Basic Business Resources

Each day businesses call upon a business analyst to determine what must be done in order to accomplish a certain task. Each avenue must be explored and analyzed for a project proposal to be implemented. The project scope determines what the course of action may or may not be. Each person involved must answer to another until management is satisfied all has been done to rectify the situation. Everything stays on task. The project as a whole is coming together. Teams are co-ordinating with each other to apply the objective into the code. It is all going according to plan. At the end, it all falls apart. Nothing is as it seems. The project has failed to accomplish what it set out to do. The business analyst is hung out to dry. Every finger points to him or her. In actuality it is not the fault of the analyst.

It was a joint effort from the beginning. When the problem was recognized as such and something needed to be done is when the business analyst came into the scope of things. Management said get it done. IT said it is done. Low end said it just isn’t what we need anymore. So what happened? The first thing is failing to disclose all information necessary do make a proper assessment of the situation.

A business analyst is not a mushroom. You can not keep them in the dark. They have to know the in’s and out’s of the company. He or she must be aware of the company vision or end goal. A few facts and figures just will not do the job. Disclosure can close the project tighter than a drum.

Acting as the liaison between departments and upper management, the business analyst must gather data from everyone involved in the project. When someone feels they do not want to be a team player this can cause a disruption in the scheme of things. Each team was delegated a task. Upstarts who think they know what is the end result and rush to meet the goal, may find themselves dead wrong. However there are times when up and coming management leaders do the same thing. Instead of looking at the big picture and realizing all the intricate parts are necessary, they view a segment as the solution. This can only lead to failure. Communication is the key to success.

If someone does have a better plan, a good business analyst will listen to the idea. He or she may find it a viable solution for one aspect of the entire project. Unless the business analyst is told of the idea it can go unused or worse yet misconstrued as the proper solution. Communication is most commonly the reason projects fail.

The business analyst is what holds the project together. He or she is what makes the teams work together as teams. The analyst is the one who takes all the pieces of the puzzle and puts it together so the end result is success. Think of the business analyst as the nails in a house. When you do not use nails to hold it all together you wind up with nothing more than kindling.

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There are times when a company must hire a business analyst. When searching from an outside source there are certain things an employer should determine when hiring the perfect business analyst. Some of these suggestions are common sense. Other items listed may be overlooked in the desperation to find a qualified business analyst.

The first question one should always ask is “What do you know about our company?”. This is a key question in the interview process. You will want someone who is familiar with what your company does. He or she should know what products you manufacture or services you provide. Being familiar with your industry makes it easier for you and the business analyst to understand each other. He or she will know exactly what you are expecting without much training.

When hiring a business analyst another question to ask is “How much experience do you have with this type of project?”. You will want someone who has been there before. You want to know the business analyst you are hiring will be able to handle the pressure needed to get the job done.

Hiring a business analyst means knowing the type of person you are interviewing. This is not an easy task. First impressions may not always be right. You are looking for someone who is creative. He or she will be able to think on their feet. Find out what their main short term goals are. Someone who says they hope to be starting their own consultant group is probably one who is not planning to stay long. You will want to have someone who can start the project and see it through to completion. There are times this may take several years.

Another attribute to look for when hiring a business analyst is team player capabilities. Someone who confesses to being a loner may not work well with others. He or she may bring an attitude to the table you just do not want. Watch for indications of self assurance but not self absorption. Hiring a business analyst means finding someone who is friendly and easy going. One who is not shy or submissive. You are not looking for a yes man. You are looking for someone to tell you if a solution will work or if it will fail.

When hiring a business analyst ask for worse case and best case scenarios from past experience. Listen carefully to the response. Did they make reference to who was to blame for any failures or shortcomings? Someone who puts the blame on everyone else is someone you do not want in your organization. There is usually enough of that going around for everyone. Someone who is able to stand and say they made a mistake or did not do everything to avoid the failure is an honest person people will trust. This is someone others will respect. It will be easier to introduce a new player into the team if others can trust them.

The best thing to do when hiring a business analyst is to first determine what attributes you are looking for. List qualifications second. Third is the experience. This will be a guideline for hiring the perfect business analyst to do the job.

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The lack of proper education can be a major drawback for someone breaking into the business world. Many people study business management and other business related courses. There are many diplomas issued each year to hopeful business prospects. When it comes to being a business analyst all the rules change. Although a degree can be helpful, it is not necessary. Experience is the key to success when it comes to a business analyst.

Many great business analysts did not even go to college. If they did it was not in the field of business but technology. A business analyst can earn a degree. There are certification classes one can take to hold the title of certified business analyst. Most have learned from experience not from books.

A good business analyst is one who has prior experience in the business world with trouble shooting. They will be able to assess a business proposal or project and determine needs from data gathered. A book or white paper may not tell a business analyst what needs assessments to to prepare. Only experience can do that in certain businesses.

To better understand what degree a business analyst must have consider it only takes 8 weeks to become a certified business analyst. 2 months of study can explain what the job description is and how to implement it. When you put it in those terms, it may be a little unnerving to some. Those 8 weeks are crammed with information straight from a text book. The real world is slightly different.

A good business analyst is going to understand the concept of code. He or she is going to know there is something amiss when they start researching the problems reported by management. There may be simple solutions which only require added code to justify the means. Other projects many require extensive analysis to determine where the problem lies and how to correct it. Someone with business savvy can figure it out. The problem lies in implementing the plan of action.

The reputable business analyst will be able to speak with management and other stakeholders to hear what problems and solutions have been ascertained. These issues may or may not be the root source of the conflict. The business analyst can determine this. He or she can weed through what management thinks is necessary information to glean the truth. He or she will be able to drop in on IT and see what their take on the problem is. The business analyst will also speak to other low end users who know more about the application of the program. This is where other departments fail in providing what works and what does not compute with real life scenarios.

Does someone need a degree or license to understand the issues of business? No. Does it help to have an understanding? Yes. It certainly looks good on a resume to list degrees and certifications. Past experience and a portfolio of solved issues will go farther than any framed paper.

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