IT Business Analyst Profession: Responsibilities and Necessary Skills. For employers who are looking for business process management specialists on staff, we offer services. What is taught in the course

On May 24, Moscow will host the III International Conference on System and Business Analysis Analyst Days. Who needs it, how to become a business analyst, and is it even worth striving for? Will tell about it Maxim Tsepkov, main architector Solutions Development Directorate, CUSTIS Group of Companies

Why do companies need business analysts, what role do they play?

The role of a business analyst depends on the software development model that the company uses, as well as on the division of responsibility for the project between the developer company and the customer.

There are several common models, but combinations may be used.
1. The business analyst works in the field, contacts customer representatives and collects requirements, which are then passed on to the "chief designer" or "architect" as input for the design. In the future, he is a communicator between the architect and the customer.
2. The business analyst acts as a direct customer for the developers. It forms some consistent set of requirements or even a business model that describes the functionality of the system, and works them out to such an extent that the developer can then design it himself. The analyst then passes the requirements to development, accepts the work done, and ensures implementation.
3. The business analyst is seen as the next step in the growth of the analyst (systems), who is a specialist in design, but without knowledge of the specifics of the subject area. And as he masters a subject area or several, he becomes a business analyst.

In all models, business analysts are required to have knowledge of the subject area and the ability to communicate with the customer in his language. But the differences relate to the area of ​​responsibility of the business analyst within the project.

Why is business analysis considered more complex than programming, and more than testing, a field of activity?

Business analysis is located at the intersection of the subject area and design and requires fluency in two languages ​​at once - the "language of the customer" and the "language of the programmer". At the same time, “customer languages” are different for different industries and even for different companies within the same industry, and a business analyst is required to be able to quickly navigate and master a new area for him in the absence of any systematically organized information and time for training. Such skills are not often found in developers, which is why business analysis is considered a more complex area. But at the same time, business analysts need good design skills, which are not always available from specialists who come from the business field, and not from IT, and a business analyst without design skills is not considered qualified. As for testers, they also need domain knowledge in cases where they conduct full-fledged functional testing. But design skills are not required from them.

However, this applies to models 2 and 3 from the first question. And in model 1, the work of a business analyst is not considered more complex, it is quite comparable with others, it just has its own specialization.

Is it possible to become an analyst immediately after high school?

Can. Only the younger ones, who will be taught by older comrades. And from the novice analyst himself, you need activity and a thirst for knowledge, a desire to work. Then, as experience is gained, qualifications and the range of tasks to be solved will grow. Actually, here the analyst is no different from other professions.

Why separate systems analysis and business analysis?

Because these are different activities, knowledge and skills. In system analysis, design is singled out, “cleared” from the subject area. This is a natural process of differentiation of activities by type. And further into different projects may be needed different types activities and they can be distributed among roles in different ways.

In Model 1 mentioned above, business and systems analysis are clearly separated between different people. In model 3, they are combined as two activities of a business analyst, who at the same time can delegate individual design tasks to a subordinate "simple" (or systems) analyst. And in model 2, the business analyst is usually given the conceptual systems design, perhaps in collaboration with the developer, while the detailed is left to the developer.

What are the main qualities of a good analyst? What are the "antiques"?

The main quality is a good conceptual thinking that allows you to quickly build models in the face of a lack of information, complemented by developed communication skills for obtaining this information, as well as broadcasting and discussing your models. it comprehensive quality, but it is precisely this that gives the activity wholeness. It just happens, unfortunately, very rarely. So the analysis begins - which "underanalyst" is better - and at the same time, the point of view usually depends on the problems in the projects of the person answering the question. And if in a positive way, then all these aspects of the activity must be provided by one or more people working together, and you just need to understand how you will do it.

Who needs analytics more - product companies or outsourcing companies?

It depends on the specific project, its stage life cycle and division of responsibilities between development and marketing in the case of a product company and between the company and the customer - for outsourcing. Both in those and in others there is a certain set of activities related to analysis in the broadest sense. But they can be implemented in different ways - the allocation of individual roles or the assignment of additional functions to others. It depends on this whether there will be a dedicated analyst in a particular project or his duties will be “smeared” between several employees playing different roles.

Is it possible to become a good analyst without talking to colleagues or attending industry conferences?

