A look at business analyst job descriptions to understand the responsibilities you may handle after landing one of the most coveted job roles of our times
This topic will be easy to discuss once we clarify a few things related to the meaning of three words –
- Analytics
- Analysis
- Analyst
But…. don’t they mean the same?? Afterall, they look so similar!
It isn’t surprising if you’re surprised that we begin this blog by a description of words that you might have used casually in regular conversations. But here we go:
- Analytics refers to the systematic computational analysis of data. It involves using statistical techniques and machine learning algorithms to identify trends and patterns in data. Essentially, analytics is purely computation-driven. When these approaches are used for business use-cases, we call it Business Analytics.
- Analysis is the detailed examination of the elements or structure of something. Analysis may or may not involve analytics, and at times, some analysis may rely purely on human assessment. Thus, analytics for the most part would throw up results that look black and white, but then, a human manager might look at them, or ‘analyse’ them, to interpret the underlying shades of grey.
- Analyst is the professional who performs analysis. Remember, analysis and not merely analytics.
Thus, a Business Analyst would be an expert who evaluates business processes, identifies needs, and proposes solutions to help an organization achieve its goals. For this purpose, the Business Analyst may adopt the use of Business Analytics, or may need to use non-analytics-based approaches depending on business requirements.
With that being said, let us now look at a few Job Descriptions for the role of a Business Analyst and what responsibilities the role encompasses.
For this, what we have done is we have obtained snippets of ‘Responsibilities’ from actual Job Descriptions showcased by different companies on Indeed.com. This will allow you to understand the practical expectations that a Business Analyst has to deliver on while on the job.
Practically speaking, Business Analysts typically focus on 3 aspects:
- Technology
- Analytics
- Business Processes
The third aspect, i.e. processes, are often sought to be controlled through the first two, and Business Analysts focus on managing those aspects so as to establish processes that yield favorable business outcomes.
Therefore, depending on business requirements, Business Analysts are recruited with an expertise in either of the first two aspects i.e. technology and analytics. And now, let us look at business analyst job descriptions that are oriented towards either of those two aspects.
Business Analysts focusing on Technology
Business analysts of this category focus on developing software infrastructure that supports business operations. The following are examples of such job descriptions:
Business Analyst - Honda
Key Accountabilities
- Lead financial, accounting, and resource management activities within the division
- Lead daily discussions with finance and resource management groups and lead activities to resolve any technical and administrative conflicts.
- Lead financial process innovation activities across the division
- Lead the implementation of best practices into the division from across HDMA
- Build relationships to cultivate process innovation
- Increase Manager and Supervisor efficiency through a strong financial, accounting, and resource management supportive role
- Lead the coordination, planning, and execution of the division-wide budget roll-up and serve as lead division budget coordinator
- Lead yearly, quarterly, and monthly division budget roll-up and report to division leadership
- Lead Budget tool creation, process automation and ensure correct budget-related analysis methods are in place to control budget proactively
- Responsible for the creation of PO creation and invoicing
- Lead purchasing process innovation activities across the division
- Lead the implementation of best practices into the division from across HDMA
- Build relationships to cultivate process innovation
- Increase Manager and Supervisor efficiency through a strong purchasing supportive roll
- Support the collection of key division-wide performance indicators and help flag gaps that may exist between planned vs. actual
- Support the fixed asset budget and reporting schedule coordination
- Support the division with general administration duties, as needed
- Lead small project management activities and iteratives
- Influence other divisional administrators and coordinate activities across divisions so that best practices are followed
Business Analyst – Sonnax Transmission
Essential Functions/Job Responsibilities:
- Work closely with internal clients to understand their business needs. Assist in analysis and documentation of as-is capabilities about business processes, resource efficiencies, and technology. Identify opportunities to improve processes and help meet objectives via technology solutions.
- Responsible for project planning including scope, tasks, deliverables, milestones, and documentation.
- Provides user support and formulates ideas and recommendations regarding the use of these systems as well as enhancements.
- Review and analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of existing systems and develop strategies for improving or further leveraging these systems.
- Perform cost-benefit and return on investment analyses for proposed systems to aid management in making implementation decisions.
