Business analysis is practised in liminal spaces, at the boundaries between worlds. Business analysts serve many functions at the edges of things: as seers, revealing truths; as guardians, controlling what passes from the past to the future; as historians, connecting what was to what will be; as midwives, facilitating the birth of the new.
In this post (more-than-a-little inspired by Terry Pratchett’s witches), I’ll look at some of the edge-spaces in which business analysis is performed, and explore what this work at the boundary requires from those that do it.
“We look to… the edges,” said Mistress Weatherwax. “There’s a lot of edges, more than people know. Between life and death, this world and the next, night and day, right and wrong… an’ they need watchin’. We watch ’em, we guard the sum of things.”
Terry Pratchett, ‘The Wee Free Men’
The edges where business analysis is performed
There are many places where those that practise business analysis do so at a threshold between two worlds.
Between ignorance and insight
Investigation is a huge part of business analysis. A BA will go digging through documents and data, have countless conversations with stakeholders (both those in charge, and those actually doing the work!), and will keep asking “why?” to get to the bottom of root causes.
Over time, organisations build up vast quantities of tacit knowledge that isn’t written down anywhere, and the silo-effect means different parts of the business may be blissfully unaware of what is going on elsewhere, and why.
Business analysts shine a light into things, revealing lost knowledge, generating new insights, and challenging assumptions. Through their work, the organisation gains the understanding it needs to be able to make great decisions about what it should do next.
Between mess and structure
Business analysis brings about clarity and structure through decomposition, abstraction, and synthesis. We break complex ideas down, and reconnect them to BAs create models and structures, articulating the relationships between concepts, and establishing the rules around how things work.
Between customer and supplier
In many organisations, this could be read as “between the Business and IT”. BAs often act as translators and interlocuters. We are the conduit through which customers’ needs pass through to the suppliers that will fulfil them. We do this both through formal, structured means (user stories, models, non-functional requirements etc) as well as through conversations, presentations, and facilitation.
The position of the BA role – aligned with the customer, and therefore the “problem”, or with the supplier, and therefore the “solution” – can have a marked effect on the way business analysis is performed, and on expectations around technical or business domain knowledge.
Between need and solution
BAs establish what the business needs. We define and articulate problems and opportunities, helping the organisation decide which challenges to tackle (and in what order). We show where services and business processes need to be improved, where there are technology gaps, and where roles and team structures aren’t right for the future.
Business analysts connect needs with solutions. Having defined what is needed, we evaluate solutions options to find the best way forward. We facilitate decision-making processes to choose solutions by evaluating the financial, technical, and organisational feasibility of each option, and by articulating the business case. We ensure the business is equipped with the right information to make the best decisions.
Between strategic intent and practical action
BAs are guardians of the “golden thread” that runs from strategic intent through to practical decisions and actions. We ensure that choices flow from (and can be traced back to) strategic goals. This is seen in the definition of scope boundaries, in business case development, and even in the prioritisation of user stories for product development.
It’s easy for projects and products to lose sight of the overall goal, or to start including ideas that feel sensible at the time (or even worse, as ‘no-brainers’). Business analysts constantly guard the scope of change initiatives to ensure things are aligned with the original goal. You could even say we guard the boundary between imagination and reality!
Between current and future states
Using their investigation and analysis skills, a business analyst reveals the “current state” – what’s happening now? Why? How does that affect people? BAs try and establish a holistic understanding that considers processes, technology, and people. They will also explore the desired “future state”, which could include process design, prototyping, or facilitating creative ideation with stakeholders.
Using gap analysis and requirements definition techniques, BAs establish what is needed to reach this desired future state. They may identify changes to steps in a process, technology features, or changes to roles and team structures.
BAs analysis the impacts of changes. They look at what will stop, and what will start, when the new world arrives. As well as practical changes, BAs use empathy (and their great communication skills!) to work with those affected by changes so they can be prepared for what will come.
As solutions are implemented – new processes adopted, or systems developed – BAs also support acceptance of solutions by stakeholders within the business (for example, by supporting User Acceptance Testing).
Between investment and benefits
When developing the business case for a change or solution, a BA describes the required investment: how much money, time, or resources will this need, and over how long? They will also determine the likely benefits that will be achieved as a result of that investment. This might be a financial ROI, or qualitative improvements to customer experience, or a reduction in risk.
As well as helping organisations choose the best solutions to invest in, business analysts also provide insight once a solution has been adopted. BAs are instrumental in establishing how (and when) benefits will be measured and tracked, ensuring organisations can see the actual outcomes of changes – and can take further action required to ensure the benefits are fully realised.
Thriving at the edge
Working at the boundary of things every day isn’t for everyone! It can be a lonely place, and spending so much time there requires some crucial skills and behaviours to survive and thrive!
Being comfortable with ambiguity
Business analysts may bring clarity to their organisations, but they spend most of their time wading through ambiguity and a lack of clarity. Goals aren’t clearly defined, nobody knows exactly how a system works, and there’s no agreement about who is responsible for this process! Different teams might use the same terminology to mean different things (or call the same thing by different terms!).
Not having “solid ground” can become really disconcerting, and being comfortable with ambiguity requires a degree of resilience and focus.
Able to see both the detail and the big-picture
One of the BA talents I think doesn’t get celebrated enough is the ability to switch between granular detail and the big-picture. Decomposing concepts, and reassembling them to identify patterns and structures is essential to our work in making sense of things.
Sharpening our ability to flex between these the micro and macro worlds helps us to understand complex business situations, find great solutions, and create the shared understanding required to move things forward.
Apply leadership (and empathy!)
While business analysis professionals aren’t often in “leadership” roles, they need to be able to exercise leadership in their work all the time. Stakeholders – those making changes, and those impacted by them – need encouragement, guidance, support, and understanding.
For a BA, leadership means providing others with a clarity of direction, showing the way forward. It means deploying great communication and interpersonal skills. It means using negotiation and persuasion, being proactive and assertive. Above all it requires empathy for others.
Demonstrate integrity and diligence
The role of business analyst is unusual in having a high degree of influence with little “hard” power. In our work at the edges, between past and future and between problem and solution, BAs are relied on as advisors, guides, and stewards. Trust is key.
Building (and maintaining) trust relies on behaving with integrity. This means demonstrating honesty, fairness, reliability, and diligence – and keeping true to our stated principles.
Earning trust is tough. Rebuilding trust can be almost impossible!
The rewards
Working hard to make sense of a complex and uncertain world where there are no “right” answers when everyone is looking to you for guidance might sound pretty thankless! So why do we bother?
Every business analyst probably finds their own answer, but here are a few things that make it fulfilling for me:
It’s always interesting
Boundaries are where things are most interesting. The mental challenge in understanding the complex and dysfunctional world of today and finding a route to a better tomorrow is hugely rewarding. I’m always finding new ways of approaching problems, and I love the mix of analytical and interpersonal skills that my work requires.
So many great people
I get to work with smart and creative people delivering change – consultants, project managers, developers, testers – and a whole host of talented folks doing the “day job”: finance teams, lawyers, salespeople, and administrators. I get to make great new relationships all the time, and I’m constantly learning from people in all kinds of roles.
Trust is a huge privilege
Feeling trusted by those I work with – that they can rely on me to do my best in helping them – just feels great!
Making a difference
As a business analyst, your work is key making tomorrow better than today. Whether that’s improving efficiency, reducing pains for staff, or creating better outcomes for customers, your work unlocks that. And that feels pretty good.