Probably you can. Because now there are many channels and ways to receive information from the outside world. And instead of communicating with colleagues and conferences, you can read books, search for information on the Internet and learn from trainings. Everyone chooses the method that is more convenient for him. However, it is absolutely impossible to become a good analyst if you do not study, do not follow the development of your professional field, the emergence of new methods and approaches. And for me personally, conferences are the most effective method"be aware of". Because they bring together analysts of various qualifications from a wide variety of companies to talk about their problems and solutions; and they have already filtered out from the huge flow of information what seemed to them the most valuable, and often they even managed to try it out in their work. In addition, having heard something new, you can always talk “live” with someone who is in the know and has tried, discuss with him an application to your problems - usually people are willing to share their vision, in fact, give free consultations because, by discussing, they also advance in their understanding. And I myself, despite a very large work experience, discover something new at every conference.

Why should someone who works or wants to work as an analyst go/go to Analyst Days?

Because now in the post-Soviet space this is one of two specialized analytical conferences (the second is

Business analysts in IT help managers make the right and informed decisions. Thanks to business analysis, you can adjust the development strategy and work with the system based on clear arguments and specific data. That is why IT companies need good business analysts. Today we are talking about the specifics of the profession, tasks, areas of responsibility and how to become a business analyst with Evgenia Shpilnaya, a teacher of courses and trainings in business analysis.

Evgenia, why do IT companies need business analysis?

The most important task of business analysis- compare the state of existing processes with the needs of the customer and offer options for optimizing current processes and / or organizing new processes in accordance with business objectives. All proposed options are carefully worked out by the analyst, all the pros and cons are weighed, and, if possible, providedeconomic rationale for each decision.

Tell us how you got into the profession, where did you start?

I studied IT at the university (Software for computer technology and automated systems). Until the last course, I was sure that I would become a developer. During the training, we were told how the development process goes in general, which employees are involved. They also talked about the tasks of an analyst. This area interested me a lot. After receiving my diploma, I had to choose what to do next. By that time, it became clear that I would not go into development, there were analytics and testing. I chose analytics because the profession is partly creative. You need to come up with ideas, work out solutions, put everything on the shelves.

First I worked as an intern, then as a technical writer and systems analyst. So I reached the position of a business analyst, gradually developing the necessary competencies and skills

What is the difference between business analysis and systems analysis?

In fact, the difference between business analysis and system analysis is the level of elaboration of requirements for the product, for the automated system.The business analyst works with business requirements, while the system- in the field of system requirements.But where the border is between these two types of requirements, each company determines for itself. The tasks of a business analyst in one company may overlap with those of a systems analyst in another.

The diagram shows the levels of elaboration of requirements for an automated system. As a rule, the lower block of system requirements is in the competence of the system analyst, and the upper one, with business requirements,- business analytics. How to distribute the remaining requirements between system and business analysis is decided individually in each company.There is no clear boundary here.

Software Requirements Development, Carl I. Wiegers

Why then draw a line between business analysis and systems analysis, should it be drawn?

The line is drawn precisely because of the main area with which the analyst works. It can be a business (processes, people, goals, indicators) or a system. It means automated system, i.e. some application that allows the user to achieve certain goals. At the same time, within the framework of the whole process, these can only be intermediate goals.If the project is small, it makes no sense to separate tasks and take two analysts to the company, in which case one specialist can handle it.How larger project, the more likely it is to separate tasks.

What knowledge and skills do you need to have to become a business analyst?

Since we are talking about business analysis in IT, it is desirable to have some kind of IT background. At a minimum, know the main features of technologies and the differences between them. Analysis skills required- ability to collect data, analyze, draw conclusions.

Among business analysts there are those who have not worked in IT before, but already in the process got acquainted with development methodologies.

You also need attention to detail and a desire to understand the problem, the ability to clearly and clearly express your thoughts, good communication skills (the ability to actively listen, ask questions). What is important is the ability to work with a large amount of information, responsibility and, perhaps, a tendency to perfectionism. If you recognize yourself in this psychological portrait, business analysis is right for you.

What are the requirements for business analysts employers?

Usually this higher education (Information Technology or mathematics), because it is these areas that people with analytical, structural thinking tend to choose. But some companies require experience in their industry. For example, if a company operates in the medical field, a medical degree may be required. As for the skills of an analyst, an employer may be interested in the experience of collecting and describing requirements (Vision, Use-Cases, User Stories, SRS), identifying and documenting business processes, and modeling business processes. Experience in prototyping user interfaces will also come in handy. These are the points we will be talking about in this course. I will tell you in detail why each process is needed, where to start, what to pay attention to.

