Just a decade ago, the words “business” and “analytics” belonged to the same category, however, they never had so much significance. Today, business analysts are the agents of IT. They study problems and offer favorable solutions. Just like psychologists, business analysts bring customers to analyze their ideas and answer two important questions: what to do and why, setting aside such abstractions as "I want the same product as a competitor" or "make it beautiful".
But still why do we need business analysts?
A business analyst (BA) works with a wide variety of tools. They put all project threads together, creating a canvas of ideas and solutions. A business analyst cooperates both with a project team and business representatives, and naturally keeps product users in mind.
This implies that business analyst is in a way responsible for smooth working process of a team. But what is more, a business analyst defines the final look of a product a user will get. A business analyst also ensures that a product addresses specific business needs.
Does it mean that a business analyst manages a project?
Yes, but no. Developers and designers are not directly subordinate to business analysts. The goal of a business analysts is to define business needs and find a favorable solution. Then, they combine customer requirements, project deadlines, technical restrictions, and other things. It is called requirements orchestration. Basically, a business analyst is a mediator between a customer and a contractor team.
How did we manage without business analysts before?
We did the same thing without conductors. Someone else performed their role. Just a decade ago, the responsibilities tasks of a BA were allocated between a project manager, developers, and QA specialists. Over time, it became clear that the ever-growing number of responsibilities required a stand-alone specialist with specific skills and knowledge. Primarily, those were analytical capabilities and communication skills.
So, is it enough to be a sociable mathematician to become a business analyst?
No. The range of requirements is much wider. Business analysts should not only talkers, they should be doers as well. No one asks them to code, however, they should know how IT processes work, be familiar with their technology stack, and have a product mindset. These are the basic qualities of a good business analyst. Another important criterion is proficiency in English. To clarify the vision, requirements, and needs of a customer, a business analyst needs to have at least a B2 level of English.
Marina Volodskikh, Business Analysis Manager:
There are several factors that allow to easily identify if a person is eligible to occupy the position of a business analyst. The majority of applicants to our lab assumes that business analysis is their perfect choice because they enjoy communicating. They don’t understand that the main attributes of a business analyst are stress resistance and a pragmatic approach to conversation. You should know how to build effective communication, properly respond to criticism, and get your job done, regardless of the customer’s mood and business situation. And don’t forget to smile. An analyst is a process-oriented professional who sees all workarounds, alternative options, and bottlenecks from the start. For example, during an interview I ask a candidate about the way the process of online taxi booking is organized. If the answer outlines two consecutive actions with no alternative scenarios, I doubt that the candidate will be comfortable on this position.
OK, I have all the required qualities, how do I become a business analyst?
In most cases, business analysts are the graduates of technical universities who have been trained at EPAM Training Center. Ideally, a newcomer has business experience and knows what it’s like to work on the other side. These are the people who come from healthcare, insurance, banking, and other industries. QA specialists make great business analysts. First, the positions share similar standard requirements. Second, testing experience is useful for business analysis.
Uladzislava Ivaniushkina, Senior Business Analyst (former QA specialist):
For two years, I was a tester, working with the requirements of business analysts and observing their work from the inside. I noticed that business analysis was more creative. Well, creativity and communication were those two things that I missed in my former position. So, I completed an internal training course and became a business analyst on a previous project. I’d say that my experience came in handy and I didn’t have any difficulties working as a business analyst. It didn’t take much time to dive into the processes. I guess that my proficiency in English helped me a lot too. Despite having a degree in linguistics, I’ve always been fond of math. Essentially, it’s a perfect combination for a business analyst.
Sviatlana Kurylenka, Senior Business Analyst (former QA specialist):
I worked as a QA specialist since 2013, and at some point, I understood that my job lacked communication. I wanted to influence the final product and participate in decision-making. A bit later, I undertook a master’s degree in London and chose business management as my major. It wasn’t particularly related to IT, however, one of the modules was very similar to the practices of IT business analysis. When I came back, I resolved on changing the position and passed through several rounds of interviews with EPAM. Since my tester practice included BA-related tasks, I managed to prepare for the interview myself by studying various internal and external sources, presentations, and webinars. I’ve been a business analyst since September 2017 and I’m really happy I made that decision.
