New 2020 Q1 BA Lens Issue Now Available
As we kick off a new year and a new decade, we look at the role of the BA and the skill sets you need to remain marketable and hirable, as well we look at evolving BA roles in the marketplace. When you think about your career do you consider yourself a traditional business analyst or a New Age Business Analyst? In this issue of BA Lens, we examine that question. One of the concerns of business analysts is that the role is sometimes misunderstood or rolled into other job titles but on the positive side the marketable skills of a BA are in high demand by companies and according to LinkedIn, business analysis ranks #6 on their top 10 list of hard skills companies need most in 20201. If you read the article you will also notice that BAs have the soft skills, including effective data storytelling – a skill new age BAs possess, listed in LinkedIn’s top five list of soft skills necessary to have in 2020. In the article, The New Age of Business Data Analysis read how BAs are experiencing a stronger push to adapt to the new age BA role now more than ever to perform better business data analytics. The article also stresses the importance of remembering the basics of business data analytics, such as the five practice domains of BDA. The primary reasons to become a new age BA is to help customers meet their goals as they navigate digital transformation. Another reason is to stay relevant as a BA, by upskilling to remain marketable and hirable. Be proud of your business analysis skills whether you lean towards more traditional roles or are pioneering in new BA roles (as a result of digital transformation).
Blockchain is an intriguing technology and in Blockchain Demystified: What it is and why it matters to BA professionals? we examine its typical applications and discuss types, components and success factors and what you as a BA need to know about it. Based on the whitepaper, Business Analysis in the Blockchain Age written by Thomas Burke, CBAP. This whitepaper is the latest in IIBA’s technology series and is available to download.
Agile presents another growing opportunity for BAs who find themselves in the role of Product Owner as part of their organization’s development team working alongside the Scrum Master, Product Manager and other key team members. In Practical Tips for Increasing Your Impact as a Product Owner we discuss the key skills you need to master to maximize your impact as a Product Owner including Impact Mapping and creating an effective Product Roadmap that drives results.
In the November issue of BA Lens 2019, we shared insights from cybersecurity professionals involved in the development of IIBA’s new Business Analysis Certification in Cybersecurity coming soon and the new learning resources available later in Q1 2020. In Cybersecurity – A Critical Priority for BAs to Understand Part 2, we will explore the skills that BAs need to succeed and how the new IIBA certification will help support you.
Having access to industry tools and resources provides you with the essential reference support you need to do your job and deliver positive business results, in Learning From Real Life we talk about the great new BABOK® Scenarios, relatable stories that offer guidance and other’s experiences and insight into how they have successfully applied them to their situation and how you can take these learnings to apply them to your own situation in a completely different context or industry. In this article we speak with Jodie Kane, Product Manager Consultant at IIBA who is the creative force behind this great idea, the concept of the BABOK® Scenarios came to Jodie when she was speaking at a local IIBA Chapter event sharing how she had utilized the agile mindset and some of the key learnings she had personally found. After speaking she was approached by Glenn Hughes, Senior Business Systems Analyst Consultant, who shared with her how he had taken her experience and insight and applied them to his own situation. “We’re sharing how to do things, some approaches and how things fit together, and now we can demonstrate what it really looks like in action,” explained Jodie. In the content that is linked to the stories, what we wanted to deliver is enough guidance to get started.”
Have you found a great way to use the BABOK® Guide or have you utilized a new template that you would like to share with your global colleagues? Contact us now to learn how you can become involved at membership@iiba.org.
We are excited about all the new resources and certifications available in 2020 and hope you will also find them of value to you in your career journey.
IIBA Members check out the BABOK® Guide Interactive Digital Edition now available! Responsive, search key topics and bookmark areas of study.
Explore In the Life of a BA BABOK® Scenarios. Stories about business analysis practitioners for business analysis practitioners. IIBA Members access technique guides and templates.