Also in job requirements you can find knowledge of modeling tools (MS Visio, ARIS, Enterprise architect, Bizagi, etc.), knowledge of interface prototyping tools (Balsamiq, Axura, etc.), knowledge of modeling notations (UML, IDEF, BPMN, etc.) . We will also talk about which tools to choose during the course, there will also be practical homework assignments. You can study the software in detail yourself,

Do not focus on specific programs. The higher the qualification of a specialist, the less he depends on the tools.

How long does it take to become a highly qualified specialist?

It depends on the person himself. You need to spend 10,000 hours of practice to become a professional in some area, and this is about 5-6 years of work. If all this time is devoted to an in-depth study of the chosen field, then 5 years is more than enough to become an expert. True, it is worth remembering that business analysis, like all areas in IT, does not stand still. You always need to follow trends, learn the news, constantly learn.

What kind career prospects waiting for analysts?

It can be horizontal growth: deepening into specialization, transition to system analysis, data analysis. Or vertical growth: a shift in management, the work of a department head, project manager, product manager.

Where can you start to become a business analyst?

You can start as a technical writer, assistant business analyst, intern. Or you can start with testing, but the path may be longer. If you are going to become a business analyst, but it is not yet possible to apply for such vacancies, try to get a position where there is an opportunity to work with analysts.

On the we study what skills are needed for successful work, look at how to succeed in each of the areas. The course provides a good vector for further development.

Why is it worth taking a course at the IT Academy, because you can study on your own, learn everything about the profession?

The course is not like university lectures. Classes are held in small groups, and it is always a dialogue, a two-way format. You can ask an expert teacher questions that really interest you, get an answer quickly, and communicate with colleagues. This is a valuable experience.

Start with Books: Carl I. Wiegers, Joy Beatty Software Requirements Engineering, Alistair Coburn Modern methods descriptions functional requirements to systems” and others. A lot of useful materials for analysts on sitesanalyst.by , habrahabr.ru , uml2.ru .

What advice would you give to those who want to work as an IT analyst?

The profession of a business analyst is creative, but at the same time it involves a lot of responsibility. You don't have to be afraid of this. And, of course, always develop, look at what is happening around, learn new things.

We invite you to , where you can learn more about the profession and try your hand at real cases from the practice of a teacher. And you can get more complete knowledge on. Waiting for you!

Greetings, Friends/Comrades/Future Colleagues!

Recently, the profession of analyst in the field of development software(in the future we will write software so that the abbreviation does not cause you bewilderment when you stumble upon it on specialized sites) is rapidly gaining popularity among representatives of not only the IT sector, but also "non-IT" specialties. Students, young professionals, long-term employees, many have a passionate interest in the enigmatic and intriguing phrase "business analyst". And on everyone's mind main question: how to become? We are launching a series of articles for beginner analysts, the purpose of which is to tell you about business analysis, help you make a choice and suggest in which direction to move on. Not so long ago, the authors of the article were at a crossroads, and if it were not for experienced people nearby, ready to prompt, explain and give invaluable advice, they would not have become what they have become - business analysts.

Today we will talk about the profession of an analyst, the qualities that analysts should have, and also outline the pros and cons of this craft.

So what is an analyst? The most simple and closest to IT definition: an analyst is an intermediate link between the customer of a software product (as well as its future users) and its developers. Imagine that you decided to build a house and hired a team of guest workers from nearby sunny countries for this. What is the probability that, by explaining to them the essence of your wishes, you will not waste your nerves trying to convey to them the idea that what they are doing is not “beautiful and convenient”? And how will you react to their statements like “you need a convector in the floor”? Surely you will eventually find with them mutual language. But now imagine that in the software development industry, specialized slang / concepts / principles of building systems are many times more complicated and voluminous, and programmers often show much more unwillingness to understand you and communicate with you in ordinary human language (sorry, programmers who read us; you are not all like that :)). This is where this very analyst comes to the rescue. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) defines a business analyst as a professional who "understands business problems and opportunities in the context of requirements and recommends solutions to enable an organization to achieve its goals."

