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Business analysts often end up in this role by accident, as their careers evolve. They are perhaps called on to work jointly with the business or computer department, and end up linking the two. Two major sources of BA professionals can therefore be considered: the computer world (e.g. architects, developers) and the business world.
What is the best background for becoming a business analyst? The debate is still ongoing in the community. Both have their qualities and their faults—computer people have a tendency to anticipate the solution while mangers sometimes lack the knowledge to interact with IT.
I believe that good business analysts are above all specialists in business analysis. They have backgrounds in both disciplines and act as a bridge between the two worlds.
Business analysts go by many titles one of them being Management Consultant. In this article, Tony Jacowski talks about the management consulting career.
Author: Tony Jacowski
The qualified business analyst wears many hats. He or she is a negotiator, a skilled listener, a motivational speaker, and a team leader. His or her title may include that of systems analyst, requirements analyst, or project manager. The business analyst may or may not have a degree in business analysis. He or she may not be able to write code. However, the business analyst is educated in the process necessary to produce the code. He or she may even come from an IT department. But what is it they do?
Author: Tony de Bree
There are several key points one needs to understand before deciding whether or not to become a business analyst. You may be qualified to do the job you were hired to do. Yet is it the job you wanted to do? Some analysts find themselves locked in a cubical writing reports all day, only to find the report was not used or even read. They realize they are in a dead end job going no-where fast. This is not the usual dream one has when becoming a business analyst.
The role of a business analyst can be very difficult. He or she must wade through the mass of information presented to determine the underlying problems. This information may or may not be correct. The business analyst much research to comprehend the true situation of the business. The information supplied to the business analyst is given from many perspectives. Opinions can influence how one perceives the related issues. At times, the opinions can add unrelated information which only complicates the role of a business analyst.
Business analyst is not a new term in the business world. It has become extremely popular over the past few years. With businesses expanding world wide more emphasis has been put on the IT teams and departments to monitor and or expand with corporate peers. This has brought about changes in how business operates. A need for business analysis and systems analysts was born. Stakeholders wanted to know the money being spent was worth the expenditure. They needed someone to come in and tell them where to invest within the company to raise profits. The business analyst job was created.
Each day businesses call upon a business analyst to determine what must be done in order to accomplish a certain task. Each avenue must be explored and analyzed for a project proposal to be implemented. The project scope determines what the course of action may or may not be. Each person involved must answer to another until management is satisfied all has been done to rectify the situation. Everything stays on task. The project as a whole is coming together. Teams are co-ordinating with each other to apply the objective into the code. It is all going according to plan. At the end, it all falls apart. Nothing is as it seems. The project has failed to accomplish what it set out to do. The business analyst is hung out to dry. Every finger points to him or her. In actuality it is not the fault of the analyst.
Analysts used to be the ones who had a technology degree but were able to back it up with some basic business knowledge. Now the times are changing. Business analysts are business people who specialize in technology. They can work both spectrum's of the field.
The lack of proper education can be a major drawback for someone breaking into the business world. Many people study business management and other business related courses. There are many diplomas issued each year to hopeful business prospects. When it comes to being a business analyst all the rules change. Although a degree can be helpful, it is not necessary. Experience is the key to success when it comes to a business analyst.
In today's market the customer should always come first. This has been the bread and butter of many industries throughout the ages. A satisfied customer is one who will keep coming back. The customer is the one who helps the bottom line. This is true in the field of business analysis. It is the customer's needs which the business analyst is fulfilling. The business analyst should help to strengthen customer relations. Time put into this is time well spent. Finding the customer to be unhappy is never a good thing. Ask any good business manager what their number one priority is and they will answer customer relations. Sometimes it does not always show.
Small business owners may not think they need a business analyst. Small businesses are sometimes caught up in trying to survive and overlook a key element in their success. The business analyst can actually come in and determine what the small business owner can do to expand his or her business. The small business owner can benefit just as much from a business analyst as a large corporation. There may be times when the business analyst sees the big picture when the small business owner can only see the bottom line. The new small business may not feel the added expense of a business analyst is worth justifying. In fact this is just the case.
The job description of a business analyst is rather extensive. He or she must first determine the needs for a company by using many tools. The business analyst may conduct interviews with management and other department leaders. He or she must analyze documentation, facts and figures. The analyst should incorporate a site survey to determine applications being used and what may be needed for superior quality performance. He or she will consider business applications currently being used which may or may not be working. The business analyst will do a business analysis and a work flow analysis to assess difficulties in reaching goals and to determine a better strategy.
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