Business analyst what you need to know. Business analyst: responsibilities, career and professional prospects
This article addresses the following questions:
- Common misconceptions.
- So what exactly does an IT analyst do?
- Secrets successful work(what qualities an analyst should have).
- Analytics tools.
- Where to go next?
Also on our blog there is an article “”, which complements the current one.
Common Misconceptions
System analyst is a profession that has appeared relatively recently on the Russian job market in the IT sector. The understanding of who a systems analyst is arises among candidates for this position either from the requirements described in the vacancy, or from their own conjectures. Let's look at common misconceptions of candidates. This vacancy is not for everyone who was previously someone in the system. Our company often receives responses to this vacancy, for example, from system administrators.
An analyst is someone who analyzes
Correct in principle, but when you ask the candidate about what he is analyzing, this is where fantasies and reflections on various topics begin. Some argue that the analyst should tell the project manager what would be good to do this or that way when developing the project, or generally monitor the developers and analyze whether they are doing the right thing or not. All these are erroneous opinions.
An analyst should not be able to program
This is a logical conclusion, assuming that the first speculations are correct. In fact, an analyst does not require special knowledge in programming, but he needs to know the basics, or at least have experience developing in some programming language that supports OOP.
The analyst is not responsible for anything
In fact, this is far from the case, and candidates who want to take the position of a systems analyst in an IT company think that they will not have to be responsible for the work. Analyst mistakes in a project are the most expensive and can even be fatal for the project.
So what does an analyst do, anyway?
Requirements Elicitation
The analyst starts the project, participates in its development, and completes it. Software development begins with the customer presenting to the contractor his vision of the operation of the future system. This presentation can be either oral or written. This statement cannot be called requirements, since they are not systematic, but resemble a set of client wishes. At the initial stage of software design, the analyst is required to identify the customer’s software development goals, that is, what main tasks the System should solve when it is implemented into the enterprise’s business process. This stage of the project is the initial stage and is called the requirements elicitation process. All identified requirements and business processes must be formalized in a certain way. Formalization of requirements is necessary to coordinate them with the customer, as well as to ensure that they are perceived equally by both the customer and the project developers. In addition to the identified requirements, at this stage of project development, project users with certain access rights are also determined. In the process of identifying requirements, the customer may not provide all the necessary information for the full functioning of the project. The analyst must be able to identify this information and agree on this functionality with the customer. The result of the analyst’s work at this design stage is a technical specification for development agreed with the customer.
Requirements management
At subsequent stages of development, situations are possible when the requirements formulated at the requirements identification stage become outdated for one reason or another, and new requirements appear in their place. The analyst must minimize changes in requirements, regardless of whether new requirements come from the customer or the developers. In the event of a change in requirements, the analyst must, keeping the project practically in mind, evaluate all changes in the project that will entail the introduction of new requirements into the project. Changes in requirements can entail large financial costs when developing projects, so their changes should be kept to a minimum, but nevertheless modern world changes in requirements are almost inevitable on any project. The analyst must be able to predict such situations to manage changes in project requirements to minimize risks.
Project implementation
Upon completion of the development of any IT project, the stage of implementation of the developed project into the customer’s business process begins. This stage also lies on the shoulders of the analyst; he must prepare the documentation necessary for users, conduct a demonstration of the project’s operation, and also train the customer’s employees. In order for this stage to be completed at the proper level, the analyst must know the work of the entire project from “A” to “Z”, as well as be aware of possible errors that will be eliminated in subsequent releases. Before the implementation stage, the analyst must take part in testing the project in order to ensure that all functional requirements specified in the specification are fulfilled correctly.
Secrets of successful work
I would like to touch upon the topic of the personal qualities of an analyst in the IT field. Personal qualities analytics provide 60% of its results. The work of an analyst involves direct communication with the customer, so the analyst must have a well-spoken speech so that the customer sees the interlocutor as a competent specialist and a pleasant person. Great success in work lies in the ability to communicate. So, the first quality of an analyst is communication skills. The next quality of an analyst that allows him to perform his duties efficiently is Analytical mind. It allows you to “filter out” unnecessary information that the customer conveys to the contractor, and, based on the information received, analyze the customer’s activities and formalize requirements. Perhaps this is the main quality of an analyst, because it directly affects the quality of the projects being developed. The analyst must have the ability to hold a large amount of information on the entire project, and sometimes more than one, in his head and be able to quickly calculate the impact of certain changes required by the customer or development team on the system as a whole, in order to timely coordinate these changes and their consequences with all stakeholders. To build business models of customer processes, the analyst must have a high learning ability. This quality is necessary for quickly studying the subject area in which the customer works. The analyst must become an “expert” in each of the subject areas, which change with each new project. At the stage of requirements formation, the analyst draws up a technical specification (TOR) for the development of the project, which must be agreed upon with the customer and which the developers will study.
