Young BA course: Who is a business analyst? Business analyst: responsibilities, career and professional prospects A business analyst must know legislative

Business Analyst Responsibilities

Greetings. One of my friends, Fedor, considers himself a genius in various financial and economic matters. But he’s been out of work for three years now, and he proves all his knowledge to his neighbor on the site during drunken get-togethers in the kitchen.

I tried to help him somehow and found a place where he could try to express himself. A new company has opened and offers a position for a business analyst.

I decided to prepare Fedor and told him about the responsibilities of a business analyst so that he understood the necessary requirements. I will share with you the nuances of such positions.

Career in IT: position Business Analyst

A business analyst is a specialist who investigates a customer’s problem, searches for a solution and formalizes its concept in the form of requirements, which developers will then focus on when creating a product.

According to the DOW, the average business analyst is 28 years old, has a salary of $1300-2500 and 3 years of work experience.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The main task of a business analyst is to identify the customer’s business problems and find the most effective solution. To do this, he must have knowledge in the subject area.

A business analyst works with requirements at all stages of the software development life cycle and constantly acts as an intermediary between the customer and the programming team.

The work of a business analyst includes the following stages:

Identify the customer’s needs, understand the problem he wants to solve.
Formulate a solution concept independently or with the help of a team.
Formulate the concept into a technical specification with specific requirements for the future product. For this purpose, various business analysis techniques are used - building models of processes and structures, user interface prototypes, use scenarios. At the same time, an accurate assessment of labor costs and duration of work is made.
Detail each requirement in the form of specifications.
Consult programmers and testers during product development, discuss controversial issues with the customer.

The range of tasks can be described in simple words: working with requirements. This involves both interaction with stakeholders on the customer side and with team members who are responsible for the solution development process.

In world practice, the career map of analysts looks like this. In Ukraine, not all projects require a dedicated analyst.

The opposite situation also happens, when an analyst additionally performs the duties of a project manager, quality specialist, or technical writer.

In large projects, the roles of Business Analyst and Systems Analyst are sometimes separated. The responsibilities of a Business Analyst include identifying the customer’s business goals, thinking through solution concepts and forming requirements.

The responsibilities of the System Analyst include formalization and specification of requirements, writing technical specifications at the level of functional requirements and software implementation.

The responsibilities of a business analyst include:

Analysis of the customer’s business needs;
Drawing up requirements for a future product (communication with stakeholders - developers, clients, end users);
Requirements analysis (application of various methodologies and notations - prototyping, questionnaires, surveys, brainstorming, analysis of existing documentation, competitors);
Analysis of problem areas and suggestions for improvement;
Formalization of requirements (dividing requirements into business, functional, non-functional, writing requirements specifications);
Requirements management (processing change requests, analyzing and describing the impact on existing requirements);
Translation of requirements between developers and clients.

An analyst can have good English, fluency and write perfect documentation.

But if he does not understand the subject area, cannot understand the customer and convey this to the developer, then his projects will fail.

A typical work day for a business analyst is:

Meetings with the project team and the customer;
Development of conceptual solutions;
Working with analysis tools: diagrams, diagrams, models, prototypes;
Working with requirements: collecting, writing technical specifications and specifications;
Consultations for developers and testers;
Study of standards.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of being a business analyst is the ability to gain insight: to understand what works, what parts it consists of, how they are connected and interact, and then describe complex things using simple but useful models.

Business analysts help different parties understand each other, resulting in an implementation that satisfies everyone.

Another plus is the importance and significance of the activity, since it is the results of the business analyst’s work that determine the progress of the project.

Disadvantages include difficulties in communicating with the customer, when it is not possible to convey good ideas or time and budget restrictions interfere.

Another complaint is the need to study large amounts of information in a short time. In addition to studying his project directly, a business analyst must constantly keep his finger on the pulse of new methodologies, approaches, and study the basic principles of new platforms.

How to become a business analyst and where to go next?

There are 2 ways of becoming:

An IT specialist who is closer to communication than writing code. Such an analyst will understand the development process, know the capabilities of the software, and understand what a developer needs to know to do quality work. However, he needs to separately acquire business knowledge in the area that is being automated.
A specialist without IT education who is a professional in a certain subject area. Such an analyst understands all the nuances of the business and speaks the same language with the customer. But he will have to figure out what exactly is subject to automation and what data developers need to work.

Analysts often grow out of testers. Specialists who have made this journey know the “inner kitchen” of IT and have the material to distinguish well-written requirements from poorly written ones.

For the work of a business analyst it is important:

know the methodology of collection, analysis and formalization;
know the subject area that needs to be analyzed;
understand the software life cycle according to various methodologies;
know the basics of programming, testing, algorithms, economics.

An analyst must get rid of the narrow-minded thinking of an IT specialist, be able to see the big picture, and notice shortcomings.

Attention!

The better he manages to go “beyond the boundaries,” the more successful his work will be.

As for personal qualities, it is necessary:

have analytical thinking;
easily understand an unknown area;
be able to analyze the current situation in comparison with the past;
be able to make decisions;
love and be able to learn;
have excellent communication skills;
be attentive to details;
express your thoughts clearly and clearly.

You need to be able to break down what you want to explain into simple components so that it is clear to absolutely everyone what the idea is.

The future analyst is required to understand software development processes, study the theory of business analysis and software requirements, have a good level of English, be able and willing to think, look from different angles and heights.

A general technical background is also desirable - either experience in IT, or a technical university.

Career prospects for a business analyst:

Improve as an analyst, master an ever-increasing range of analytical tasks.
Go deeper into the system component and become a Business or Enterprise Architect
Develop along the management ladder, project (Project manager -> Program Manager -> CTO) or business (Product manager).

