Business analysis is the understanding of any small or large business organization’s functions to achieve its goals. Analyzing these needs and finding solutions to any problems that might arise and other such tasks and techniques, like working as a connection between stakeholders, is the job of a business analyst. They help people (who interact with the firm) understand the organization’s structure, policies, and operations, and recommend solutions.
This process is important because it helps understand the status of the company and produce solutions for process improvements, strategic planning, policy development, monitoring performance, facilitates communication, and even recognizes and provides solutions for financial problems at times.
To understand how they work, here are 8 essential steps business analysts follow in their work processes:
1. Getting oriented
An analyst who starts a project should have to get oriented first. This means:
- Clarifying your role as the business analyst
- Determining who the primary stakeholders are
- Understanding of the project history
- Understanding the existing system and processes
2. Understanding business goals
The second most key role is to understand the goals of the business, and this includes:
- Discovering and understanding the requirements of the stakeholders
- Understanding the shared objectives with the stakeholders
- Understanding and solving the requirements with conflicts between the business and the stakeholders
- Clear understanding of all business objectives and goals
- Ensuring that the objectives are up to standard
- Understanding analysis
This step defines outlining problems, opportunities, and solutions for a business:
- Finding the nature and extent of technology and process changes according to requirements
- Drafting a clear scope statement
- Reviewing the scope statement with the stakeholders
- Confirming the business case
- Planning and monitoring business analysis
The most important process follows the creation of the business analysis.
- Choosing deliverables that is most appropriate
- Defining those deliverables
- Seeing if it answers all questions and clears up all doubts of the business
- Identifying the stakeholders
- Allocating timelines for the deliverables
- Requirement planning and Management
Planning and management of requirements ensures activities are undertaken according to the specific project.
- Collecting all information needed for and about the business
- Analyzing the information
- Making a draft with the information
- Reviewing and validating the deliverables
- Fill all gaps by asking questions
6. Supporting the technical implementation
When all gaps are filled and the solutions are ready to be implemented by the technical team, a business analyst works with the team and manages required changes.
- Reviewing the final solution design
- Updating and repackaging requirements documentation
- Working with quality assurance professionals
- Making sure technical requirements are taken care of
- Answer any questions that might arise and help solve problems
- Managing requirements changes
- Leading user acceptance testing efforts when possible
7. Help the firm apply the solution
When the time for implementation comes, a business analyst supports the team in the process.
- Analyzing and developing documentation
- Processed documents will include all or any changes to be made
- Training the end users
- Acknowledge all the process and procedural changes
- Collaborate with training staff
- Working with business users
8. Study the result
A business analyst follows the following steps in studying the results of the project:
- Evaluating the actual progress
- Conveying the results to the project sponsor
- Discuss the results of the project with the team and anyone else in the company (in some cases)
- Proposing follow-up projects
A business analyst’s job finds more opportunities for the company by improving and leading to additional projects.