Based on this, the systems analyst must set out the requirements in the technical specifications in such a way that they are understandable to both the customer and the project contractor. To do this you need to have literacy in writing texts and making as few mistakes as possible. In the process of building business models, the analyst will need programming skills and understanding of OOP. Most often, a model of a particular process can be represented as a set of objects, and actions on them - as methods. Model objects can also have properties. Objects in models can use all OOP principles. When building system models, as a rule, the project data model is also determined.
When designing large projects for large customers, analysts face many difficulties associated with the development of technical specifications. These difficulties may arise due to constantly changing requirements, large numbers of users, and other factors. All this leads to frequent changes in technical specifications. An analyst sometimes has to rewrite up to 30-40% of a technical specification several times. Naturally, this affects him nervous system, therefore the analyst must have considerable patience and stress resistance. Stress resistance It will also be useful when training users of new projects, since most users are forced to work in a new project by business organizers (customers), which they strongly resist. The analyst has to listen to a lot of unflattering words addressed to him, but he must calmly respond to user criticism and complete his task.
Analytics tools
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The main tools of a systems analyst are pen, paper and pencil. This is enough for a good analyst to formulate requirements and draw up a business model. In practice, analysts use various modeling tools that support IDEFx, UML, and BPMN notations. Such tools allow you to reduce the time for building models and diagrams, as well as obtain the results in graphical form and in the form of text reports. Such tools help in monitoring project requirements and keeping them up to date. Examples of modeling tools are applications such as: Enterprise Architect (EA), Rational Rose, RUP, etc. Office packages such as MS Office, iWork, Open Office also come to the aid of the analyst.
Where to go next?
In conclusion, I would like to reflect on the development of a future career as a systems analyst. A systems analyst is a universal person capable of negotiating with customers, setting tasks and monitoring their implementation by developers. His knowledge and ability to navigate various subject areas of human life are capable of assisting in the performance of duties, for example, as a project manager, or managing a team of analysts on large projects. One way or another, the profession of a systems analyst is promising in the IT market today.
Other blog materials on the topic “IT Analyst”.
We talk about the Belarusian IT industry with a human face. In the new material, business analysts talk about their work and the available opportunities for “upgrading” in this area.
What is a business analyst?
A business analyst (BA) is a specialist who acts as an intermediary between the client and the development team, helping the parties understand each other and achieve the desired result.
What does it mean? For example, the owner of an online store contacts an IT company. His website is indexed in search engines, the traffic is stable, but he fails to attract more clients. He conducted market research and discovered that his target audience uses smartphones on operating system Android and tracks Special offers on coupon sites. There are several ways to solve his problem - for example, develop a loyalty program, the key component of which will be a free mobile application for Google Play.
Finding an instant solution is not the responsibility of a business analyst. Instead, he must determine the cause of the problem.
BA finds out why users leave the site without making a purchase. Perhaps they can't find the product they need quickly enough, are unhappy with the quality of the content, or feel the prices are unreasonably high. In this case, writing a mobile application, as you understand, does not make sense.
Sometimes a customer comes with a “million dollar idea” without any idea how to bring it to life, and the analyst determines the relevance of the concept and the technical features of the future system.
Work with customer requirements is carried out from top to bottom: the analyst formulates the problems and needs of the business, finds out who will use the system and how, and describes its components in detail. The result of the work is a specification - a document that will serve as a guide for developers and testing department engineers. The cost of the software, the profitability of the project and the timing of its implementation depend on how correctly the specification is written.
According to a business analyst Ksenia, there is an element of creativity in such work - and not just because she has to come up with user interfaces. Together with designers and programmers, she decides what technologies to use when developing the system, what it will look like and what functions it should perform.
Her colleague Faith argues that business analysis, in addition to the creative component, is also inherent systems approach: writing specifications, resolving contradictions that arise during the project, working with the team and the customer require accuracy, attention to detail, the ability to notice logical conflicts and see the whole picture. Despite the fact that BA is best friend customer, he also defends the interests of his company. The ability to find this fine line will be useful to any business analyst.
