Introduction

Business Analyst (BA) is a very important person in ensuring the building of near perfect Technology Solution for the business. In simple terms, the BA is an interface between Business and Technology Team. If there is a business model for IT industry and very lucrative one, which we all know and acknowledge and where Sales and Marketing Team gets credit for Revenues and Software Engineers for Programming and Development work, it is the BA, who acts as a perfect Center Piece in the hierarchy.

So, who is this BA? What is his / her back-ground and qualification?

The Business Analyst develops and prepares Business Requirements, Functional Design documents and develops procedures to process data. This person analyzes functional problems and determines techniques and requirements most feasible for processing the data.

Like Management Consultant giving strategic inputs to turn around the company or push the revenue, BA is a Functional / Domain consultant providing seamless interface between Business and Technology Team towards building a new software or up-grading the existing one.

Most of the project fails, if they fail (50% according to market survey) is because there is always an expectation mismatch between:

a) Client & the IT Vendor (Development – Delivery Team)
b) Project Manager & the BA and last but not the least
c) BA and the Development Team

The Client feel (or is being convinced) that automation or IT solution is the best way to get operational efficiency / control and sure mantra for cost cutting / growth. Every debate, every one says IT is just an enabler but in reality, IT is a business now. Larger the project better it is for the Tech Team and the organization that is managing it. Challenge remains, how to manage it well.

Having said that on general terms, we have to agree 100% that a BA is very important link in finding durable IT solutions for client’s business needs. A satisfied customer mean repeat projects / business. So, the stakes are high to search for a right Business Analyst (BA).

On Macro level, success of a project depends on 6 Right Things:

1. Right Management motivation to bring change Top Down. It is never bottom-up
2. Right and Present identification of challenges where IT solutions is sought. Clarity is the key.
3. Right IT Vendor. An ERP specialist can’t deliver Insurance Projects
4. Right Technology and Solution Architecture
5. Right Business Analyst & PM
6. Right Development Team and Testing Team

We can go in details about all of them some other time, but let me dwell upon Point 5, which is the center theme of my article i.e. Right BA

A successful BA should have 6 Skills to deliver his/ her job :

1. Business Skills: A BA is not scaled-up version of a Programmer. A Programmer even with 20 yrs is coding / programming experience may not graduate into a successful BA. Business Analyst should have worked with Business some time in his past career because that helps him / her connect with Stake-holders and SME (Subject Matter Expert), essential to deliver his job & KRA (Key Results Area). Capturing MACRO business view and vision is important.

2. Domain Skills: BA’s are like Doctors who must build an expertise in a particular field say Retail / Insurance / Banking / ERP etc. ‘One size Fit All’ does not help in successfully completing the BA role or for that matter to complete the project.

3. Management skills: In present world Projects are complex with huge dependencies on different People, Processes and Projects. BA with management skill plays an integral part in aligning the resources quickly. BA is perhaps the only constant connection between Tech Team and the Business Team while the project is ON; hence he / she should be in position to get the work / info out from both sides with ease. Importantly both sides should respect BA for his / her role in managing & delivering the project. Any disconnect in the team is a recipe for sure disaster.

4. Tech Skills: Tools and Technology: As much as BA is supposed to be a great domain expert, he / she should also be very familiar with Technology Terms and capabilities of employed technologies or tools. A BA can’t function without having decent level of understanding of Languages / Architecture / Databases / FOS / SDLC / PLC / SQL / Online & MS Tools.

5. Editing Skills: BA is like an editor of a magazine. He or she should be in position to grasp the business requirements and convert (edit) them into smart and portable manner. Concise, & Correct conversion of Processes help build the right IT solution.

6. Project Skills: BA is the second line project manager or the future PM in the team. Unless BA thinks that he / she is a project manager and is working towards it, his / her contribution in the project or with the team will not be felt. BA should look his role & responsibilities from Scope / Time and Cost (STC) perspectives all the time.

Manish Jaiswal - USA
manishkumarjaiswal2001@yahoo.com 

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