The Current State of Business Analysis: What Practitioners Are Actually Doing Today
Key Takeaways
- AI and SaaS are reshaping what “good” business analysis looks like in practice
- Projects fail when they start with solutions instead of business feasibility
- The modern business analysis professional increasingly operates as a business advocate, bridging business needs and technical execution
- Different regions and industries face similar challenges and approach them in distinct ways
- Career growth comes from challenging assumptions, not documenting them
- This series offers unfiltered, peer-driven perspectives from those doing the work today
Business analysis is evolving quickly. But much of what we hear about that change is filtered, theoretical, or tool-driven. What’s often missing is how senior practitioners navigate that shift in real-world environments.
The Current State of Business Analysis is a 10-part public interview series designed to close that gap. Led by Fabricio Laguna (a.k.a. The Brazilian BA), a vocal member of the global business analysis community, the series brings forward perspectives from experienced practitioners across industries, regions, and organizational contexts.
These are candid conversations about what’s working in their environments, what’s changing, and how they’re adapting. Interviewees are drawn from different regions and industries to reflect a broad view of how the profession is practised today.
A Community-Led Conversation
We cannot understand the future of a profession by looking inward. We need to hear from those actively shaping it, day by day.
This series creates space for peer-to-peer dialogue grounded in real experience. Each conversation surfaces how practitioners are adapting to complexity, redefining their roles, and delivering value in evolving environments.
Supported by IIBA, the initiative remains firmly community-led. It’s focused on listening, amplifying, and connecting practitioner perspectives across the field.
Adapting to an Evolving Role
The core goal of business analysis remains solving meaningful business problems. But the context around that work continues to change.
AI, cloud-based platforms, and new delivery models are shifting how solutions are built and evaluated. As technology becomes more accessible, the differentiator increasingly lies in business clarity.
Today’s practitioners must think beyond systems. They need to operate across entire ecosystems, understanding how change impacts processes, people, and organizational outcomes.
This shift raises important questions:
- Where should business analysis start?
- How do practitioners balance business and technical priorities?
- What skills define senior-level impact today?
These are the questions explored throughout the series.
Inside Episode 1: The Business Analyst as a Business Advocate
The series opens with Lawrence Gingold, a senior business and data architect with over 30 years of experience. He discusses a common pattern he has observed: starting with solutions instead of the business need.
Instead, he emphasizes feasibility first—ensuring initiatives are grounded in real business value before moving into execution.
A central theme from the conversation is the role of the business analyst as a business advocate:
- Challenging assumptions from business stakeholders
- Preventing premature technical decisions
- Bridging both sides with a clear understanding of impact
Process thinking also emerges as a critical capability, helping translate complex needs into actionable clarity across teams.
Perhaps most importantly, the discussion highlights a mindset shift. As Lawrence puts it, “It’s a thinking person’s job… you are more than just the person who writes down somebody’s requirements.”
The role calls for critical thinking, sound judgment, and the ability to shape outcomes across both business and technical contexts.
Watch Episode 1 of The Current State of Business Analysis.
What to Expect Next
Across 10 episodes, the series brings together diverse practitioner perspectives to explore:
- Regional and industry differences in how business analysis is practised
- The balance between business, technical, and strategic roles
- Navigating data-rich and continuously evolving environments
- The real-world impact of agile and modern delivery approaches
Each discussion adds another perspective on how business analysis is evolving in practice.
Hear More From Practitioners
Business analysis is shaped by the people who practise it. This series is an opportunity to hear directly from experienced professionals, reflect on your own approach, and engage with the broader community.
Watch Episode 1 and join the conversation on LinkedIn. Follow along as new perspectives are released throughout the series.
The Current State of Business Analysis is a community-led series, supported by IIBA, to help bring forward the perspectives that matter most to practitioners.
About the Author
Susan Moore is the Community Engagement Manager at IIBA. Before that, she was a business analysis professional with more than 20 years’ experience in finance, insurance, and utilities industries, working on both the business and IT sides of organizations. Susan speaks frequently on business analysis-related topics and is the host of IIBA’s podcast, Business Analysis Live! Susan holds IIBA’s Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) and Agile Analysis Certification (AAC) in addition to other business analysis and agile certifications.
