Hi,

I'm new to Business Analysis and I have two questions at this stage:

1. What do we mean when we talk about a detail orientated BA?

2. Which areas should one work on perfecting as a good BA?, i.e documentation, communication, presentation, etc.

1. Detail oriented Business Analyst: refers to the fact that the position requires the person in this role to get into the details of the requirements/solution as opposed to just remaining at the vision/high level.  All business analysts need to be able to track, manage, and understand the details of the project: elicit and manage the detailed requirements, understand the data mapping details, be aware of the various nuances/variations in the process, etc. 

I also believe that attention to detail also includes a good amount of self/project management: knowing exactly what business analysis tasks need to be completed and the status of each task, understanding the issues and risks associated to business analysis activities and the specific project, etc.  While most projects have dedicated Project Managers, the project managers tend to manage the project from a higher-level with specific focus on tracking dependencies and the overall schedule.

2. The Business Analyst should master: communication skills, facilitation skills, conflict resolution skills, analytical thinking, and problem solving skills!  These are the foundation of any good business analyst.  The tools, processes, methods, and techniques may change over time but not the need for communication & analytical/problem solving.

- Adrian