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6/8/2016 12:43 PM

	kremnos
2 posts

Is Business Analyst Position needed in Agile SDLC at all?

Hi all,

I have a question for my experienced fellows business analysts.

I'm studying business analysis and got confused recently.

Forgive me my ignorance, but I don't quite understand how a business analyst position fit into an agile driven project.

I mean, what would be BA's responsibilities in real world situation in real world company in the real world agile project?
How would they be different from those in classic Waterfall SDLC?

Is a BA position needed in agile SDLC at all?

I heard the opinion that "Scrum killed BAs". Is this statement correct?

If somebody had the pleasure to work in both Waterfall and Agile methodologies as a BA, her/his advice would be priceless.

Thank you in advance!

Most sincerely,

Alex

6/17/2016 9:14 PM

	NitWitNick
259 posts

Re: Is Business Analyst Position needed in Agile SDLC at all?

In 30+ years of developing systems ... I have Never worked in a total Waterfall or total Agile environment ... even back in the early 80's we had stuff up on the wall they call KANBAN today ... and made quick screen drawings called Wire-frames today.

From what I see in basically all environments ... Business Analysts are still the key members of your development team ... you can call them what you want, but they are the people that gather and analyze information, hold stand-up and planning meetings then collaborate between developers, managers and users to clarify stuff then write requirements ... however, the requirements are formatted just a little differently and called Epics, Stories, Acceptance Criteria ... etc.

Don't get all hung up on one method ... where ever you go, a company usually has its own methods to follow and many times those methods vary from projects needing well-defined documentation and procedures to highly-chaotic environments where everything was a top priority written on Post-Its and due yesterday.

When you go somewhere, ask to see what templates they use, so you can use stuff that people in the company already know ... unless they want you to come up with something new ... then search the web for a template you can use.

Don't Panic or Get Confused ... find out what the users need and go from there.

Have Fun

9/1/2016 3:20 AM

	*FJC
12 posts

Re: Is Business Analyst Position needed in Agile SDLC at all?

In the mid of your study related to Business Analysis, you have heard about the tasks and plannings handled by BA. So, if company talks about having CMMI levels being followed will have a requirement for analyzing what is to be delivered. We have new scopes even with any of the type of SDLC being followed!

8/8/2018 5:32 PM

	Meta BA
19 posts

Re: Is Business Analyst Position needed in Agile SDLC at all?

Modified By Chris Adams on 8/8/2018 9:00:30 PM)

I started my career as a business analyst in a waterfall world, now I work in a fully agile capacity. Long story short, regardless of methodology, someone needs to ensure the right questions are being asked before development begins. Larger organizations with a lot of stakeholders/impacted areas benefit more from business analysts in agile than say a software company who makes one thing.

Here is a video explaining the role of a business analyst in agile