In our profession there is a lot of discussion about what makes a business analyst a senior business analyst.  To help better delineate between the levels of BAs the IIBA® has recently released a business analysis competency model which includes five levels of business analysts. 

For today's post, I wanted to share my thoughts on the key characteristics of a senior business analyst.  Before I unveil the list I want to say that number of years as a BA is not an indicator if someone should be classified as a senior BA.  I don't think you can get to the senior level without a number of years of experience, but number of years alone is not an indicator. 

1. Business Analysis Techniques: Breadth and Depth of Knowledge and Experience

As BAs we need to have knowledge and experience in the various techniques to elicit, analyze and communicate requirements.  We need a large tool box which we can pull from to meet the specific needs of each project.  Without this large tool box your ability to perform at a high level for any project type that you are a part of is limited. Take a look through the IIBA's BABOK® to see how large your toolbox is.   

I have been asked by BAs who focus on specific areas, like facilitation or process modeling, if I felt they were senior BAs.  My answer is no.  They are most definitely senior facilitators or senior process modelers, but senior BAs need a broader, deeper skill set.  

2. Project Types and Business Area Experience

Senior level BAs need experience working on multiple project types.  At the highest level there are three types of projects I feel are necessary, COTS (commercial off the shelf), new development, and enhancements/support.  Each of these project types requires some different techniques and skills.  Having worked on different types of projects gives you the knowledge of which techniques work best for each project type. This will aid in planning which is characteristic number three, coming up next. 

Working in multiple business areas within a company helps lay the foundation for strategic thinking, characteristic number four.  By being involved in multiple business areas you start to see overlapping functions and interdepartmental dependencies. This allows you to start recommending solutions that benefit the whole company, not just the specific business area you are involved in.

3. Business Analysis Planning

How do you answer the following question when you are first assigned to a project? "How long will the analysis effort take?"  Senior BAs respond to that question with an intelligent business analysis work plan. They think through the people they will be working with. They identify the stakeholders, get to know them and understand key characteristics to best work with them.  They think through critical project characteristics like the size of the project, the business risks involved, and how many interfaces the project will include.  They think through the processes that need to be adhered to for the project.  They make sure they understand what project methodology is being used for the project, project roles and responsibilities, and what deliverables are required.  Thinking through the people, project, and process gives you the ability to outline the tasks and deliverables needed for the project, to estimate their time needed, as well as the time of the stakeholders involved.

4. Strategic Thinking

A senior BA needs to see the big picture and do a deep dive for the project.  Senior BAs will try to see the bigger picture before heading into the details trying to understand where this project fits in with the organizational goals.  They will also be aware of, or try to determine how the project they are assigned to impacts other projects or business areas.  They also take a look at the big picture during the project.

In an earlier post, Get Your Head Out of the Weeds, I highlighted the need for BAs to find ways to pull themselves out of the detail during a project to ensure their project is still meeting the needs of the organization.

5. Advocate and Advisor

Many BAs report into IT departments, but still need to be viewed as part of the business team they support.  You work for the business and need to truly be an advocate for the business and their needs.  I'm sure many of you can tell stories where there was conflict between the technology team and the business.  A senior BA steps up to resolve the conflict to provide the best solution for the business. 

A way to know you have this characteristic is if the business calls you for advice before and after a project.  Do you have discussions with the business to determine what's most important for an upcoming project? Do you attend their staff meetings to find out their pains and to understand their values and goals?

6. Ability to Learn a New Domain

The need to have domain experience for BAs is one of the biggest debates in our profession.  I do think you need some domain knowledge prior to starting a project, but that does not mean you need to have worked in that domain for years.  I believe a senior BA needs to be able to learn a new domain to be effective.  Here are three ways that I primarily use to learn new domains prior to an interview or starting a project.

• Google: There is so much information out there at your finger tips. Google the subject you need and take an afternoon reading.
• My network: I am a big believer that I don't need to know everything; I just need to know the people that have the answers. I use my network to help answer questions I have to learn about a domain. Continue to build your network.
• Personal experience: I may not have worked in banking, but I do interact with banks as a consumer. I draw from my personal experiences to help understand a domain.

Please share your thoughts around the characteristics I've outlined and provide one or more of your own.

Kupe

Comments (27)

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written by Commercemail@verizon.net, June 22, 2010

Like the article very much - one comment - domain knowledge - If the experts knew how to do it, they would be doing it already. The value of an outsider view is MUCH undervalued. Slow, non-learning outsiders are not much use, but an intelligent person who is curious and learns fast can get whole organizations "out of the box".

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written by Kupe, June 22, 2010

Thanks for the comment. In regards to domain knowledge...absolutely. The ability to learn a new domain quickly is the key.

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written by rakesh300, June 22, 2010

Well said Mr. Jonathan.