The girl is convinced: the more complex the project, the more opportunities there are to create a truly interesting solution and change the world for the better. What Vera enjoys most is seeing the finished product in action.
How and where to study business analysis?
The success of a project always depends on the employee’s experience and ability to work with information. And although several Belarusian universities and private educational companies train business analysts, there is no institute of business analysis and project management in our country as such. Most often, people without a technical background who are willing to learn and have a good command of English work as analysts. In large IT companies, experienced mentors are assigned to newcomers and they “grow” specialists for themselves. In technical terms, an analyst can always count on the help of developers.
Diving into different domain areas is the main difficulty we have to face. An analyst must be able to quickly and deeply delve into the specifics of a particular industry. Sometimes the immersion occurs parallel to the start of the project and can last from several days to several months.
What qualities should a business analyst have?
Love of communication. Ability to speak correctly and beautifully, ask questions and hear the customer;
Skill in working with information. The client may be far from IT, not know special terminology and have no idea how this or that solution works. The BA’s task is to analyze the customer’s responses, structure the information received and present it in the most understandable form using text, diagrams and drawings;
Curiosity and pedantry. A curious analyst will not limit himself to the wishes of the customer. As we have already said, the client is not always technically savvy or, on the contrary, well versed in information technology and does not consider it necessary to specify details that are obvious to him. Therefore, the analyst must look at the problem more broadly, study similar solutions on the market, and immerse himself in the customer’s business;
The ability to see the goal. A good analyst understands what benefits the customer will receive by implementing software, and knows how to competently present this information to a doubting client.
This does not mean that constant work on the above qualities will help a BA become a real expert. Some people are interested in user interfaces and business architecture. Some people prefer to manage people. It all depends on the inclinations and abilities of a particular person.
One quality remains invariably important - the ability to quickly study and analyze information.
Classic business analysis. Considered one of the most full books on this topic. It will be useful for both beginners and more experienced specialists. The book describes the basics of business analysis and also gives practical recommendations at all stages of work. Most likely, having read it at the beginning of your career, you will periodically return to it in moments of doubt or mild panic.
A textbook published by IIBA (International Institute os Business Analysis) for the certification of analysts. First of all, it is recommended for experienced specialists. This is not to say that this is the most entertaining reading, but it helps to systematize existing skills and offers effective solutions for the most common ones. problem situations and in general allows you to take a broader look at the business analyst profession.
Website of the Belarusian community of business analysts. Useful for networking, tracking events in Minsk and simply for those who need useful advice. It also has a fairly large number of practical articles.
A similar community, but already English-speaking. In view of large quantity information here is more convenient to look for an answer to a specific question than just scroll through blogs.
Since the analyst is not only involved in communication with the team and customers, but quite often does prototyping, it is important to develop UX skills. Nick Babich maintains a light, useful blog at English language, where he gives good and not so good examples of interfaces and gives practical advice that is easy to put into practice.
Sketchapp is one of the prototyping applications. They have a good blog where you can find both successful ready-made UI solutions and analysis of common UX errors. A good resource to keep up with trends.
Greetings, Friends/Comrades/Future Colleagues!
IN Lately The profession of an analyst in the field of software development (in the future we will write software so that the abbreviation does not cause you confusion when you come across it on specialized sites) is rapidly gaining popularity among representatives not only of the IT sphere, but also of “non-IT” specialties. Students, young professionals, experienced workers - many show a passionate interest in the mysterious and intriguing phrase “business analyst”. And on everyone's mind main question: how to become one? We are launching a series of articles for beginning analysts, the purpose of which is to tell you about business analysis, help you make a choice and suggest in which direction to move next. Not so long ago, the authors of the article stood at a crossroads, and if it weren’t for experienced people nearby, ready to prompt, explain and give invaluable advice, they would not have become what they became - business analysts.
Today we will talk about the profession of analyst, the qualities that analysts should have, and also outline the pros and cons of this craft.
