Process Mining is a subject that has garnered a lot of attention over the past two to three years. Much of the noise has centred around the mergers and acquisitions in the vendor space, and contrary to what some write, it is still in its infancy when it comes to end user adoption.

Some academics and industry analysts suggest that Process Mining is a technique that replaces the need for traditional business and process analysis, but this is never likely to be the case. Instead Process Mining and its closely related cousin Task Mining, are complementary to traditional approaches, and should be thought of in the context of “and” rather than “or”.

For the past 30 or more years we have increasingly applied automation to processes, both with and without proper documentation. The result is that many of the processes we use, business decisions taken, rules applied, and customer journeys are now embedded or hidden within systems. This cloak of “invisibility” makes it practically impossible for us to apply traditional analysis techniques to discover and analyse these rules, processes decisions and journeys. 

Business Analyst plays a pivotal role in enabling change but there are still ambiguities around, “What does a business analyst do? Aren’t they just here to capture the minutes and requirements?

Recently, a friend of mine called me saying her son, who is studying in college, needed help on a very urgent basis. I agreed to help. He and his student group wanted to discuss answers to specific time management questions. They also wanted to know some industry tools or personal productivity tools one may use. Later they said that my answers were helpful to them. So let me share with you those questions and answers.

"So what do you do?"... You are networking, or with family or new friends and someone is bound to ask. This has become a laborious question for so many Business Analysts. It often becomes the running joke and each BA eventually lands on some level of elevator pitch that leaves the curious onlooker befuddled and sidestepping to move into the next topic.  But why is explaining the job of a Bubsiness Analyst so tricky and what does that mean for the future of the BA discipline?

As I coach business analysts around the globe, there are 5 common Business Analysis career questions I receive consistently from aspiring and existing BAs and they are:

1. How do I move into a BA Role with no BA Experience?
2. What technologies should I know as a BA?
3. What certifications should I pursue as a BA?
4. What is the next logical role after becoming a BA?
5. How do I show my value when no one knows what I do?