The prospects are different. Become the head of the analytics department, become a qualified specialist, provide consulting services.

Even when starting your own business, it is necessary to analyze the profitability of the business. And in an already established business, it is necessary to analyze and predict the results of work.

Source: https://dou.ua/lenta/articles/business-analyst-position/

Profession business analyst

Business Analyst is a specialist whose task is to study in detail the structure of the company, identify problems and find ways to successfully resolve them.

For example, the functions of a business analyst may include financial analysis of an organization’s activities, automation of business activities, or the development of a new, more efficient business model, which includes optimizing processes and personnel work, reducing costs, increasing profits, etc.

The profession of a business analyst is highly paid, prestigious and promising.

Such specialists are in demand at large enterprises in various industries - mainly in the banking sector, construction, trade and mining industries, as well as in IT companies and the consulting industry.

History of the profession

The need to optimize and automate business processes arose about twenty years ago in Western Europe and the USA.

Globalization and the active spread of digital technologies have begun to dictate new business opportunities and created a shortage of qualified specialists capable of finding new ways to develop companies.

Responsibilities

Job responsibilities of a business analyst include:

collection, formalization and coordination of requirements with customers;
collection of information, description and modeling of business processes;
analysis of efficiency and development of proposals for process optimization;
documentation development;
preparation of a comparative analysis of the company’s activities;
Preparing presentations for management and customers.

Requirements

The most common requirements for a business analyst are:

higher education (preferably in finance, economics, accounting);
Experience with CRM, analytical data processing systems or banking information systems;
Experience in business analytics;
experience in writing technical specifications;
experience in developing regulatory documentation;
PC knowledge;
analytical thinking and ability to systematize information;
Correct oral and written language.

How to become a business analyst

Graduates of economics, finance, engineering or mathematics faculties who have theoretical knowledge in the field of analysis and modeling of business processes can apply for the position of Business Analyst.

Knowledge of information systems, accounting, financial and management accounting may also be required.

Salary

The salary of a business analyst depends on the level of professional skills and work experience of the specialist.

Today it fluctuates between 45-150 thousand rubles per month. The average salary of a business analyst is around 80 thousand rubles per month.

Source: http://site/enjoy-job.ru/professions/biznes-analitik/

Business analyst

Large companies have many departments in their structure. In order to improve the exchange of information between them and optimize business processes, enterprises organize computer information networks (EPP systems) - a set of applications that makes it possible to create a unified automated system for managing the enterprise or its key business processes.

They are developed by a systems analyst. He either modernizes a system that already exists in the enterprise, or models a new one.

His responsibilities include collecting requirements for the product being created through questionnaires and user interviews.

A systems analyst develops technical specifications for the creation of software, designs documentation of the system and software architectures of the IT system, and sets tasks for development and testing.

And at the end of the project, he explains the operating rules to users and solves operational problems at all stages of the information system life cycle.

Specifics of the profession

Pros of the profession:

this is well-paid work;
creative work Each project is unique and requires its own approach to development;
tangible benefits of the activity are visible when the work process in the company has a clear style and consistency;
acquiring communication skills, as well as expanding the circle of useful contacts through projects in different organizations.

Disadvantages of the profession:

the work of a systems analyst is not always limited to one city, and therefore people in this profession have to spend a lot of time on business trips;
the client is not always able to understand the difference between one system and another, hence disagreements, disputes, and misunderstandings;
high working rhythm;
Often users have a negative attitude towards the implementation of a new information system;
Often the customer cannot formulate the task.

Place of work - in large companies: banks, financial corporations, fuel and energy complexes, etc. In integrator companies, in enterprises where there are systems analysis departments.

Personal qualities

Patience, patience and more patience. You will need a lot of it: when discussing project details with customers, when communicating with users, and when solving technical problems.

You need to be able to find a common language with everyone with whom you have to communicate, and you will have to communicate a lot.

During the discussion, quickly get up to speed, grasp the essence and optimize the scope of work (sometimes the task turns out to be much simpler than the customer expects).

Career - in large companies: banks, financial corporations, fuel and energy complexes, etc. In integrator companies, in enterprises where there are systems analysis departments.

Education

It is impossible to work in the IT field as a systems analyst without knowledge of information systems. However, there are cases when systems analysts become people who have received a variety of education, both technical and humanitarian.

For example, techies have fewer problems with technical issues, and humanities professionals find it easier to negotiate with customers.

And one more nuance. It is difficult to become a systems analyst immediately after college. Although there are many vacancies, professionals with experience are required everywhere. In this case, you can start your career as an assistant trainee analyst.

Source: http://site/www.education.ua/professions/business-analyst/

Young BA course

Students, young professionals, experienced workers - many show a passionate interest in the mysterious and intriguing phrase “business analyst”.

Attention!

And the main question on everyone’s mind is: how to become one? We are launching a series of articles for beginning analysts, the purpose of which is to tell you about business analysis, help you make a choice and suggest in which direction to move next.

The simplest and closest definition to IT: an analyst is an intermediate link between the customer of a software product (as well as its future users) and its developers.

Imagine that you decided to build a house and hired a team of migrant workers from nearby sunny countries for this.

What is the likelihood that, while explaining to them the essence of your wishes, you will not waste your nerves trying to convey to them the idea that what they are doing is not “beautiful and convenient”?

How do you react to their statements like “you need a convector in the floor”? Undoubtedly, you will eventually find a common language with them.

