Tag: Best Practices

Best of BATimes: What Problem Are You Trying To Solve?

Written by Larry Blankenship on August 24, 2023. Posted in Articles.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned to ask during my BA career is “What problem are you trying to solve?” It’s not as straightforward as it might appear.

Often, business partners come with all sorts of preconceptions, which they present as the actual problem. Sometimes they try to be helpful. It’s the BAs job to ask more questions to determine if that’s the real problem.

For example, I had a business partner who told me that the data in an email we were sending to one of our customers was “encrypted”. It would have been easy to waste hours trying to chase that down. I started down that road, until I caught myself and asked “What’s the problem I’m trying to solve?” I asked the business partner to see a copy of the email. It was then that I realized that what she was referring to as being encrypted was actually just raw XML being presented straight to the page. The problem wasn’t that the email was encrypted, it was that it wasn’t easily readable by a human. One parameter change later, and the problem was fixed.

Donald Gause and Gerald Weinberg wrote a seminal work on discovering the real problem called “Are Your Lights On?” I reread it at least once a year, to remind myself how to ask the questions needed to determine the real problem, because sometimes what appears to be the problem at first glance isn’t the real cause.

A recent real-life example was encountered by the Dutch bike manufacturer Van Moof, who found that over 25% of their bicycles were being damaged en route to the customer, especially when being shipped to the US. The company could have invested money in improving their packaging or looking for a new shipping company. Instead, they spent time identifying what the real problem was: the people doing the shipping weren’t being careful with the product, perhaps because they perceived a bicycle as being sturdy enough to withstand rough handling. Or perhaps they didn’t perceive bicycles as being as valuable, so they didn’t feel the need to take extra care when handling them. What was the solution?

In the end, the bicycle company put a picture of a large screen TV behind the picture of the bike. They didn’t indicate that there was a TV in the box. The shippers, who apparently don’t have time to read carefully, treated the updated boxes like there was an actual big screen TV inside them. As a result, damages in transit dropped by 80%.

1. Asking the business or customer what the problem is that they are trying to solve isn’t the end of the process, it’s only the beginning. Here are some ways you can get to the real problem:
Ask what things would look like if the problem was solved. Often, this will let you identify the real problem based on what the business sees as the desirable result. An example given in the book was a building whose tenants complained about the elevator being too slow. The desired solution wasn’t that the elevators be made faster, it was that the tenant’s stopped complaining. In the end, a mirror placed on each side of the elevator offered enough distraction that the perception of the elevator’s speed was no longer an issue.

2. Don’t accept a solution as the problem. Often in my career, the customer brings a solution that they want rather than a problem to be solved. Asking what the problem is that’s trying to be solved often allows for simpler resolutions. For example, one department is complaining that another department’s data entry isn’t accurate. The solution they presented was to add a high number of edits and validity check to the system where the data was entered. This would have required a large quantity of analysis and development time to ensure that the validations were correct and didn’t create additional follow on effects. Instead, time was spent bringing the two departments together to discuss the issues and looking for ways to improve accuracy at the front end. In the end, development wasn’t required, and the problem was solved via process improvement.

3. Spend time on root cause analysis. Sometimes the perceived problem is a symptom, not the actual malady. When I wrote software, a bug would frequently be caused by a change to a variable much removed in the stack from the code I was looking at. Doing root cause analysis will often help you identify what element is actually causing pain. This can also be a matter of overlooking something because “We’ve always done it that way.” The root cause may be the result of some process before or after the pain point that is creating the issue.

In the end, finding the real problem that needs to be solved, can be simple, complicated or somewhere in between. Taking the time to do the right level of investigation is an important part of the BA’s value in the development process.

Published: 2020/06/04

Avoid The “Saying/Doing” Gap

Written by Adrian Reed on August 10, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Elicitation is a core part of business analysis, and there are a vast array of elicitation techniques at a BA’s disposal. However, if you’re like me (and most BAs) you probably have a few favorite techniques that you gravitate towards. For me, I’ll often start with interviews and workshops, using document analysis to gain context and perhaps some observation to see how things really work.