Does every project need a business analyst?
Well, yes. And larger projects which include multiple streams may require several business analysts. Even if there are no such specialists on a project, business analysis is still there. In this case, the responsibilities are performed by other team members. Sometime customers may refuse the services of business analysts since they don’t really understand their role on a project. If this is the case, EPAM offers working with an analyst in trial mode. Thus, a customer gets a real picture of how the business analyst changes the work of a team on a project. More often than not, the customer starts to see the true value of the business analyst and asks to keep them on the project.
So, who is more important for a project, a business analyst or a project manager?
Both a project manager and a business analyst work for the benefit of a team. They both want to deliver the most effective solution to a customer. That’s why they should work together. A business analyst thinks product-wise, studies the product in great detail, sees a larger picture, and understands the business and its needs. A project manager uses the information provided by a business analyst and a solution architect. They create a road map based on deadlines and team capabilities. That’s why it’s impossible to say who’s more important. These positions and their impact on a project are complementary, not interchangeable.
Is there a chance that the job of a business analyst will get obsolete in a decade?
No. Since more and more businesses are going digital, the demand for business analysts will grow, but it relates only to those specialists who will be able to keep up with transformations and navigate in technologies. For example, they should see the advantages of blockchain and big data, understand the nature of IoT, and know the differences and benefits of AR and VR. It’s essential to provide customers with competitive solutions.
Anton Komarovsky, Business Analysis Team Leader:
It’s believed that the traditional approaches to business analyses have become obsolete and it’s time for us to adapt them to the current changes. It’s a crucial strategy if we want to stay on top. Currently, the following trends define the professional world: use of service design methodologies and techniques focusing on an end user, increased importance of leadership and negotiating skills to communicate user needs to the customer, profound knowledge of one or several business domains.
Business analysis is changing. Are the society and customers changing in line with the current trends?
Absolutely. The line between business and technologies is gradually fading. After all, any profitable business should rely on technologies and employ modern tools. That’s why a business analyst should know how to evaluate the advantages of different solutions and offer the most favorable one for a specific customer. Meanwhile, they should consider an end user’s opinion. A great business analyst sees ten steps ahead.
So, I want to become a BA. What should I do?
Anastasiya Yakimovich, Senior Business Analyst (former QA specialist):
I was a manual tester in EPAM. We had no analysts on the project, so, I managed work with some customer requirements. Later on, I decided to try my hand in business analysis on a fulltime basis. The easiest way for an EPAMer to do this is to reach out to your resource manager who will tell you how to proceed. Here’s my formula:
1. Read “Software requirements” written by Karl Wiegers. It provides a very detailed description of what an analyst is and why this position is required on a project.
2. Explore self-study materials properly collected by our colleagues. They will come in handy for those who want to start a career in business analysis.
3. Attend meetups of various BA communities. It’s a great way to have a look into the real life of analysts and get some advice from professionals. Use wearecommunity to find a community in your location.
4. Apply for a free business analysis training conducted by EPAM Training Center. The training course includes an overview of a standard toolkit and project responsibilities of a business analyst and a summary of analytical activities. The course is specifically focused on the development of requirements. It’s an essential skill of a junior business analyst which allows them to apply the new knowledge in practice.
At the same time, I was reading articles and certainly, Google helped me a lot.
What’s next?
Usually experienced business analysts choose one of the following paths:
1. They become resource managers. These are the people who contribute a lot to practice development and training of colleagues. They often become discovery experts who help with preliminary analysis and estimations of new projects at EPAM.
2. They become project managers. This is due to the fact that the skills of a business analyst and a project manager overlap to some extent.
3. They become business consultants. In this case they need vast experience in and solid knowledge of at least one business domain such as healthcare, insurance, travel, finance, manufacturing, and others. Business consultants should also be ready to spend more than 50% of their time onsite.
In the long run, it’s possible that a brand-new occupation will emerge that will require qualities and experience of a present-day business analyst. After all, a decade ago, there were no business analysts, delivery managers, and solution architects as stand-alone positions.