But now imagine that in the software development industry, specialized slang/concepts/principles of building systems are many times more complex and voluminous, and programmers often show much more reluctance to understand you and communicate with you in ordinary human language (sorry, programmers reading us; you are not all like that .

This is where this same analyst comes to the rescue. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) defines a business analyst as a professional who “understands business problems and opportunities in the context of requirements and recommends solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals.

In practice, the nature of the analyst's work may vary depending on the analyst's role on the project.

The most common types of IT analysts are:

Business analyst
Systems Analyst
Requirements Analyst

Business Analyst (BA) is usually a specialist who studies and models a specific subject area.

In other words, he must find out the customer’s wishes, analyze them, supplement them if necessary, formalize them in a certain way (build models, document at least the general wishes of the client) and transfer them to the development team.

A business analyst is the face of the team, sociable, tactful, and easily finds a common language with the customer.

Technical knowledge (or, to use the now fashionable word, background) is not at all necessary for a business analyst; knowledge of the customer’s language and the characteristics of its culture is much more important.

System Analyst (SA) – an analyst much closer to the development team than the BA; a specialist who must convey to the team high-level software requirements received from a business analyst in the form of detailed functional requirements for the system, naturally, in the language of the development team.

Often he also has to propose a specific technical solution and design the system architecture.

Requirements Analyst (RA) is a cross between a BA and an SA.

In the official classification of the ECSD RB, this position is not present, however, in many Western theories, RA is present as a specialist who is responsible for extracting, analyzing, documenting and modeling requirements, i.e., in simplified terms, for writing requirements specifications for their further transfer to developers.

Unlike a BA, it is not enough for a requirements analyst to simply figure out high-level requirements; he is also responsible for developing a detailed description of the system being designed.

At the same time, RA does not have to have deep knowledge in IT and develop the system architecture, since for this purpose there are dedicated architects and system designers among the programmers.

The majority of analysts in any outsourcing company in our country (that is, a company that develops custom software) are requirements analysts.

It is a rare company in our conditions that can afford to keep a “pure” business analyst who is well versed in one particular subject area, plus keep him on constant business trips, closer to the “customer’s body.”

In addition, it will be very problematic to load such an analyst with work at least 80%, while the costs of maintaining him are quite significant. Although, it is still worth noting that we have such companies and such analysts.

As for system analysts, without a BA on staff, they make little sense, except in cases where a customer comes across with business analysts on their side, or a professional customer who knows and is able to convey his “wants” to the team (yes - Yes, not all customers know exactly what they want).

Attention!

So, the main qualities/skills of an ideal analyst (note that some qualities are innate, while others are developed, some quickly, and some over a long period of time.

Analytic mind. This is the ability to analyze or, in other words, the ability to sort information into shelves and build logical chains. This is one of the characteristic styles of human thinking.

Not everyone is born with an analytical mindset, but any of us can develop analytical abilities, so don’t despair.

Ability to notice details, attentiveness and systems thinking. On the one hand, these qualities are characteristic of a person with an analytical mind, but still these are separate skills, or even habits that can and should be developed in oneself.

Communication and communication skills namely:

ability to listen and hear.
the ability to express one's thoughts clearly and clearly.
the ability to establish and develop contacts and connections with other people.

Knowledge of IT and software development basics(so-called technical background).

Knowledge of foreign language(most often English) in terms of written and oral application. Domestic outsourcing is mainly aimed at foreign countries.

Naturally, in unique situations, when you know that you will build your entire professional career exclusively on interaction with Russian-speaking customers, you can safely ignore this point.

Learning ability. Moreover, learning ability is not only at the training stage. In principle, it is important for an analyst to constantly improve, “pump up” in one area or another, monitor new technologies, tools and approaches, and filter information flows.

Creativity. It is not for nothing that we noted that these are the qualities of an ideal analyst.

In life, you are unlikely to meet a person who has these qualities/skills from birth or who received them in full at school or university. They will have to be developed and developed.

Let's say more: as you move up your career ladder (and we will write about this later), you will have to develop and acquire additional skills that are no less complex and interesting.

We must not forget that every profession has both advantages and disadvantages.

And if you’ve most likely heard a lot about the advantages, because it’s not for nothing that you were drawn to business analysis, then you may not know about the disadvantages. But for the sake of the integrity of the picture, we will present both.

Why you might like a job as a business analyst:

this is interesting (of course not always, of course depending on the company and the project, but still...)
the work involves constant communication (unlike developers and testers, an analyst will not be able to sit in front of a monitor all day, and this, in our opinion, is great)
variety of activities (here you have communication, information analysis, documentation, design, problem solving, team management, and giving lectures - and that’s not all)
opportunities for growth in breadth and upward (if desired, of course)
material side of the issue
the opportunity to visit other countries and all the goodies that come with it.

Why you might not like the job of a business analyst:

it’s boring (again, it depends on the specifics of the project and the company - sometimes you will have to do monotonous and routine work, or work that you don’t like)
the need to communicate (more precisely, you willy-nilly have to communicate, and, in most cases, not only in Russian, plus periodically make public appearances)
the need to switch between different activities and, as progress progresses, between several projects that are completely different in nature
the need to make decisions and take responsibility for your decisions.

Everything here is purely individual, plus a lot depends on where you will work (in which company/with which customers/with which team/on which project/in which subject area).

Source: http://site/analyst.by/articles/starterba-whoisba

Business Analyst Career

Business analyst is a relatively new profession in the modern labor market.

Initially, many of the business analyst's functions were performed by the project manager (gathering high-level requirements) and the systems analyst (developing functional requirements).

Moreover, at present, in some companies there is still no clear distinction between the responsibilities of a project manager and a business analyst, and in some places the functions of a project manager and a business analyst are performed by one person.

