Being a BA is not for the Faint Hearted

A Business Analyst (BA) is a person who analyzes an existing or ideal organization and design of systems, which includes businesses, departments, and organization. The BA then recommends changes to add maximum value to the business.

Business Analysts are in great demand due to an increase in the complexity of requirements needed in business systems and projects. The complexity is increasingly driven by the trends in technology like big data, mobile computing and security which brings the role of the BA in the front row. To survive in this ever increasing demand from the customers, a BA has to deal with all the following aspects:-

Getting Stakeholders To Make Time

It can be a challenging task to get the stakeholders to make time, if they lack interest in a project. When Stakeholders are not committed to the project, it takes extra time and effort for the BA to their work done. An effective approach to overcome this is to ensure that managers are copied in all communications all the way through. When functional managers are involved, even if it is to a small extent, team members are keener to fall in line.

Lack of Clarity

Achieving clarity of scope is one of the most difficult aspects of any project. Clearing up any confusion surrounding the scope of the project is one of the main responsibilities of a BA. Unless objectives and scope are fully defined and agreed upon, there would be no success. This is the reason why defining scope and objectives is such an important part. A BA can’t confidently flag off a project without signoff on these.

Inadequate Time Allotted For BA Work

Wouldn’t it be great if you got a new project and were told that it could be completed whenever it suited you? However in the real world, time allocated to your project will be limited. A major hindrance to delivering high-quality deliverables is lack of adequate time to complete Business Analysis tasks. Time constraints is one of the main reasons which can lead to incomplete specification documents which eventually lead to implementation of requirements that do not solve the business problem. As a precautionary measure, it is always better to plan well and start early. A strategic plan with all activities mapped out, sufficient resources and some extra buffer time built in can help you stay ahead.

Conflict among Stakeholders

At times, stakeholders may not be amiable and find it difficult to work well together. One thing that can be particularly difficult to control in any project is how stakeholders comprehend one another. In such scenarios, it is important to help stakeholders separate work issues from business issues and handle stakeholder interactions proactively. It becomes even more essential for the BA to reinforce the importance of working together as a team towards a common goal and facilitate it. Instances where stakeholder requirements conflict, it is up to the BA to managing stakeholders in arriving at a common ground. BAs must understand how to manage conflicting requirements and reduce conflict during stakeholder interactions.

Documentation and Specification Skills

Documentation is a key aspect in a BA’s profile. Documents should be crystal clear and concise (the latter becoming increasingly necessary in a lean or agile world) capturing all the important as well as the less important aspects of the project. A BA should not compromise in capturing and registering information as and when required. While documentation or writing could be considered a subset of written communication, it’s really its own skill set for a BA. As a new business analyst, you may not have experience in a variety of business analyst specifications (that comes with time and a variety of project experiences) but it’s quite possible that your strong general documentation and writing skills will get you started.

Job of a Business Analysis is not a cake walk until and unless the Business Analyst develops all the skills to handle tackle situations that might arise during the project development life cycle. Although the profile is convincingly rewarding, but to attain expertise in this job one has to be strong in analysis, clear in words and must have a lot of patience to deal with pressure situations.

About Author:

Sachin Poojary is a consultant in Systems Plus Pvt. Ltd. Within Systems Plus, he actively contributes to the areas of Technology and Information Security. He can be contacted at: sachin.poojary@spluspl.com