Financial analyst - what he does, the pros and cons of the profession. Business Analyst: A Creative Profession for Perfectionists Companies for Aspiring Business Analyst

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 share system 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 then in 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 system 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. This is a complex quality, but it is it that gives integrity to the activity. 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 way to “keep up to date”. 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, when you hear 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 the Summer Analytical Festival). The level of presentations and communication on it is very worthy, and this is an effective way to learn new things and develop professionally. At the same time, on the days adjacent to the conference, there are always trainings for leading analysts, in addition to master classes at the conference itself, and this is also a great opportunity to learn new things. I must say that the trainings at the conference differ from the "regular" trainings in training centers the fact that it is on them that coaches try new forms, talk about what they themselves have recently mastered or realized. So this is a great way to "feel" the work of an analyst for those who are going to develop in this direction, and for experienced professionals - the opportunity to see what is happening in professional field and learn new things.

Business Analyst Responsibilities

Greetings. One of my friends, Fedor, considers himself a genius in various financial and economic matters. But he has been out of work for three years already, and he proves all his knowledge to a neighbor on the site during drunken gatherings in the kitchen.

I tried to help him somehow and found a place where he could try to show himself. A new firm has opened and offers a position for a business analyst.

I decided to prepare Fedor and told him about the duties of a business analyst so that he understood the necessary requirements. I will share with you the nuances of such positions.

Career in IT: Position Business Analyst

A business analyst is a specialist who investigates a customer's problem, looks for a solution and draws up its concept in the form of requirements that developers will be guided by when creating a product.

According to the DOW, the average business analyst is 28 years old, has a salary of $1300-2500 and has 3 years of work experience.

Tasks and responsibilities

The main task of a business analyst is to identify the problems of the customer's business and find the most effective solution. To do this, he must have knowledge in the subject area.

The business analyst works with requirements at all stages of the software development life cycle and constantly acts as an intermediary between the customer and the programming team.

The work of a business analyst includes the following steps:

1. Identify the needs of the customer, understand the problem that he wants to solve.
2. Formulate a solution concept independently or with the help of a team.
3. Turn the concept into a technical task with specific requirements for the future product. For this, various business analysis techniques are used - building models of processes and structures, user interface prototypes, use cases. At the same time, an accurate assessment of labor costs and duration of work is made.
4. Detail each requirement in the form of specifications.
5. Advise programmers and testers during product development, controversial points negotiate with the customer.

The range of tasks can be described in simple words: work with requirements. This involves both interaction with stakeholders on the customer side and with team members who are responsible for the solution development process.

In world practice, the career map of analysts looks like this. In Ukraine, not all projects involve a dedicated analyst.

There is also a reverse situation, when the analyst additionally performs the duties of a project manager, quality specialist or technical writer.

In large projects, the roles of Business Analyst and System Analyst are sometimes separated. The responsibilities of the Business Analyst include identifying the customer's business goals, thinking through solution concepts, and generating requirements.

The duties of the System Analyst are formalization and specification of requirements, writing technical specifications at the level of functional requirements and software implementation.

The responsibilities of a business analyst include:

• Analysis of the customer's business needs;
• Drawing up requirements for the future product (communication with interested parties - developers, customers, end users);
• Requirements analysis (application of various methodologies and notations - prototyping, questioning, polling, brainstorming, analysis of existing documentation, competitors);
• Analysis of problem areas and suggestions for improvement;
• Formalization of requirements (separation of requirements into business, functional, non-functional, writing requirements specifications);
• Requirements management (processing of change requests, analysis and description of the impact on existing requirements);
• Translation of requirements between developers and the client.

An analyst can have good English, fluent language and write perfect documentation.

But if he does not understand the subject area, cannot understand the customer and convey this to the developer, then his projects will fail.

A typical business analyst day is:

1. Meetings with the project team and with the customer;
2. Development of conceptual solutions;
3. Working with analysis tools: diagrams, diagrams, models, prototypes;
4. Working with requirements: collecting, writing technical specifications and specifications;
5. Consulting developers and testers;
6. The study of standards.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of the profession of a business analyst is the ability to penetrate into the essence: to understand what works, what parts it consists of, how they are connected and interact with each other, and then describe complex things using simple but useful models.

Business analysts help different parties understand each other, and the result is an implementation that satisfies everyone.

Another plus is the importance and significance of the activity, since it is the results of the business analyst's work that determine the progress of the project.

Among the shortcomings, there are difficulties in communicating with the customer when it is not possible to convey good ideas or are hindered by time and budget constraints.

Another complaint is the need to learn large amounts of information in a short amount of time. In addition to studying directly his project, a business analyst must constantly keep abreast of new methodologies, approaches, study basic principles new platforms.

How to become a business analyst and where to go next?

