Business Analyst: essential role for growth and effective improvement

Business analyst is not just a title; it is a key role for business development. But what does a business analyst actually do?

By analyzing business processes and turning data into concrete insights, the business analyst is constantly working on improvements in various operational and technological aspects. The recommendations made by a business analyst contribute to growth and efficiency of large companies as well as medium and small businesses (SMEs). As a company, it is important to constantly move with innovations in business processes and technology. This makes the role of business analyst increasingly prominent. Therefore, it is very relevant to know what tasks are involved in this role.

A business analyst acts as a lynchpin between business goals and the technology solutions needed to achieve those goals. In this comprehensive exploration, we will delve deeper into the essential functions, skills and importance of a business analyst in business.

Business analyst analyzes, communicates and implements

Before using a business analyst for projects within your company or organization, it is important to know what this role specifically entails. The tasks of a business analyst are very diverse but, of course, they are all related. To get a good picture, we will go through the different tasks, and the values they have, step by step.

Analyzing and interpreting

By gathering information about business processes, a business analyst can discover inefficiencies, and note where there is room for optimization. The information gathered is analyzed in the context of the requirements and desires of all stakeholders to form a basis for a sharp change strategy.

To ensure that change is fundamentally strongly applied, it is important that this analysis takes place throughout the entire process (from start to finish). This helps optimize processes and streamline practices.

By applying the latest analysis methods (such as BCS business analysis methods), a business analyst can gather a lot of accurate information. Thorough analysis and sharp interpretation provide greater insight that makes businesses more informed. Discovering trends and patterns is of great value in shaping a change process. The more insight provided, the stronger the improvement will ultimately be.

It is relevant to the interpretation of information and data that the business analyst includes the interests of both operations and IT in the analysis process. When these interests are viewed in isolation, it adversely affects the application of innovations. This results in (often unnecessary) financial losses.

Communicating and connecting

Business analysts must be good communicators. This goes beyond simply conveying information: communication is an art. A business analyst is constantly talking to different parties and stakeholders to stay involved and informed throughout the change process. Good communication is incredibly relevant to ensure that fewer assumptions are made and realistic expectations are ensured.

This means that in addition to actively communicating, a business analyst must also be a good listener. Really listening to what people are saying, looking beyond the initial reaction and understanding actual needs creates deeper contextual understanding. This listening skill is very useful for easing change.

Change is almost always accompanied by resistance. People naturally tend to hold on to existing thought patterns and beliefs. Leaving the comfort zone is perceived as uncomfortable. It is up to the business analyst to bring people into the changes so that they are involved in the process and move more easily with the implementation of new business structures.

The business analyst, by listening and communicating well, plays a major role in changing corporate culture. By actively involving people in shaping an organization's requirements and wishes, a business analyst eases their application. This includes addressing existing beliefs, promoting a culture of openness and encouraging a positive attitude toward desired changes.

Therefore, it is not only relevant for a business analyst to know which party represents which interest, but also what translation needs to be done to clearly convey information from the collected information. By performing this task successfully, a business analyst can ensure that ultimately all parties within their field are pursuing the same goals. This is an essential aspect of the change process because with even alignment between operations, end users and IT, optimal performance is achieved.

Transform and resolve

A business analyst is a driver of transformation. A company or organization is aware of a complex problem, for which it deploys the business analyst. To solve the problem, transformations must occur, and they can sometimes occur in surprising areas.

Some of those areas are:

Abstract to concrete: A company wants to work with AI, but does not yet know how to implement it optimally. A business analyst can get the need clear through various techniques, including asking good questions and listening, and thus make the change concrete.
Old to new: Old systems and processes must make way for newer versions. That sounds simple, but requires a thoughtful change approach to ensure a smooth transition. Read a business analysis case study here.
Inefficiency to optimization: Possibly existing systems and processes contain many manual links, contain bottlenecks and run stiffly. For example, the business analyst can implement robots that automate manual steps in the process.

The business analyst's overarching goal is to address and solve complex problems within a company. With analytical ability and deep insights, the business analyst gets to the heart of the problem to create good understanding and overview. It is important for a business analyst to be able to act quickly and effectively throughout the change process in order to work as efficiently as possible.

Business analysts are up to date with the most current requirement documentation techniques, and use them to understand any problem and translate it into structured and efficient solutions.

Examples of requirement documentation techniques include:

Interviews: direct conversations with stakeholders to identify needs, expectations and experiences.
Surveys and questionnaires: useful for collecting information, opinions and needs from a large group of people.
Workshops: interactive sessions with multiple stakeholders simultaneously, where needs and ideas are addressed and consensus can be reached on a variety of topics. For example, this workshop.
Document analysis: review existing documentation, such as system specifications, to understand current systems and identify requirements for future systems.
Prototyping: creating a working model of the future system. This helps create understanding among various stakeholders, and reveals ambiguities and needs.

It is important that a technique be applied in the right way and at the right time. How techniques are applied depends on the nature of the project, the needs of the stakeholders and the complexity of the requirements. Combining multiple techniques is an effective approach to get a complete picture of the requirements.

The use of these techniques allows for a broad understanding of the deeper layers of a problem and provides room to sharpen existing strategies. Also, applying requirement documentation provides the opportunity to lay a foundation for future optimization within the company.

What makes a good business analyst?

Being a business analyst requires great mental flexibility, as in the Business analysis competency model. Every project has different problems, requirements and stakeholders. As a result, each project requires a unique approach. It is important to know what focal points a good business analyst should have in mind to achieve success with a change project.

Tips for a successful business analyst:

Always focus on customer value in everything you do.
Combine analytical skills with communication skills.
Provide short feedback loops and embrace errors as a point of improvement.
Documentation is not an end in itself and not necessarily the business analyst's job.
Take responsibility over problem solving.
Monitor requirements and analysis process.
Work iteratively, always in small steps toward the project goal.

Most importantly, a business analyst provides customized services. Because no project, company or stakeholder is the same, a personal approach will always be needed. When a business analyst speaks to the people behind a system or process and involves them in the change process, the implementation of improvements really takes off. If a business analyst focuses too much on documentation or analysis, for example, and approaches the problem primarily from a theoretical angle, change will be more difficult.

"Business analysis as an investment always pays off."

As a business analyst, you are the link between business objectives and technology solutions. It is a multifaceted role that combines customer value, communication and analytical skills to solve complex problems and achieve objectives. Where a company or organization wants to implement major changes, a business analyst is invaluable.

The real strength of a business analyst shows through strong analytical ability where customer value is paramount. Also, a good business analyst uses communication as a key to connect, and feedback is processed efficiently during implementation for meeting requirements.

When both large companies and medium and small businesses (SMBs) face complex challenges, inefficiencies and business processes, it is cost effective to engage a business analyst to achieve growth.

If after reading this article you would like to exchange thoughts on the role of the business analyst please feel free to get intouch ! I always enjoy sharing insights together about our beautiful field.

Let's hear from you, schedule an appointment right here at your convenience

Kind regards,

Mellius Brouwer

Read more about Mellius here.

Getting acquainted? Choose the time