Business Analysts do a range of work, from IT security, big data and eCommerce. With the advent of COVID-19 global eCommerce is set to boom an estimated 22% of sales and projected to hit $5.4 trillion by 2026. With this increase businesses are more focused than ever with their online presence.
Now more than ever, online shops are required to have functionality and user experience (UX) to remove the pain points of the customer journey. With the increased numbers of customers shopping online, there is a reliance for a resource to quantify these pain points for a business. Hence the importance of a business analyst.
What’s the business analysts job description?
Business analysts bridge the gab between the technical and non technical. Where they understand the business goals through stakeholders and solution for these goals with technology. Business analysts are responsible for finding efficiencies in the business operations day to day processes, including the review of programs or technical processes.
The role type of a business analyst varies depending on the needs of the organisation but there are core responsibilities business analysts have in the online space.
Responsibilities of business analysts
- Running discovery workshops to understand business requirements and the scope for projects.
- Grooming scope of the project/ feature, helping develop project plans, confirming user acceptance criteria and ensuring the delivery of features to scope (quality assurance).
- Compiling recommendations using eCommerce best practices to solution for a business need.
- Communicate process changes using a change management process.
- Reviewing and validating project scope and estimates.
- Communicate with third party vendors ensuring the solution is robust and relevant for the business.
- Constantly evaluating new technologies to stay relevant and future proof functionality.
In summary, business analysts bridge the gap between the non technical and technical. Business management/ stakeholders and the technical teams that deliver the tech solution. Businesses place high value on a role such as this as it helps guid the decision making.
Key skills business analysts should have
Communication
- Having the ability to translate technical information to non technical stakeholders.
- Collating and translating data depending on the audience.
Problem solving
- Identifying pain points within the business and provide technical solutions.
- Constantly reviewing emerging technologies and using them to improve current functionality on the website.
Process improvements
- Review current processes and identifying inefficiencies and making suggestions actionable enhancements.
Functionality grooming
- Ability to understand delivery timeframes and budget then grooming the scope of the project to meet these.
- Identifying features as must have, should, could have and will not have (MoSCoW).
Our BA Service
We understand that hiring a business analyst as permanent employees can be costly. Especially if there isn’t enough work to justify the head count. Solutions Business Analysts provide a range of business analyst, product management and project management services in various engagements. If you would like to know more about how we can help you, contact our friendly sales team.