As the name implies, it refers to a person who studies corporate administrations to develop specific answers to the firm’s problems. The business analyst will use technical solutions to build a bridge between the business problems and these solutions. Business Analysts are professionals who use technology tools such as software applications to assess, change, and eventually solve business challenges.
In today’s world, organizations often require Business Analyst services to aid in decision-making. They are often required in marketing and financial roles as well. A Business Analyst does not always work on IT-related projects.
Career path for business analyst: What exactly does a business analyst do?
A business analyst examines all the systems and processes that go into a job (or an entire company) to determine where improvements are needed
A business analyst's specific duties can be challenging to define because they frequently work on several projects and don't have a single focus.
A business analyst's three primary duties are as follows:
- Obtain insights
- Establish priorities.
- Process improvement
As in the case of the customer service example, an organization may hire a business analyst to examine the entire operation and determine what adjustments need to be made to improve customer services.
Career path for business analyst: Common business Analyst Roles in an organization
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Assisting in Strategy Formulating
Because the market is constantly evolving, many companies believes that employing a strategist is best for a firm. Business analysts can evaluate which solutions are most appropriate for the company and can give top-level management advice on what must be done to meet strategic objectives.
Architect/Policy making
Businesses may need to make changes to address issues discovered through the aforementioned strategic study. Business analysts contribute by examining goals, procedures, and available resources, and then offering suggestions for redesign or enhancement.
Systems Analyst
IT development must be in line with the systems that the company is using in its operational systems. This kind of business analyst combines business analysis with technical solutions. A business analyst must be familiar with analytical software such as SPSS, Python, R and Excel.
Career path for business analyst: How to launch your Business Analyst Career
The minimum educational requirement in job adverts for entry-level Business Analyst is a Bachelor’s Degree. The majority of entry-level business analyst roles don’t call for a graduate degree. A master degree in a related discipline may widen your work prospects. An applicant should ideally have a degree in a relevant subject, such as business administration, business management, computer science or Statistics.
You could obtain a business analysis certificate as an alternative to or addition to undergraduate or graduate study. Numerous universities, technical institutes, and colleges offer these programs. Business process analysis, Masters in Business Analytics, Testing and solution development, Project management, and Business planning, are among the courses you might anticipate taking. You may also take online courses in Machine Learning, Python and Business Analytics to further your analytical skills.
Career path for business analyst: Technical Skills necessary for a Business Analyst
Knowledge of programming languages
If you want to work as a business analyst you must have a rudimentary understanding of programming languages such python, R, C++, Visual Basic and statistical packages such as STATA and SPSS. This practical knowledge will be helpful in finding solutions for identified problems in the organization. Business Analysts with programming expertise attract potential employers.
Ability to use databases
As a Business Analyst you must understand several database types and functions such as Oracle, MySQL, SQL and Online databases. This will aid in data collection and manipulation since most business analyst work with data to solve organizational problems.
Knowledge of software development techniques
To work as a Business analyst, you must have some fundamental knowledge of the primary software development processes, such as Agile development and DevOps. This will help you understand and use software developed by software Engineers to solve business problems.
Problem-solving abilities
An expert in Business Analysis must be able to trouble shoot problems and come up with solutions. As a Business Analyst you must be able to look at a problem from multiple angles, weigh the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions and make predictions of what will happen in the future.
Knowledge of the fundamental office programs
Business analysts should be well-versed in fundamental office applications, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. These applications are helpful for data analysis and presentation.
Report and Dashboard Creation
To develop reports and dashboards, business analysts need to be skilled users of a variety of business intelligence technologies. Its’ essential to have solid knowledge of data visualization software such as Tableau, QlikView, and Power BI to create various reports based on business needs.
Other Skills
- Capability to analyze
- Good communication skills both in writing and speaking
- Leadership abilities
- Solid problem-solving skills
- Making decisions that are action-oriented with little to no support
- Solid presentation skills
- Multitasking Pro
- Report writing and data visualization skills.
Career path for business analyst: How to improve technical skills
- Learn additional programming and IT skills
To develop your programming skills, take courses or workshops through local colleges. You can also enroll for free online courses on EdX or Linkedin Courses.
- Practice to improve your communication skills
Much practice in explaining technical concepts verbally and in writing is helpful.