While it’s completely natural to have frequently-used techniques, it’s important not to forget that other elicitation techniques exist. It is very easy to fall into a rhythm of reverting to a particular set of techniques irrespective of the context, project or situation being examined. This could lead to a situation where other techniques might have proved more efficient or effective. In particular, it’s important to use an appropriately varied set of techniques to avoid the ‘saying/doing’ gap…

People Often Do Things Differently In Reality

As any experienced BA will tell you, asking someone to describe how they do their work will often give you a very different result to going and seeing them do their work. There are often parts of the process that are so obvious to the people undertaking the work that they don’t even think about mentioning them. Imagine if someone asked you to describe the act of driving a car… you might explain the steps of opening the car door, putting the key in the ignition, checking mirrors and accelerating away. You probably wouldn’t mention putting on a seatbelt, or closing the door… but these are things that are very important! If we are wanting to understand an as-is process, we’ll often want to understand those ‘seatbelt’ moments too.

There’s also the tricky subject of exceptions and unofficial workarounds. Sometimes there will be exceptions that the designed process never really catered for, so workarounds have emerged. These workarounds might not be documented anywhere, or if they are documented they might be documented in an informal way. Knowing about these workarounds (and the exceptions that cause them) is important too—any new process really ought to cater for these situations without a workaround being necessary.

All of this points towards the need for a mixture of elicitation techniques.

Use a Mixture of Elicitation Techniques

Interviews and workshops are excellent techniques for understanding stakeholders’ perspectives on a situation and asking probing questions. Yet if we are going to gain a broader understanding of the situation, it’s important to mix and match our techniques. There are also some techniques that might not traditionally be thought of as elicitation techniques that can be brought into the mix too.

Here are just a few examples for consideration:

Analysis of Reports, Data & MI: What does the data show you about the process? When are the peaks? How many queries go unanswered? What are the most common queries from customers? Why are those the most common queries? What are the uncommon situations that might be causing exceptions or problems?
Observation, Sampling & Surveys: Observing colleagues undertaking their work can help us understand how the work really works, but requires a good level of rapport (else people might revert to the ‘official’ process rather than what they actually do). It isn’t always possible to do this, so sampling can be useful. In a call center where calls are recorded, if (with the relevant legal permissions) you can gain access to call recordings, you can potentially sample elements of a process and see how things are done. Or, you might issue a survey to the relevant customers or internal stakeholders. Sometimes giving people some time to reflect (rather than asking for an instant response in a one-on-one interview) can be useful.
Document analysis: A very broad technique, but looking at things like process models, procedures, exception reports and so on can prove useful. Of course, there is often a gap between how a process is written and how it is actually executed, but documentation is a good starting point.
Correspondence or sentiment analysis: This is really a particular type of document analysis, but if you are looking to improve a customer-facing process, why not look at some of the correspondence that customers have written about it? What do they like and dislike? Look at complaint logs, which elements are they complaining about? After all, complaints are a potential source of innovation, when they are filtered and used as input to process improvement. If your company has a social media team, perhaps they are capturing suggestions that have been submitted via these channels also.

Of course there are many other elicitation techniques too, these are just a few examples. But crucially, initiatives usually benefit from a mixture of elicitation techniques, some of which require synchronous stakeholder input, some of which require asynchronous stakeholder input (and therefore gives reflection time), and some of which initially don’t require stakeholder input at all (e.g. document analysis).

With a breadth of elicitation techniques, we gain a broad understanding of the current situation (and future needs). This helps ensure we deliver a valuable solution to our stakeholders.

Transformative Impact of AI in Business Analysis

Written by Lalita Lalwani on August 9, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Integration of AI’s transformative potential into our analysis processes can unleash human potential, drive innovation, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The future belongs to those who embrace AI in business analysis, and the time to seize this unparalleled opportunity is now. So, let’s take the leap together and unlock new horizons of success with AI as our ally.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has ushered in a new era of technological innovation, and at the forefront of this revolution is Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the world of business analysis, AI has transcended its role as a buzzword and has become a game-changer in driving business growth and efficiency. AI has emerged as a powerful ally, empowering organizations to harness data-driven insights, streamline operations, and make more informed decisions.

Embracing AI in business analysis is no longer a choice but a strategic imperative for companies looking to gain a competitive edge and thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace. Let’s delve into the transformative impact of AI in business analysis and understand how organizations can leverage this cutting-edge technology to unlock new horizons of success.