So, what is an analyst? The simplest and closest definition to IT: an analyst is an intermediate link between the customer of a software product (as well as its future users) and its developers. Imagine that you decided to build a house and hired a team of migrant workers from nearby sunny countries for this. What is the likelihood that, while explaining to them the essence of your wishes, you will not waste your nerves trying to convey to them the idea that what they are doing is not “beautiful and convenient”? How do you react to their statements like “you need a convector in the floor”? Surely you will eventually find with them mutual language. But now imagine that in the software development industry, specialized slang/concepts/principles of building systems are many times more complex and voluminous, and programmers often show much more reluctance to understand you and communicate with you in ordinary human language (sorry, programmers reading us; you are not all like that :)). This is where this same analyst comes to the rescue. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) defines a business analyst as a professional who “understands business problems and opportunities in the context of requirements and recommends solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals.”
In practice, the nature of the analyst's work may vary depending on the analyst's role on the project. Most common types of IT analysts This:
1. Business analyst(Business Analyst, BA) - as a rule, this is a specialist involved in the study and modeling of a specific subject area. In other words, he must find out the customer’s wishes, analyze them, supplement them if necessary, formalize them in a certain way (build models, document at least the general wishes of the client) and transfer them to the development team. BA is the face of the team, sociable, tactful, and easily finds a common language with the customer. Technical knowledge (or, to use the now fashionable word, background) is not at all necessary for a business analyst; knowledge of the customer’s language and the characteristics of its culture is much more important.
2. Systems Analyst(System Analyst, SA) - an analyst much closer to the development team than the BA; a specialist who must convey to the team high-level software requirements received from a business analyst in the form of detailed functional requirements for the system, naturally, in the language of the development team. Often he also has to propose a specific technical solution and design the system architecture.
3. Requirements Analyst(Requirements Analyst, RA) - something between BA and SA. In the official classification of the ECSD RB, this position is not present, however, in many Western theories, RA is present as a specialist who is responsible for extracting, analyzing, documenting and modeling requirements, i.e., in simplified terms, for writing requirements specifications for their further transfer to developers. Unlike a BA, it is not enough for a requirements analyst to simply figure out high-level requirements; he is also responsible for developing a detailed description of the system being designed. At the same time, RA does not have to have deep knowledge in IT and develop the system architecture, since for this purpose there are dedicated architects and system designers among the programmers.
The majority of analysts in any outsourcing company in our country (that is, a company engaged in custom software development) are precisely this requirements analysts. It is a rare company in our conditions that can afford to keep a “pure” business analyst who is well versed in one particular subject area, plus keep him on constant business trips, closer to the “customer’s body.” In addition, it will be very problematic to load such an analyst with work at least 80%, while the costs of maintaining him are quite significant. Although, it is still worth noting that we have such companies and such analysts. As for systems analysts, without a BA on staff they have little meaning, except in cases where a customer comes across with business analysts on their side or a professional customer who knows and can convey his “wants” to the team (yes - Yes, not all customers know exactly what they want).
Well, are you interested? Then let's move on. So, the main ones qualities/skills the ideal analyst (note that some qualities are innate, while others are developed, some quickly, and some over a long period of time):
1. Analytical mindset (really? an analyst? Thanks, Cap :)). This is the ability to analyze or, in other words, the ability to sort information into shelves and build logical chains. This is one of the characteristic styles of human thinking. An analytical mindset is not inherent in everyone from birth, but to develop it analytic skills Any of us can, so don’t despair.
2. Ability to notice details, attentiveness and systems thinking. On the one hand, these qualities are characteristic of a person with an analytical mind, but still these are separate skills, or even habits that can and should be developed in oneself.
3. Sociability and communication skills, namely:
- ability to listen and hear.
- the ability to express your thoughts clearly and clearly.
- ability to establish and establish contacts and connections with other people.
4. Knowledge of IT and the basics of software development (the so-called technical background).
5. Knowledge of a foreign language (most often English) in terms of written and oral application. Domestic outsourcing is mainly aimed at foreign countries. Naturally, in unique situations, when you know that you will build your entire professional career exclusively on interaction with Russian-speaking customers, you can safely ignore this point.
6. Learning ability. Moreover, learning ability is not only at the training stage. In principle, it is important for an analyst to constantly improve, “pump up” in one area or another, monitor new technologies, tools and approaches, and filter information flows.
7. Creativity.
It is not for nothing that we noted that these are the qualities of an ideal analyst. In life, you are unlikely to meet a person who has these qualities/skills from birth or who received them in full at school or university. They will have to be developed and developed. Let's say more: as you move up your career ladder (and we will write about this later), you will have to develop and acquire additional skills that are no less complex and interesting.
