Thought, Problems, and Business Analysts
JB | Nov 02, 2007 | 5 Comments | Print |
I had a stream of thought this afternoon – on the way Business Analyst’s think, and how that “way of thinking” can be applied to help define business problems. I thought I’d jot some of it down for my own future reference, and hopefully for the benefit of my readers.
Successful business analysts have an ability to draw ideas to their logical conclusions. An analyst’s work typically requires assessment of concepts following a progression from the general to the specific, and other times from specific to general.
Progression from the general to the specific is what Business Analysts are most known for. This is where we take a high-level business problem and objectives and decompose them into requirements that represent functions and attributes of a system or solution. Nearly every job posting you’ll see for a Business Analyst will mention this need to be able to elicit requirements and produce the accompanying documentation.
Less widely acknowledged – although equally important, in my opinion – is the progression of rolling up symptoms and side effects of business problems into higher-level root causes and problem statements.
Here’s a simple illustration of a logical thought progression during business analysis:
And the point is..?
It’s not rare that I hear about a business owner who has heard about a problem or defect or two and, based on a few scraps of information, is ready to dive head-first into solution details. More often than not, this approach will lead to a solution that addresses symptoms while leaving the larger, fundamental problem undiagnosed and unfixed.
Organizations seem to have a tendency to skimp on root cause analysis. It can be a wearisome job requiring time and intensive research. However, if we haven’t done due diligence to identify and solidify root causes of business problems, how can we have a level of confidence that our solutions are fixing them? I think this is where the BA can really add value outside the traditional “writing up specs” role.
If a BA can get involved with the business decision makers early enough and help ensure that symptoms are traced to their true causes (which, incidentally, often turn out to be the causes of multiple other symptoms) and the business problem is succinctly defined, then a project has a much better chance of successfully solving the business problem.
Summary & Conclusion
- Business Analysts are skilled in tracing problems and ideas to their logical conclusions; from specific to general and from general to specific.
- Business stakeholders often mistake symptoms for business problems because they don’t do sufficient root cause analysis.
- Business Analysis skills can and should be leveraged to help define business problems.
- Projects are more effective when they address real business problems and not just symptoms.
Wouldn’t we all rather be involved in projects that we know will effectively solve business problems?
Alright, thinking about thought is tiresome, so I’m going to put down the virtual pen for now. What are your thoughts on the topic?
Related posts:
Filed Under: Business Analysis
Spot on, Jonathan. At my place, however, time and time again I see the same two problems getting in the way of our ability to effectively solve business problems:
1. Business analysts don’t get involved early enough. Other ‘roles’ in the organisation, who do have early contact, prematurely propose potential solutions to our customers.
2. Customers don’t see value from taking time to think and analyse. They want quick answers and then get into the solution domain as quickly as possible.
In some respects these are cultural issues. I suspect though that my place is not unusual in this respect!
Yes. I have worked in organisaiotns where great effort is taken to understand the problem before picking a solution, but also in places that only addres the symptoms.
Good anlysis only goes so far though. Good executio is equally important – to the degree that a good solution executed on a symptom can usually be better than a poor execution of a solution to root cause problems.
Hello, I am a student and currently doing Bachelors on Business Administration. You have described beautifully what a business analyst is, what knowledge and expertise he/she must have etc. I would like to add add an important thing into this post that a business analyst must have a complete knowledge of current business-market situation. Because every business depends upon market situation. In short, a good business analyst must be a good market analyst too.
I would also like to thank you for such a informative post. It would surely me in my studies. So thanks a lot. I would like to visit your website again for more readings.
this is good topic one of the best that i read thanks for it but i need a link that have a real case and its solution to have actual job exp. (this is my first day job as BA. and i am 20 ,is it a good career ???))
Great work! Thanks for sharing!