The Role of Business Analyst

Business Analyst play a vital role in managing and implementing change. The change management starts when a business need (an idea or a problem) is identified. It is business analyst who shape the idea with help of business analysis knowledge and skills. It is difficult to write in short answer as the BA role may be well described into a book. I am trying to highlight the role through few points/processes.

One needs to know how the idea is developed from conception to disposition stages. Business analyst plays pivotal role as an analyst (strategy analyst, business analyst, data analyst, document analyst etc), researchers, collaborator, leader, negotiator, designer, implementor, stakeholders, manager, consultant, operations, etc at various stages and handles the crux of the change management through some of the following of processes.

  • Business Need Definition (Define the problem or an opportunity)
  • Vision document or Terms of Reference i.e. ToR (High level Solution Scope definition)
  • Business Case (to justify the investment and analyze the risk as well as feasibility)
  • Project approval or rejection process
  • BA Planning and Monitoring process (Management Approach Document i.e. BA Approach + governance + stakeholder engagement process etc.,)
  • Requirement Elicitation and Management process
  • Strategy Analysis process (to define current state and propose the future state and recommend solution option(s) to implement the change)
  • Identify technical team (based on solution option -it could be internal or external)
  • Solution requirements (Structuring requirements i.e. building Functional and non-functional requirements and designs template i.e. Functional Requirement Document)
  • Solution Design and release plan
  • Resource Allocations
  • Solution development, testing, and implementation
  • User Sign off
  • Project closure documents
  • Continuous Enrich and Enhance solution (as needed) in operations
  • Disposition process (if needed)

Please note that each points involves details process and may take several days to complete. The work involved is depend on the complexity of the project.

Here is the list Business Analysis – Competencies, Techniques and Tools

For more details, please read my book – Amazon.com: Business Analysis: The Question And Answer Book (9780990637448): Sandhya Jane: Books

Leave a Comment