- Ensure compatibility and interoperability of in-house computing systems.
- Develop detailed business user requirements, system documentation, and workflow procedures.
- Oversee the operation of systems, including system configuration options, job schedules, and interface design.
- Conduct research and analysis into the nature, effect, and results of system problems.
- Review requested system changes and develop detailed specifications for implementation, communicating system changes and issues to relevant constituents.
- Ensure current and accurate system documentation; coordinates and/or performs testing of system modifications.
- Develop, provide, or coordinate system training, educational tools, and materials.
- Act as a liaison with business units, IT, and outside vendors as appropriate in support of the systems, ensuring business unit needs have been satisfied.
- Ad-hoc analysis to support business queries and issue resolution.
- Adherence to company processes and controls to ensure all solutions meet appropriate risk, security, compliance, and technical standard requirements.
Often, the Job Titles make it explicitly clear what the Business Analyst will focus on. The following are examples of the same:
Business Systems Analyst – Marathon Petroleum Company
Key Responsibilities
- Manages the definition of business processes in order to measure, analyze, improve, and control the process being reviewed.
- Communicates effectively with stakeholders, aligning the understanding of requirements, and identifying cross-functional changes/impacts of the specifications for solution delivery.
- Develops recommendations for appropriate systems alternatives and/or enhancements to current systems.
- Investigates business performance and other measures to gain insight and drive business planning; applies continuous iterative processes.
- Performs cost-benefit and return on investment analyses for proposed systems to aid management in making implementation decisions.
- Supports implementation of ways to improve working processes in the team.
- Supports monitoring the execution of IT service management practices around incident, Change, Problem, and Solution Development Lifecycle (SDLC) delivery methodologies for improvement and collaboration, including more advanced configuration tasks.
- Coordinates test case development, execution, and support of strategy creation for technology delivery.
- Plans, executes, and documents user stories, user feedback to support the development of prototypes and wireframes.
CRM-IT Business Analyst – International Paper
The Job You Will Perform:
- Collaborate with business and IT partners to design, engineer, and deliver technology solutions that enable business capabilities and provide functionality for CRM and related processes for Sales, Marketing, and Service.
- Capture, understand, and translate business requirements into functional documentation (Agile user stories, Waterfall functional specifications, business process flows) for IT development.
- Lead design and discovery sessions to help business partners think about art of the possible and process improvements to help enable strategic commercial & profitability goals.
- Research and understand user experience requirements and work with UI designers to create wireframes based on user-centered design.
- Identify, document, and perform acceptance testing to ensure completeness and accuracy of solutions and regression testing to ensure stability of applications.
- Configure applications to enable defined business processes.
- Support enhancement requests, bug fixes, and functional business capabilities of multiple applications.
- Participate in the development of reference documentation and training aids.
- Participate in the business process redesign and documentation as needed for new and/or upgraded technology.
- Research and influence the direction of CRM and related processes technologies and capabilities at International Paper.
- Formulate and define systems, scope, and objectives based on both user needs and a thorough understanding of business systems and industry requirements.
- Assist with leading sprint release and project-related planning activities.
- Ensure timely resolution of issues by focusing on root cause analysis, engaging resources as needed, and implementing corrective action plans.
- Additional duties as assigned.
IT Business Process Analyst – T-Mobile
Job Responsibilities:
- Research, develop, and implement sustainable and repeatable procedures.
- Identify gaps and re-engineer process inefficiencies relative to current procedures.
- Support cross-functional partners to problem solve and implement solutions.
- Develop subject matter expertise for multi-faceted problems and deliver simplified solutions.
- Foster relationships with key cross-functional partners and internal stakeholders; establish strong partnerships to obtain desired results.
- Assignments are generally highly complex in nature and will be in support of one or more of the following disciplines: Products, Sales/Retail, Customer Care Support, Technical Care Support, Billing, Supply Chain Operations, Product Management, Business Process, and Cost-Benefit Analysis.
- Provides team consulting support on complex tasks.
IT Business Systems Analyst – Great Western Malting
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Learn ERP system and functionality per various department needs, including system configuration settings and its effect on business processes.
