What is the role of a business analyst in an organization?

The main responsibility of a business analyst is to identify what can be improved so that its efficiency can be enhanced and business processes can be strengthened. Business work closely with clients and stakeholders to get requirements and implement the required changes.

The role of a business analyst in various phases of the project are:

1. Pre-Project:

A business analyst does various analyses like SWOT analysis, GAP analysis, risk analysis, decision analysis, strategy analysis, root cause analysis, market research, and feasibility study. Then business analyst writes business case documents and understands the project scope from the project manager.

2. Project Planning And Assessment:

Business analyst understands business rules and business goals of the project from the stakeholders. The business analyst also understands the assumptions, constraints, and project plans from the project manager and plans the BA approach strategy. Then conducts the stakeholder analysis.

3. Requirement Gathering:

The business analyst identifies the stakeholder and documents it. Then prepares the business requirement document by interacting with the client using elicitation techniques. Some elicitation techniques are brainstorming, interviewing, focus groups, reverse engineering, workshops, joint application development, document analysis, prototyping, questionnaire, and observation. Sort the gathered requirements from the elicitation technique followed by Prioritizing the requirement using the MoSCoW technique and validating the requirement using the FURPS technique.

4. Requirement Analysis:

Business analyst draws the use case diagram, activity diagram, process flow diagram, data flow diagram, and sequence diagram that is draws UML diagram. Then prepares the functional requirement document with the help of a business case document. The business analyst takes technical requirements from the solution architects All functional and technical requirement combines to form software requirement specification. Takes sign-off from the client on software requirement specifications. Business analyst also prepares requirement traceability matrix from software requirement specification and traces requirements.

5. Design:

The business analyst and the testing team prepare use cases and test cases from the use case diagram. Business analyst initiates the preparation of end-user manuals and updates the requirement traceability matrix. Then communicates with the client on the design and solution document. Business analyst also tunes the client to drive user acceptance testing.

6. Development:

Business analyst organizes the joint application development session in which he or she clarifies the technical team during coding. Business analyst updates end user manual and update requirement traceability matrix. Conducts regular status meetings with the technical team and the client and tunes the client for participation in user acceptance testing.

7. Testing:

Business analyst prepares the test cases along with the testing team to perform high level testing. The business analyst also updates end user manual and update requirement traceability matrix. Then tunes the client for participation in user acceptance testing. Also takes sign-off from client on the client project acceptance form.

8. Deployment And Implementation:

The business analyst completes the end user manual and updates the requirement traceability matrix. Forward the end user manual and updates the requirement traceability matrix to the client. Business analyst prepares the project closure document with the help of the project manager and prepares the lessons learned from the project as well as prepare the lessons learned from the existing project so that precautions can be taken for an upcoming project.