What is Business Analysis
To ensure that a business runs glitch-free, its requirements and problems need to be identified, and solutions need to be determined from time to time. While techniques or processes may vary from industry to industry, the setting of tasks, gathering relevant knowledge related to the market, and techniques implemented to solve business needs is known as business analysis.
Business analysis is also conducted to understand the present state of a business, and to identify what its needs are. In other instances, business analysis means analysing requirements and coming up with valid solutions that meet business objectives and fulfill goals.
From a more technical point of view, identifying business needs and implementing solutions involve bringing about more improvement in daily processes or opting for a structural change in the organization.
How does Business Analysis Impacts an Organization?
Business analysis helps stakeholders or investors of an organization, understand more about its operations, overall structure and operating policies, who can then suggest recommendations or provide solutions to help the business achieve its objectives.
For external stakeholders, the performance of an organization is extremely important for them to anticipate their returns or have a forecasting model for possible risks. Internal communication between stakeholders and other functional departments are also better understood once a business analysis is conducted.
What is the Role of a Business Analyst?
Someone who analyses the state of affairs in an organization or business enterprise, and researches, as well as, documents its process, needs and shortcomings is called a business analyst. It is also his job go understand if a business model need a to be integrated with technology, and to what extent. To become a business analyst, a business analysis course is highly recommended.
The aim of a business analyst involves the following:
- Understanding the structure of an organization and how operations function
- Identifying current or potential problems in an organization, recommend and implement solutions
- To understand the stakeholders' aims and objectives align with the general health of the business and it’s goals as wellWhat are the various steps analysts follow during business analysis of an organization?
- Research- The most important step of business analysis is research. Business analysts spend enough time collecting basic information about the requirements, scope of work and business goals. It is also part of their role to understand who the stakeholders are, along with an in depth knowledge of the business history, understanding how processes work in the organization, and the existing system.
- Identifying goals of the business and setting a scope- A business analyst has to make sure that business objectives align with the stakeholders’ expectations; in case there are conflicting expectations, he should be able to merge them.
- An important step of business analysis is making sure that business goals are set and clear, only then the scope of business can be set, which is a go-to reference document that serves in helping people understand the current needs of a business and how they can be implemented. Before any plan mentioned in the scope is implemented, it needs to be run through investors.
- Making a business analysis plan- to ensure the outcome meets the deliverables, a business plan needs to be put in place- from setting a customized list of deliverables to setting timelines for the same. A business analyst must ensure that the scope has been covered in the plan.
- Understanding requirements- Once a plan has been set, the implementation team needs to understand the requirements, collect supporting information for the same, review the deliverables and decide up to what extent they are attainable.
- Technical implementation- During the process of business analysis, often certain software is conceptualized, built and deployed on a project. Making sure that the software design is in place and fixing errors if any, is an important step.
- Apply the solution- The most important and final step for business analysis is applying the solution to identified issues and understanding it’s results, which means identifying a way forward after the solution has been applied, determining next steps for the business, evaluating progress and communicating the results to important members in the business. This step is based on the business analyst’s own skills, and cannot be mastered at a business analysis course.
Once the process of business analysis is completed, it is expected that the business will achieve its set goals and objectives. Businesses often find better opportunities, improve their internal processes and manage effective communication with stakeholders more efficiently post a business analysis.
Also Read: Life of Business Analyst in India
