The Business Analysis Profession
What is Business Analysis?
The formal definition as articulated in A Guide to the
Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®
(BABOK® Guide)
is “… the set of tasks and techniques used to work as a liaison among
stakeholders to
understand the structure, policies, and operations of an organization
and recommend
solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals.”
More simply put, business analysis is a disciplined approach for
introducing and
managing change to the business.
Who is the Business Analyst?
“A business analyst works as a liaison among stakeholders to elicit,
analyze,
communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes,
policies
and information systems. The business analyst understands business
problems and opportunities
in the context of the requirements, and recommends solutions that enable
the organization to
achieve its goals.” (
BABOK® Guide)
Title vs. Role
Business analysts work in a wide range of industries and support a
variety of functional
areas although their job titles can vary widely. Whether you are a
systems analyst, requirements
manager, product manager, or consultant, your title reflects your
position as defined by your
particular company. A role reflects the discipline you practice and your
professional
association – business analysis.
Business analysis differs from project management in that the BA
recommends solutions that
enable the organization to achieve its goals while the PM is responsible
for the work necessary
to implement a particular solution through a project.
IIBA® can offer you knowledge, tools and support to
help you work smarter
and more efficiently and improve your overall job performance.
Take your career to the next level – join IIBA today!