There are 2 ways to become:

• An IT specialist who is closer to communication than writing code. Such an analyst will understand the development process, know the capabilities of the software, and understand what a developer needs to know for quality work. However, he needs to separately acquire business knowledge in the area that is being automated.
• A specialist without an IT education who is a professional in a particular subject area. Such an analyst understands all the nuances of the business and speaks the same language with the customer. But he will have to figure out what exactly is subject to automation and what data developers need to work with.

Analysts often grow out of testers. Those who have come this way know the “inner workings” of IT and have the material to distinguish well-written requirements from poorly written ones.

For the work of a business analyst, it is important:

1. know the methodology of collection, analysis and formalization;
2. know the subject area to be analyzed;
3. understand the software life cycle in accordance with various methodologies;
4. know the basics of programming, testing, algorithms, economics.

An analyst must get rid of the narrow-mindedness of an IT specialist, be able to see the whole picture, notice shortcomings.

Attention!

The better he manages to go “beyond”, the more successful the work will be.

As for personal qualities, it is necessary:

• have analytical thinking;
• easy to understand in an unknown area;
• be able to analyze the current situation in comparison with the past;
• be able to make decisions;
• love and be able to learn;
• have excellent communication skills;
• be attentive to details;
• express your thoughts clearly and concisely.

You need to be able to decompose what you want to explain into simple components, so that it is clear to everyone and everything what the idea is.

The future analyst is required to understand software development processes, study the theory of business analysis and software requirements, have good level English, be able and want to think, look from different angles and heights.

A general technical background is also desirable - either experience in IT or a technical university.

Business Analyst Career Opportunities:

1. To improve as an analyst, to master a growing range of analytical tasks.
2. Delve into the system component and become a Business or Enterprise Architect
3. Develop along the managerial ladder, project (Project manager -> Program Manager -> CTO) or business (Product manager).

Perspectives are different. Become the head of the analytics department, become a qualified specialist, provide consulting services.

Even opening your own business, you need to analyze the profitability of the business. And in an already established business, it is necessary to analyze and predict the results of work.

Source: https://dou.ua/lenta/articles/business-analyst-position/

business analyst profession

Business analyst (Business Analyst) - a specialist whose task is to study in detail the structure of the company, identify problems and find ways to successfully resolve them.

For example, business intelligence functions might include the financial analysis activities of the organization, automation economic activity or the development of a new, more efficient business model, which includes the optimization of processes and work of personnel, cost reduction, profit increase, etc.

The business analyst profession is highly paid, prestigious and promising.

Such professionals are in demand large enterprises various industries - mainly in the banking sector, in construction, trade and mining, as well as in IT companies and consulting.

History of the profession

The need to optimize and automate business processes arose about twenty years ago in Western Europe and the USA.

Globalization and the active spread of digital technologies have begun to dictate new business opportunities and created a shortage of qualified specialists capable of finding new ways for companies to develop.

Responsibilities

Business Analyst responsibilities include:

• collection, formalization and coordination of requirements with customers;
• collection of information, description and modeling of business processes;
• analysis of efficiency and development of proposals for optimizing processes;
• development of documentation;
• preparation comparative analysis company activities;
• Preparing presentations for management and clients.

Requirements

The most common business analyst requirements are:

1. higher education (preferably in finance, economics, accounting);
2. experience with CRM, analytical data processing systems or banking information systems;
3. experience in business analytics;
4. experience in writing technical specifications;
5. experience in the development of regulatory documentation;
6. PC knowledge;
7. analytical thinking and the ability to systematize information;
8. Correct oral and written language.

How to become a business analyst

Graduates of economic, financial, technical or mathematical faculties with theoretical knowledge in the field of analysis and modeling of business processes can apply for the position of a business analyst (Business Analyst).

You may also need to know information systems, accounting, financial and management accounting.

Salary

The salary of a business analyst depends on the level of professional skills and work experience of a specialist.

Today it fluctuates between 45-150 thousand rubles a month. The average salary of a business analyst is in the region of 80 thousand rubles per month.

Source: http://site/enjoy-job.ru/professions/biznes-analitik/

Business analyst

Large companies have many departments in their structure. In order to improve the exchange of information between them and optimize business processes, enterprises organize information computer networks (ERP-systems) - a set of applications that allows you to create a single automated system management of an enterprise or its key business processes.

They are developed by a systems analyst. He either upgrades an existing system in the enterprise, or models a new one.

His responsibilities include collecting requirements for the product being created through questionnaires and user interviews.

The system analyst develops the terms of reference for the creation software, designs documentation of the system and software architecture of the IT system, sets tasks for development and testing.

And at the end of the project, he explains the rules of work to users and solves the problems of functioning at all stages of the life cycle of the information system.