- Support business users by assisting and/or leading in the analysis, identification, and resolution of system issues.
- Act as a resource for questions and troubleshooting issues to business users.
- Work with consultants and internal teams to define and document requirements for resolving system issues or applying new functionality.
- Participate in and, in some cases, lead functional meetings with business users to understand needs and requirements.
- Direct users to existing training materials and aid in the delivery of training where needed; ensuring recipients understand and can perform the functions required.
- Create or update training materials when required.
- Assisting business users and other key users in adopting the common standard operating procedures using current systems.
- Work with other business functions on updating existing standard operating procedures.
- Capture new standard operating procedures for business users.
- Continuously train on all systems and subsystems to provide support to business users.
- Assist users in testing of system solutions and new features.
- Validate sub-systems so information is automated and accurately exchanged following the established information flows (including receiving, steeping, kiln analysis, blending, transfers, etc.).
- Evaluate options for automation improvements and present recommendations.
- Ability to obtain relevant certifications as applicable (D365).
Technical Analyst – Signature Aviation
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Gathering Business Requirements: Collaborate with stakeholders across various departments to understand their needs, challenges, and objectives. Conduct interviews, workshops, and surveys to gather comprehensive business requirements.
- Analyzing Requirements: Evaluate business requirements to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation. Analyze data and processes to uncover insights and trends that can inform solution design.
- Mapping Processes: Document existing business processes and workflows using appropriate tools and methodologies. Identify areas of inefficiency or redundancy and propose optimized processes.
- Solution Design: Work closely with technical teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications and designs. Ensure that proposed solutions meet business objectives, compliance standards, and technical feasibility.
- Stakeholder Communication: Act as a liaison between business stakeholders and technical teams, facilitating clear communication and understanding. Present findings, recommendations, and progress updates to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Testing and Validation: Develop test plans and scenarios to validate that solutions meet business requirements and user needs. Conduct testing, troubleshoot issues, and ensure that solutions are robust and reliable.
- Documentation and Training: Create documentation such as user manuals, process guides, and technical specifications to support the implementation and use of solutions. Provide training and support to end-users as needed.
- Continuous Improvement: Stay informed about industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies related to business analysis and technical solutions. Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement and propose enhancements to existing systems.
If you look at the above examples, you will realize that while they span diverse industries such as automobiles, petroleum, paper and fiber, telecom, alcoholic beverages, and aviation hospitality, the job is more or less focused on designing and developing technology solutions that meet business requirements identified through multiple stakeholder interactions and enabling the successful deployment of such solutions.
Now remember, business analysts are expected to be the glue that connects different silos of an organization together. And therefore, even if a business analyst is expected to focus on the tech aspect, it is not uncommon for them to also have to delve into the data engineering and management aspect, as can be seen in the following job description:
Technical Business Analyst – JP Morgan Chase
Responsibilities:
This role requires a wide variety of strengths and capabilities, including:
- General knowledge of network and enterprise infrastructure systems
- Prepare technical reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing business information
- Validate technology resource requirements and develop cost estimates and models
- Interpret, evaluate, and interrelate research data to develop business analyses and projections for incorporation into strategic decision-making
- Perform daily, weekly, and monthly reviews and analyses of current processes using operational metrics
- Review business operations, digital resources, and assets to define requirements for new tech initiatives
- Actively participate in the implementation of approved changes for digital products within the department
- Create informative, actionable, and repeatable reporting & data collection processes with relevant business systems
- Conduct ad hoc analyses to investigate ongoing or one-time operational issues
- Provide required support in developing and maintaining processes, solutions, and requirements
- Monitor and participate in project progress activities by tracking and resolving issues and providing assigned deliverables
Business Analysts focusing on Analytics
Business Analysts in this category are ones who attempt to utilize the company’s data assets to derive actionable insights. The following are Job Descriptions of such category of Business Analysts:
Business Analyst - Ericsson
What you will do:
- Compile data, perform analyses, and present conclusions to strategic problems