In practice, the essence of the work of an analyst may vary depending on the role of the analyst on the project. Most common types of IT analysts this is:

1. Business analyst(Business Analyst, BA) - as a rule, this is a specialist engaged in the study and modeling of a specific subject area. In other words, he must find out the wishes of the customer, analyze them, supplement them if necessary, arrange them in a certain way (build models, document at least the general wishes of the client) and transfer them to the development team. BA is the face of the team, sociable, tactful, easily finding a common language with the customer. Technical knowledge (or, using the fashionable word now, background) is not at all necessary for a business analyst, much more important is knowledge of the customer's language and the characteristics of his culture.
2. Systems Analyst(System Analyst, SA) - an analyst much closer to the development team than a BA; a specialist who must translate to the team the high-level software requirements received from the business analyst in the form of detailed functional requirements for the system, naturally, in the language of the development team. Often he also has to propose a specific technical solution and design the system architecture.
3. Requirements Analyst(Requirements Analyst, RA) is a cross between BA and SA. In the official classification of the EKSD RB, this position is absent, however, in many Western theories, RA is present as a specialist who is responsible for extracting, analyzing, documenting and modeling requirements, i.e., in a simplified way, for writing requirements specifications for their further transfer to developers. Unlike a BA, it is not enough for a requirements analyst to simply figure out the high-level requirements - he is also responsible for developing a detailed description of the system being designed. At the same time, it is not necessary for an RA to have deep knowledge in IT and develop a system architecture, since there are dedicated architects and system designers among programmers for this.

Most analysts in any outsourcing company in our country (that is, a company engaged in custom software development) are precisely requirements analytics. A rare company in our conditions can afford to keep a "pure" business analyst who is well versed in any one subject area, plus keep him on constant business trips, closer to the "customer's body". In addition, loading such an analyst with at least 80% of work will be very problematic, while the cost of maintaining it is quite significant. Although, it is worth noting that we have such companies and such analysts. As for system analysts, without having a BA on staff, they make little sense, except when you come across a customer with business analysts on their part, or a professional customer who knows and knows how to convey his “Wishlist” to the team (yes - Yes, not all customers know exactly what they want).

Well, are you interested? Then let's move on. So the main qualities/skills an ideal analyst (note that some qualities are innate, while others are developed, some quickly, and some quite a long time):

1. Analytical mindset (really? Analyst? Thank you, cap :)). This is the ability to analyze or, in other words, the ability to put information on the shelves and build logical chains. This is one of the characteristic styles of human thinking. An analytical mindset is not inherent in everyone from birth, but any of us can develop analytical abilities in ourselves, so do not despair.
2. The ability to notice details, attentiveness and systems thinking. On the one hand, these qualities are characteristic of a person with an analytical mindset, but still these are separate skills, or even habits that can and should be developed in oneself.
3. Sociability and communication skills, namely:
- the ability to listen and hear.
- the ability to express their thoughts clearly and clearly.
- the ability to establish and establish contacts and relationships with other people.
4. Knowledge of IT and the basics of software development (the so-called technical background).
5. Knowledge of a foreign language (most often English) in terms of written and oral application. Domestic outsourcing is mainly aimed at foreign countries. Naturally, in unique situations, when you know that you will professional career build exclusively on interaction with Russian-speaking customers, you can safely ignore this item.
6. Learning. Moreover, learning is not only at the stage of learning. In principle, it is important for analytics and it is necessary to constantly improve, “pump” in one area or another, follow new technologies, tools and approaches, filter information flows.
7. Creativity.

We have not in vain noted that these are the qualities of an ideal analyst. In life, you are unlikely to meet a person who has these qualities / skills from birth or who received them in full at school or university. They will have to be developed and developed. Let's say more: as we move along career ladder(and we will write about this later), you will have to develop and acquire additional skills, no less complex and interesting.

We must not forget that every profession has its own dignity, and limitations. And if you, most likely, have heard a lot about the merits, because it was not in vain that you were drawn into business analysis, then you may not know about the shortcomings. But for the sake of completeness of the picture, we will present both.

