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what is a business analyst??

S

Semidevil

Diamond Member
2 questions here.

my company's internal job posting website has a position for a business analyst I postion. The description doesn't really specify what it requires, only lists the following:

Serves as a liaison between the Business and IT to provide solution to their business needs; Understands customers? objectives, processes, and products as well as the business systems capabilities; Performs impact analysis of making changes to application systems and supports development of effort/cost estimates; Develops and documents functional specifications; Supports application testing, implementation, and training activities

Performs impact analysis of application changes across various components, holding an end-to-end view of the system

· Defines project scope; Develops functional specifications; Prepares Preliminary Systems Design document

· Understands customers? objectives, processes, and products in order to make educated recommendations

· Acts as liaison between Business and IT, as assigned

· Supports the Application Subject Matter Experts in development of estimates / validation of suppliers? estimates

· Supports application testing, implementation, and training activities

· Performs quality review checks on project deliverables.

So is it a position that a computer science major would do?? writing code and stuff?? It doesn't really mention the pre-requesites.

any business analysts here? what do you do? what kind of background do you need?
 
Analyze business functions, tell IT what systems they need to implement to improve business functions, rinse, repeat.
 
One thing they can do is translates business logic into something that makes sense for software developers

or, they can evaluate IT projects from a business perspective and make a decision if it's warranted.

Basically waste money. 😛
 
so is this something that is technical and that requires knowledge of programming? or is it more of a generic job where most anyone can be qualified??


 
Originally posted by: Semidevil
so is this something that is technical and that requires knowledge of programming? or is it more of a generic job where most anyone can be qualified??
Click to expand...

It's not as technical as a pure IT job, but there are some technical aspects of it. It all depends on the job though. Where I work, an analyst is expected to do some development.
 
Business analyst is a pretty general term that could mean almost anything from secretary to really important behind the scenes person.

"Serves as a liaison between the Business and IT to provide solution to their business needs."

That line suggests to me that you would be talking to both business people and IT people and trying to make sure both sides have the info they need to complete projects efficiently.
 
Bob Slydell: What would you say ya do here?

Tom Smykowski: Well look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
 
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Bob Slydell: What would you say ya do here?

Tom Smykowski: Well look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
Click to expand...

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
Originally posted by: FreshPrince
in another words, what the PM should be doing, but too lazy to do.
Click to expand...

No.

PM's and BSA's are two entirely different positions. PM's are for projects. BSA's are for day to day functioning, but may be involved in projects.
 
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Bob Slydell: What would you say ya do here?

Tom Smykowski: Well look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
Click to expand...

Yep. That pretty much sums up the BA position. :laugh:
 
The posting sounds a lot like what I do.

You do not write code. You do not even see code. You do not perform unit testing.

This is a position that companies have for people who can explain complex systems to internal business owners using lay person's terms. Most business units are thoroughly incapable of drafting a tightly-worded specification document or of understanding the logic flow of a system to allow for proper testing of all downstream effects of any feature change.

Some of the things that I do:

The business unit comes to me with a suggestion for a change to an existing system or a suggestion for the implementation of a new system. 99.9% of the time they will not initially give me any reasons for why they want the change, nor will they explain what the benefits of the new system will be.

I will pry the actual reason for their request from the business unit to determine if their functional suggestion is even really a fix for the issue that they are having (a good percentage of the time, the "solution" they want implemented will not actually help).

I will work with several other groups to determine what other systems are affect by the system in which the change is requested to be made.

I will then work with all affected groups to help develop a solution that will result in less work overall instead of just shuttling work from one department to another, or worse, increasing the total overall amount of work done by the company as a whole.

Once a solution has been identified, I will write up specifications for internal IT to follow from a functional perspective (i.e. I specify how the system will work, I do NOT make coding recommendations, my function is simply to describe, as precisely as possible, what functions the finished product will perform, which users will have access to those functions, etc).

I work internally and with vendors to help determine project timelines and ensure that issues are escallated to appropriate channels when estimates are not met.

I compile a list of all test scenarios and write test scripts to cover those scenarios and ensure that both new and pre-existing features are operating properly prior to full launch, as well as testing the downstream systems to ensure that no current functionality is affected.

I run the functional testing and maintain a defect log while keeping in touch with either our internal IT department or external vendors (depending on where the application is being developed) to ensure that all defects found in testing are being worked.

I coordinate with the business to facilitate user acceptance testing as well.

I also have other minor responsibilities that vary from assignment to assignment.

Basically, it is a position that requires a person who is able to quickly and thoroughly understand the logic flows of a system and still be able to explain the system to non-technical business partners while at the same time managing the reaction of those business partners to prevent panic. It's heavy on both technical savvy and on people skills.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Originally posted by: FreshPrince
in another words, what the PM should be doing, but too lazy to do.
Click to expand...
No.

PM's and BSA's are two entirely different positions. PM's are for projects. BSA's are for day to day functioning, but may be involved in projects.
Click to expand...
A PM, without a BA, is ultimately worthless. A BA, without a PM, is ultimately unemployed.

The BA keeps the grunt work of the project moving, the PM keeps the higher-ups happy about the project so that it continues to be assigned the resources that it needs. PMs handle a lot more of the people skills and tend to have a more general view, which they need to perform their functions. The relationships are symbiotic.

ZV
 
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: vi_edit
Originally posted by: FreshPrince
in another words, what the PM should be doing, but too lazy to do.
Click to expand...
No.

PM's and BSA's are two entirely different positions. PM's are for projects. BSA's are for day to day functioning, but may be involved in projects.
Click to expand...
A PM, without a BA, is ultimately worthless. A BA, without a PM, is ultimately unemployed.

The BA keeps the grunt work of the project moving, the PM keeps the higher-ups happy about the project so that it continues to be assigned the resources that it needs. PMs handle a lot more of the people skills and tend to have a more general view, which they need to perform their functions. The relationships are symbiotic.

ZV
Click to expand...

Just goes to show you how generic of a description "BSA" is. For us, *maybe* 20% of a BSA's job is to be part of an actual project. The other 80% is filtering change requests and fixes between IT and business. It's much more maintenance than it is progressive projects.
 
Originally posted by: tfinch2

translates business logic into something that makes sense for software developers

evaluate IT projects from a business perspective and make a decision if it's warranted.
Click to expand...

 
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