The Power of Data-Driven Insights

At the heart of business analysis lies data, and the ability to extract meaningful insights from vast datasets can make or break an organization’s success. AI-driven analytics tools have revolutionized this process by processing large volumes of data at unparalleled speeds and advanced algorithms to provide real-time, data-driven insights. By employing machine learning algorithms, AI can identify patterns, trends, and correlations that may remain hidden from traditional analysis methods.

With AI-powered data analysis, businesses gain a deeper understanding of their customers, markets, and industry dynamics. This data-driven approach empowers decision-makers to make well-informed decisions promptly, minimizing risks and optimizing opportunities. Organizations can harness a more comprehensive understanding of their markets, customers, and competitors, optimizing their marketing strategies, fine-tuning product offerings, identify emerging market trends, driving innovation, growth, competitiveness, and profitability.

Automation: Unleashing Human Potential

Business analysts are often burdened with repetitive and time-consuming tasks, leaving little room for strategic thinking. AI automation can alleviate this burden, liberating analysts from mundane activities and allowing them to focus on higher-value initiatives that require creativity, critical thinking, and strategic planning.

AI-powered automation can handle data collection, data cleaning, report generation, and even predictive modeling. As a result, business analysts can dedicate more time to interpreting results, formulating strategic plans, and collaborating cross-functionally. This not only enhances productivity but also fosters a culture of innovation within the organization.

Personalizing Customer Experiences

In an era where customer experience reigns supreme, personalization has become a key differentiator for businesses. AI plays a pivotal role in this domain by enabling businesses to personalize interactions with customers. Leveraging AI-driven analysis, organizations can understand individual customer preferences, behaviours, needs, and engagement patterns to segment customers. This enables businesses to hyper-personalized product recommendations and tailored marketing campaigns to individual customers.

By delivering personalized experiences, businesses can foster increased customer loyalty, satisfaction, ultimately leading to increased revenue and brand advocacy.

Predictive Analytics: Anticipating the Future

Traditional business analysis often focuses on historical data, providing a retrospective view of performance. However, in today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations must be forward-thinking and anticipate future trends and challenges. AI-driven predictive analytics enables just that. By analysing historical data, market trends, and external factors through sophisticated predictive models, AI can forecast future trends, demand patterns, identify potential risks, and anticipate changing customer preferences empowering organizations to make proactive decisions.

Armed with these insights, businesses can proactively adapt their strategies, pre-emptively address challenges, seize new opportunities as they arise and can stay ahead of the curve and gaining a competitive edge.

Improving Fraud Detection and Risk Management

In an increasingly interconnected world and increasing digitization of business processes, cybersecurity threats and fraudulent activities have become major concerns for organizations. AI excels in detecting anomalies and patterns indicative of fraudulent activities. AI-driven fraud detection models can learn from historical data to identify suspicious patterns and flag potential fraudulent transactions promptly.

Additionally, AI-powered risk management tools can assess and mitigate risks, helping businesses safeguard their assets and maintain trust with customers and stakeholders.

Conclusion: Unlocking New Horizons of Success

Embracing AI in business analysis is no longer an option; it’s a necessity for organizations that aspire to thrive in today’s dynamic market. From data-driven decision-making and process automation to personalized customer experiences and predictive analytics, AI’s impact on business analysis is undeniable.

As business analysts and leaders, embracing AI unlocks new horizons of success, driving growth, innovation, and efficiency. It’s time to seize the transformative power of AI and shape the future of our businesses with confidence and enthusiasm. So, let us embark on this exciting journey of AI-driven business analysis and embark on a path of unrivalled success.

Best of BATimes: 10 Steps to Transition from Your Current Job to an Amazing BA Career

Written by Ananya Pani on August 3, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Over the years, professionals wanting to pursue a career in business analysis have been seeking my advice.

A few of the questions posed to me:

“How do I launch my career as a business analyst?”
“How do I switch over to BA role? “
“Is it possible to move to a business analyst position for someone working as a sales engineer?”
“Is it possible to become a business analyst without having BA experience?”
“How can I take up a career as a business analyst? I am currently working in freight forwarding and operations.”
“I’m working as a software developer since last 3 years and planning to change my career to be a business analyst. Where should I start from?”
“Can I become a business analyst after BBA?”

