Business Analysts got to hold diverse range of skill sets!

A "business analyst" is a role that can mean different things to different people. In some organizations, the business analyst plays a narrow, technically oriented role and has very little "business" knowledge. In other organizations, business analysts have an intimate understanding of the business but a limited knowledge of computer systems and application system architectures.

The business analyst of greatest value to an organization, however, is a generalist who can function competently in many diverse roles. Such individuals typically have a broad educational background, a diverse skill set and a wide range of work experience in different jobs and industries. They are able to see “the big picture” as well as the technological and architectural barriers and enablers. Studying Business Analysis helps the business analysts in making comfortable while working with "specialists" in diverse roles and to understand the business from many diverse perspectives.

The role names listed in the IIBA® Career Road Map are not job titles but rather a representation of the various tasks, techniques and knowledge needed by an individual to be successful in the role. The roles could be combined into one position; for example, a business requirements analyst could also have deep expertise in process and therefore the business requirements analyst and process analyst roles can be considered as a career path. Another example: a Systems Analyst may be part of a software development project that utilizes the Agile method. Therefore, the Systems Analyst has an Agile expertise, and he/she could hold an Intermediate Systems Analyst and Intermediate Agile Analyst role, but his/her title could be Intermediate Systems Analyst.

Business Analyst Designations:

• Business Requirements Analyst

• Business Systems Analyst (BSA)

• Systems Analyst

• Functional Analyst

• Service Request Analyst

• Agile Analyst

Skills, Knowledge, and other prerequisites to become Business Analyst

• Undergraduate Degree or College Diploma

• Knowledge of the BABOK® Guide

• Good communications skills (oral and written)

• Good interpersonal and consultative skills

• Facilitation skills

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving

• Detail oriented and committed to a high level of accuracy

• Organizational skills

• Knowledge of business structure

• Stakeholder analysis

• Business rules analysis

• Data analysis

• Organization modeling

• Requirements workshops/interviews/observation

• Decision analysis

• Costs benefit analysis

• Modeling processes using various notation (Use Cases, Activity Diagrams,

• Business Process Modeling Notation, Workflows, Swimlanes)

• Knowledge of technology structures: networks, database, communications, the internet