We must not forget that every profession has both dignity, so flaws. And if you’ve most likely heard a lot about the advantages, because it’s not for nothing that you were drawn to business analysis, then you may not know about the disadvantages. But for the sake of the integrity of the picture, we will present both.
Why you might like a job as a business analyst:
This is interesting :) (of course not always, of course depending on the company and the project, but still...)
- the work involves constant communication (unlike developers and testers, an analyst will not be able to sit in front of a monitor all day, and this, in our opinion, is great)
- a variety of activities (here you have communication, information analysis, documentation, design, problem solving, team management, and giving lectures - and that’s not all)
- opportunities for growth in breadth and upward (if desired, of course)
- the material side of the issue
- the opportunity to visit other countries and all the associated goodies.
Why you might not like the job of a business analyst:
It's boring(: (again, it depends on the specifics of the project and the company - sometimes you will have to do monotonous and routine work, or work that you don't like)
- the need to communicate (more precisely, you willy-nilly have to communicate, and, in most cases, not only in Russian, plus periodically make public appearances)
- the need to switch between various types activities and, as progress progresses, between several projects that are completely different in nature
- the need to make decisions and take responsibility for your decisions.
Did you get the idea? Everything here is purely individual, plus a lot depends on where you will work (in which company/with which customers/with which team/on which project/in which subject area).
This is where we will probably end the introductory lecture. We hope that this article was useful or, at a minimum, allowed you to once again make sure that you are in the right place. We would advise novice analysts to analyze the entire flow of information, decide whether you really want to become a business analyst, and thereby move one step closer to your cherished goal. In the following articles we will talk about what options there are for “entry” into the industry, how to prepare for interviews, we will also talk about self-education, we will give many useful links and explanations, plus we will talk about further steps for those who have already become an analyst, but still have proud prefix junior.
We encourage everyone to actively unsubscribe and share their thoughts and experiences on what is written above!
P.S. Do you feel confident that you want to become a business analyst or improve your knowledge in this area? Welcome to
Do Belarusian companies need business analysts? The advertisements say that this is one of the most popular professions in IT, that it is not so difficult to get, salaries are measured in thousands of dollars, and there are an incalculable number of vacancies on job search sites. Is it really? And how to become a business analyst if you are far from the IT field?
Who is a business analyst and what is the essence of his work?
The main task of a business analyst is a detailed study of the company’s structure, searching for problems and optimal ways to solve them. Most often, business analysts analyze the financial activities of an organization, develop a new or improve an old business model, optimize the work process and strive with all their might to increase the company’s profits.
Business analysts are needed by large enterprises, banks, construction organizations, and, of course, IT companies.
For example, a client contacted the company whose sales had fallen. The business analyst needs to find out why this happened: low-quality content on the site, high prices, complex interface, lack of communication in social networks. The business analyst then details the results of his research and proposes a solution to the problem.
Creative work
Creative work: you need to understand what the customer needs, see ways to implement the idea, propose new solutions for the development of the company, decide what technologies will be used in the work. A business analyst is the creative face of the team, because it is he who conveys the client’s requirements to the developers and formalizes them properly.
At the same time, a business analyst must be able to politely communicate with a client and resolve conflicts, be careful and attentive to detail, be able to present a project at its final stage and be, as they say, “two steps ahead.”
Project management methods
Project management methods are one of the key requirements that employers make. If we talk in simple words, then project management is the management and organization of all processes that will lead to a goal, be it a competitor analysis or a marketing campaign.
The difficulty is that all projects are different, which means that each needs its own approach. For this purpose, a whole system of project management methodologies has been developed, and, of course, employers will demand this knowledge.
What should a business analyst be like?
What other requirements apply to a business analyst?
- Skill to work in team,
- Knowledge of a fairly large amount of software,
- Knowledge of software development methodology,
- Activity and desire to develop,
- English language.
If your level is below Upper-Intermediate, getting a position as a business analyst will be quite difficult. After all, in IT, most often the clients are Western companies.
How much do business analysts earn?
A good business analyst can expect a salary of at least $1,200. If you believe the statistics from dev.by, the median salary of a business analyst is $1,600. Senior receives about $3000. Of course, everything will depend only on your professional skills and desire to develop.
Why is project management so important for business analysts?
Why is project management so important for business analysts? Talks about this Alena Volchek, specialist in PMI, AGILE (scrum, kanban) and teacher in
- Nowadays, the most in demand on the labor market are the so-called “universal specialists”. I call them "P.M.- B.A." I myself often had to collect requirements from the customer, write technical specifications and design proposals. A project manager can be a good business analyst, but the opposite does not always work.
