Understanding the Role of a Business Analyst

The role of a Business Analyst is pivotal if you’re looking to expand your business.

Often seen as the bridge between the IT and business elements of your company, they are seen as the architect behind your company and its growth thanks to their insightful communication relaying information between different sectors.

As a Business Analyst, they will be expected to cooperate with a wide spectrum of people within the business in order to best work out strategies to help growth and expansion of the company. Whilst identifying areas of improvement, and offering solutions to problem areas within the business plan, they must also assess future changes that will need to be made and make projections about the future.

Versatility is key in this role and although a degree in this specific sector is not always necessary, extensive training and relevant qualifications will help them to progress successfully in this field. Undertaking a BSC Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis will allow a Business Analyst to gain further insight into the field whilst having financial industry awareness means that they will find it easier to project future trends to look out for.

Working in the IT industry, a thorough knowledge of software projects and how to increase the user-friendly elements of a program’s interface is crucial. In order to advance a career in this sector, keeping on top of the latest releases will provide them with any information they may need to keep their company ahead of the game.

However, with ever changing interfaces and new technology being released regularly, the Business Analyst must be willing to adapt and change with the evolving market. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), a non-profit professional association, considers the business analyst “an agent of change,” writing that business analysis “is a disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organizations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.”

Initially, the role of a Business Analyst in the 1970’s took the responsibility of making sure that the paper-based processes within a company were documented in order to make savings and improve the change over from paper to electronic documentation. As technology advanced, the role also evolved accordingly, becoming more computer-orientated. It was during this period that the need for the Business Analyst to have a deeper understanding of the business side of the company increased in order to support stakeholders within the company. It was during this stage that the business and IT elements merged in order to create the foundations of the job role that is recognisable today.

Now, the Business Analyst is expected to have an insightful knowledge of all elements of the company. As more businesses become globalised, they must be aware of different infrastructures within the IT world, including how to develop and improve IT systems. In order to develop software at a quicker rate, the Business Analyst’s responsibilities are changing again. So, how can they grow their skills to make sure that the new demands of the business are being met?

Whereas IT departments would have previously expected the Business Analyst to provide the data that they need upfront, a continual circuit of updating and altering software means that the Business Analyst now has to follow Agile and DevOps methodologies in order to meet new demands. In order to keep up-to-date with the developmental side of software production, the Business Analyst will have to liaise with the department, analysing and identifying elements that will need adjusting.

Previously, it would have been expected that Business Analysts would have worked on a single system. However, with the expansion of Commercial Off-the-shelf systems, organisations are now expanding by investing in new systems. One way in which Business Analysts can grow their skills is by focussing on more systems than before in order to ensure that the company is working at maximum efficiency and saving money wherever possible.

If you’re looking to expand your role as a Business Analyst, why don’t you take a look at our range of Business Analyst jobs in Ireland and expand your knowledge of the sector?

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