The specifics of the profession

Pros of the profession:

• it is a well-paid job;
• creative work each project is unique and requires its own approach to development;
• the tangible benefits of activity are visible when the workflow in the company has a clear style and sequence;
• acquiring communication skills, as well as expanding the circle of useful acquaintances through projects in various organizations.

Disadvantages of the profession:

1. the work of a system analyst is not always limited to one city, and therefore people in this profession have to spend a lot of time on business trips;
2. the client is not always able to understand the difference between one system and another, hence disagreements, disputes, misunderstanding;
3. high working rhythm;
4. often users have a negative attitude towards the introduction of a new information system;
5. often the customer cannot formulate the task.

Place of work in large companies: banks, financial corporations, fuel and energy complexes, etc. In integrator companies, at enterprises where there are departments of system analysis.

Personal qualities

Patience, patience and more patience. You will need a lot of it: both when discussing project details with customers and when communicating with users, and when solving technical problems.

You need to be able to find a common language with everyone with whom you have to communicate, and you will have to communicate a lot.

During the discussion, quickly get up to speed, capture the essence and optimize the scope of work (sometimes the task is much easier than the customer suggests).

Career - in large companies: banks, financial corporations, fuel and energy complexes, etc. In integrator companies, at enterprises where there are systems analysis departments.

Education

It is impossible to work in the IT field as a system analyst without knowledge of information systems. However, there are times when people who have received a variety of education, both technical and humanitarian, become system analysts.

So, for example, techies experience fewer problems with technical questions, and it is easier for humanitarians to negotiate with customers.

And one more nuance. It is difficult to become a systems analyst right after graduation. Although there are many vacancies, professionals with experience are required everywhere. In this case, you can start your career as an Assistant Analyst Trainee.

Source: http://website/www.education.ua/professions/business-analyst/

Young BA course

Recently, the profession of an analyst in the field of software development (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".

Attention!

And on everyone's mind is the main question: how to become one? 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.

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”? Undoubtedly, you will eventually find a common language with them.

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.

The most common types of IT analysts are:

• Business analyst
• Systems Analyst
• Requirements 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.

The business analyst 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.

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 offer specific technical solution and design system architecture.

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 simplistic 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 requirements analysts.

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).

Attention!

So, the main qualities / skills of an ideal analyst (note that some qualities are innate, while others are developed, some quickly, and some quite long.

Analytic mind. 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 characteristic styles 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.

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.

communication skills and communication namely:

1. the ability to listen and hear.
2. the ability to express one's thoughts clearly and concisely.
3. the ability to establish and establish contacts and relationships with other people.

Knowledge of IT and software development fundamentals(the so-called technical background).

Knowledge of foreign language(most often English) in terms of written and oral application. Domestic outsourcing is mainly directed to 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.

Learnability. 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.

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 both advantages and disadvantages.

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:

1. it’s boring (again, it depends on the specifics of the project and the company – sometimes you will have to do monotonous and routine work, or work that you don’t like)
2. 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)
3. the need to switch between different activities and, as you progress, between several projects that are completely different in nature
4. the need to make decisions and take responsibility for their decisions.

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).

Source: http://site/analyst.by/articles/starterba-whoisba

Career Business Intelligence

A business analyst is a relatively new profession for the modern labor market.

Initially, many of the functions of a business analyst were carried out by a project manager (gathering high-level requirements) and a systems analyst (developing functional requirements).

Moreover, at present, in some companies, there is still no clear delineation of the duties of a project manager and a business analyst, and in some places the functions of a project manager and a business analyst are carried out by one person.

If you are inquisitive, have well-developed communication skills and analytical skills, then this promising direction may interest you.

By acting as an intermediary between the client and the IT team, the business analyst translates business needs into software and organizational solutions.

Functions

• Gathering information by conducting surveys, market research, interviewing the customer and other interested parties in order to identify their current and future needs.
• Development of proposals and recommendations that can meet the real needs of the customer.
• Presentation of the solution to the client.
• Advising the customer on the optimization of his business processes.
• Writing the necessary documentation independently or under the guidance of a senior business analyst.
• Effective interaction with the development team and the customer throughout the entire project cycle.

Junior Business Analyst Competency Model

Threshold competencies: customer orientation, information gathering, persuasive communication, analytical skills.

Differentiating competencies: teamwork, responsibility, quality orientation.

Wage

The salary of a business analyst varies from 500 to 3500 USD per month, depending on work experience and place of work.

The salary of a junior business analyst without work experience varies from 500 to 600 USD per month.

Source: https://www.it-academy.by/employment/kariera/karera-ba.php

Business analysts must be able and know much more than ordinary employees. Their field of activity is the area strategic planning, budgeting, analysis and development of business processes.