For guys who need to decide whether to go into business analysis or project management, this course is ideal. Because there is a basis here for business analysis and project management. Where to specialize next depends only on them.
Now project management is very relevant for Belarus, especially in the last year and a half. The project approach is being implemented everywhere, not even inIT, and, say, in the restaurant and tourism business. The only question is personnel. There are few good project managers, and those who understandITspecifics - even less.
Is there a division between humanists and techies here? Humanities students, as a rule, choose the “Business Analysis” specialization, and as for techies, it seems to me that everything is within their control, if they are not confused by the fact that in “Project Management” or “Project Management + Business Analysis” you need to constantly communicate. Not all techies can do this.
You should choose our Academy for its very comfortable atmosphere! The groups become so united during the classes that by the end of the course many become true friends and help each other with employment. Teachers build the course program, taking into account the interests of each specific group, and focus on the topics that the group needs.
The topics in the classes will be very interesting: interviews and features of team formation, protection against manipulation and conducting negotiations and meetings. And also a “mix” in the management of classics and light methodologies, i.e. agile and pmi!
Finding a job after the course is very possible. From the group, at least 2-3 people find work in the first months after completing the courses. But these people are very interested in learning and are ready to change jobs. At the same time, they understand that without work experience they cannot immediately count on a salary of $1,500, and they need to start small, with about $400. But also the level of responsibility of the assistantP.M.much lower.
As for the best graduates, everything here is like at a university. You can be the best in theory, but fail in practice. So for me, the best ones are the ones who quickly learn project management software and grasp the ideas of how to combine them. Gaps in theory can be easily filled, but you need to know the main points by heart: risks, timing, cost and team.
If you decide to change something in your life, in your profession, doubt less and do more. Without trying, you will never understand whether this is your profession or not. And while you're thinking, someone has already signed up to take your place in my group!
Humanities have a place inIT
Vitaly Borodin, a practicing business analyst and teacher, spoke about why humanities students can be better than techies, and why projects can “fail” without business analysts.
- The importance of the business analyst profession is explained very simply, and at the same time quite complex. Let's try to figure it out. In the classical sense, a BA is an intermediary between the customer and the developer, but what is behind this in practice? Hard intellectual work, which is not limited to simply relaying the customer’s wishes.
I know many projects that did not become successful precisely because of the lack of a business analyst. How it all happened: the customer says: “I want...”, and the developer realizes the customer’s desire. The customer looks at the result and understands that what he wanted has been implemented, but it is completely impossible to use it due to a certain list of reasons.
In the case when a business analyst participates in a project, he first of all analyzes the customer’s business, identifies bottlenecks, reasons why the activity is not as successful as it could be. Then he identifies and agrees with the customer the identified needs, approaches to meeting them, and defines the concept of the solution, which can be associated not only with the development of a new software product, but also with the modernization of business processes. If the proposed concept is accepted by the customer, then work can continue. At the same time, the business analyst must also remember that, perhaps, in some cases, leaving everything as is, and this will be more effective.
Five to seven years ago, analysts were not so popular with us, since we traditionally lag behind in many areas. Now companies are learning to operate more intelligently, and are coming to understand the need and importance of the role of a business analyst. Yes, a business analyst may have high compensation, but it pays off in reduced development time and the creation of better software solutions.
Business analysis is not as simple a profession as it seems. And there are many explanations for this. First of all, the software you create should not be just a program. The ideal option is when it is possible to create a new philosophy for conducting the company’s operating activities, which is integrated into business processes, and in some cases, even using a software product to build business processes, regulate and regulate the activities of each employee.
For example, who can imagine a modern company that does not useCRM? Or some kind of software product for maintaining accounting? Now imagine a company where each software product has integration with another, where you can get the information you need in this moment in several manipulations in the same software environment. Just? Hardly.
Theoretically, anyone can study to become a business analyst, but with one condition: there must be clear motivation and an understanding of why it is needed. In addition, it is necessary to clearly understand that business analysis is studied all the time while it is working. You never know what project will be next: a website, a search engine, an online store, a reference and information system, a payment service, a graphic editor.
Young professionals with sky-high ambitions often completely forget that in order to get high salaries you need to work hard, and only theoretical knowledge, received even in a prestigious educational institution, absolutely not enough.