My response to them is that in the field of business analysis, business experience, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, counts. This is because Business Analysis is not restricted to a particular field but in most cases, cuts across diverse fields.

If you are a self-motivated professional with strong analytical skill, have excellent written and verbal communication skills plus the ability to work well with employees at all levels of an organization, a business analyst position is a great fit for you.

Business Analysis is one of the fastest-growing professions with an all-time high growth rate of 14%, while the average growth of any profession is 5%, as per the US Bureau of labor statistics.

Here’s a data insight from SEEK on the job opportunities for BAs and how the job market is trending:

Business Analysis is a career which is filled with a good balance and proportion of leadership skills along with technology exposure. It makes one step out of their comfort zone and realize their full potential while performing the role. It’s challenging as well as rewarding at the same time. This is one of the careers that puts one to a High Growth Path Leading to a C Suite Role.

Business Analyst is a role where one can contribute to the organization’s strategy, its offerings, its revenue, and its margin. A ‘Business Analyst’ helps the business to grow and become more efficient, organized, and more successful.

Business analysts, understand the problems and goals of an enterprise, analyze needs and solutions, devise change strategies, drive change, collaborate with stakeholders and also advise organizations on improving efficiency, finances, and various other aspects of business.

A business analyst works in a multifaceted world. In order to meet all the business needs a business analyst has to act as a mediator, moderator, facilitator, connector, and ambassador. They are the bridge that fills in the gap between each department throughout every step of development. Business analysts must be great verbal and written communicators, tactful diplomats, problem solvers, thinkers, and analyzers – with the ability to engage with stakeholders to understand and respond to their needs in rapidly changing business environments.

In short, a BA is the backbone of the growth and advancement of the organization.

The image below talks about a few professions from where it is easier to foray into the business analyst profession.

Having said this, crossing over to the land of business analysis demands you to learn and hone new skills and tools.

So, here are some steps, that will help a professional to carve the path to a successful and rewarding business analysis career

1. Learn the basics of business

The very first step to understand is how businesses run and what they do. One also needs to have a good background of the various functions of the organization and how directly/indirectly serve the internal as well as external customers. A good starting point would be to go through the generic process classification framework provided by APQC. You can download the free personal version of the APQC process classification framework from the APQC. It also would be a good idea to read up basic books on business strategy, marketing, finance, HR, and operations.

2. Learn the business analysis process

Like any other activity, Business Analysis also follows a process. The best resource, which is available free, is the Business Analysis Core Standard from IIBA. It is a fairly short document of about 50 pages but is very informative. It will give you a good idea about how business analysis is actually performed.

3. Develop behavioral skills

As a business analyst, one must learn how to interact with a sponsor, Domain SME, End users, and all other business-side stakeholders including suppliers. This requires honing one’s skills in behavioral aspects. Key skills for business analysis are communication, stakeholder interaction, active listening skills, facilitation, conflict resolution, creative thinking, etc.
Behavioral skills are very essential for a BA and the best way to hone these skills is to practice it extensively.

4. Learn requirements modeling tools and management tools

Business analysts use many tools as part of their work. Some of the popular tools are business process modeling, state modeling, and use case modeling. Download the trial version of Microsoft Visio. This tool is very popular with most organizations. You can also learn other free tools such as Lucid chart, BizAgi Business process modeler.

Here’s an opportunity to access BA books and tools to practice- https://www.adaptiveus.com/adaptive-inner-circle/.

Image curtsey: MCAL Global

5. Learn the domain of the organization/domain of your interest

There are good resources available on the internet almost on all domains and maybe within your own organization. Another good advice we suggest is to look for a handbook on your domain. For example, if you are in the retail domain, look for a book by the name Handbook of retail. Go through the handbook, you will get a fairly good idea about how retail domain functions. When you understand your domain and you understand your organization, your stakeholders’ acceptance for you as a business analyst will increase manifold.

6. Participate in professional groups, conferences on business analysis

There are many professional groups, virtual and physical conferences on business analysis. Participate in these events to understand how business analysis is changing, what are the trends in business analysis and how you can bring new business analysis concepts to your organization.
Become an IIBA member, join their events, volunteer for the local events and chapters. This not only opens new doors for you but also expands your professional network and experience.

