Role of a Business Analyst

A business analyst is useful in just about any industry. A thorough analysis from an impartial third party is often useful for a company. Often those in operations or management are too close to the firm to see shortcomings in the operations. A business analyst can help bring those inefficiencies and issues to the attention of management.

History:

·         The role of the business analyst has evolved over the years. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the roles of the business analyst and the computer system analyst were the same. Now the role has evolved to include all areas of a firm, such as marketing and finance.

Role:

·         A business analyst’s role is to provide insights and analysis of a firm’s operations as a third party. A business analyst identifies problems or potential problems and offers practical solutions.

Assignments:

·         Typical assignments a business analyst may undertake include studying the operations of a manufacturing plant and offering ways to increase efficiency and lower costs. Another example may be to study a project plan and make it easier to read.

Prerequisites:

·         There are no determined prerequisites to become a business analyst. Often a technical background is preferred, but if you have a background in marketing or finance you can also become qualified to be a business analyst. Some business background in your chosen industry is helpful.

Benefits:

·         The benefit of having a business analyst perform an analysis of the business process is that he is removed from the daily operations. As a third-party observer, he does not have any other agenda than improving operations while cutting costs.