As an experienced business analyst with over 10 years of experience, I understand the intricacies of the industry quite well. However, I also understand that, much like any industry, business analysis can be quite confusing and difficult to understand. Considering that the bulk of this website’s blogs will deal heavily with business analysis and data science, I figured that it would help if my audience understood the topics that I am discussing. That being said, this first blog will serve as a brief overview of business analysis.
While it may sound overly complex at first — and admittedly it can be quite difficult at times — business analysis, at its core, is quite simple. In layman’s terms, business analysis is the process of taking a detailed look at any particular business, ranging anywhere from non-profits to major corporations, identifying its problems and needs and then proposing solutions. These solutions can come in the form of multiple methods including software development, organization, process improvement, but they typically involve IT solutions in some form or another.
Business analysis is incredibly important to any organization. It can help to strengthen failing businesses and improve upon already successful ones. However, while the process itself is important, what is even more crucial to business analysis is the business analysts themselves. Business analysis has several components and moving pieces to it, so the business analyst does not always go by this title. Some other titles include requirements engineer, process analyst, management consultant and data scientist.Business analysts are integral to any business as they offer in-depth solutions to existing issues, or even advice and leadership on new business ventures. Business analysts take on a variety of roles while working for any organization, sometimes even taking major leadership roles in the company in order to provide support and guidance.
By this point it may seem a bit redundant to explain a business analyst’s importance, but in order to reinforce the idea, I will explain it anyway. Businesses, large or small, need structure and organization outside of the traditional management positions. Business analysts offer an outside perspective and can link businesses’ problems with technological solutions. Any business can benefit tremendously from a business analyst.Obviously there is much more to business analysis than I have presented here, but hopefully this brief overview of the profession provides a general idea of the industry.
