Business analysts (BAs) are essential to the success of any organization in order to integrate technology with their operations. They understand the potential of technology, can explain it to stakeholders, and help to find the right solution that will improve the business’s performance.

They essentially act as a bridge between the technical and non-technical aspects of the business, translating complex technical concepts into terms that non-technical stakeholders can understand.

Business analysts can also prioritize tasks and initiatives and build a roadmap to guide the selection and integration process.

This blog post will explore the role of business analysts and explain why they are key to the successful acquisition and implementation of the right technology.

Defining the role of a Business Analyst

A Business Analyst (BA) can be a crucial member of the team when it comes to integrating business and technology. They play a critical role in bridging the gap between the two worlds and helping to ensure that the technology being used meets the needs of the organization.

One of the main tasks of a BA is to analyze and document the business requirements for a project, system, or solution. This involves understanding the goals and objectives of the organization at a high level, gathering information from stakeholders and other sources, and determining how technology can be used to help achieve these goals.

They will be able to highlight which parts of the project may be more difficult to implement as well as identify potential areas of improvement and suggest new solutions and/or process improvements that could improve efficiency or reduce costs.

Business Analysts are also responsible for working with vendors and key stakeholders to demonstrate how the technology will meet the requirements and provide value.

By understanding both the technical aspects and the business needs, BAs are invaluable in helping organizations maximize their investments in technology.

4 benefits of working with a business analyst for your organization

Working with a BA is one of the most efficient ways to bring together business and technology with an integrated approach.

Here are 4 benefits you can expect from working with a Business Analyst:

1) Measure the right things with the right KPIs

Whether you want to maximize customer engagement, optimize processes, create reliable data, leverage AI or implement an upgrade to take advantage of out-of-the-box leading edge functionality, the BA will help establish the right goals and KPIs to allow you to measure success moving forward.

When you are able to track and measure the right things, you can determine if your projects are on track, if certain processes need adjustment or if certain key elements need to be added into your procedures to ensure success.

2) Transform your wishlist into a minimum viable product (MVP)

In solution development, a minimum viable product (MVP) is the minimum solution that the users require to accomplish their goals, and in many cases it’s beneficial to launch an MVP and then iterate to improve it instead of going right away for the “full blown” solution. MVPs also enable organizations to validate their assumptions and gain insights into how users actually use the system. The BA can facilitate the tough discussions required with all the stakeholders to get to an agreement on what will be included in the MVP and what will not.

BAs can also help ensure you meet your deadlines, keep your budget and the scope of the project in line to avoid situations that will put your MVP at risk. This means their job is also to continually challenge stakeholders to clarify the priorities.

3) Avoid costly and time-consuming trial and error

Business Analysts also offer a frequently overlooked quality: consultancy. Working with multiple internal and external stakeholders across a range of industries and domains – which is commonplace for a Business Analyst in a role often referred to as “Business Relationship Manager”, – brings valuable experience and unique perspective from past business challenges or decisions.

For example, if you are looking for a new ERP, a BA can help you identify the particularities of your business that could potentially be met by one solution and not another. Subsequently, they can then facilitate comprehensive demonstrations with the vendors to ensure the solution really does fit the needs of your business.

4) Get the most out of your vendors

Even though it may seem counterintuitive, vendors love working with BAs. They tend to focus on the most important aspects and can identify the important milestones and hurdles the integration may face. They stay involved through the implementation and can ensure that the original business requirements are met.

Overall, working with a BA can be invaluable for any organization. By leveraging their experience and expertise, organizations can unlock the full potential of their technology investments, make smarter decisions, and ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied.

When to hire a Business Analyst and what to look for

When it comes to hiring a BA, you should look for someone with a proven track record. It’s also important to make sure they can quickly understand the business objectives and processes as well.

BAs should have strong communication skills, as they will be responsible for helping stakeholders understand the technology and how it works.

It’s important to look for a BA who is familiar with building an IT strategy. They should be able to prioritize tasks, develop a timeline, and create a plan supported by visuals (such as context diagrams) that will ensure the successful completion of the project.

Here is an overview of the top skills you should be looking for in a BA:

• Active listening
• Building and managing stakeholder relationships
• Ability to turn your qualitative analysis into quantitative one (by ranking/weighting) and by using tools that minimize the impact of recency bias or confirmation bias
• Ability to simplify and explain technological concepts
• Exceptional facilitation, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills
• High-quality documentation/outputs

A Business Analyst will ensure to focus on your company’s competitive advantage throughout the process as well as drive change for your organization to ensure your teams understand the importance of the new technologies being implemented.

Hiring a BA is an investment in the success of your project. With the right person on board, you can feel confident that your project will deliver what is most needed , in a timely fashion, and avoid costly rework by getting it right from the start.

About Akiri Consultants Inc.

Our clients choose us because we focus on identifying what makes their business unique, as well as their core competencies, and use that information to establish the best path forward.

Contact us to find out how dozens of clients have benefited from the help of our experienced team of business analysts – as ERP software selection consultants, to CRM Agile product owners to distribution centre process optimization specialists.

Book a discovery call today to find out how our team can help you maximize your investments and business outcomes.