1. The Role of the Business Analyst
Barbara Craib
(Cell)

2. Why have Business Analysts?
Leverage value from investment in technology
Further exploit existing technology and information

3. Need for change…. Technology Business Drivers New Technology
Obsolescence
Innovation
New Technology
Innovation
Efficiency
Expectation
Investment

4. Business Analysts - benefits
Know your business
Identify opportunities and understand constraints
Use coherent tools and techniques – better development
Articulate and prioritize requirements
Inform evidence based decision making
Improve end-to-end processes

5. When to bring in the BA? Strategic planning
End-to-end from concept to capability
Lifecycle management
SDLC
Concept
Planning
Requirement Analysis
Design & Develop
Integration and Test
Implementation
Ops & Maintenance
Projects
Create
Select
Plan
Manage

6. Overlap of skills Systems Analyst Project Manager Requirements Manager
Risk Manager
Benefits Manager
Change Manager
Business Process Design
Management Analyst
Communications

7. Business Analyst … advocate
Represents the Technology Community in the Business arena
Represents the Business Community in the Technology arena

8. Business Analyst - skills
Business Understanding
Observation, listening and thinking
Communication
Bigger Picture – beyond organizational boundaries
Look ahead – Strategic planning horizon
Problem Solving – IDEAS

9. Business Analyst… understands
Nature of the problem… impact on the business
Underlying issues
Relationship between problems
Interdependencies
Opportunities
Constraints
Outcome
People
Process
Information
Technology

10. Business Analyst… understands
Benefits and outcomes
$$$$$$$$$$ and ROI – Don’t forget the numbers!
Value and Cost
Risk vs benefits
Contingency Planning
Business Continuity Management
Efficiency – greater profitability
Effectiveness – better product/service

11. Business Analyst – roles
Ensure benefits and outcomes become reality
Problem solving
What-if / scenario planning – Issue Prevention
As-is analysis
Evidence collection and analysis
Understand problems and visualize opportunities
IDEAS - solutions
To-be development
IDEAS – options
Business Case development

12. BA Perspective – Requirements
Strategic Alignment
Business Need based…. Convert from ‘I Want Now’
Evidence based
Outcome focused - why?
Prioritized
Packaged/phased options

13. BA Perspective – Testing
Validation – does it meet the needs of the business?
As articulated in the Requirements
Functional – does it work?
Does it interfere with anything else?
Can the User achieve……..?

14. BA Perspective– Implementation
Holistic perspective
People
Process
Information
Technology
Post Implementation Review
Opportunities
Lessons
Outcome
People
Process
Information
Technology

15. Primary Role of a Business Analyst
Leverage value from investment in technology
Deliver outcomes and Benefits

16. The Role of the Business Analyst
Barbara Craib
(Cell)