Re-inventing Business Analysis: New skills?

Planning and Monitoring

By: Roma Chauhan

Industry Context
The IT profession needs to move from its traditional role of technical solution supplier to become a proactive business transformation partner.
Colin Thompson, BCS deputy chief executive and programme director for the BCS professionalism in IT programme. April 2006

(1) Outsourcing (2) IT Projects on their own not enough

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Re-cap of BA Role Definition

An internal consultancy role that has the responsibility for investigating business systems, identifying options for improving business systems and bridging the needs of the business with the use of IT.
From Business Analysis (2006), published by BCS.

Business

BA

Suppliers

Skills to be business transformation partner?

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Project Design
Assess characteristics & decide approach and resources needed to deliver business outcomes

Doing the right things

Strategic Fit
Business Strategy Technical (IS/IT) Strategy Meets Investment Criteria (Business Case)/priority

Doing things right

Selection of appropriate analysis approach & tools Right Resource Capabilities
You, Business Colleagues

Deciding the sourcing strategy & commercials

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Change Management
Past & current

IT CHANGE

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

Current? & future

IT CHANGE

BUSINESS CHANGE

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

Understanding Business Change

1. Culture 2. Desire 3. Capability 4. Process 5. Tools Five Change Levels New IT System New CEO Six Recruit Sigma Graduates

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

EI: Set of skills, including self-motivation, empathy and social competence in interpersonal relationships e.g.
Self Awareness Political Awareness Influence

As opposed to Mental Intelligence: Capacity to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas and language, and learn. Measured by Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

EI & IQ working together

Inspired. people are Joined up High Formula for transformation

Hearts

Hearts & Minds

Emotional Intelligence

Minds
Logically right. Good strategy Traditional position for IT projects High
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Low

Mental Intelligence

Requirements
The Requirements Planning Knowledge Area defines the resources and tasks associated with the planning and management of requirements gathering activities throughout the requirements process. The Business Analyst must define the requirements activities that will be performed and how those activities will be performed on a project, in accordance with any existing standards in the organization.
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Planning & Management

It includes identifying key roles, selecting requirements activities, managing the requirements scope and ongoing communication of the requirements gathering status. Proper planning and management of requirements gathering activities ensures the success of the requirements process and requirements deliverables.
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