If you are curious, have well-developed communication skills and analytical abilities, then this promising direction may interest you.

Acting as an intermediary between the client and the IT team, the business analyst translates business needs into software and organizational solutions.

Functions

Collecting information through surveys, market research, interviewing the customer and other interested parties in order to identify their current and future needs.
Development of proposals and recommendations that can satisfy the real needs of the customer.
Presentation of the solution to the client.
Consulting the customer on optimization of its business processes.
Writing the necessary documentation independently or under the guidance of a senior business analyst.
Effective interaction with the development team and the customer throughout the entire project cycle.

Junior Business Analyst Competency Model

Threshold Competencies: Customer Focus, Information Gathering, Persuasive Communication, Analytical Skills.

Differentiating competencies: teamwork, responsibility, quality orientation.

Wage

The salary of a business analyst varies from 500 to 3500 USD per month, depending on work experience and place of work.

The salary for a junior business analyst without work experience varies from 500 to 600 USD per month.

Source: https://www.it-academy.by/employment/kariera/karera-ba.php

Business analysts must be able to and know much more than ordinary employees. Their field of activity is the area of strategic planning, budgeting, analysis and development of business processes.

People in this profession lead a business to the peak of maximum efficiency, making it competitive and potentially profitable.

The main job of a business analyst is to suggest and make changes that will benefit the organization.

A business analyst is the main researcher who, based on the analysis of specific indicators of business processes, must calculate areas in which changes will have a positive potential impact on the overall result.

A person in this profession plans effective strategies, ways and schemes for their implementation and predicts the effect of their implementation.

Business analysts are in demand in the government, corporate, financial and corporate services sectors.

The profession appeared not so long ago. For a long time, the function of analyzing all processes in the company was transferred to the heads of areas and departments. Very often they did not have the necessary knowledge for this and relied solely on their practical skills.

With the active development of business technologies, representatives of companies and state corporations have a need to hire highly qualified specialists.

So, a business analyst analyzes internal corporate processes, he studies especially the work of the company, strives to minimize costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

Attention!

He evaluates the business model being used, finds “breakdowns” - unprofitable actions and solutions, and suggests other optimal approaches to work.

This process is called “reengineering”, or business engineering (recently identified as a separate branch of doing business - at the end of the last century). In essence, this is a process of getting rid of non-working mechanisms and introducing new ones.

A specialist of this profile often has more than one higher education, enormous management experience, as well as certificates of many special training courses.

Traditionally, people with higher education in mathematics, cybernetics or economics are hired for the position. Often these specialists additionally go to universities to gain knowledge in that narrow area, which becomes the main area of their analysis.

Thus, a business analyst can easily navigate related industries. For example, if a specialist has a diploma in IT, and in order to take the position of a business analyst, he should receive education (take courses) in the field of financial management or economics.

It is almost impossible to predict what a business analyst needs to know to perform tasks in a particular corporation.

In the process of immersion in work, already at the initial stage it will become clear where the specialist has gaps and how to close them.

A “general profile” business analyst usually has on the list of his job responsibilities such items as automation of the processes of accounting, sales and storage of commodity items.

If he receives additional specialization, he will be able to study and improve the production process in more detail.

Experts believe that the optimization of specific business areas and reengineering should be entrusted to a highly specialized analyst who is oriented in a specific manufacturing industry.

This reduces risks and possible costs. Broad analysts should be engaged in drawing up strategy as a whole for the entire company.

In the figure, the red dotted line within the figure represents standard tasks, and the shaded area represents actual responsibilities.

What should a BA be able to do?

The most important thing is that a business analyst must be able to delve into, analyze, forecast and formulate strategic plans for business development.

Also, a business analyst must have special knowledge, for example, in the field of design in a special modeling language (UML).

That is, among the specialist’s skills, what is welcome is not just the ability to present a report in the form of numbers, tables and diagrams in PowerPoint, but also to work out in detail business models. The latter is carried out in the following programs: BPWin, RRose, ARIS and others.

Having built graphic models, the specialist finally formulates detailed recommendations for modernizing business processes.

Most often, business analysts are expected to have competencies in the field of CRM, data processing systems, and data analysis.

Also, a specialist in this profession must have experience in writing technical specifications, developing regulations, and computer skills, especially in modeling programs.

A good business analyst is distinguished by analytical thinking, a systematic approach and the ability to systematize and work with any amount of information, as well as the ability to speak correctly and skills in writing thoughts.

Responsibilities

A general analyst is involved in:

collection and systematization of analysis results;
creating business process models;
analyzing efficiency and drawing up proposals for optimizing work;
development of regulations, documentation, reporting systems;
comparative analysis of the organization’s activities with competitors;
preparing presentations for managers or customers.

Wage

This profession is highly paid and is considered very prestigious. Business analysts are director-level specialists. Where do business analysts work and get decent pay?

A promising profession is in the banking and trade sectors, and the construction industry. And it is most profitable in the mining industry and the IT sector.

An analyst's salary depends on his professional skills and experience. Today, the level of salaries, depending on the region of Russia, ranges from 40 to 140 thousand rubles per month.

The average salary of a business analyst per month is about 60 thousand rubles. The given figures are typical for the Moscow region; in the provinces the level of wages is slightly lower.

Where to begin?

From education. Graduates of universities majoring in economics, finance and mathematics can apply for the position of analyst. It is important that the applicant has excellent theoretical knowledge in the field of business process analysis.

Attention!

In Russia today it is difficult to choose suitable educational programs, immersion in which will allow you to become a generalist in business analysis. But there are professional retraining programs.

