What is Business analysis and where does the Business Analyst fit in?

According to the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) business analysis is the practise of enabling change in an organisational context, by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders.

A Business Analyst is the liaison among the different stakeholders that gains an understanding of the structure, policies and operations of an organisation in order to recommend solutions that enables the business to reach its objectives.

Important skills that is required to be an effective business analyst

· Analytical thinker

· excellent at all-round communication

· get a kick out of solving challenging problems

· great at building rapport with people at all levels of the organisation

· fast and enthusiastic learner

· persistent with a never say die attitude

· High level understanding of business and technology.

Why become a BA?

· Great potential for growth - This role is currently misunderstood and therefore underappreciated, this is changing as more companies realise the value of skilled business analysts.

· Low barriers to entry - there is currently no real standard to becoming a BA, this is slowly but surely changing as the IIBA is putting more structure and standards in place for this profession.

· Challenging Career - There is a whole list of skills that you need to excel at in order to be a good business analyst, this brings with it many challenging, but rewarding situations.

· Stepping stone to other careers - the skills that you acquire as a BA are very useful in a range of other roles and will empower you to move into higher profile roles in project management, business architecture and strategy.

In Conclusion, as the rate of change in the world increases at a remarkable rate and the level of competition increases, more companies are looking for skilled business analysts in an attempt to gain a competitive edge.

Truly exciting times to be in the business world.