I don’t know of any profession where you can get big money right away. In any case, you need to gain a certain set of basic knowledge and practical skills. Then there will be the first project, the first bumps, again a new project, a lot of new knowledge, and so on ad infinitum. This is an experience. The experience and knowledge that a business analyst gains with each project can turn into a coefficient by which the newcomer’s remuneration will change. And after some time, it could be several months, for some, several years, you can get to the concept of “earning a lot.”
I am a supporter of the fact that this profession is more suitable for people in the humanities, since they think somewhat differently, for them the word “impossible” does not exist, they are more creators than hard workers. The main thing to remember is that the creation meets the interests of the customer. A technical specialist thinks in formulas, while a humanist describes the essence itself.
Our BelHard IT Academy has all the necessary resources and infrastructure for successful training. First of all, it's personnel. All teachers are practicing specialists; each of them has various projects in their portfolio, so the “dry theory” is explained using practical examples and specific decisions that were made during the implementation of projects. In addition, the course is structured in such a way that anyone can learn, regardless of their age and knowledge.
I will give some recommendations to beginners. Make sure that there is motivation and desire to explore a new direction, there is a willingness to study a lot, and after completing the course, start your career almost from the very beginning, and, regardless of age and past achievements, become a beginner who, after some time, will become a specialist and will be able to hear , as a satisfied user will say: “What a cool program, it was invented by a genius!” But there is a difficult and long road ahead.
How to become a business analyst?
If you are still confident in your motivation to become a part of IT, then you should find out where you can get this profession.
BelHard IT Academy offers an integrated course. Here you will learn to design an information system and manage its development, learn effective methods collecting user requirements, formalizing them in a form that is accessible and understandable to all stakeholders, learn how to manage the collaboration of teams that solve different problems and learn how to create a finished product.
This course differs from ordinary business analysis in that you will learn not only to analyze a business and propose a development strategy, but also to manage projects, human resources, and risks yourself. You will acquire skills in two specialties at once, and this will double your chances of finding a prestigious and highly paid job.
Also, the BelHard IT Academy has developed a course, after which you will become a real business analyst!
During the courses, you will learn about the features of software projects and modern software development methodologies, get acquainted with the functions performed by a business analyst, as well as the basic skills of a business analyst, study the necessary tools and software, and gain invaluable experience in drawing up and completing technical specifications.
By the way, if you want to become a real professional in the field of business analysis and study this area a little deeper, you can take a course. You will learn the UML modeling language, learn what user stories are, and learn how to manage requirements.
All courses at the BelHard IT Academy are aimed at practical training in order to achieve the most high results. At the end of the course, all participants submit a project, on which the final certification will be carried out. And remember that the main investment in your life is an investment in yourself and your knowledge!
How to learn business analysis for free without leaving home (online)? This article provides online courses and presentations on the Internet that will help you master such a field as business analysis.
Who is a business analyst
Let's first define who a business analyst is, what qualities he has, what knowledge and skills he has.
A business analyst is:
- wikipedia.org: Business analyst - a specialist who uses business analysis methods to analyze the needs of organizations in order to identify business problems and propose solutions to them.
- enjoy-job.ru: Business Analyst is a specialist whose task is to study in detail the structure of the company, identify problems and find ways to successfully resolve them.
- itkeys.ru: A business analyst is a person who analyzes the business needs of an organization, and also formulates ways and schemes for improving business processes, and carries out strategic planning.
- proforientator.ru: Business analytics - studying the business processes of the customer company for the most effective implementation of information systems.
- consulting.ru: A business analyst in information technology is a person who acts as an interface between IT and business, who can speak the same language with representatives of both areas and can organize joint work on the subject area. A business analyst in business is a person who knows how to analyze a certain type of business or process (process manufacturing, retail business, project management, etc.) or a range of tasks in business (marketing, inventory management, budgeting, etc.) .
- BABOK v.3: A business analyst is any person who performs the business analysis tasks described in the BABOK manual, regardless of their title or organizational role. A business analyst is responsible for discovering, summarizing and analyzing information from various sources within the company, including: tools, processes, documentation, and stakeholders. The business analyst is responsible for identifying the real needs of stakeholders (which often includes parsing and clarifying expressed wishes) in order to define key objectives and identify motivations. Business analysts play an active role in ensuring that the designed and implemented solution meets the needs of stakeholders.