Thus, the School of IT Management at the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation offers a program for project managers and business analysis.

Applicants for the position of financial analyst are graduated from the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics. MIPT offers a program for students wishing to become a systems analyst.

The Faculty of Business Informatics of the State University Higher School of Economics also trains business analysts, but only in the field of information technology.

And the program at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow is specifically dedicated to the area of analytics.

For an analyst, practice in the financial sector is no less important, albeit small at the initial stage. It is worth paying attention to developing communication skills in order to get along with colleagues and build close working contacts with subordinates.

The future analyst should develop coaching and recruiting skills.

This will come in handy during work meetings with employees, when they will have to communicate changes in the business process and do it in a way that motivates people to continue to be productive.

A career as a business analyst can begin at the junior level: as an assistant, manager, deputy, etc. You will have to work under the supervision of others for some time to gain experience and practical knowledge.

You should select specialties for exams - advanced level: financial management and performance management.

Summarizing

According to a study by Cio.com, which ranks the most in-demand professions today, more and more companies are looking for a specialist in business analysis.

It is increasingly difficult to approve company expenses for the implementation of new projects, so they must be absolutely justified from the point of view of achieving business goals. And the collection of evidence can only be entrusted to a professional analyst.

According to Forrester.com, today, generalists capable of taking a global approach to the analysis of business processes, rather than individual areas of activity, such as human resources management, marketing department, development department, etc., are becoming increasingly in demand.

At the same time, they must be competent not only in the field of IT (which is already a template in relation to the profession of business analyst), but also in running a business in general.

If a business analyst is able to assess the situation from the outside, while at the same time deeply understanding the features of the proposed solutions, he becomes a valuable personnel in the company.

Reengineering began to be used in Russia quite recently, and with the growth of business requirements for the pace of development, the need for specialists is constantly growing.

Today, the demand for such specialists is so high that the supply market cannot yet satisfy it.

HR leaders and corporate directors are publishing forecasts that the need for systems analysts will increase markedly in the future.

Business analysts in IT help managers make correct and informed decisions. Thanks to business analysis, you can adjust the development strategy and work with the system based on clear arguments and specific data. This is why IT companies need good business analysts. Today we are talking about the specifics of the profession, tasks, area of responsibility and how to become a business analyst with Evgenia Shpilnaya, a teacher of courses and trainings in business analysis.

Evgeniya, why do IT companies need business analysis?

The most important task of business analysis- compare the state of existing processes with the needs of the customer and offer options for optimizing current processes and/or organizing new processes in accordance with business objectives. All proposed options are carefully studied by an analyst, all the pros and cons are weighed, and, if possible, providedeconomic justification for each decision.

Tell us how you came into the profession, where did you start?

I studied IT at the university (Computer software and automated systems). Until my last year, I was sure that I would become a developer. During the training, we were told how the development process works in general and which employees are involved. They also talked about the tasks of an analyst. This area interested me very much. After receiving my diploma, I had to choose what to do next. By that time, it became clear that I would not go into development; all that remained was analytics and testing. I chose analytics because the profession is partly creative. You need to come up with ideas, work out solutions, and sort everything out.

I first worked as an intern, then as a technical writer and systems analyst. This is how I achieved the position of business analyst, gradually developing the necessary competencies and skills

What are the differences between business analysis and systems analysis?

Essentially, the difference between business analysis and system analysis lies in the level of elaboration of the requirements for the product, for the automated system.A business analyst works with business requirements, and a system analyst- in the field of system requirements.But where the border between these two types of requirements is, each company determines for itself. The tasks of a business analyst in one company may overlap with the tasks of a systems analyst in another.

The diagram shows the levels of development of requirements for an automated system. As a rule, the lower block of system requirements is the responsibility of the systems analyst, and the upper block, with business requirements, is the responsibility of the system analyst.- the field of business analytics. How to distribute the remaining requirements between system and business analysis is decided individually in each company.There is no clear boundary here.

Software Requirements Engineering, Karl I. Wiegers

Why then draw the line between business analysis and system analysis, is it necessary to draw it?

The line is drawn precisely because of the main area with which the analyst works. This could be a business (processes, people, goals, metrics) or a system. This refers to an automated system, i.e. an application that allows the user to achieve certain goals. At the same time, within the framework of the entire process, these can only be intermediate goals.If the project is small, there is no point in dividing tasks and hiring two analysts for the company; in this case, one specialist can handle it.The larger the project, the more likely it is that tasks will need to be divided.

What knowledge and skills do you need to have to become a business analyst?

Since we are talking about business analysis in IT, it is advisable to have some kind of IT background. At a minimum, know the basic capabilities of technologies and the differences between them. Analytical skills required- ability to collect data, analyze, draw conclusions.

Among the business analysts there are also those who have not worked in IT before, but have already become familiar with development methodologies in the process.

You also need attention to detail and a desire to understand the problem, the ability to clearly and clearly express your thoughts, good communication skills (the ability to actively listen, ask questions). The ability to work with a large amount of information, responsibility and, perhaps, a tendency towards perfectionism are important. If you recognize yourself in this psychological portrait, business analysis is right for you.

What requirements do employers place on business analysts?

Usually this is a higher education (information technology or mathematics), because these are the areas that people with analytical, structural thinking usually choose. But some companies require experience in their industry. For example, if a company operates in the medical field, a medical background may be required. As for the analyst's skills, the employer may be interested in experience in collecting and describing requirements (Vision, Use-Cases, User Stories, SRS), identifying and documenting business processes, and modeling business processes. Experience creating prototypes of user interfaces will also come in handy. It is these moments that we will talk about quite a lot during the course. I will tell you in detail why each process is needed, where to start, what to pay attention to.

