Business Analyst

Title: Senior Business Analyst Division: Information Technology The Role Of Business Analysts On Software Development Projects As part of executing software development projects, the business analyst participates in the following project-related activities: Initial Information Gathering, Analysis & Project Initiation Research & Requirements Elicitation: BAs may need to carry out comprehensive research in order to understand business needs. This may involve researching their competitors, deliberating with subject matter experts, carrying out document analysis, and developing prototypes. This enables them to understand and gather comprehensive information about business needs and stakeholders’ requirements. This process requires the input of every person who is likely to be affected by the final product. Stakeholders, in this case, can be sponsors, customers, senior management team and end users. Preparing the Specification Document Once business requirements have been elicited, business analysts organize them into a formal and written document which can be shared with all stakeholders. To execute this process effectively, business analysts should have the expertise to present the final results of the analysis in an accurate, clear and understandable manner. Explaining Requirements to Developers Developers will be presented with the specification document after the relevant stakeholders have approved it, though it’s always helpful to carry them along from the onset of the project. Developers should have the opportunity to ask questions for clarity. Conducting User Acceptance Tests Business analysts may or may not be involved in testing the final product, depending on whether software testers have been employed to carry out the tests or not. The outcome of the tests, will determine whether the product is ready to be put to live or not.