Does your organization depend on working software?
If you are doing business in the 21st century, the answer is probably an emphatic “DUH”!
Which organizations actually need specialists on the software development team, such as a Requirements Engineer who has a tight grip on requirements management? Or, to go a step further, how about a business analyst who oversees the processes before, during and after product development to ensure the success and value of the product?
Small Companies
Consider companies big enough to have their own IT department consisting of 2-3 IT professionals. Do they need a Requirements Engineer or Business Analyst on the team? Companies of this size are probably not yet filling a full-time analyst position. Nonetheless, these companies would benefit from educating their IT professionals and selected business managers in certain business analysis tools and techniques to improve their requirements process. That would increase value to their customers by improving the quality of their products. BA-EXPERTS offers a FREE video library with easily-digestible “bite-size” explanations of specific business analysis techniques that you can use instantly.
Medium-sized Companies
One level higher, we have medium-sized companies that already have a team of maybe 10 to 20 employees in software development. On this scale, it would be of great advantage if at least one or two of the developers along with product owners and product managers completed additional training in business analysis techniques and methods. This would increase communication among diverse organizational units to better integrate co-dependent applications and increase productivity.
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Larger Companies
Large organizations have multiple software development units consisting of one or more groups of 20 to 50 developers each. These organizations usually follow one or more Software Development Methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Lean, etc.). Historically, such organizations have employed Business Analysts and/or Requirements Engineers to define business solutions. Current lean and agile methodologies deemphasize the use of business analysis in favor of conversations between developers and the business community.
Regardless whether the organization uses Business Analysts / Requirements Engineers or developers engaging in conversations with the business community, the success of the project still depends on solid business analysis techniques. Effective functioning of organizations of this size requires processes that interact with precision, like a fine-tuned machine that requires high-quality machine oil. The Business Analyst (or whoever is “wearing the business analysis hat”) can provide that high-quality machine oil to lubricate the wheels and produce a smooth running “software development engine”.
Multi-national Corporations
Finally, we are talking about big global corporations, which of course already have a considerable number of Business Analysts. For these, it makes the most sense to bring the training and education in-house. This not only saves travel expenses but also ensures that the foundations, tools, and techniques are used consistently across departments.
IMHO, extensive business analysis training is strongly recommended for:
Junior or Entry Level Business Analysts
IT professionals who have already been entrusted with business analysis responsibilities, even if they do not have the job title “Business Analyst”
Requirements Engineers who want to expand their area of responsibility or move into department management
Managers and IT professionals working in small to mid-sized companies that are not large enough to support a full-time Business Analyst position
Full-time Business Analysts and Subject Matter Experts whose expertise is needed to define the evolution of IT applications in large corporations
Product Owners who want to ensure that the software development of their product runs optimally
IT department heads to improve communication and operations within the IT team and to avoid pitfalls in product development by using appropriate business analysis techniques
