What is the Scope of Business Analysis?

Information technology is used to solve problems and enhance business processes thereby adding value to the stakeholders. This holds true when the process is strongly designed, else the technology may result in new problems. In simple terms, information technology can deliver great value only when it is aligned with business needs ensuring this is the task of business analysis. 

The business operates under various constraints and there is always room for improvement by bringing changes. Business analysis is the practice that identifies what needs to be done to achieve the desired change or goal. For this, business analysts need to be well aware of the structure, policies, and operations of an organization. The scenario today is completely different from the past decades, earlier the client requirements didn’t change much and there was a fixed process to develop a product. Conversely, today the technology is advancing at a fast pace and so are the requirements of clients becoming dynamic. So, business analysts have to become knowledgeable about these changing needs in terms of business processes and functions and then work with technical professionals to implement solutions and improve functions.   

Companies rely on specialists with business analyst certification to ensure that the candidates they want to hire have relevant BA skills. This article lets you understand the nuances of business analysis, what is its scope, and how can a Business Analyst certification help.      

What is a Business Analyst?

Business analysts are professionals responsible for evaluating business data with an aim to improve the decision-making processes of an organization. They collaborate with different stakeholders and find out best practices, goals, and other strategies that support changes to the organization’s work. By interacting closely with leaders, experts, and project managers, business analysts shape their understanding of the desired goals to achieve. 

Business analysts have a lot of career options to choose from. Every sector, be it finance and banking, IT, government agencies, telecommunications, retail, or manufacturing, needs smart BAs to solve prospective business problems. Most industries, however, do not have a fixed set of tasks defined for business analysts, and they may have to be a part of sales planning, requirement gathering, devising innovative solutions, or even operation scaling.     

Even the job roles related to business analysts may vary from one organization to the other.

Here are the related designations you’ll be eligible for as a BA:

• System analyst 
• Process analyst
• Product manager
• Requirements engineer
• Enterprise analyst
• Business architect
• Business intelligence analyst

Responsibilities of a Business Analyst

Here are the responsibilities you can expect to handle working as a BA for any organization:

• Understand existing business processes in depth which are related to project goals. 
• Find out if the strategy followed differs from the defined policy, procedures, and protocols.
• Work on multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize work accordingly.
• Ensure organizational improvements by providing strategies through data modeling practices.
• Clearly understand the client requirements and communicate them to various stakeholders and teams. 
• Analyze and communicate data as teams heavily rely on evaluations and recommendations by BAs.
• Interact with business leaders regularly and update them regarding how the changes are impacting the organization’s goals.
• Monitor the research, design, and implementation of processes that require a higher level of technical understanding within the team.

Scope of Business Analysis

The growth of business analysis is poised to have an excellent outlook. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) has highlighted a BA Times survey that the number of job openings for business analysts in the US would grow by 364,000 to reach 2,720,000 by 2020. A similar trend is expected to be seen in other countries as well. 

Moreover, if reports from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018 are to be believed, the employment of management analysts (which includes business analysts) is predicted to grow 14% from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for other job roles. 

As companies continue to be serious about Return on Investment (ROI), business analysts would continue to play a critical role as they have a dual business and IT focus. One of the major factors, why business analysts would continue to be in high demand, is the fact that their job cannot be automated. Most of the companies are planning to execute their digital transformation strategy which would further drive the demand for skilled BAs. By designing information systems that execute the strategy defined by an organization, such professionals can facilitate digital transformation.   

One who gains around three to five years of experience in this field can become eligible for senior levels like IT business analyst, senior business analyst, or product manager. With further experience, you become capable of handling more complex projects and work as Chief Technology Officer or progress through more ambitious management levels. 

Earn a Business Analyst Certification 

If the information provided in this article has encouraged you to move ahead in the field of business analysis, then why not get certified and benchmark your skills. As a BA, the best certification body that is highly regarded by companies all over the world is IIBA. It is an industry leader that focuses on verifying real-world BA knowledge and skills by offering various certifications. 

Some of the popular ones are:

• Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)
• Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA)
• Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)

As these are industry-recognized certifications, professionals usually don’t take this opportunity lightly and often go for training programs. Passing the IIBA exams isn’t easy and if you are a working professional, then online business analyst training programs are best suited for you. So, search for a reliable eLearning provider and start your BA journey.