Towson University’s Outreach Blog

Lisa

I enjoyed reading Raquel’s blog on what Economists do all day, and decided to take this opportunity to shed some light on my own profession, Business Analysis.

Often when I tell someone that I’m a Business Analyst I get a glazed look, a polite smile (or is it a grimace?) and a quick change of subject, as if the details might be too painful to pursue. Occasionally a brave soul will ask me “What does that actually mean?”

An “Official” Definition

According to the International Institute of Business Analysis,  “A business analyst works as a liaison among stakeholders in order to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems.”

But what do Business Analysts really DO?

Basically, we work closely with our customers to document their current business processes and information systems, identify areas needing improvement, provide recommendations and help to implement solutions.  We do this in a variety of ways that are tailored to meet the needs of the specific business.

Details, please?

• We write Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that describe, step by step, how a given process is accomplished from start to finish.  An organization might have many hundreds of business processes so this can be a fairly daunting task.
• We write policy and procedure manuals that may include SOPs, policy statements, diagrams, training materials and any other documentation necessary to the business.
• We write software requirements that specify the details needed to enhance an existing system or develop a new system.
• We write and execute test plans to ensure that a system that is being modified or implemented meets the stated requirements.
• We write system documentation to provide specific technical information about a system that can be used for a variety of purposes including troubleshooting, maintenance, planning and auditing.
• We write strategic plans to help organizations plan for the future by setting goals and developing strategies to achieve those goals.
• We write training manuals to provide instruction on the use, administration and maintenance of specific systems.
• We write workflow analyses to identify strengths and weaknesses of business or system processes and propose solutions for improving efficiency and effectiveness.

As you can see, we write … a lot.  We also do research, gathering and analyzing the information needed to produce all of this documentation. We brainstorm all the time, and we communicate regularly with our customers, facilitating interview and review sessions, conducting status meetings, asking and answering questions, and presenting the results of our efforts.

Ok, so it may not be the most glamorous job, but if you’re a bit of a geek, it’s all good.  Business Analysts get to meet lots of interesting people and find out what THEY do all day.  It’s fascinating to learn the inner workings of a variety of businesses. And it’s certainly rewarding to provide such a valuable service to our customers, who appreciate the importance of what we do but often lack the resources or expertise to do it themselves.

Many years ago when I told my brother that I was a Business Analyst he laughed out loud and exclaimed “Is that even a REAL job?”

On behalf of Business Analysts everywhere, I am happy to say that not only is it a REAL job, it’s a GREAT job!