Also in the job requirements you can find knowledge of modeling tools (MS Visio, ARIS, Enterprise architect, Bizagi, etc.), knowledge of interface prototyping tools (Balsamiq, Axura, etc.), knowledge of modeling notations (UML, IDEF, BPMN, etc.) . We will also talk about which tools to choose during the course, and there will be practical homework assignments. You can study the software in detail yourself,

Don't focus on specific programs. The higher the qualification of a specialist, the less dependent he is on tools.

How long does it take to become a highly qualified specialist?

It depends on the person himself. You need to spend 10,000 hours of practice to become a professional in some field, and this is about 5-6 years of work. If you devote all this time to in-depth study of your chosen field, then 5 years is more than enough to become an expert. However, it is worth remembering that business analysis, like all areas in IT, does not stand still. You always need to follow trends, learn news, and constantly learn.

What career prospects await analysts?

This can be horizontal growth: deepening into specialization, moving into systems analysis, data analysis. Or vertical growth: shift to management, work as a department head, project manager, product manager.

Where can you start to become a business analyst?

You can start as a technical writer, assistant business analyst, or intern. Or you can start with testing, but the path may be longer. If you are planning to become a business analyst, but cannot apply for such vacancies yet, try to get a position where you have the opportunity to work with analysts.

On we study what skills are needed for successful work, we look at how to achieve success in each area. The course provides a good vector for further development.

Why is it worth taking a course at the IT Academy, because you can study yourself and learn everything about the profession?

The course is not like university lectures. Classes are held in small groups, and it is always a dialogue, a two-way format. You can ask an expert teacher questions that really interest you, get a quick answer, and communicate with colleagues. This is a valuable experience.

Start with the books: Karl I. Wiegers, Joy Beatty “Software Requirements Engineering”, Alistair Coburn “Modern Methods for Describing Functional Requirements for Systems” and others. Lots of useful materials for analysts on the sitesanalyst.by , habrahabr.ru , uml2.ru .

What advice do you have for those who want to work as an IT analyst?

The profession of a business analyst is creative, but at the same time it involves great responsibility. You shouldn't be afraid of this. And, of course, always develop, watch what is happening around you, learn new things.

We invite you to , where you can learn more about the profession and try your hand at real cases from a teacher’s practice. And you can get more complete knowledge at. Waiting for you!

Greetings, Friends/Comrades/Future Colleagues!

Recently, the profession of analyst in the field of software development (in the future we will write software, so that the abbreviation does not cause you confusion when you come across it on specialized sites) is rapidly gaining popularity among representatives not only of the IT sphere, but also of “non-IT” people. specialties. Students, young professionals, experienced workers - many show a passionate interest in the mysterious and intriguing phrase “business analyst”. And the main question on everyone's mind is: how to become one? We are launching a series of articles for beginning analysts, the purpose of which is to tell you about business analysis, help you make a choice and suggest in which direction to move next. Not so long ago, the authors of the article stood at a crossroads, and if it weren’t for experienced people nearby, ready to prompt, explain and give invaluable advice, they would not have become what they became - business analysts.

Today we will talk about the profession of analyst, the qualities that analysts should have, and also outline the pros and cons of this craft.

So, what is an analyst? The simplest and closest definition to IT: an analyst is an intermediate link between the customer of a software product (as well as its future users) and its developers. Imagine that you decided to build a house and hired a team of migrant workers from nearby sunny countries for this. What is the likelihood that, while explaining to them the essence of your wishes, you will not waste your nerves trying to convey to them the idea that what they are doing is not “beautiful and convenient”? How do you react to their statements like “you need a convector in the floor”? Undoubtedly, you will eventually find a common language with them. But now imagine that in the software development industry, specialized slang/concepts/principles of building systems are many times more complex and voluminous, and programmers often show much more reluctance to understand you and communicate with you in ordinary human language (sorry, programmers reading us; you are not all like that :)). This is where this same analyst comes to the rescue. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) defines a business analyst as a professional who “understands business problems and opportunities in the context of requirements and recommends solutions that enable the organization to achieve its goals.”

In practice, the nature of the analyst's work may vary depending on the analyst's role on the project. Most common types of IT analysts This:

1. Business analyst(Business Analyst, BA) - as a rule, this is a specialist involved in the study and modeling of a specific subject area. In other words, he must find out the customer’s wishes, analyze them, supplement them if necessary, formalize them in a certain way (build models, document at least the general wishes of the client) and transfer them to the development team. BA is the face of the team, sociable, tactful, and easily finds a common language with the customer. Technical knowledge (or, to use the now fashionable word, background) is not at all necessary for a business analyst; knowledge of the customer’s language and the characteristics of its culture is much more important.
2. Systems Analyst(System Analyst, SA) - an analyst much closer to the development team than the BA; a specialist who must convey to the team high-level software requirements received from a business analyst in the form of detailed functional requirements for the system, naturally, in the language of the development team. Often he also has to propose a specific technical solution and design the system architecture.
3. Requirements Analyst(Requirements Analyst, RA) - something between BA and SA. In the official classification of the ECSD RB, this position is not present, however, in many Western theories, RA is present as a specialist who is responsible for extracting, analyzing, documenting and modeling requirements, i.e., in simplified terms, for writing requirements specifications for their further transfer to developers. Unlike a BA, it is not enough for a requirements analyst to simply figure out high-level requirements; he is also responsible for developing a detailed description of the system being designed. At the same time, RA does not have to have deep knowledge in IT and develop the system architecture, since for this purpose there are dedicated architects and system designers among the programmers.

