Name: Kashif Riaz
Title: Business Analyst
Employer: Scottish Widows
What company do you work for?
I am working as a Business Analyst for Scottish Widows - a well recognized brand in the financial services industry in Europe.
What is your main role at you current company?
I am working as a Business Analyst on a Security and Data compliance project to achieve the compliance of company policies and process with ISO 27001 and Sarbanes Oxley standards. My role is mainly to interview business unit heads to gather information about the current status of processes and policies. On the basis of gathered information I am writing Impact Analysis/Gap Analysis reports and then defining the metrics that show whether departments or business units are following standards
What do you find challenging about your job?
To get a hold of the stakeholders to collect required information is really a challenge in my organization due to the very busy schedule of the stakeholders. Especially when we have to conduct workshops and more than one stakeholder is required. Also designing new IT systems and writing processes for the departments and companies is challenging but I enjoy working on them.
What have you found that makes your job easier?
Time management and stakeholder management have always helped me to complete all of my projects successfully and well within our timelines. If we are prioritizing our work and scheduling accordingly then it's easy to respond to the critical issues quickly.
If we are maintaining good relationships with our clients then it's very easy to deal with tough situations, when a requirement is misunderstood or any task is delayed.
How did you become a Business Analyst?
I started my career as a software developer and then worked as a team lead and system analyst. I sometimes used to deal with clients especially as I was providing support to my projects as well. I planned to work on the management side as well. When I got a job offer from my company's headquarters based in Dublin to work as a Business Analyst then I immediately accepted the offer and moved from the UK to Ireland. I was working as a Business Analyst, System Analyst and Project Manager at the same time. And I enjoyed all of the roles, especially managing all of the responsibilities simultaneously.
What is one piece of advice that you would like to pass on to junior Business Analysts?
Always try to learn more and more about your field and keep yourself update with the latest knowledge and industry best practices.
Stakeholder management is a very important skill to foster. If you maintain a good relationship with business people and IT people then life is easy for you and everyone else.
What does a day in your role as Business Analyst look like?
I usually follow up on my emails then read the company news on intranet website. I attend meetings and create necessary documentation. Mainly my day consists of attending meetings.
If you were to learn a new skill or competency what would it be and why?
I am moving from technical analysis to learning more general processes and methodologies. I plan to become a consultant who could provide services to any enterprise.