Business Analysts - Changing How Companies Deal with Change

Working as a business analyst has become one of the most interesting career options for young professionals in recent times. As a business analysis professional, individuals tend to work in organizations helping to work with and manage the changes that take place as well as wade through transitions. They also work to plan for the future in a way that is in line with the corporate goals of the company. This has become a very widely required skillset across industries at every level. The requirements could be for a specific project where you would work as a consultant or even as a permanent feature in the organization as they see the tides of change looming overhead constantly.

A thorough understanding of the organization’s current situation is warranted, along with identification of possible future needs and the ability to create nifty solutions that would help meet those very needs. This usually involves the implementation of some kind of information technology or software systems, although this may not always be the case. The high level of specialization and knowledge that this field requires has warranted the need for several PMI-PBA training and PMI PBA certification training programmes which effectively equip professionals with the right tools to work effectively in their capacity as a business analyst.

Business analysts are required to demonstrate a highly-detailed knowledge as well as understanding of the way in which the organization is currently working. This includes looking into the sector in which it is currently operating in, as the professional would be helping the organization through developing its functions, products and services in various ways to meet the market demands, internal and external goals in a way that appeases all the stakeholders, no matter which side of the table they may sit on.  This is perhaps why many organizations insist that professionals take up a PBA training programme for a certification so that they know that the business analyst that they have on their side is fully capable of taking on the tasks that they need to be done, and dealing with changes and transitions in processes that they may not be able to predict.

The business analyst plays a crucial role in communicating between the external parties and the internal departments of the organization, which means they would act as a ‘translator’ wherever they may be needed and try and reduce the amount of misunderstandings and miscommunications. This ‘translator’ role is one of the most challenging parts of working as a business analyst but is also one of the most required.

Now through any PMI-PBA online training, the aspiring business analyst may be exposed to a number of portfolios including product owner, requirements engineer, management consultant, business architect, enterprise analyst, process analyst, systems analyst, business systems analyst and product manager. Although these titles all mostly mean the same thing and involve the same responsibilities, they may differ slightly from role to role, as well as from firm to firm, depending on their individual requirements and the sector in which they operate in. Now while the barrier in terms of PMI-PBA certification cost is generally quite reasonable, many choose not to pursue it, and this leaves them quite behind in the grand scheme of things as they are unable to stay competitive in a world where business analysts appear to be coming out of the woodworks.

The best way to differentiate in such an environment is definitely through the right certifications. This is reflected by the vast range of responsibilities that a business analyst must take on including communication, working with stakeholders, using data modelling, opportunity evaluation and the identification of the right processes to name very few. All of these add up and mean that the aspiring business analyst, while in demand, still has some catching up to do.