7. Use stepping stones: Explore roles which are gateways to business analysis

Find mid-position careers between your current job and the job of a business analyst. Roles such as business process analyst, reporting analyst, customer support analyst – such roles teach you certain aspects of business and make you ready to be BA. Keep taking small jumps – in a few years, you will find yourself in your dream role.

8. Get yourself certified

Along with a degree and experience, getting a Business Analyst certification carries a lot of weight with organizations and also helps the candidate to acquire the requisite knowledge and meet their professional goal. Certification can improve overall performance, remove uncertainty, and widen market opportunities. A certified business analyst has a broader perspective of the BA techniques and approaches. It also shows commitment, as preparing for these certifications and clearing the exam is not an easy task. Organizations also recognize individuals for the hard work and commitment which the candidate has put into it.

For those who are making a foray into the business analysis domain, ECBA certification from IIBA is a good choice. ECBA not only gives a rock-solid foundation for getting into the BA profession but also helps with global certification. The ECBA certification does not call for any eligibility criteria in terms of education and covers aspects related to requirements elicitation, requirements analysis, and management, stakeholder management, techniques used by BAs, etc.

It is strongly recommended that you undergo proper training from a seasoned BA coach. This will help increase your chances of passing in the very first attempt and in the shortest possible time. My organization Adaptive US (adaptiveus.com) is an EEP with IIBA and has helped scores of professionals get ECBA certified and step into a successful BA career.

For more details- ECBA Training

9. Start from within your organization

Upon completing the training and certification, you can utilize your newfound learning and experience in your industry/domain to start looking for opportunities within your current organization.

The first thing to do will be to look for possibilities for an internal transfer. Discuss your career goals with your manager and seek opportunities to practice BA skills/techniques. Show interest, gather knowledge, and be proactively involved in the requirements gathering and documentation process. Shadowing the business analyst for a particular project in your organization would allow you to practice the concepts that you have learned.

If finding an opportunity with the current organization is not possible, you could update your resume accordingly to highlight your ‘functional knowledge’ in your industry/domain, along with your certification details. Showcase how your past experience qualifies you for business analysis roles and how your profile is enhanced with the ECBA training and certification you have completed.

10. Learn to network and leverage it

If you wish to climb higher in your career, you need the right push. Sometimes, this push comes from those you are surrounded with. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are experts or passionate about their BA jobs, learn from their experiences, share your thoughts and ideas, identify opportunities and devise strategies on how you can advance in your career.

Many times, we are limited by our mindset and comfort zone to switch careers, which prevents us from utilizing our full potential. Our minds get overwhelmed with “What-ifs” and we stay stuck in situations, which we want to overcome. However, there have been professionals who have shown the grit to change, took action in the right direction, and worked their way to reach where they wanted to. What is inspiring is that they have been very successful too.

A good business analyst is one of the best assets that an organization can have. Having a good and competent BA in the organization is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

So, plan ahead, learn & hone the skills needed and forge your way ahead with one of the fastest-growing and exciting professions.

Published on: 2020/11/04

Embracing AI in Business Analysis: A Guide for BAs

Written by Arunabh Satpathy on July 26, 2023. Posted in Articles.

Artificial Intelligence in business analysis is fast becoming the next big evolution of the BA practice. It acts as a superpower to enhance decision-making, automate repetitive tasks, free up time for strategic work.

BAs add value to organizations that AI cannot replace, like problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. But with increasing competition in companies, BAs can use an assistant like artificial intelligence to do more with less. This article covers the growing influence of AI in business analysis and how you can thrive as a business analyst in the age of generative AI.

AI in Business Analysis: A Growing Field

Business analytics powered by AI can detect patterns, anomalies, and deviations and raises them for review by business analysts.

Business analysts are embracing AI/ML tools to make more informed decisions and improve their competitive advantage. Tools like Tableau, Power BI, and others increasingly have a significant AI component

BA coaches have also begun thinking and producing content on how to use AI tools like ChatGPT for business analysis.

The growth of AI tools has also led to an increasing push for human oversight over AI. For instance, the European Commission has proposed a regulation the stipulates how high-risk AI systems like facial recognition algorithms should be created with human oversight in the loop.

Developing regulations like these will affect downstream industries like business analysis in due time.

AI-enhanced Business Analysts

The most beneficial way to deal with the rise of AI is to enhance your existing skill set using it. Generative AI tools can also lead to happier and more productive workers.

