiple business analysts are assigned to very large software development projects. However, not all IT departments involve their business analysts in every in-house application development project for business analyst training.
Some organizations are less likely to assign business analysts to new types of applications, such as mobile marketing apps or temporary sales promotion apps, because these projects are often run very lean or using DevOps. “It’s all happening quickly in continuous delivery mode, and it’s data-driven rather than driven by extensive requirement documents. Especially in digital-first applications like online commerce, traditional business analysts might not be involved.”
Business Analyst Responsibilities
- Evaluating business processes, anticipating requirements, identifying areas for improvement, and developing and implementing solutions.
- Leading ongoing reviews of business processes and developing optimization strategies.
- Staying current on the latest process and IT advancements to automate and modernize systems.
- Conducting meetings and presentations to share ideas and findings.
- Performing requirements analysis.
- Documenting and communicating the results of your efforts.
- Effectively communicating insights and plans to cross-functional team members and management.
- Gathering critical information from meetings with various stakeholders and producing useful reports.
- Working closely with clients, technicians, and managerial staff.
- Providing leadership, training, coaching, and guidance to junior staff.
- Allocating resources and maintaining cost efficiency.
- Ensuring solutions meet business needs and requirements.
- Performing user acceptance testing.
- Managing projects, developing project plans, and monitoring performance.
- Updating, implementing, and maintaining procedures.
- Prioritizing initiatives based on business needs and requirements.
- Serving as a liaison between stakeholders and users.
- Managing competing resources and priorities.
- Monitoring deliverables and ensuring timely completion of projects.
Business Analyst Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in business or a related field, or an MBA.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in business analysis or a related field.
- Exceptional analytical and conceptual thinking skills.
- The ability to influence stakeholders and work closely with them to determine acceptable solutions.
- Advanced technical skills.
- Excellent documentation skills.
- Fundamental analytical and conceptual thinking skills.
- Experience creating detailed reports and giving presentations.
- Competency in Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
- A track record of following through on commitments.
- Excellent planning, organizational, and time management skills.
- Experience leading and developing top-performing teams.
- A history of leading and supporting successful projects.
Conclusion
The business analyst role, while potentially new within an organization, is crucial for its success. A business analyst must be an effective communicator, capable of uniting team members and stakeholders. Their responsibilities span the entire project lifecycle, from initial evaluation to ongoing maintenance, ensuring that the company’s business needs are met and projects are completed successfully. Through proper business analyst training, individuals can develop the necessary skills to excel in this vital role.
