Thought You Knew All About The Business Analyst Role? Do You?
Unveiling the Enigma of Business Analysts in Agile and Project Management
Have you ever wondered why the Business Analyst role is prevalent in many projects but noticeably absent from the Agile and project management knowledge area?
In this article, I’ll explore the diverse roles of business analysts I’ve encountered in the workplace, shedding light on their various responsibilities. The subsequent sections draw from my personal experiences, but I encourage you to share your thoughts and comments within this article. Your input is highly valued.
The connection between Business Analysis and Project Management resembles the relationship between a Product and a Project. [1]
In the Project Management Institute’s business analyst guide, here are the distinctions between Business Analysis and Project Management below. [1]
Definition
- Business Analysis: Encompass activities aimed at delivering valuable solutions to the organization,
- Project Management: Involve techniques for projecting activities to fulfill project requirements
Focus
- Business Analysis: Solution
- Project Management: Project
Scope
- Business Analysis: Product Scope
- Project Management: Project Scope
Roles
- Business Analysis: Identify business needs and propose solutions through the creation of detailed product requirements
- Project Management: Oversee the project team to ensure the achievement of project objectives [1]
Success
- Business Analysis: Degree of customer satisfaction and achievement of business objectives
- Project Management: Product and project quality, timeline, budget, and customer satisfaction
Now you see the points. This clarifies why the role of a business analyst is not typically covered in the curriculum of project management and Agile. These methodologies primarily focus on project management rather than product management.
Business Analyst Plays the Key Role in Projects
Established organizations with advanced business analysis practices acknowledge that business analysis significantly contributes to their success and offers a competitive edge. Research has validated that a notably higher proportion of these well-established organizations rate themselves as superior compared to their industry peers.
These are the various types of Business Analysts I’ve encountered during my professional journey.
Type 1: Business Analyst as a Product Owner
In Agile projects, the Business Analyst often plays a central role. To understand this role better, let’s begin by exploring the project life cycle of Agile projects.
The Business Analyst collaborates with stakeholders, often referred to as Requirement Owners, to gather and document project requirements. The diagram below illustrates the position of the Business Analyst in this process.
The Business Analyst takes on the role of a Product Owner, responsible for prioritizing items in the product backlog and addressing questions related to required features. During sprint planning sessions, the BA actively participates in planning user stories for each sprint, aligning them with the development team’s velocity.
Type 2: Business Analyst as a Scrum Master
The second type of Business Analyst is commonly found in Agile projects as well. This type of BA possesses strong technical skills, enabling them to translate project requirements into actionable features that the development team can effectively work on. This BA takes on the role of a Scrum Master, while the Product Owner serves as the primary contact representing the business where requirements originate.
In addition to their technical proficiency, The BA oversees the project’s progress and removes obstacles by proactively addressing any challenges encountered by the development team. They also play a critical role in risk management, anticipating potential risks and leveraging their analytical skills to deliver preemptive solutions that minimize losses.
Type 3: Business Analyst as a Representative for PMO
This type of Business Analyst is a versatile role applicable to various project methodologies, including Agile, traditional, or Hybrid projects. In this context, medium to large-sized companies or corporations often maintain a dedicated Project Management Office (PMO) department responsible for overseeing projects, ensuring adherence to company guidelines, and safeguarding project budgets, scopes, and schedules.
The Business Analyst in this role operates independently from the Scrum or development teams, focusing on analyzing project governance and risks at a higher strategic level. Their responsibilities encompass creating Target Operation Models (TOMs), defining RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrices, developing product roadmaps, and more. Consequently, this type of Business Analyst functions as a coordinator, collaborating closely with Portfolio Managers, Program Managers, or Project Managers within the Project Management Office.
Conclusion
As evident, a Business Analyst plays a crucial role by offering support and active involvement in every facet of a project, whether it adheres to Agile or traditional methodologies. The individual taking on Business Analyst responsibilities should possess adaptability and a thorough understanding of the diverse roles they may be required to fulfill within the given framework.
The definition of the Business Analyst’s role cannot be overly rigid. External factors, such as the unique characteristics of the company, its stakeholders, the industry domain, and the project’s scope, also influence the characterization of the Business Analyst’s responsibilities. This role remains adaptable and undergoes a transformation in alignment with the specific project’s nature and the skillsets of the team members.
Reference:
[1] Project Management Institute (2017), The PMI Guide to Business Analysis, Project Management Institute.
[2] I. Alexander & L. Beus-Dukic (2009), Discovering requirements: How to specify products and services, Wiley.
[3] J. Fewell, M. Jack, D. Prior, P. Rosado, & B. Tarne (2009), Challenges in implementing agile project management. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2009 — EMEA, Amsterdam, North Holland, The Netherlands., Project Management Institute.