- Assist in driving strategic business planning and related activities
- Design, implement, and populate Excel spreadsheets for business planning and scenario modeling
- Help prepare, run, and document meetings with the working team
- Produce documentation, using PowerPoint and Word, relating to e.g. strategy and business planning
- Review and validate data submissions received from other stakeholders, e.g., in business planning
- Build professional skillset through apprenticeship, e.g., problem structuring, chart design, project planning and management, cross-functional collaboration
- Grow a network of colleagues across the organization (e.g., Market Intelligence, Finance, Sales, Delivery)
- Acquire key insights related to telecom and its current and future impact on society
In most organizations, Business Analysts of this category are called Business Intelligence Analysts, and the latter title makes it explicitly clear what their role is going to be – to provide the intelligence to support the business operations. The following are examples of such job descriptions:
Business Intelligence Analyst – BuildASign
Key Responsibilities:
- Collects data from various sources to create data models, reports, visualizations, and dashboards using various ETL and reporting tools such as SQL, Snowflake, Looker, Excel, Fivetran, and DBT
- Works with data engineering and other stakeholders in the USA central time zone to understand reporting needs and requirements from all business functions
- Gathers, analyzes, and compiles data using SQL and other querying languages to identify trends and patterns
- Presents findings and recommendations to executive stakeholders based on insights gained from data analysis
- Develops and improves policies and procedures to collect and analyze data
- Trains business users on the proper uses of the analytics platform
- Stays up-to-date with popular trends in the business intelligence community and applies this knowledge to add value to stakeholders
Very often, Business Analysts are recruited within specific business functions (sales and marketing, finance, HR, supply chain, etc.) and are required to support the operations of those respective functions.
The following are examples of job descriptions pertaining to such Business Analyst jobs:
Business Intelligence Analyst – BuildASign
Position Purpose:
Provides functional business knowledge and technical support to the business unit through developed ad hoc analysis/reporting, as well as designing and programming new processes/reports. Acts as subject matter expert for department or business unit on business systems/applications. Analyzes company functions, processes, and activities to improve computer-based business applications for the most effective use of money, materials, equipment, and people. Performs application/system design and implementation. Documents development requirements. Consults with end users to test and debug applications to meet client needs.
- Develops ad-hoc reports to conduct data analysis and validation.
- Confers with area/department to analyze current operational procedures and trends and identify problems.
- Conducts business analysis and recommends technical alternative solutions to management as a course of action that best meets the organization’s goals.
- Research, evaluate, and assess the financial impact of issues identified in data/processes.
- Supports, troubleshoots, and maintains systems and applications as required, optimizing performance, resolving problems, and providing timely follow-up on identified issues.
- Analyzes requirements, procedures, and problems to automate processing or to improve existing business systems.
- Creates multiuser, real-time, robust database solutions.
- Acts as content expert to provide business and technical expertise in requirements solicitation, system analysis, technical design, programming, and documentation of business applications/systems.
- May be responsible for monitoring and reporting to management on the status of departmental projects: Anticipates and identifies issues that could inhibit achieving the project goals and objectives, and implements corrective actions and mitigation strategies.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- Complies with all policies and standards.
Supply Chain Management is another very complex business function with a significant overhang across the operations of an entire business organization. Business Analysts are often recruited within the Supply Chain divisions of companies to streamline the procurement and logistics strategy. The following examples showcase responsibilities that a business analyst hired for this purpose can be expected to deliver on:
Business Analyst – Amazon Fresh Grocery
Key Job Responsibilities
- Own, influence, and improve existing shared, business-critical reporting such as the Weekly Business Review.
- Solicit the team for reporting needs, areas of opportunity, dashboard requests, and cost reduction opportunities.
- Play an active business role by proactively identifying business, data, measurement, etc., needs.
- Create a roadmap mechanism and process that allows you to educate and set expectations with leaders and team members.
- Deliver on your roadmap, on time, and at a high standard.
- In coordination with the leaders in the business, develop goals for yourself that balance meeting the needs of the business and your personal growth.
- Represent Category data needs and drive improvements in org-wide settings.
- Experience partnering with executive-level leaders to identify and solve business issues.
- Experience making business recommendations and influencing stakeholders.
- Experience with providing data to make retail business decisions, including sales, margin, shrink, promotions, and inventory data.