- iiba.org: A business analyst is an agent of change in an organization. Business analysis is a disciplined approach to implementing and managing change in an organization.
What do you need to know and be able to do as a business analyst?
To begin with, I want to describe how I understand the profession of a business analyst. Personally, I see the specialization of a business analyst in two planes - in business and in the IT field. In my opinion, these are two fundamentally different specialists in terms of skills.
IT Business Analyst:
Business analyst is a versatile specialist who must be able to:
- communicate with various stakeholders (this could be the company’s top management or middle management)
- communicate with business users
- communicate with team members (developers, analysts, project managers)
- use various tools to systematize requirements (the tools are almost always Excel)
- know and be able to anticipate what requirements are needed for each specific project and who to ask questions
- be able to correctly formulate questions and “pick” information out of people (this is a very difficult process, especially when hidden resistance begins)
- conduct interviews to identify requirements
- understand the “politics of the game” of various stakeholders and the impact of this process on the outcome of the project
- see influential people and be able to convince them
- be able to exclude interfering members of the working group from the project (those who constantly waste the team’s time or take the project in the wrong direction, it is advisable to transfer them to another activity within the company and seek only individual consultations)
- be able to clearly formulate theses and draw clear conclusions
- be able to conduct workshops to clarify requirements
- be able to conduct general constructive meetings (the purpose of the meeting, the problem, possible solutions should be described before the meeting in order to eliminate unnecessary blah blah blah)
- understand the principles of building systems, be able to transform project goals into business requirements, and business requirements into functional and non-functional requirements (i.e. tracing should be in that order)
- be able to generate new solutions
- know sql, principles of building data models, business processes
- know and be able to use visual tools to present information
Roadmaps for the business analyst profession from IIBA.ORG
Online courses
Below are courses on the INTUIT.ru website that can be useful for both beginning business analysts and professionals.
Business Intelligence
- Designing Data Warehouses for Business Intelligence Systems Applications
Business Modeling
Data Mining
Decision Models
Project management
- Project management in accordance with the PMI PMBOK standard
Software engineering
Other courses
- Analysis of requirements for automated information systems
- Life cycle models and methodologies for developing enterprise systems
Tips for preparing any documentation for business analysts
1. Always write documentation for uninitiated people about the concept and internal contents of the system, therefore:
- Include in the documentation an introductory part about the system (or a link to a document that describes the system)
- Include a list of abbreviations in your documentation
- If highly specialized terminology is used, add a dictionary to the document, or create a separate document and attach a link to it
- Try to accompany large sections of text with diagrams that show the interaction of various components of the system
- After writing instructions or documentation, imagine yourself as a person who has not previously worked with this system and read the instructions/documentation. If something is unclear, please clarify/add
2. How to document system scripts (if required):
- The document should contain a general conceptual description of the sequence of launching certain scripts
- You can imagine a map of calling scripts from system components, you can make a kind of “map” of scripts (mindmap)
- There is no need to describe the scripts themselves in the document. Scripts must be self-documenting, i.e. the code must contain comments that are filled in by developers (including to clarify the business meaning of the script)
3. Always strive for a balance between pictures and text. Absence or excess of pictures are not the best options for document design
Relations with subordinates
- No matter what position you hold or how much experience you have, respect your subordinates, discuss difficulties, lack of knowledge or problems in work. Don’t blame them, otherwise, at any opportunity, they will get away from you (namely, they will get away and will not even think about the difficulties that suddenly arise for you when you lose a specialist).
- Set tasks correctly and accurately
- Always discuss with your subordinate in advance the need to stay late at work - remember that subordinates have personal lives and free time, which they are not obliged to spend on the employer (or you will always work with not very outstanding specialists, because good employees will leave if necessary 😉)
- Much more can be found in the published materials of stratoplan.ru (I participated in their conferences and seminars - and I advise you)
How to get a job as a business analyst
- Open HeadHunter;
- We find 20 vacancies in business analysis;
- We write down from them the main points that are expected from business analysts;
- We are making a list of the 7 most important (common to all vacancies) that you do not own;
- We study quickly in a week;
- We go for an interview (get feedback);
- Let's learn further;
- We repeat the cycle of points 6-7-6-7-... until you get settled;
- First, go for an interview with those companies that you do not want to get a job at (so as not to lose your chance if the interview ends poorly).
Useful presentations for business analysts
Technopark lectures:
Natalya Sveshnikova: