Let’s start the writeup with a detailed job description of a Business Analyst. Being a Business Analyst entails a lot of responsibilities such as the identification of business needs and the determination of probable solutions to problems that the company encounters. One must be able to come up with comprehensive solutions which has a systematic developmental component, which may include a detailed description of process improvements, change in organizational format, or plans and policies for strategic development.
He should represent and know the target market of the company. He should be able to relay the important information from the consumers to the development team. Moreover, he must be responsible to provide useful modelling techniques for the company which will be considered in this article.
The common modelling techniques for a BA include context, process, usage, data and design models. It should be expected that the analyst is knowledgeable about all of these models. Models are a framework of generating economic method of doing business in which the company can achieve self-sustainability. These are often used by an analyst to present a certain plan or system in a more comprehensive way to be able to lay out how will the company can generate revenues.
In process modelling, the business analyst should be able to provide a detailed description of the steps that the company should take. The purpose of this activity is that the enterprise will evaluate the current process and how it may be re-analysed or improved. This may be accomplished by creating flowcharts and activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, functional decomposition models and a lot more.
The usage model on the other hand, presents information concerning user profiles. He must be able to know the fundamentals of usage models. He must be familiar with user groups and profiles, stories and storyboard and use case modelling and more.
In data modelling the business analyst should be able to exactly establish as well as relate the user data requirements. Then he must be able to obtain necessary information required to make the data model. Next, he must be able to interpret and create logical data models.
After setting the data models the business analyst should be able to come up a design model. In design modelling he must be able to derive or architect a solution or actions that the company must do to counter any problems or improve and develop the company. The BA must have already finalized the business model and have prepared a summarized recommendation on when and how the models can be used.
There are a few trends in the field of business analysis that will help businesses not fall behind their competition.
The first trend is that the business architecture must be the main focus for your Business Analysts. This is because they will need to have the ability to think quickly when they are examining all of the dealings that have anything to do with the business. They also have to know all of the rules and regulations that is involved in the competition business market.
The second trend is to let the business analysis guide the business to the surge in the cloud computing. This is because there are a lot of benefits that the company will get. The biggest benefit is lower costs for owning the company even if you do have any concerns about the security and the access of the company. Therefore, the company will have to look at all of the insights from the business analysis to make sure this transition goes as smoothly as it possibly can.
The third trend is to make sure that you meet all of the requirements of the management of development that will lead the company in delivering the smartest business perspectives. The company needs to push as hard as possible to improve their efficiency of the company’s operations. The structure of the company should be as disciplined and streamlined as it can be. Therefore, the company also has to be very flexible in its business practices. This will help the company to get all of the benefits from the business analysis.
The fourth trend is to use a business process modelling notation. The BPMN will help the company to get the most recognition in the industry. This is how most companies try to organize the architecture of the business. Many of the technical and business stakeholders of the company will appreciate this more than anything. This is because they will be able to learn the language that the business is working under.
The fifth trend is to know that your company will be best positioned for success if you are willing to break away from all of the traditional business practices. There are several different methods of agile but the most popular one is Scrum. This is because a company knows that they have to be able to use all of their skills possible. This helps all of the business analysts and project managers. Therefore, the company can estimate all of the costs that are involved in having a successful business.
If you keep these trends in the forefront of your business planning, you should manage to stay ahead of your competition.
Now that we know the job responsibility of a business analysts and also about what are the current trends that revolve around these responsibilities, let’s find out what technology can do to simplify all these jobs for a BA.
Specialists in the business sector have come up with some excellent software that are meant to aid any business in analysing its data and producing the necessary output. Here five great programs for analysing business information.
1) PathMaker Software: The latest version is PathMaker 6.1, and this program constitutes a number of management tools that are generally associated with the current management and productivity of a firm. The software provides a number of organizing and management tools, which are:
1. Organize your project tool
2. Meeting support tool
3. Flowchart tool
4. Cause and effect tool
5. Form design tool
6. Consensus builder tool
7. Force field diagram tool
8. Data analyst tool
2) Business Strategy Software: The software is meant to analyse and plan one’s business. It incorporates the following:
1. Business insight, which makes use of major outcomes of a given analysis that are used in developing strategies to create competition within an organization.
2. Quick insight, it helps the management to access a comprehensive assessment of an upcoming commodity or service, this way the management will be maximizing their chances of success prior to the general market.
3) Statistics Software: This software does carry out a number of prevailing statistical evaluations. It incorporates the following:
1. PathMarker 6.1, as discussed above, this software has a number of strong tools that can be effectively used for statistical analyses.
2. Analyze-it, it incorporates an excel add-in, the software manipulates the spreadsheet and turn it into a strong statistical engine, at the same time it retains the spreadsheet’s user interface. The software offers; descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple linear regression functions, group comparison and ANOVA.
4) Business Process Management Software: This software is meant for documenting, simulating, re-engineering and business analysing processes. The software incorporates the following:
1. allCLEAR Flowcharter, it is an easy way to document business processes
2. Mindjet MindManager 6 Basic, used for planning, sharing, organizing, and visual brainstorming.
3. allCLEAR Analyzer, incorporates allCLEAR Flowcharter, in addition it makes use of sophisticated processing analysis tools.
4. Mindjet MindManager 8 Pro, aids in organizing, visualizing, and communicating ideas, info, and tasks.
5. Microsoft Visio 2007 Standard, meant to design and distribute flow charts.
5) Quality Management Software: This software is meant for handling the business management in the most effective manner. It incorporates:
1. PathMaker
2. ISOlutioner, it is used to develop quality manuals effectively.
These are just a few of the choices available out of the multitude of business analysis software programs. This should, however, give you an idea of what is available to fit your needs.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/business-analysis-trends-software-makes-overall-process-sahil-gupta/