Logistics Business Analyst – Kroger Supply Chain
- Work collaboratively with inventory & replenishment, distribution operations, transportation operations, and supplier community to optimize flow of goods with network capacity constraints.
- Leverage, produce, and provide predictive operational analysis from internal and external data sources for use in decision-making.
- Lead team through data analysis and solution development.
- Interpret and present innovative and reliable insights through use of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytical techniques.
- Develop process solutions which turn data insights into actionable improvement.
- Perform required key analysis across various functions of the Supply Chain, including, but not limited to Warehousing, Transportation, Engineering, Procurement, and Manufacturing.
- Identify capabilities and processes that drive continuous improvement, prepare improvement projections, and post-implementation variance analysis.
- Act as subject matter expert for Kroger Supply Chain KPIs and metrics to drive business change; independently exercise sound analytical judgment, draw insights, and document findings.
- Provide excellent customer service to all Kroger Supply Chain business partners.
Procurement Business Analyst – Videojet
Key Responsibilities: Data & Financial Analysis
- Researches, analyzes, consolidates, and interprets data using statistical and data analytic methods to create information on business-relevant topics, e.g., spend classification, productivity, operations efficiencies, etc.
- Develop a deep level of understanding of the data under analysis, focusing on ensuring the right balance of accuracy and completeness with timely delivery of required information.
- Work closely with finance & business partners to ensure the methodology is correctly used and the figures are realistic as well as context is provided.
Dashboards & Reporting
- Provide regular tracking of results and systemic approach for signaling off-track situations for key organization goals.
- Align with stakeholders on the output design and standard work of information sharing.
- Lead the development of daily management dashboards, scorecards, and visualizations.
Supplier Management Support
- Lead the onboarding process for suppliers, from initial engagement to full integration into procurement systems.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders to gather necessary documentation and information for supplier validation and setup.
- Collaborate with finance teams to verify and validate supplier banking information, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Ensure compliance with data protection and privacy regulations in handling sensitive supplier information.
Organizational Support
- Provide administrative support of internal associate profiles with both travel & expense reporting systems.
- Develop and support internal stakeholders through analytics and various ad-hoc reporting.
Another business function which is extremely critical for businesses, especially belonging to B2C industries such as FMCG, food and beverages, consumer durables, and so on, is Sales and Marketing. Therefore, Business Analysts are recruited within this division to provide intelligence support for activities pertaining to product development and management, pricing, and promotions. The following are job descriptions that fall in this category:
Business Analyst (Product Management) – Kiss Products
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead comprehensive market research and business analysis to identify industry trends, market demands, and competitive landscape for development and enhancement of the new Payment & Commerce system.
- Monitor and report on industry developments and activities.
- Define and prioritize features and functionalities for the new system based on customers’ requirements and project environment.
- Work closely with the Product Manager to define the product roadmap and strategy.
- Assist in the development and maintenance of the product backlog.
- Develop user stories, use cases, and functional specifications for the project.
- Communicate effectively with internal teams, including developers, designers, and QA, to ensure alignment on product goals and requirements.
- Create detailed documentation and reports required for project and product development, such as research reports, business requirements, functional specifications, etc.
- Provide regular updates to senior management and other stakeholders on product progress, challenges, and solutions.
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
Sales Analyst – Mattel Toys
What Your Impact Will Be:
- Develop and lead the sales and shipping analytics for the Walmart store and Ecommerce businesses.
- Develop, foster, and improve business relationships both internally and externally that lead to mutually achieving objectives.
- Develop and lead improvements in standardized reports and new reports that identify trends and sales opportunities.
- Identify sales opportunities and develop fact-based selling stories using consumption, shipment, and customer’s POS to grow sales.
- Create reports to identify new trends and recommend improvements in SKU mix, space requirements, online presence, and optimal feature representation.
- Communicate recommendations to sales, forecasting, marketing, and the account for improving POS, sell-through, item selection, and geographic placement.
- Serve as the analytical leader for the team.
- Other assigned duties as assigned from Team Leader.
