Hi All,

What is the real difference between being a Business Analyst and a Business Process Analyst?

Regards,

TP.

The Business Process Analyst is a subset of the business analysis profession.

The term Business Analyst is used to refer to any of the following:

• BA on business side - focused on identifying solutions to business problems - this is the business analyst who identifies & documents requirements
• Business Process Analyst - analyst focused on documenting, designing, improving business processes - generally using a specialized business process modeling tool,
• Systems Analyst - focused on creating technical/system solutions to business problems - this is the one creating functional specs and technical design docs
• Business Systems Analyst - a mix between business side BA and systems analyst
• etc.

Check out this page for more details: The Roles of the Business Analyst

Hope this helps!

- Adrian

hi:

Basically, they both, at some point, typically draw flow charts.  A BPA would often use a tool like BPMN.  BPMN = flow chart + other details for analysis and/or simulation.  BPMN flow charts are largely for activities non-internal to an automated system.

A BA would often use a tool like an Activity Diagram.   Activity Diagram = flow chart typically of system-internal activities

A BA would also often use a tool like a Data Flow Diagram.  Data Flow Diagram = First draw function bubbles, then,  when you have decomposed far enough down, draw flow charts of either system-internal activities, non system-internal activties, or both.

So, to summarize, a BPA is typically focused on activities occuring outside of an automated system.  A BA can be focused on either activites outside of an automated system, or inside of an automated system.

Tony