The Community Blog for Business Analysts

Digvijaybook
Digvijaybook

What does it take to be the best Business Analyst?

Analytics is the future of the business industry. Businesses and organizations today run on data and its interpretation. Its correct evaluation is the fundamental key to success. And business analysts are the guides to it.

It is a very prosperous industry and has a lot of potential for talented people. To even qualify, you require more than just theoretical knowledge. There are particular business analyst skills that you are required to possess. These business analyst qualities set you apart for the rest of the crowd and make you the top asset of the organization.

Communication is the key


A part of an analyst’s job is to communicate what they have found out. They have to report regularly to the management for them to take action according to their report. It is vital that communication both written or verbal are:

  • Clear
  • Concise 
  • Conclusive 
  • Correct 

These traits are the fundamental elements of a business analyst’s skill set. No matter how good your research is, without an understandable report to follow it up, it is all in vain.

Data Modeling and structuring

Data in its raw form is not very useful to anyone. It has to be processed and presented in a manner that anyone, even without the knowledge to understand it. A business analyst’s job is to analyze the data and structure it so that it can be easily processed further. This helps in better representation of the data making it ideal to be processed further.

Manage time, and everything will manage itself 


Time is quintessential. If you are unable to manage time, then you are planning to fail. A piece of valuable information is only valuable for a period of time. If you don’t act upon it on time it will no longer be useful or will have a completely opposite result than what you had in mind. Make sure you learn how to manage time. It will not only help you as an analyst but in your life in general as well.

Theoretical knowledge and creativity 

You need to know some basic knowledge or academic qualification to become an analyst. This knowledge will form the foundation of your professional career as an analyst. But what you will learn, other analysts in the industry will learn too. You will need to learn how to use your creativity and improvise. Using the knowledge and turning it into your own version. This will help you create a unique profile and creating a demand for your rare skill set.

Visual and Wireframing

A business analyst provides the basic infrastructure as to how to interface will look like. It is a part of the job description to create an outline for the organization helping them to operate within the bounds. This helps the organization to be focused and driven towards its objective, facilitating better outcomes and optimizing the efforts. 

Devil is in the details

An analyst needs to be focused on the task. There is a lot of information, and your work is to sort it out and condense an ocean into a bottle. Paying attention to detail is very important. You can’t skip anything as it can be the difference between success and failure.  Always pay attention to the instructions and work accordingly. Let the guidelines be the creative constraints, boundaries within which you will have to operate. This will help you narrow down your focus and keep you on track. Assisting in going through everything relevant and not skipping any details.

Judgment and decision-making skills 

A basic understanding, if not higher about the functions, is a must in any profession, you learn from experience, and as you grow it will improve. But as an analyst, you need above average understanding. It is important because you have to make many decisions. Such as the relevance of data and how to proceed with processing it. Without a good understanding of the operations, you are bound to make mistakes that will surely have hazardous consequences for the management, which will rely on your judgment on the final report. Make sure you have plenty of experience working in a mock environment before applying yourself in the real market. This will help you understand the functions without severe outcomes.

Thick skin

Patients and perseverance is the motto for the analytics industry. You will have to work relentlessly to get even small outcomes. Be patient. Success is built on small victories. You will feel let down, but you will have to keep going. It is not just a mental state, but you will have to be impervious to other situations as well that may come your way. Working with data and communicating it with the management is not as straightforward as it sounds. There are many complexities, and a lot can go wrong.

Incorrect application or negligence on the part of management can cause all your hard work to go to waste. It is a very thankless job, but you will have to play the role of the unsung hero. After all the audience is more interested in what goes on the stage rather than who is running it from behind the curtains, stay positive, and keep going. One day you will prove your worth and have your reward.

Always curious 

As an analyst, it is your job to be nosy. Keep asking questions. The more you ask, the more it will be clear to you what is needed off you and the better you will perform. There is no such thing as a shy analyst; there are just different job profiles. You will have to keep insisting on having more information to work with to narrow down your focus to what is the outcome should be. Not asking questions will lead to miscommunication and create problems when you submit your final reports. No one wants to redo something they have invested a lot of time into. So always think about a better outcome because, as an analyst, that is the only thing that will help you improve your productivity.

To Conclude 

Analysis of business is a difficult choice. It is not as easy as it sounds. A small error can cost the organization a lot of money, and no one wants to be the cause of the loss. It is bad for your professional reputation as well as your career. Always keep in mind what is at stake and work according to instructions. Creativity is very important, but it should not enter the realm of fantasy. This does not mean you don’t try new things. You need to be a blend of bold and cautious at the same time.

For more information, please visit https://www.janbasktraining.com.

This entry was published on Nov 01, 2019 / Digvijaybook. Posted in Career as a Business Systems Analyst. Bookmark the Permalink or E-mail it to a friend.
Like this article:
  13 members liked this article

Related Articles

COMMENTS

pramodh555 posted on Thursday, November 7, 2019 5:21 PM
Super article.
pramodh555
Steve Cottle posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2019 12:52 PM
There's a whole lot packed into this list of skills, but I think the first and last are key. Inherent in that great communication is the ability to "speak the language" of your business and technical contacts. I know there's a long discussion about whether a business analyst has to have domain knowledge to be effective and how technical the business analyst needs to be. That's the wrong question. If you are truly curious, you will gain that domain knowledge by working with your business and technical counterparts. It's very rare for someone to reject your request when you ask them to help explain what they do or what they need to be more effective.
Steve Cottle
Wheeler55 posted on Friday, March 3, 2023 5:03 AM
Great post! I really enjoyed reading your insights and the way you presented your ideas was clear and engaging. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and perspective with us.
Wheeler55
Only registered users may post comments.

Modern Analyst Blog Latests

As we start a new year many of us will take the time to reflect on our accomplishments from 2012 and plan our goals for 2013. We can set small or large goals. goals that will be accomplished quickly or could take several years. For 2013, I think Business Analysts should look to go beyond our traditional boundaries and set audacious goals. Merriam-...
Recently, I was asked by the IIBA to present a talk at one of their chapter meetings. I am reprinting here my response to that invitation in the hope that it will begin a conversation with fellow EEPs and BAs about an area of great concern to the profession. Hi xx …. Regarding the IIBA talk, there is another issue that I am considering. It's p...
Continuing the ABC series for Business Analysts, Howard Podeswa created the next installment titled "BA ABCs: “C” is for Class Diagram" as an article rather than a blog post. You can find the article here: BA ABCs: “C” is for Class Diagram Here are the previous two posts: BA ABCs: “A” is for Activity Diagram BA ABCs: “B” is for BPMN

 



Blog Information

» What is the Community Blog and what are the Benefits of Contributing?

» Review our Blog Posting Guidelines.

» I am looking for the original Modern Analyst blog posts.

 




Copyright 2006-2024 by Modern Analyst Media LLC