What Phases Does a Business Analyst Project Manager Have to Go Through?

There is a lot of confusion about what a business analyst is, and what they do on a day to day basis. Yet, and particularly in the field of technology, more and more businesses bring in these professionals to improve their processes. Indeed, people like Abhishek Gattani are in very high demand, even if few people truly understand what they do. And, interestingly, one of their main areas of focus is the technology field.

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Why Business Analysts Are Needed in Technology Projects

We live in a world that is ruled by technology. Technology wakes us up, organizes our day, and helps us to go to sleep. What people like Gattani do is made sure that we truly appreciate the role of technology in our lives. But also, it ensures that the combination of technology, processes, and people does not become disrupted. To do this, they go through a number of different phases, which are necessary for proper functioning.

The Sub-Phases

Before any business analyst’s job in a technological field starts, two sub-phases usually exist, which are in turn further divided. If at all possible, the analyst should be involved from the word go. Those sub-phases, and their sub-phases, are:

  1. The Scoping Phase – definition, analysis, functional design.
  2. The Delivery Phase – technical, construction/building, testing, SIT (system integration testing), user acceptance testing.

People like Gattani have noticed time and again that they are left out during the scope phase. This is understandable, since most organizations use the scope phase to determine whether they need an analyst or not. However, if they are involved from the start, they will have a far greater understanding of the organization as a whole.

The Analysis Phase

The analyst is definitely brought in during the analysis phase, as this is what their main role is. However, it is very common that people like Gattani are brought in at this point, only to find that the scope and delivery was not organized properly, which means they have to start again. The analysis phase is a critical element, where everybody has to come together and trust in the advice provided by the analyst.

Further Phases

If everything goes well in the analysis phase, which it usually doesn’t leading to a period of going backwards and forwards between scope, delivery, and analysis, the business analyst will eventually be ready to support the organization in moving forward. At this point, they will:

  • Focus on functional design.
  • Focus on technical design.
  • Build and construct the suggested implementations.
  • Test all the suggestions that have been implemented, performing further analysis of potential long-term results.
  • Implement their final suggestions and ensure they go live.

Unfortunately, people are strongly resistant to change. The result of this is that people like Gattani are brought in too late, and let go too early, eventually leading to the failure of any necessary changes. Business analysts are coming together to help to prevent this, advising organizations on the importance of their role.