The majority of analysts in any outsourcing company in our country (that is, a company engaged in custom software development) are precisely this requirements analysts. It is a rare company in our conditions that can afford to keep a “pure” business analyst who is well versed in one particular subject area, plus keep him on constant business trips, closer to the “customer’s body.” In addition, it will be very problematic to load such an analyst with work at least 80%, while the costs of maintaining him are quite significant. Although, it is still worth noting that we have such companies and such analysts. As for system analysts, without a BA on staff, they make little sense, except in cases where a customer comes across with business analysts on their side, or a professional customer who knows and is able to convey his “wants” to the team (yes - Yes, not all customers know exactly what they want).

Well, are you interested? Then let's move on. So, the main ones qualities/skills the ideal analyst (note that some qualities are innate, while others are developed, some quickly, and some over a long period of time):

1. Analytical mindset (really? an analyst? Thanks, Cap :)). This is the ability to analyze or, in other words, the ability to sort information into shelves and build logical chains. This is one of the characteristic styles of human thinking. Not everyone is born with an analytical mindset, but any of us can develop analytical abilities, so don’t despair.
2. Ability to notice details, attentiveness and systems thinking. On the one hand, these qualities are characteristic of a person with an analytical mind, but still these are separate skills, or even habits that can and should be developed in oneself.
3. Sociability and communication skills, namely:
- ability to listen and hear.
- the ability to express your thoughts clearly and clearly.
- ability to establish and establish contacts and connections with other people.
4. Knowledge of IT and the basics of software development (the so-called technical background).
5. Knowledge of a foreign language (most often English) in terms of written and oral use. Domestic outsourcing is mainly aimed at foreign countries. Naturally, in unique situations, when you know that you will build your entire professional career exclusively on interaction with Russian-speaking customers, you can safely ignore this point.
6. Learning ability. Moreover, learning ability is not only at the training stage. In principle, it is important for an analyst to constantly improve, “pump up” in one area or another, monitor new technologies, tools and approaches, and filter information flows.
7. Creativity.

It is not for nothing that we noted that these are the qualities of an ideal analyst. In life, you are unlikely to meet a person who has these qualities/skills from birth or who received them in full at school or university. They will have to be developed and developed. Let's say more: as you move up your career ladder (and we will write about this later), you will have to develop and acquire additional skills that are no less complex and interesting.

We must not forget that every profession has both dignity, so flaws. And if you’ve most likely heard a lot about the advantages, because it’s not for nothing that you were drawn to business analysis, then you may not know about the disadvantages. But for the sake of the integrity of the picture, we will present both.

Why you might like a job as a business analyst:

This is interesting :) (of course not always, of course depending on the company and the project, but still...)
- the work involves constant communication (unlike developers and testers, an analyst will not be able to sit in front of a monitor all day, and this, in our opinion, is great)
- a variety of activities (here you have communication, information analysis, documentation, design, problem solving, team management, and giving lectures - and that’s not all)
- opportunities for growth in breadth and upward (if desired, of course)
- the material side of the issue
- the opportunity to visit other countries and all the associated goodies.

Why you might not like the job of a business analyst:

It's boring(: (again, it depends on the specifics of the project and the company - sometimes you will have to do monotonous and routine work, or work that you don't like)
- the need to communicate (more precisely, you willy-nilly have to communicate, and, in most cases, not only in Russian, plus periodically make public appearances)
- the need to switch between different types of activities and, as progress progresses, between several projects that are completely different in nature
- the need to make decisions and take responsibility for your decisions.

Did you get the idea? Everything here is purely individual, plus a lot depends on where you will work (in which company/with which customers/with which team/on which project/in which subject area).

This is where we will probably end the introductory lecture. We hope that this article was useful or, at a minimum, allowed you to once again make sure that you are in the right place. We would advise novice analysts to analyze the entire flow of information, decide whether you really want to become a business analyst, and thereby move one step closer to your cherished goal. In the following articles we will talk about what options there are for “entry” into the industry, how to prepare for interviews, we will also talk about self-education, we will give many useful links and explanations, plus we will talk about further steps for those who have already become an analyst, but still have proud prefix junior.

We encourage everyone to actively unsubscribe and share their thoughts and experiences on what is written above!

P.S. Do you feel confident that you want to become a business analyst or improve your knowledge in this area? Welcome to

This article addresses the following questions:

Common misconceptions.
So what exactly does an IT analyst do?
Secrets of successful work (what qualities an analyst should have).
Analytics tools.
Where to go next?

Also on our blog there is an article “”, which complements the current one.

Common Misconceptions

System analyst is a profession that has appeared relatively recently on the Russian job market in the IT sector. The understanding of who a systems analyst is arises among candidates for this position either from the requirements described in the vacancy, or from their own conjectures. Let's look at common misconceptions of candidates. This vacancy is not for everyone who was previously someone in the system. Our company often receives responses to this vacancy, for example, from system administrators.

An analyst is someone who analyzes

Correct in principle, but when you ask the candidate about what he is analyzing, this is where fantasies and reflections on various topics begin. Some argue that the analyst should tell the project manager what would be good to do this or that way when developing the project, or generally monitor the developers and analyze whether they are doing the right thing or not. All these are erroneous opinions.

An analyst should not be able to program

This is a logical conclusion, assuming that the first speculations are correct. In fact, an analyst does not require special knowledge in programming, but he needs to know the basics, or at least have experience developing in some programming language that supports OOP.

