An Emerging Brand – Convergence of Business Analyst and Project Manager Roles

First let us consider how roles “Business Analyst” and “Project Manager” are defined:

“A Business Analyst is someone who analyzes the existing or ideal organization and design of systems, including businesses, departments, and organizations. BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology.”

“A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project.”

Now, as we visualize the phases in any particular project, a picture similar to below is framed:

Next, we are going to fit the above two roles individually in the phases we visualized.  And it will look something like this:

What if both these roles are performed by the same person? This argument has been around for quite a while in the industry. I have had a firsthand experience in doing the same and I have listed down some key beneficial points in following this approach. Also to mention that I have also played both roles separately initially in my career but lately I am following this new model.

Zero Defect Delivery!

As product owners we always want the projects to be delivered on time and in estimated budge with desired quality. But such ideal scenarios are seldom observed. And if we backtrack the learning after project completion we often find that there was lot of effort spent in fixing issues which were due to errors in captured requirements. No wonder, we all desire to have an efficient business analyst to understand the business problem and gather accurate requirements at the very initiation and thus the project manager can plan the required activities in the execution of project. This also involves correct communication and collaboration with all stakeholders of the project. What if both these duties are performed by the same person! So, you have the same person who is bridging your business and IT gap and making sure the timelines & budget is handled accordingly. Especially while handling different priorities this approach comes extremely helpful. As an analyst and manager, I exactly know what customer needs, when do they need and thus I can plan it out better.

Requirements Management!

Planning the requirements-oriented tasks and deliverables must be a joint responsibility between the project manager and business analyst. Requirements management is the major responsibility of the business analyst, but must be accomplished within the framework of the rest of the project and must meet organization and project standards. If both the project manager and business analyst are assigned to a project from start, planning is thorough. So now we have the person who is listening to all customer needs and issues and at same time the management engine running in his head is doing the planning too. This gives a very good picture for the scope, estimates and duration of project from very start.

Handling change tactfully!

Let’s face it! Change Management is an integral part of most of the projects. Even after observing utmost accuracy in capturing and documenting requirements; projects do hit this phase of change in requirements. This situation brings a different challenge for both analyst and manager. On one side is the analyst who wants to keep the customer satisfied and happy and on other side is the manager who is rightly concerned for the timeline and budget of project. This often turns in a chain of communication where both parties are committed to perform their duties and want to reach a consensus. Now, imagine you are wearing both the hats at same time; this is definitely an art and science both. A correct mix of skills is crucial to keep all stakeholders contended.

The Best Synergist!

Cogent Communication is the basic link for smooth execution of all projects and also the reverse of it cause for 90 % of project issues. Team educations in terms of project knowledge and task priorities are highlighting key trends for good project management. I have often seen concerns raised by team if they are correctly aware why and what are the required tasks. And if they are given the right knowledge share by an analyst they too are confident in execution. And not only the team; all stakeholders – your business side, IT management, testers, designers, users are required to be well connected by strong communication and collaboration. The risks, issues, changes are crucial to be well communicated. By being in both shoes at same time, helps in avoiding unnecessary dialogues and negotiations too. An analyst in discussion with the customer is well aware of the team capabilities and limitations if observing the dual role. Thus helping to provide instant feedback/solutions to customer from all angles. Also I noticed that, project stakeholders are very comfortable when there is only one point of contact for them, right from the initiation of project till closure. It is beneficial in building trust with them which in turn helps in all kind of project negotiations.

Jack of two trades!

Organizations are getting smarter in saving costs and achieving efficiency at same time. Bringing in two personal in a project can raise their costs and at same time they don’t know which to avoid. So, their take on cost-effectiveness is to find someone who has converged skill set as a manager and an analyst. And thus an opportunity to excel and showcase a talent pool which increases your value and gives a broader exposure in the industry.

Two sides of same coin – success mantra!

Corrective preventive measures is something we all look forward to avoid any failures. Cost, effort and time are something which are tracked and monitored world-wide and are correct health indicators for any project. Research has also proven that business analysis and management achieved in correct fashion gives better results. Hence, why not combine the two and let that single individual with the best of his knowledge be responsible for achieving required targets.

Challenges and Remediation:

1. It is very true that it takes time to do both jobs well. Certainly on "large" projects, it is a full-time job to manage the project and to manage the end product requirements. Trying to do both will usually mean increasing the risk and compromising the quality of both the project and the end product. In such scenarios, my suggestion is to have a lead Business Analyst and Project Manager who has a small team of analysts working under him. These analysts act like plug-n-play and are only required on need basis in certain phases of project. At the same time, the lead BA/PM is aware of all requirements and managing at same time.
2. I can almost hear an internal conversation the combined PM/BA might have: the PM voice, sitting on one shoulder, says "But this has to be complete by end of month so we need to take these shortcuts." The BA voice, sitting on the other shoulder, says "But we need to take time to do this right. If we put this into production now, it will cause defects, rework, workarounds..." The PM voice replies "if we don't meet the date, we'll destroy all their trust in us." The BA voice says, "If we don't get this right, we'll destroy all their trust in us." When we wear multiple hats, which voice do we listen to? This situation is the most interesting one and experience as said helps in handling such. If we are combining two roles we are definitely taking into consideration the required skills in the person and working knowledge of both roles. In fact, as said earlier this situation can best be handled by same person without introducing any conflicts.

Change is vital! And this is the change IT industry will be looking at adapting on a very rapid scale. No doubt there are challenges. But the best part is we have successful case-studies and solutions to overcome them too. I would say that the most crucial and judging factor to make this approach successful is the selection of the person with both skill-sets and experience. Yes, this is true this is mainly followed in smaller projects to restrict the hurdle of risks. But as I said above, there are ways to execute this model in larger projects and organizations too. It is a management initiative to structure the model based on their organization style, highlight the required talent for execution, set correct expectations and align clear responsibilities. This model can make wonders for the individual and company growth.

About Author:

Kruti Gala is a lead consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, she actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. She can be contacted at: kruti.g@spluspl.com