5 myth about Business Analysis

Having interacted with several Business Analysts during my years in the Investment Banking industry, I find that only a very few really understand the intricacies of Business Analysis.

I am therefore proceeding to share a few myths and facts around it.

1. Domain knowledge is secondary

Domain knowledge is the most important factor. However, Business Analysts belonging to a technical background often feel that domain or business knowledge isn't that important in effective discharge of their role. Well, that’s completely untrue. IT solutions are only meant to facilitate in improving the overall business. Therefore, Business Analysts must first thoroughly attempt to understand the business before offering any solutions.

If a Business Analyst barely grasps intricacies of his domain, how will he either make suggestions to improve the business processes or launch new products?

2. Tools are more important

Tools are important as they help in creation of artefacts in a comprehensible format. Diagrams or pictorial representations help us to better understand complex requirements or processes. We are all aware that client or business side professionals usually avail of commonly available tools such as MSOffice, Share Point, MS Project, Visio and at times Business Object for fulfilling their requirements as information technology not being their core business only serves to act as a facilitator. However, vendors such an IT company, usually have most advanced tools and technology at their disposal in order to manage projects in their realm.

Analysts must, therefore, either focus on tools that are easily available to their stakeholders or convert any artefact into an easily and widely shared file.

For instance, the 19th century Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy writing on paper cannot be superior to a novelist writing on an iPad. At the end of the day, it is the story and its presentation that matter. Of course, technology does play a role in movie making business when sophisticated CGI (computer generated imagery) is used to bring even the hitherto unthinkable images alive on the silver screen.

3. Stakeholders hate new ideas

Business Analyst must understand a stakeholders’ point of view. Any drastic overhaul might only serve to jeopardise well entrenched processes.

4. Technical knowledge is must

Technical know-how is essential. We need to understand what a programmer is doing or how he is she or he working to incorporate your requirement. However, we need not step on to their role and do it ourselves as that will only culminate in your rubbing everyone else around you in a wrong way.

5. Requirement specifications for generating reports must commence development work starts.

No, that usually starts with a business needs documents. It gradually enriches and evolves through discussion held in the initial phases (requirement elicitation and management phases) of the of project life. Although it is completed before a solution is validated before development, it is an ongoing process where requirement is identified through discussions.

It is a fact that what we visualise initially will change to create a clear demarcation between estimation and actual.

I have many more examples up my sleeve. But for a start, these are good enough to start exploring new dimensions in order to broaden your thought process.

Good Luck!

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