The business analyst is located between two worlds: the business world and the computer world. Its tasks constantly interact between these two poles. Business analysts ask the right questions. He must know the hypotheses, the constraints, the essence of business needs, functional and non-functional requirements, but also, target the client's objectives. So let's look at the role of the business analyst in IT projects.

Who is the business analyst?

He is first and foremost a specialist. He has the mandate to assess the problem before focusing on possible solutions, regardless of the client's eagerness. Indeed, the latter often tends to favor the solution to the problem. You can imagine that, in the medium or long term, this is a choice that will lead to a predictable backlash.

Through his expertise, the business analyst is the ally of users. He puts his know-how at the service of users by precisely determining the business field in which they operate. The role of the business analyst is also to create a climate of collaboration and personal development in his team. He is a generalist who has the necessary tools to carry out his mission successfully.

The role of the business analyst: choosing the right working method

The business analyst must fully understand the business field in which the client operates. This understanding of the client's needs and requirements will allow them to choose the right work model at the right time. Whether in iterative, waterfall, or agile mode, each of these methods contains its own deliverables. That is, the content remains approximately the same, but the way to achieve its goals is different.

A business analyst who develops IT systems refers primarily to the study of functions and data. This depends on the user's practice (the actions taken by the user in the system). Most of the tools used by the specialist make it possible to determine the rules, but also the constraints and expectations of the system. To reach its target, it uses several project management methods:

Iterative mode

Iterative mode is an algorithmic process that consists in delivering the parts of a system at regular intervals. This method uses “iterations.” It is a succession of activities during which the analysis of needs and the activities that will lead to approximate solutions are determined. These solutions will gradually develop the final product.

Agile mode (Agile Manifesto)

Based on an iterative development cycle, the agile method contains many of the artifacts of the previous mode. While the focus is on the ability to adapt to requirements and their fluctuations, the principles remain the same. The names are changing, but it's still essentially about being able to describe what the user is doing with the system.

Waterfall mode

Step after step, the waterfall mode is composed of a succession of steps, each development phase of which must be validated before moving on to the next. Acceptance determines the rest of the project. Less fashionable than the agile method, waterfall development, particularly intended for large-scale projects, offers a precise vision of implementation deadlines.

Understanding the present to better understand the future

Intervening on a project requires understanding the business situation before thinking of solutions. It is not recommended to consider the future without first considering the current business process. Each client, each user has its particularities that the business analyst must decipher in order to find out how to adapt and maximize the tool.

The key is to involve the customer and to be attentive to their needs so that they express and confide their expectations. The role of the business analyst is also to investigate and develop different scenarios and their effects. It also intervenes in systems to look for exceptions and limitations.

What is a good business analyst?

A good business analyst is a specialist who wants to analyze problems to find solutions. He must have the necessary business and information technology skills. He knows how to communicate technical concepts to a non-technical audience. The business analyst shows leadership by interacting between the client and the IT team. He speaks the same language, interprets what they are going to say, understands the limits and constraints of the system, etc.

Its ultimate challenge is to get the customer to consider the appropriate solution without neglecting the source of the problem. This will avoid the case where, by focusing on the solution at the expense of the real problem, the latter will not have been solved.