- Improve your software development knowledge.
With the help of the IT department at your company, go over software development best practices and strategy. Ask questions about ideas you don't grasp, and look up any subjects you don't know much about.
- Review various documentation materials.
Spend time reading and analyzing various technical documentation to observe how systems are described, the formatting and elements used, and the information flow.
Career path for business analyst: Stages in the business analyst career
Junior Business Analyst
The career path for business analyst must begin with the entry-level or junior-level business analyst. This stage requires no past working experience as a business analyst.
For someone who has never worked in the Business Analysis industry before, it could be challenging. It is assumed that a Junior Business Analyst has sufficient theoretical understanding and awareness of the business.
As a Junior Business Analyst, in your career path you'll use a variety of business analysis approaches in collaboration with coworkers and stakeholders to explore and model company functions, processes, information flow and find solutions to problems.
You have an added benefit if you have an entry-level business analyst qualification or have performed business analysis work during an internship.
Mid-Level Business Analyst
As a business analyst, your expectations for your career path will rise as you gain experience. Mid-level business analysts are anticipated to have a more thorough understanding of their industry. Mid-Level Business analysts will also possess advanced levels of analytical skills.
An individual working in a business analyst capacity often has 3-5 years of experience in the field. Business Analyst with a mid-level skill set will be able to oversee a project independently. They could be engaged in and working on several projects at once.
Senior Business Analyst
At this stage, greater comprehension of the tools and procedures utilized in business analysis is required. You would require 6–8 years of practical experience.
A senior business analyst will have the talents to mentor younger business analysts, improve current procedures, and solve problems effectively.
A senior businessperson will display a high level of professionalism and be able to effortlessly strike a balance between the organization's strategic vision and day-to-day operations (or projects
Working alongside coworkers and other stakeholders, a Business Analyst will study operational problems, issues, and new business prospects to provide practical business solutions by enhancing particular business sectors or systems.
Lead Business Analyst
You can become a business analyst manager or a lead business analyst after working on many projects for 10–12 years. Some businesses use business analyst leads, who have the same functions and responsibilities as managers, in place of business analyst managers.
A business analyst develops extensive experience in business analysis, risk management, time management, project management, and other crucial project activities after working on numerous projects.
It might be quite challenging to handle many projects, deal with new issues every day, oversee other business analysts. Business analyst managers and leads handle their workload effectively.
Enterprise Architect\\ Solution Architect
Once you've gained sufficient business analysis experience, you can look for possibilities as an enterprise architect or a solution architect. An enterprise architect will be versed in business and the full scope of the projects. In this job, your tasks and responsibilities within an organization expand.
Highly competent analysts now have a career path with the organizations that created this position, where they can continue to benefit the company significantly.
Understanding the organization's strategic direction and researching on potential new ideas or projects are the primary duties of a business architect or solution architect. They suggest the best and most practical option after their investigation and analysis.
Business Architect
High-level experience is required for the Business Architect profile, and they are crucial to the enterprise's governance structure, business processes, and business information. A business architect is skilled in coordinating decisions about products and services, critical business and IT activities, and the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
They use a strategy and approach for structured business architecture to capture the main organizational viewpoints.
Independent Business Analyst/ Consultant
As an alternative, you might work as an independent business analyst consultant. You can exclusively offer BA services to other businesses. To work as a business analyst consultant, you should have previous experience managing various project types and effectively completing numerous projects. Your CV should demonstrate your strengths and business analysis knowledge.
The duties of a business analyst consultant can change from project to project, regardless of whether you are a self-employed consultant or a member of a sizable consulting firm. For some projects, a group of consultants is needed, each with a focus. In other projects, consultants collaborate on their own with the client organization’s manager.
Conclusion
Your career as a business analyst is only beginning, and there are several prospects for promotion. Starting as an entry-level Business Analyst, you can rise to a mid-level or senior business analyst role with more responsibility, more projects in your portfolio, a team to manage and so on. To advance on the professional ladder as a business analyst, you must continue to expand your skills and knowledge.
Logical Zivurawa is a Business Analytics Consultant at Industrial Psychology Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, a business management and human resources consulting firm.
Phone: +263 242 481946-9/481950
Mobile: +263 778308352
Email: logical@ipcconsultants.com
Main Website: www.ipcconsultants.com