Why you might like the job of a business analyst:

This is interesting :) (of course, not always, of course, depending on the company and the project, but still ...)
- work involves constant communication (unlike developers and testers, an analyst will not be able to sit in front of a monitor all day, and this, in our opinion, is great)
- a variety of activities (here you have communication, and information analysis, and documentation, and design, and problem solving, and team management, and lecturing - and that's not all)
- the possibility of growth in breadth and upwards (if there is a desire, of course)
- the material side of the issue
- the opportunity to visit other countries and all the benefits that follow from this.

Why you might not like the job of a business analyst:

It's boring (: (again, depends on the specifics of the project and the company - sometimes you will have to do monotonous and routine work, or work that you do not like)
- the need to communicate (more precisely, you willy-nilly have to communicate, and, in most cases, not only in Russian, plus periodically make public speeches)
- the need to switch between various types activities and, as progress progresses, between several projects that are completely different in nature
- the need to make decisions and take responsibility for their decisions.

Did you get the idea? Everything here is purely individual, plus a lot depends on where you will work (in which company / with which customers / with which team / on which project / in which subject area).

This concludes our introductory lecture. We hope that this article was useful or at least allowed you to once again make sure that you are in the right place. We would advise beginner analysts to analyze the entire flow of information, decide whether you really want to become a business analyst, and thereby get one step closer to your cherished goal. In the following articles, we will talk about what are the options for “entry” into the industry, how to prepare for interviews, we will also talk about self-education, we will give many useful links and explanations, plus we will tell you about the next steps for those who have already become an analyst, but still wear proud prefix junior.

We encourage everyone to actively unsubscribe and share their thoughts and experiences on the above!

P.S. Feeling confident that you want to become a business analyst or improve your knowledge in this area? Welcome to

What do business analysts in IT do? On the one hand, they solve complex strategic issues and face serious, complex tasks. On the other hand, the job of a business analyst may seem overly simple and overpriced to some young professionals. Who are business analysts in essence and why they are needed in IT companies - we understand in this article.

In the classical sense, a business analyst is a person who analyzes the business needs of an organization, and also formulates ways and schemes to improve business processes, implements strategic planning. Business analysts may be responsible for one specific area of ​​the company, or for the entire organization as a whole.

When talking about business analysts in IT, their responsibilities often mean analysis and work with requirements for software products. Depending on the type of activity of the company, business analysts can perform one of two roles:

1. Engage in improving the company's products - if it develops its own solutions. Most often they are very competent specialists, but in our area (CIS) they are much less common than the latter.
2. Business analysts in outsourcing and outstaff companies are the people who are thrown to the forefront of working with clients. They are engaged in the collection of requirements, the preparation of technical specifications and much more. Further, we will talk about them.

The main task of business analysts in IT outsourcing companies is to work with the client, namely, to control that the product being developed is of high quality and fully meets the requirements of the customer.

As a link between the customer and the development team, the business analyst leads the client from the beginning to the end of the project. He finds out the wishes of the customer, his requirements for the product, advises him in disputable or technical matters, suggests ways to solve the tasks.

In fact, the purpose of the work of a business analyst is to connect the client's ideas about the ideal product that should be the output with reality:

• formulation of high-level requirements for the software product;
• drawing up its structure and connections between elements;
• identification of technologies and/or software solutions used;
• designing the user interface, the format and method of interaction between the user and the program - of course, at a certain level of abstraction.

Thus, a business analyst must be competent in a number of not very related areas:

• Be a good negotiator (communicator). He must be able to understand the interlocutor, explain to him complex things from the IT world, convince and convince the client of the effectiveness of various kinds of solutions, and, if necessary, smooth out conflict situations;
• Understand technical side software development;
• Possess at least a basic but solid expertise in usability and interface design;
• Understand the principles of movement cash flow and work with finances - in order to be able to fully comply with the interests of the client regarding the product, if commercial software is being developed;
• Have applied skills from the field of systems analysis: drafting technical documentation, specific diagrams and diagrams.

It may seem to some that business analysis is simple, since, in general, deep knowledge in each of the areas listed above is not required from the analyst. However, in fact, all this knowledge should be very practical. Indeed, otherwise, the results of the work of a business analyst will have a very weak connection with reality and will lead to the creation of an inefficient and not working product. And this can have a very negative impact on the company's reputation.
And that is why the work of a business analyst is highly responsible, and is evaluated accordingly.

Of course, the specialist described above is a spherical business analyst in a vacuum. And in different companies business intelligence work can be biased either towards increased communication with the client, or towards software architecture design.