Another example of a function-specific Business Analyst job-role is the following one, where the role is a hybrid of Business Analyst and Quality Assurance Analyst, with specific responsibilities for each of the parts of the job.
Business Analyst/Quality Assurance Analyst – RAND Corporation
BA Analyst responsibilities include:
Project management of team efforts. Help lead project and application planning activities including planning, scheduling, meetings, communications, and documentation.
Work with key project stakeholders to analyze the feasibility of, and develop requirements for, new systems and enhancements to existing systems; ensure the system design fits the needs of the users.
Identify business rules and opportunities for improving business processes.
Management of SaaS systems including setup and configuration, reporting, and troubleshooting.
QA Analyst responsibilities include:
Work closely with developers, project managers, and operations team members on testing and deployment activities.
Create and execute test plans/cases based on evolving project requirements.
Test web applications and off-the-shelf applications.
Identify and document application issues.
Lead UAT activities, including writing User Acceptance Test (UAT) cases.
Lead application deployment activities.
While going through the above job descriptions, you may have observed a significant overlap between the responsibilities involved. However, at times, it may be important to fill the requirement of a Business Analyst with a professional who along with the ability to handle such responsibilities may also bring in expertise specific to a certain business. The following is an example of such a job position:
Hydrogen Business Analyst – Honda
If you see, this is another job role by Honda (the same company that we have seen in the first example in this article). However, you can see how different and industry-specific the responsibilities listed in this role are as compared to the ones mentioned in the first example:
Key Accountabilities
- Grant Research/Proposal Mgmt (40%): Identify grants for Honda’s decarbonization. Maintain grant database.
- Application Process: Oversee grant applications, coordinate with internal teams, ensure strategic alignment and timely submissions.
- Stakeholder Coordination: Partner with external entities for support, maintain relationships with funders for new opportunities.
- Market Research/Industry Analysis (15%): Analyze market trends and opportunities in hydrogen/decarbonization.
- Data Synthesis: Interpret market data for strategic decisions, create reports on market insights.
- Competitive Analysis: Track competitor strategies, update leadership on market dynamics.
- Stakeholder Engagement (15%): Build and maintain relationships with key partners; engage to align with Honda’s goals.
- Cross-Departmental Coordination: Enhance collaboration among R&D, finance, marketing, and strategy; lead meetings for project alignment.
- External Representation: Advocate Honda’s decarbonization efforts at events and meetings.
- Strategic Decision Support (10%): Offer data insights for strategic decarbonization investments; present business cases and risk assessments.
- Scenario Planning: Analyze strategic impacts using forecasting and advanced analytics.
- Reporting and Communication (10%): Deliver clear reports on market trends and project status; ensure tailored communication for all stakeholders.
- Transparent Communication: Enhance cross-departmental communication for project alignment and informed decisions. Implement strategies to update stakeholders on progress.
- Continuous Improvement: Monitor business processes for improvement areas and propose solutions. Analyze and document processes to pinpoint inefficiencies.
- Post-Implementation Reviews: Evaluate project success and collect feedback for enhancements. Create action plans from reviews to improve future outcomes.
- Innovation and Best Practices: Keep abreast of industry standards and new technology for better processes and outcomes. Apply and assess improvements for continuous optimization.
- Industry Engagement and Networking: Engage in industry events for trends and innovation in hydrogen and decarbonization. Share Honda’s advancements to boost visibility.
- Network Building: Establish industry contacts for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Utilize conferences, workshops, and partnerships.
- Requirements Definition and Management: Work with stakeholders to define project requirements and align with business objectives. Clearly document these requirements.
Business Analyst – Arizona State University
Here, the position is being offered by an educational institution. And yet, you may see that more or less, the duties expected to be discharged by the professional to be recruited in this role are not that different from the prior examples.
Essential Duties
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Work with key stakeholders to gather requirements, understand project scope, and assist in defining budget and strategic outcomes. Ensure clear communication and alignment of project goals.
- Decision Facilitation: Assist in facilitating decision-making processes by gathering relevant information, organizing meetings, and helping resolve project issues and conflicts.
- Relationship Management: Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, proactively share knowledge, support team initiatives, and provide assistance to ensure project success.
