THE COMPETENCIES OF A BUSINESS ANALYST Chapter 2

Objectives

INTRODUCTION Good business analysts can make the difference between a poor and a great investment in business and IT improvements They can also help to resolve issues without jumping to premature conclusions what exactly is a good business analyst? we define a competency: ability a business analyst needs in order to perform his or her job effectively.

PERSONAL QUALITIES concern the way you think and how you interact with the people around you. Communication: the most important skill Influencing (صاحب تأثير) : Business analysts often conclude their analysis by recommending a course of action. If that conclusion is at odds with preconceived ideas about what is required or calls for radical or unexpected action, then the ability to influence is essential. Analytical skills and critical thinking: not accepting things at face value and not jumping to premature conclusions. It means digging deeper and deeper until the true situation is uncovered and the real problem has been defined.

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE which helps them to develop a good understanding of the organisation and the business domain or sector within which it operates. It developed through reading relevant literature or studying for business qualifications and working in a variety of business and project environments. Finance and the economy: The universal language of business is finance, A business analyst needs to know basics of business finance like balance sheet and profit-and-loss account, of financial analysis tools such as ratio analysis, and of the principles of costing.

BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE Business case development: understanding of the benefits and costs of technical solutions. This is a positive development, since it enables analysts to discount costly options quickly, and appreciate the true value and impact of their work on their organisations Organisation structures and architecture : functional, project, matrix and so on – and of their relative strengths and weaknesses. And org behave, culture , process. Supplier management: Many organisations use external suppliers (outsource) , business analysts should be aware of the different contractual arrangements like Time and materials, Fixed price delivery and Risk and reward. He has to engage with suppliers to ensure that they deliver their services effectively

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES consider the techniques that the business analyst will need to apply during assignments. Stakeholder analysis and management: understanding who are the stakeholders in a business analysis project and working out how their interests are best managed Investigation techniques :analyst will have to undertake detailed analysis of the area Business modeling: an approach to visualizing business systems through the creation of conceptual models

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUES Data modelling : Analysing the data held and used within a business system affords valuable insights into how the system operates. For example, what are the data items that are held about our customers? What are the relationships between customers, products and suppliers?

THE RIGHT COMPETENCIES FOR THE RIGHT SITUATION A key task for the management of business analysts is to ensure that there is a good fit between the skills needed for the analysis to be carried out. ( skills analysis matrix ) More experienced analyst Highly experienced analyst and skills 2 4 What – the work to be done a new analyst Inexperienced experienced analyst 1 3 HOW – the process work

Skills Analysis Matrix In quadrant 1, the analysis to be done is well understood, as is the process for doing it, for example ( defining the requirements for the system ) In quadrant 2, the analysis that needs to be done is not clearly understood, although how it is to be done is understood In quadrant 3, the analysis that needs to be done is understood, although it is not clear how it is to be done In quadrant 4, neither the analysis to be done nor how it is to be done are understood, In this example the brief can be as vague as ‘We need to reduce costs’, ‘We need to improve sales’

HOW CAN I DEVELOP MY COMPETENCIES? there are four ways in which business analysts can develop their competencies Training Self-study Work experience Industry engagement

HOW CAN I DEVELOP MY COMPETENCIES? Training : Classroom-based training allows skills to be learned and practised in a relatively safe environment. Self-study : is an excellent way for analysts to grow their business knowledge. As well as textbooks, reading publications such as the Financial Times, the Economist Work experience This provides an opportunity to use and improve techniques and to deepen business knowledge.

HOW CAN I DEVELOP MY COMPETENCIES? 4 . Industry engagement : the British Computer Society’s (BCS’s) offered a certifications in BA , the International institute for BA ( IIBA) also providing certifications and network opportunities , and both make events for BA frequently . They define some baisic skill and level for the business analyst. ( see Table 2.1 SFIA and SFIAplus description of Business Analysis skill levels 3– 6 , page 29 )

Make a quick search about IIBA and SAFIA and tell us what they do and what type of certifications and training they provide .