These are v imp characteristics of a Senior BA.

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written by SimonTheBA, June 22, 2010

Thanks, Kupe.

That's very helpful. Now I know what to aim for!

Simon (aka simonjp)

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written by Kupe, June 22, 2010

You're very welcome Simon.

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written by charu, June 22, 2010

Very well said. Ability to learn a new domain quickly is very important. It is agreed that BAs cannot be domain experts in all domains - but they definitely need to pick up the domain knowledge very quickly.
It is also satisfying that you have nailed the 3 different project types - I am in full agreement.
Great article and very useful for many who ask questions on how to become a BA.

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written by gram28, June 22, 2010

Dear Kupe,

Wonderful article

Had a query, I work as a Business Analyst with one of the top companies in India, I work with the Corporate Departments of that company. Example Corporate Treasury, Corporate Legal, Corporate Insurance etc.

My query is how do I manage my profile as a Business Analyst ? I mean which domain should i subscribe to ? In my resume what should be my title ?

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written by Dalex, June 23, 2010

Kupe,

a good list of skills. I would like to add one more esential skill for all BAs. A BA should be an architect of a solution because doing this piece of work he/she paves a road for the whole project. My recent experience demostrated it in full force. Great time savings for projects with a tough deadline! And yet, it enables building integration links within the project team.

The item #6, in my opinion, is more about being an explorer of a new domain rather than just a learner of new domain knowledge. Why? Because exploring the domain, a BA takes in a good deal of best practices, lessons learned and so on.

Cheers,

DALEX

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written by Kupe, June 23, 2010

@ gram28, Thanks for the feedback and question. As for your title, you are a Business Analyst. So that should be your title based on levels your company has. As for domain: There are two ways I view domains. First is industry. So you now have industry experience in whatever industry your company is in. The second is business areas within a company. You have experience in the corporate side. I started my career in the same manner then moved into the operations of the organization.

I hope that answers your questions.

Thanks, Kupe

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written by cinmccain, June 23, 2010

I agree completely with your assessment of the characteristics listed above. Another comment on the domain knowledge piece is this: learning about a domain is one of the key factors to be able to communicate to and understand your 'customer'. I also use the philosophy that you don't have to know everything, you just have to know where to find the answers. But some understanding of the domain will assist you in correctly assessing your customer and their requirements.

Also, not noted here but are unlying in all the characteristics, are the soft skills.

I also appreciate all of these skills in a Project Manager. They don't have to get into the weeds of the requirements etc, but PMs that understand and display of all these characteristics has made a big difference in the success of a project.

Thanks for the info!
Cindy

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written by llbrandenburg, June 24, 2010

Hi Kupe,

What a great article. I like how you separate senior "business analyst" from senior "specialist of some sort". I think that's an important distinction that is often missed.

Within any given organization, we tend to find senior level roles that depend heavily on specializations specific to that organization over the general business analyst competencies you articulate here. At Denver's BAWorld last year, one hiring manager came out and said, "I could never hire a senior business analyst from outside my organization -- they wouldn't know enough." This was a clear indication to me that his view of a senior BA was sensitive to organizational context.

With that in mind, I think we all as BAs need to be striving to hit the mark you describe here, but also staying very aware of our organizational contexts as they will impact the senior level positions that are available to us.

Laura

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written by pmulvey, June 24, 2010

I, for one, am very happy to see the support for BAs that feel that NOT having to know a particular domain is a good thing. I have been in that camp for a long time, and have tried to preach that to the chior with varying degrees of success. It seems that most hiring requisitions are looking for people with the exact domain experience. I feel that a good BA can pick up on the business domain quickly, and as Kupe mentioned, there's always Google to help you learn. Heck, even Wikipedia can give you a decent overview.

My take on the domain is that a BA's domain experience may constrain solutions to stuff that has already been done before. A BA that has not been involved in the particular business domain may come in and suggest a solution that had previously not been discussed. I am not saying that a BA within the business domain could not do this, but sometimes we go with what we know and are blind to the alternate solutions that are out there.

For example, if I had only been on new development projects, I would probably be biased to work on those and find a solution by developing something new. I would be blind to thinking about a COTS package that could solve the business problem as well. But, being a BA with the three project types that you mentioned (COTS, New Dev, and Maint), one can look to a different solution outside of the domain "constraint."

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written by Kupe, June 24, 2010

@Laura, Great point. Can you clarify what you mean by org. context. With that manager did he mean some one form the outside would not know enough about the specific company if if they had industry experience?

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written by bkerton, June 25, 2010

Kupe - I think you have a great list and could not argue with any of them.

I might add that underlying all those there needs to be curiosity. Analysts have to ask questions, they have to want to dig into things and unsurface things. It is hard to do that with any passion unless you are curious.