Here are some ways you can adapt to the changing reality:

Know your Core BA Skills

As recently as May 2023, Forbes recognized six core business analysis skills:

Analysis: Parsing large amounts of complex data and recommending solutions.
Communication: Active listening and clear delivery of data in verbal and written form.
Interpersonal: Working effectively with stakeholders and teams within client organizations.
Problem-solving: Creative solving of unique client issues.
Time Management: Prioritizing tasks and getting the job done quickly.

AI can do parts of these tasks for you, but none fully. For instance, an AI-based requirements management tool can help you analyze and write requirements based on raw data, but only with your approval. But it fails at active listening, stakeholder engagement, or creative problem solving.

Without human oversight, AI can be ineffective or even counterproductive. Business analysts can excel through expert management of AI tools and ensure that AIs output aligns with the goals of the organization.

Another core skill that AIs cannot compete is an up-to-date understanding of the industry. BAs with domain knowledge can spot problems and suggest fixes before a project reaches the development team. They have the knowledge and connections to understand market conditions and protocols beyond what is available on AI databases.

Strategies for developing industry domain expertise include:

Researching the history, current situation, and prospects of the industry.
Learning market-specific protocols. For example, ASPICE is a key automotive regulation.
Competitive analysis.
Asking questions to other domain experts.

Enhance Your Data Management and Analysis Skills

According to Peter Sondergaard, the SVP and Global Head of Research at Gartner, “Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.” Analytical skills help BAs generate high quality outcomes that meet business needs.

In practical terms, you need to have a combination of the following data analytics skills to position you as a high-value and competitive BA candidate:

Data Literacy: Familiarity with data language, types, sources, and analytical tools.
Data Collection: Knowing how to collect unbiased and reliable data through various methods.
Statistical Analysis: Knowing statistical terms and techniques like hypothesis testing, linear regression, and p-values to extract insights.
Data Visualization: Presenting data honestly to communicate insights.

Learn to Work with AI Tools

A recent survey by Gartner showed that 70 percent of U.S. workers want to use AI to reduce some common tiresome and repetitive tasks.

The top task that workers hoped AI would automate is data processing. The demands of a business analyst already include many of these tasks and will do so in the future. Here’s how BAs can leverage AI tools for data processing:

Integration: Building “master lists” of data, like merging lists while retaining their integrity.
Classification: collecting, extracting, and structuring data from documents, photos, audio, video, and other media.
Cataloging: Organizing, cleaning, and retrieving data. SQL is already a key skill for data retrieval and OpenRefine helps with basic data cleaning.
Quality: Reducing errors, contradictions, or low quality in databases or requirements authoring.
Security: Keeping data safe from bad actors.
Compliance: Adhering to relevant industry-based or national compliance standards. E.g. ASPICE for automotive.

BAs should also learn how to interact with AI tools. Some tools have button-based interfaces, but others like ChatGPT use prompts. Engineer ing prompts will itself become a skill not dissimilar to making SQL queries. The right query may be the difference between an important insight and a dead end.

This collaborative approach to AI in business analysis will help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire organization. The MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group’s global executive survey found that companies combining AI and human abilities are best positioned to succeed.

These days, many tools help boost the productivity of BAs. Some staples like Tableau and Power BI have into their legacy offerings. Others have leveraged the to analyze, write, rewrite, and suggest requirements.

Adapt to Changing Roles and Responsibilities

Beyond working with AI tools, BAs will have to adapt and expand their skill sets to market realities. BAs can stay on top of things by:

Keeping up with cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, digital trust, and artificial intelligence.
Asking better questions about business needs, technology needs, and stakeholder satisfaction.
Considering hybrid roles that combine BA skills with related fields like statistics, data analysis, project management, and UX.
Enhancing soft skills. BAs who communication, critical thinking, negotiation, and collaboration skills can adapt and thrive in any environment.

The Future of Business Analysis is Bright

The fundamental role of the business analyst will be no less relevant in the near future. Somebody has to perform crucial tasks like business processes evaluation, problem identification, and more. Embracing the paradigm of new AI tools will only increase the productivity of BAs. Combined with their core BA toolkit, domain expertise, fluency in data management, and soft skills, business analysts can thrive and drive the success of their companies in the 2020s and beyond.