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I am emotional because I think this publication is more than just another book on Business Analysis. Because it describes the role and responsibilities of the Business Analyst in a project. Also, it illustrates the importance of the Stakeholders whose influence often has been underestimated.

THE PROJECT - FRONT AND BACK.

From an idea to a project(s).

As you may know, anyone can throw over the fence a one-liner as a requirement and you, as the project manager, is expected to tidy up all the loose ends and put together a meaningful set of requirements that can be met by the project. Often as a Project Manager you are not the subject matter expert, but the Business Analyst is. The Business Analyst is the person who is responsible for ensuring the transition from an idea to a concrete scope takes place correctly and accurately.

From a Project to a Product

We all know, problems occur at the end of a project and the Project Manager is expected to be on hand to address them, but he cannot do so because unlike the Business Analyst he is not aware of all the issues associated with the introduction of a product in a production or live environment.

The product "do well".

I as the Project Manager, am at the center of the project and must balance Scope, Time and Cost and consider the risks and how to mitigate them but may not be aware of how good the product is. On the other hand, the Business Analyst is better placed to know and understand the value of the product to the organisation.

HAND IN HAND.

Mutual Support.

As a Project Manager, much is placed on me to evaluate and consider various options and solutions. However, having a Business Analyst alongside me to complement my skillset is an excellent way of sharing the load and achieving the best outcome for the project.

Teamwork.

The customer in focus.

Many times, as I focused on managing the project and dealing with the many issues I lost sight of the customer, be that another department or an external customer. I feel that having a Business Analyst on the project will help bring in that missing perspective and focus that is so necessary to ensure customer satisfaction.

DEVELOPMENT.

From junior to senior.

The new Business Analysis standards from PMI explains the analyst’s role and gives an insight into the skillset needed. Also, these standards define the path to be followed for developing and growing from a Junior to a Senior Business Analyst just like PMI’s path for growing from a Junior Project Coordinator to a Senior Project Director. Thus, leading to a happy and enjoyable career.

Development.

In the past the growth path for a Project Manager has been vertical and I feel limiting. However, with the introduction of the Business Analyst role I feel the opportunity exists to grow horizontally thus opening many more options and flexibility for career development.

Also good for the company.

Organisations with clear and well positioned Project Management and Business Analysis positions that are staffed with the right people, are more likely to achieve better success rate with their projects.

The PMI standards describe global best practices for each of the disciplines they cover including Business Analysis. As the world’s largest project management organisation it draws on experienced practitioners in the respective field to author these standards. The authors who work on the PMI guides are people with practical experience in their field and represent the combined knowledge of more than three million professionals thus making it a true form of international crowdsourcing. And you can participate in the further development of these guides.