And, curiousity matched with the ability to learn really helps analysts gain domain knowledge quite quickly. To add even more, that sense of curiousity shows your business partners you care and the analysts is likely to get better quality information.

Cheers!

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written by llbrandenburg, June 25, 2010

Hi Kupe, I don't have much more context for that particular manager's comment, but I thought the sentiment was interesting and something to be explored. When I think about organizational context, I am thinking about any sort of domain knowledge or specific project experience that's required. While I fully agree that a senior business analyst can pick this up quickly, there is still the perception by managers that prior experience or existing knowledge is part of being "senior". So my advice to BAs is to put yourself in a position to be aware of what makes a senior business analyst in your organization and include that (if it fits with your career plan) in your concept of a senior business analyst position.

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written by Kupe, June 25, 2010

Absolutely @bkerton! Thanks for chiming in!

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written by Kupe, June 25, 2010

Laura, That is what I thought and yes this perception is very real. Great advice for BAs. Thanks for sharing.

I believe the perception will change over time as senior BA's "surprise" these managers by being effective without deep domain knowledge.

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written by khourya, June 25, 2010

I tend to agree with Cindy about learning a new domain. You do not need to be a matter expert, all that you require is common sense and where to look for information.
One thing that caught my attention in the recent past and that is enterprise architecture. I am embarking in getting certified in enterprise architecture (TOGAF). I feel this is the next step in a senior BA future where you would now advise an the enterprise level instead of at a business unit level.

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written by Pete K-Star, June 29, 2010

Kupe, great article...I think you have hit the nail on the head with the domain debate. Interesting read throughout, thanks for sharing

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written by AWhittenberger, June 29, 2010

Kupe, excellent article! I agree with Pete, you hit the nail on the head. On all 6 points not just the domain debate. I caught in particular the Advocate and Advisor message. I realize how much I am talking to the business outside (before or after) my project work. I recently had a conversation with a development team member who asked me "What is the 51 screen?" That is what the business calls it because it is option 51 on a particular menu, but the developer knows it by the program name. People are comfortable talking with people that they easily understand. You have to understand and use their lingo (jargon) not expect them to use yours.

So Kupe, what advice do you have for junior- and mid-level BAs who strive to become Sr. BA? Do I hear another blog post coming on?

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written by Kupe, June 29, 2010

Pete and Aaron,

Thanks for the feedback. One never knows what the next blog will be! That's a great idea though. I'll put some thought around it.

My plan for the next is how to best utilize a senior BA. Stay tuned!

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written by MadisonAgileBA, July 06, 2010

Kupe,

I would suggest extending #3 to include overall project planning and expectation (re)setting. In some larger shops I've worked in, BAs are often the first "boots on the ground" before a project is even approved and a PM assigned. I've found that my knowledge of early-lifecycle project estimation has enabled me to reset impossible scope/schedule/budget expectations before they solidify.

Robert

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written by Kupe, July 06, 2010

Hey Robert,

Thanks for your comment Robert. I do not disagree where you are going. I agree many BAs are brought in before PMs or play the PM role as well. This pre-project work I view as another role. The Enterprise BA or Strategic BA. In my opinion, individuals, like yourself, have moved into a role beyond senior, but get to play in the project level BA work as well.

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written by hkmartin, July 20, 2010

Great points in this article! These are things I've been thinking about lately but have never been able to articulate. Thanks for doing it for me. :)

I particularly like the comment about Sr. BA's having experience in multiple project types. Getting exposure to each of the 3 types you mentioned has been huge for me, and makes it easier for me to take on other types in the future. The first time I worked on a COTS implementation it was definitely hard work, but now that it's under my belt I can safely say I know what it takes and can taken on others, regardless of domain.

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written by Graeme_c, July 27, 2010

Strong points all. And I am trying to define how they take the next big leap to becoming Architects. Business and Solutions Architects. What other capabilities need nurturing. Also I missed a mention of an entrepreneurial approach.

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written by hkmartin, August 02, 2010

Ha, good segway Graeme_c. I would love to hear about that too. It's definitely a career path I'm considering but I'm not sure how to go about it. Are Business and Solutions Architects a well-defined skill set and career option in the marketplace yet? It took a long time for the BA role to become standardized (and still evolving as we all know). I hear about business architect role in seminars/webinars all the time, but I have yet to find that any companies in my metro area that are actually defining it as a job role or support it as a career option.

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written by Kupe, August 02, 2010

@hkmartin, sorry for the delayed response. I took a vacation...imagine that.

I'm glad I could help with articulating your thoughts. You didn't know i read minds did you?!

The strategic BA role or business architect role is gaining momentum. I am starting to see it pop-up in companies. I assume there are probably not a lot of external job openings because good candidates internally with a wide business area experience are qualified or consultants are being used.

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