How Successful Companies Build Strong Analysis Teams

Strong business analysis teams are key to a company’s overall success. This is because skilled analysis teams help organizations create greater business impact by driving better business results. These teams can also bolster a company’s cybersecurity efforts and enable organizations to leverage big data effectively.

The most successful companies make a concentrated effort to strengthen their business analysis teams. For example, certifying business analysis professionals, promoting collaboration inside the analysis team, and upskilling each team member are helpful ways to build and fortify a business analysis team.

 

3 Tips for Creating a Stronger Business Analysis Team

A business analysis team isn’t merely made up of Business Analysts. Other types of business analysis professionals can also make great contributions to an analysis team. Here are a few ways you can strengthen your company’s analysis team:

Here’s a breakdown of the three planning horizons and how using them can diminish the risk of failed projects when applied to all levels of planning. Using the horizons can help you to prioritize delivery, minimize waste, create better business outcomes and increase value delivered:

1. Certify analysis professionals

Business analysis teams that are the most impactful often include analysis professionals who hold professional certifications. These certifications prove their skills and help to build their peer network, which can also build their company’s network of individuals who practice analysis. While many analysis professionals seek out and finance certifications on their own, companies should consider taking on the expense of certification. Not sure which business analysis certification to begin certifying your analysis team with? IIBA’s Entry Certificate in Business Analysis is a good place to start. You can also offer specialized certifications to team members, such as a cybersecurity analysis certificate or business data analytics certificate.

2. Promote collaboration

A hallmark of an effective business analysis team is the ability to collaborate inside and outside of the team. According to a contributor to Bridging the Gap, peer reviews are the ideal way to promote collaboration.¹ “So, doing reviews of each other’s documentation. Even sitting in on each other’s meeting and assisting with meeting notes. The technical analyst could take meeting notes while the business analyst is facilitating the session, and then the business analysts could take meeting notes while the technical analysts are facilitating their sessions.” Again, it’s important to remember that any business analysis team can include many different types of professionals who practice good analysis, not just traditional Business Analysts titles.

3. Upskill your analysis team

One of the most effective ways to strengthen your analysis team is to develop team members’ business analysis capabilities. Your organization can ensure its business analysis professionals receive ongoing, updated ​information and standards that imparts critical analysis skills by joining a corporate business analysis program. A corporate program for companies actively working to develop their analysis team helps organizations raise their professional development standards and optimize customer-centric productivity via upskilling. Corporate business analysis programs also enable organizations to stay on top of market trends and receive support on key issues the organization is facing. Upskill your analysis team by joining the IIBA Corporate Program.

For a Strong Analysis Team, Choose Diverse Business Analysis Professionals

In addition to providing certification opportunities, fostering team collaboration, and upskilling team members, you can strengthen your organization’s analysis team by hiring diverse business analysis professionals. Whenever possible, choose individuals with varying educational backgrounds, skill sets, and work experiences. The result will be a thriving analysis team that helps to increase your company’s business impact.

 

 

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References:

1. Bridging the Gap. https://www.bridging-the-gap.com/business-analyst-team/.