What Is The Main Role Of A Business Analyst And How Is It Defined?

Variations of the Role

The above-mentioned tasks are to give you a broad picture of what a business analyst does. However, in many organisations, not all of these tasks are handled by a single business analyst. The tasks are often broken down and this gives rise to variations in the role. Here are some of the most common variations.

Business Architect

A business architect is more of a strategist. They perform the tasks of requirement gathering and scoping, but focus more on the how’s and why’s of the outcome of the project. 

They use tools such as value stream mapping to close the gap between what needs to be done, what is expected, and what can be done. They help streamline the execution of a project through the analysis of operational needs and objectives from an organisational point of view.

Business Process Analyst

This is a relatively modern role in which the analyst helps build What-if’ scenarios by using the modelling technique. They create and study different models, simulate various conditions, analyse workflows, and then come up with the ideal way to handle a project. They use business process modelling to determine the best fit for a project in terms of requirements, skills, execution, and so on.

IT Business Analyst

The responsibilities of an IT business analyst are similar to those of a traditional business analyst, except they are specific to IT-related projects. An IT business analyst performs requirement gathering, scope analysis, problem-solving, documentation, and so on concerning an IT project.

They form a bridge between the business and the IT sides of an organisation. In today’s world, most IT companies must have an IT Business Analyst who has the domain knowledge of the IT industry and can perform all the core functions of a business analyst.

Systems Analyst

These are analysts who lean towards the technical side of the project, which means, they do not handle the requirement gathering and scoping as done by a traditional business analyst.

Instead, the requirements have to be laid out in front of them so that they can apply their skills to devise the functional design of the proposed solution. They work closely with the technical team to build the technical specifications of a project. They are also sometimes known as systems engineers.

Data Analyst

The role of a data analyst could be broad and may vary between organisations. But when it comes to using data analysis as a subset of business analysis, these are the people who dig deep into the project-related data and identify patterns and correlations, most of the times with the use of statistical formulas.

The patterns that they identify could further help in the decision-making process during any stage of the project, starting from requirement gathering to implementation and testing. They often use reporting tools to present their findings to the various stakeholders.

UX Analyst

These analysts are more involved with the user experience of the final product. Any requirement gathering, scoping, and analysis that they do stem from the usability of the ultimate turnaround. 

Deriving the requirements of the user interface, designing prototypes and simulations, and identifying key aspects of how the user would interact with the product are some of the key tasks of a UX analyst. Typically, a UX analyst possesses graphic design skills alongside the typical skills of a business analyst.

Conclusion

Business analysis is not a new career path, but it sure has evolved with changes in how businesses work. As organisational roles are getting more flexible, the roles of a traditional business analyst are either mixed with other roles or broken down into smaller, more focussed roles. 

In the end, what a business analyst does for an organisation depends on the nature of the project, the actual goals of the organisation, and the stakeholder requirements. But regardless of these aspects, it is safe to say that a business analyst plays a crucial role in the smooth functioning of any organisation.