- Portfolio Oversight: Help manage the scope, objectives, and multiple project timelines. Support resource allocation and ensure alignment with organizational goals.
- Strategic Communication: Assist in developing and delivering strategic communication plans to convey project updates and goals to various audiences, including senior stakeholders.
- Quality Assurance: Support the development and implementation of quality assurance practices, conduct tests, and participate in assessments to ensure project deliverables meet required standards.
- Requirement Elicitation: Assist in gathering, analyzing, and documenting project requirements through interviews, workshops, and surveys. Ensure all requirements are clear and aligned with project goals.
- Process Analysis: Help identify process inefficiencies, suggest improvements, and participate in efforts to optimize workflows and enhance business processes.
- Methodology Support: Aid in the research and implementation of project management methodologies, tools, and techniques. Provide support and training to team members as needed.
- Information Needs Analysis: Collaborate with internal and external customers to understand functional requirements, document specifications, and ensure critical needs are addressed.
- Reporting and Analysis: Prepare and maintain detailed project status reports, track milestones, and analyze project progress. Identify critical paths and dependencies to ensure timely project completion.
Another example in this vein is that of Business Analyst in a city corporation which is as follows:
Business Analyst – City of Maricopa
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
- Assist departments by analyzing current processes, identifying areas of improvement, and proposing solutions to ensure alignment with City initiatives and strategic goals.
- Analyzes, prepares, and monitors departmental capital and operating budgets.
- Ability to analyze large operating and capital investment requests and establish which items are deserving of business case reviews.
- Business case management in collaboration with directors, managers, and supervisors across all city departments.
- Ensures proper allocation of collected funds and reconciles financial reports.
- Establishes relevant KPIs and creates and distributes executive-level reporting packages designed to provide proactive information to City leadership on a regular and consistent basis.
- Prepares, analyzes, and tracks purchase requisitions.
- Ensures all external reporting needs, deadlines, and associated compliance requirements are being met, including but not limited to grants, legal contracts, etc.
- Creates process and communication optimization for the department to align with project goals such as AP projects, new department programs that require administrative support, etc.
- Auditing of department transactions, revenues, personnel and payroll requirements, and relevant reporting needs for compliance with city code, state statutes, public auditing requirements, and federal requirements.
- Creation and continuous improvement in establishing standard operating procedures for budgeting, accounting and auditing, general ledger management and usage, process optimization, and contract management.
- Position control management and partnering with human resources and payroll teams to establish best practices for efficiency of employee profile management.
- Ability to collaborate with team members across multiple functions for the review or creation of items such as RFPs, grant submissions, new financial or operational reports, or other relevant strategic analytics.
- Completion and/or review of city-wide grants, including the ability to ensure compliance with associated local, state, and federal statutory requirements.
- Contribute to ongoing process improvements and efficiency initiatives.
- Prepares various reports as needed for various projects, city or program data; analyzes related data and makes recommendations based on findings.
- Researches and compiles data for various projects.
- Documents and shares best processes for the position of business analyst.
- Cross-trains with other analysts to create professional development and support networks for future analysis.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
On the basis of all the above examples, if we have to come up with a generic Business Analyst job description, here is how the responsibilities would look like:
Business Analyst Job Responsibilities
- Communicating with Stakeholders: Engaging with stakeholders to understand their needs, concerns, and objectives. Clearly explaining analysis, recommendations, and project status to ensure alignment and transparency.
- Analysing Data: Utilizing various analytical tools and techniques to gather, review, and interpret business and industry data. Identifying trends, patterns, and insights to inform decision-making.
- Facilitating Communication Between Departments: Acting as a liaison to ensure effective communication and collaboration among different departments. Bridging gaps and resolving conflicts to promote a cohesive working environment.
- Proposing Process Improvements: Conducting business process modelling to identify inefficiencies. Recommending and implementing process improvements to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and streamline operations.
- Maintaining Documentation: Keeping comprehensive and accurate documentation of all projects, processes, and operations. Ensuring that records are up-to-date and accessible for future reference and audit purposes.
- Collaborating with Teams: Partnering with project managers and cross-functional teams to implement solutions. Driving success through coordinated efforts and shared goals.