The analyst is not responsible for anything

In fact, this is far from the case, and candidates who want to take the position of a systems analyst in an IT company think that they will not have to be responsible for the work. Analyst mistakes in a project are the most expensive and can even be fatal for the project.

So what does an analyst do, anyway?

Requirements Elicitation

The analyst starts the project, participates in its development, and completes it. Software development begins with the customer presenting to the contractor his vision of the operation of the future system. This presentation can be either oral or written. This statement cannot be called requirements, since they are not systematic, but resemble a set of client wishes. At the initial stage of software design, the analyst is required to identify the customer’s software development goals, that is, what main tasks the System should solve when it is implemented into the enterprise’s business process. This stage of the project is the initial stage and is called the requirements elicitation process. All identified requirements and business processes must be formalized in a certain way. Formalization of requirements is necessary to coordinate them with the customer, as well as to ensure that they are perceived equally by both the customer and the project developers. In addition to the identified requirements, at this stage of project development, project users with certain access rights are also determined. In the process of identifying requirements, the customer may not provide all the necessary information for the full functioning of the project. The analyst must be able to identify this information and agree on this functionality with the customer. The result of the analyst’s work at this design stage is a technical specification for development agreed with the customer.

Requirements Management

At subsequent stages of development, situations are possible when the requirements formulated at the requirements identification stage become outdated for one reason or another, and new requirements appear in their place. The analyst must minimize changes in requirements, regardless of whether new requirements come from the customer or the developers. In the event of a change in requirements, the analyst must, keeping the project practically in mind, evaluate all changes in the project that will entail the introduction of new requirements into the project. Changes in requirements can entail large financial costs when developing projects, so their changes should be kept to a minimum, but nevertheless, in the modern world, changes in requirements are almost inevitable on any project. The analyst must be able to predict such situations to manage changes in project requirements to minimize risks.

Project implementation

Upon completion of the development of any IT project, the stage of implementation of the developed project into the customer’s business process begins. This stage also lies on the shoulders of the analyst; he must prepare the documentation necessary for users, conduct a demonstration of the project’s operation, and also train the customer’s employees. In order for this stage to be completed at the proper level, the analyst must know the work of the entire project from “A” to “Z”, as well as be aware of possible errors that will be eliminated in subsequent releases. Before the implementation stage, the analyst must take part in testing the project in order to ensure that all functional requirements specified in the specification are fulfilled correctly.

Secrets of successful work

I would like to touch upon the topic of the personal qualities of an analyst in the IT field. The analyst's personal qualities account for 60% of his results. The work of an analyst involves direct communication with the customer, so the analyst must have a well-spoken speech so that the customer sees the interlocutor as a competent specialist and a pleasant person. Great success in work lies in the ability to communicate. So, the first quality of an analyst is communication skills. The next quality of an analyst that allows him to perform his duties efficiently is Analytical mind. It allows you to “filter out” unnecessary information that the customer conveys to the contractor, and, based on the information received, analyze the customer’s activities and formalize requirements. Perhaps this is the main quality of an analyst, because it directly affects the quality of the projects being developed. The analyst must have the ability to hold a large amount of information on the entire project, and sometimes more than one, in his head and be able to quickly calculate the impact of certain changes required by the customer or development team on the system as a whole, in order to timely coordinate these changes and their consequences with all stakeholders. To build business models of customer processes, the analyst must have a high learning ability. This quality is necessary for quickly studying the subject area in which the customer works. The analyst must become an “expert” in each of the subject areas, which change with each new project. At the stage of requirements formation, the analyst draws up a technical specification (TOR) for the development of the project, which must be agreed upon with the customer and which the developers will study.

Based on this, the systems analyst must set out the requirements in the technical specifications in such a way that they are understandable to both the customer and the project contractor. To do this you need to have literacy in writing texts and making as few mistakes as possible. In the process of building business models, the analyst will need programming skills and understanding of OOP. Most often, a model of a particular process can be represented as a set of objects, and actions on them - as methods. Model objects can also have properties. Objects in models can use all OOP principles. When building system models, as a rule, the project data model is also determined.

When designing large projects for large customers, analysts face many difficulties associated with the development of technical specifications. These difficulties may arise due to constantly changing requirements, large numbers of users, and other factors. All this leads to frequent changes in technical specifications. An analyst sometimes has to rewrite up to 30-40% of a technical specification several times. Naturally, this affects his nervous system, so the analyst must have considerable patience and stress resistance. Stress resistance It will also be useful when training users of new projects, since most users are forced to work in a new project by business organizers (customers), which they strongly resist. The analyst has to listen to a lot of unflattering words addressed to him, but he must calmly respond to user criticism and complete his task.

Analytics tools

The main tools of a systems analyst are pen, paper and pencil. This is enough for a good analyst to formulate requirements and draw up a business model. In practice, analysts use various modeling tools that support IDEFx, UML, and BPMN notations. Such tools allow you to reduce the time for building models and diagrams, as well as obtain the results in graphical form and in the form of text reports. Such tools help in monitoring project requirements and keeping them up to date. Examples of modeling tools are applications such as: Enterprise Architect (EA), Rational Rose, RUP, etc. Office packages such as MS Office, iWork, Open Office also come to the aid of the analyst.

Where to go next?

In conclusion, I would like to reflect on the development of a future career as a systems analyst. A systems analyst is a universal person capable of negotiating with customers, setting tasks and monitoring their implementation by developers. His knowledge and ability to navigate various subject areas of human life are capable of assisting in the performance of duties, for example, as a project manager, or managing a team of analysts on large projects. One way or another, the profession of a systems analyst is promising in the IT market today.

Other blog materials on the topic “IT Analyst”.