Roles and Responsibilities of a business analyst in a project

In order to understand the roles and responsibilities of a business analyst in a business, let us first understand  what is the meaning of business analyst.

 A business analyst conducts a thorough analysis which means a detailed examination or investigation regarding the business.

He is also a responsible person for looking after the business process, the system of running the business, analysing the business model, product or services and software, along with integration of each and every technology in the business. 

In order to do this analysis he actually needs to go through a lot of data analysis and by analysing all that data, a business analyst imparts rectification and improvement into the entire business process, products or services and each and every technology involved. 

The business analyst continuously monitors the data metrics by utilising some analytics softwares and analyses business data to make sure that the business is moving towards profitability and productivity.  According to the data matrix the rectification is made into the business.

He is also responsible for going through market analysis and presenting the data about the product line and the strategy for profitability in the business. Overall a business analyst makes an essential contribution to the organisation by helping them to rectify their process  and system in order to impart improvement and growth. In order to do this they need to go through a lot of research and analysis process, as a result they present a real solution to the  problem of a business. 

Excellent knowledge on technology, strong analytical skill and outstanding communication skill are required in order to become a successful business analyst in a business.

Roles and Responsibilities of a business analyst in a business:

The roles and responsibilities of a business analyst may vary depending on the organisation and project they are working in. But, there are many activities  which are almost common for every business analyst in spite of any industry or project they are involved in.

The most common roles and responsibilities of business analyst are:

1. Knowing the goal of the business

In order to analyse a business and import improvement the first thing that a business analyst must do is understand the actual goal of the business.  Because unless he knows the actual goal of the business he will not be able to define the appropriate strategy to reach it.

2. Gaining real understanding of the needs and requirement of a business

The needs and requirements are not always the same for each and every business, rather they may vary according to the business.  Therefore it is very essential for a business analyst to understand the need and requirement of the business.  In order to understand this they may need to consult and work with several different project stakeholders. As a business analyst you need to filter all those different messages from different stakeholders and translate them into a single vision.

So for the purpose of understanding the requirements of the business, the business analyst may need to spend a lot of time asking questions, conducting several interviews and observing a lot of activities.  At the end they also need to translate all those requirements to the developer in order to aim for a single goal.

3. Establishing strong communication with the people of different position in the business

 In spite of any type of business, communication plays a vital role in each and every business. Analyst is required to spend a countless amount of time communicating with different people and gathering the information from different stakeholders to present them in an attractive and informative way to the senior executive of the business and impressing them with your ability of communication will always help you to become a better business analyst.  

As a business analyst, you not only need to be an expert in verbal communication but also you need to have outstanding ability in nonverbal communication like understanding the non verbal clues, presenting yourself in the most professional way. You also need to be expert in written communication skills, as there will be several times when you have to express your ideas, thoughts and research through written media.

4. Thoroughly viewing and analyzing the information

Once the business analyst gathers the information, they need to review and analyse every element in detail. According to this analysis the business analyst is expected to clearly present what the business actually needs to do in order to accomplish its goals and objectives. During this information analysing time business analysts also need to interact with the developer in order to design the accurate solution plan for the business. Analysing the information will help you understand the actual requirements of the project or business.

5. Brainstorming the problem in the business

Quality solutions can only be presented if you have spent sufficient  time on brainstorming the problem in the business.  The actual problem can be hidden at a much deeper root level for the most of the time,  so as a business analyst it is your responsibility to find out the actual problems in the business.  In order to find out the  problems you may need to go through a lot of research and spend a lot of time gathering information related to the problem.

6. Evaluating and analysing the problem

Once you understand the actual problems, evaluating and analysing them properly is a very crucial step in order to work towards the right solution. In order to present the most  suitable and best solution, a business analyst analyzes each and every area of the problem.

7. Implementing the best solution

In order to implement the best solution, the business analyst must prepare a list of solutions that can be implemented. And once a list of solution plans are prepared, he needs to make the right decision choosing the best possible solution. 

8. Making the documentation of all the findings from the data and analysis

After gathering the sufficient and detailed information required for creating the planning, strategy and implementation of the process, now effectively documenting each and every area of those finding very essential work of a business analyst. In order to document all the findings, the business analyst needs to collaborate with different stakeholders and consumers to make sure that sufficient knowledge is gathered and their need is understood.

There can be a problem if the business analyst missed out to mention some requirements during documentation.

 This documentation is very crucial as the developer will follow this documentation and impart his time and effort in fulfilling the requirements of the business. Therefore, if the business analyst misses some important  information, then a lot of loss of time and effort may take place.

Therefore, it is extremely necessary that the business analyst documents each and every finding from the data, analysis and research appropriately, without error and missing out anything so that it will meet the actual business requirement. 

9. Handling a list of undefined activities 

Remember that business analysts also need to handle a lot of undefined activities. If the senior manager and the consultant get a lot of work pressure, then they require the support from a business analyst.  Hence, a business analyst may be expected to perform a variety of  different activities from its daily routine in order to support the senior members and make the workflow smooth and effective in the entire business process. For example you may need to help your manager in the finance area of the project or in preparation of the weekly or monthly report etc.

The bottom line: a business analyst is required to to perform several tasks in order to navigate the business process, helping the entire  team to reach to the end destination with most productivity and providing satisfactory resolution in the area of business problem.

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