- Defining Business Requirements: Gathering and defining detailed business requirements through interviews, surveys, and workshops. Ensuring requirements are well-documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders.
- Conducting Market Research: Performing competitive analysis and market research to stay informed about industry trends. Using this information to provide strategic recommendations.
- Creating Reports and Dashboards: Developing and maintaining reports and dashboards to visualize data insights. Ensuring stakeholders have access to real-time information to make informed decisions.
- Testing and Validation: Coordinating with development and QA teams to ensure that solutions meet business requirements. Conducting user acceptance testing and validating the effectiveness of implemented solutions.
- Training and Support: Providing training and support to end-users. Ensuring they understand new systems, processes, and tools to maximize their effectiveness.
- Ensuring Compliance: Monitoring and ensuring that business processes comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards. Implementing necessary changes to maintain compliance.
Skills Required to be a Business Analyst
A business analyst typically needs at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration, business analytics, management information systems, or a related field. Some employers prefer candidates with an MBA. In addition to educational qualifications, the following essential skills are crucial for a successful career in business analysis:
Technical Proficiency
- Microsoft Excel: Advanced skills in using Excel for data analysis, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and complex formulas.
- SQL: Proficiency in SQL for querying and managing databases.
- Tableau and Power BI: Expertise in using these tools for data visualization and creating interactive dashboards.
- Project Management Software: Knowledge of tools like JIRA, Trello, or Asana for project tracking and management.
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- Methodologies: Understanding and application of SDLC methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall.
- Requirement Gathering: Skills in eliciting, documenting, and managing business and functional requirements.
Data Analysis Tools
- Database Management Systems: Proficiency in using systems like SQL Server, Oracle, or MySQL.
- Statistical Software: Knowledge of tools such as SPSS, R, or Python for statistical analysis.
- Data Visualization Tools: Advanced skills in tools like Power BI, Tableau, or QlikView for creating insightful visualizations.
Emerging Technologies
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Basic understanding of AI and ML concepts and their application in business analysis.
- Blockchain: Awareness of blockchain technology and its potential business applications.
- Internet of Things (IoT): Understanding of IoT and its impact on business processes and data collection.
Systems Thinking
- Holistic Analysis: Ability to analyse and design business systems with an understanding of how different components interact.
- Impact Assessment: Skills in assessing the impact of system changes on overall business processes.
Programming Skills
- Python or R: Proficiency in Python or R for data analysis and automation.
- SAS: Knowledge of SAS for advanced analytics and business intelligence.
Business Process Modelling
- Modelling Tools: Proficiency in using tools like Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart, or Bizagi for process modelling and diagramming.
- BPMN: Understanding of Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standards for process documentation.
Report and Dashboard Creation
- Reporting Tools: Advanced skills in tools like Crystal Reports, Microsoft Power BI, or Tableau for creating reports and dashboards.
- Excel Reporting: Proficiency in creating detailed reports and dashboards using Microsoft Excel.
Testing and Validation
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Skills in planning and conducting UAT to ensure solutions meet business requirements.
- Test Case Development: Ability to develop and execute test cases to validate solutions.
Salaries
The following are annual salary figures for Business Analysts with different job titles in different countries:
Business Intelligence Analyst
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Average Salary Range |
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UK |
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Canada |
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Germany |
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Netherlands |
Financial Analyst
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Canada |
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Germany |
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Netherlands |
Sales Analyst
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Average Salary Range |
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Canada |
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Germany |
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Netherlands |
Marketing Analyst
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Average Salary Range |
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Canada |
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Germany |
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Netherlands |
Supply Chain Analyst
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Average Salary Range |
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Canada |
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Netherlands |
With competitive salaries and a broad spectrum of opportunities across industries, a career as a business analyst offers a promising future. Armed with the right qualifications, skills, and a clear understanding of job expectations, business analysts can make significant contributions to their organizations and drive meaningful change.
We at Collegepond would love to discuss your future as a successful Business Analyst. If you wish to gain added clarity regarding what your options are, depending on your strengths, interests, and past background, you may leave us your details below and we will schedule an appointment for you.