People in this profession lead the business to a peak maximum efficiency making it competitive and potentially profitable.

The main task of a business analyst is to propose and implement changes that will benefit the organization.

A business analyst is a principal researcher who, based on the analysis of specific indicators of business processes, must calculate areas where changes will have a positive potential impact on the overall result.

A person in this profession plans effective strategies, ways and schemes of their implementation and predicts the effect of their implementation.

Business analysts are in demand in the government, corporate sectors, as well as in the areas of financial and corporate services.

The profession appeared not so long ago. For a long time, the function of analyzing all processes in the company was shifted to the heads of areas and departments. Very often they did not have for this necessary knowledge and relied solely on their practical skills.

With the active development of business technologies, representatives of companies and state corporations have a need to hire highly qualified specialists.

So, a business analyst is engaged in the analysis of internal corporate processes, he especially studies the work of the company, seeks to minimize costs and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

Attention!

He evaluates the applied business model, finds "breakdowns" - unprofitable actions and solutions, suggests other optimal approaches to work.

This process is called "reengineering", or business engineering (it was singled out as a separate branch of doing business recently - at the end of the last century). In fact, it is a process of getting rid of non-working mechanisms and introducing new ones.

A specialist of this profile often has more than one higher education, colossal managerial experience, as well as certificates of many special training courses.

Traditionally, people with higher education in mathematics, cybernetics or economics. Quite often, these specialists additionally go to higher education institutions for knowledge in that narrow area, which becomes the main area of ​​their analysis.

Thus, the business analyst is easily oriented in related industries. For example, if a specialist has a degree in IT, and in order to take the position of a business analyst, he should receive education (take courses) in the field of financial management or economics.

It is almost impossible to predict what a business analyst needs to know to perform tasks in a particular corporation.

In the process of immersion in work, already at the initial stage it will become clear where the specialist has gaps and how to close them.

Business analyst " general profile» usually has in the list of its official duties items such as automation of accounting, marketing and storage of commodity items.

If he gets an additional specialization, he will be able to research and improve the production process in more detail.

Experts believe that the optimization of specific areas of business and reengineering should be entrusted to a narrow-profile analyst who focuses on a specific manufacturing industry.

This reduces risks and potential costs. General analysts should be engaged in drawing up a strategy as a whole for the entire company.

In the figure, inside the figure outlined by the red dotted line, standard tasks are indicated, and the shaded area represents the actual duties.

What should a BA be able to do?

Most importantly, a business analyst must be able to understand, analyze, predict and formulate strategic plans for business development.

Also, a business analyst must have special knowledge, for example, in the field of design in a special modeling language (UML).

That is, among the skills of a specialist, not just the ability to provide a report in the form of numbers, tables and diagrams in PowerPoint, but to work out business models in detail is welcome. The latter is carried out in the following programs: BPWin, RRose, ARIS and others.

Having built graphical models, at the end, the specialist formulates detailed recommendations for modernizing business processes.

Most often, business analysts are expected to have competencies in the field of CRM, data processing systems, data analysis.

Also, a specialist in this profession must have experience in writing terms of reference, development of regulations, computer skills, especially in simulation programs.

A good business analyst is distinguished by analytical thinking, a systematic approach and the ability to systematize and work with any amount of information, as well as the ability to speak correctly and write thoughts.

Responsibilities

General Analyst deals with:

1. collection and systematization of analysis results;
2. creation of business process models;
3. analysis of efficiency and preparation of proposals for optimizing work;
4. development of regulations, documentation, reporting system;
5. comparative analysis with competitors of the organization's activities;
6. making presentations for managers or customers.

Wage

This profession is highly paid and is considered very prestigious. Business analysts are director-level specialists. Where do business analysts work and get decent pay?

A promising profession in the banking and trade sectors, the construction industry. And the most profitable in the mining industry and the IT sector.

The salary of an analyst depends on his professional skills and experience. Today, the level of salaries, depending on the region of Russia, ranges from 40 to 140 thousand rubles a month.

The average salary of a business analyst per month is about 60 thousand rubles. The given figures are typical for the Moscow region, in the provinces the level of wages is somewhat lower.

Where to begin?

From education. Graduates of universities in the specialties of economics, finance and mathematics can apply for the position of analyst. It is important that the applicant has excellent theoretical knowledge in the field of business process analysis.

Attention!

In Russia today it is difficult to find suitable learning programs, immersion in which will allow you to become a generalist in business analysis. But there are professional retraining programs.

For example, the School of IT Management at the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation offers a program for project managers and business analysis.

Applicants for the position of financial analyst are graduating from the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics. MIPT offers a program for students wishing to become a systems analyst.

The HSE Faculty of Business Informatics also trains business analysts, but only in the field of information technology.

And specifically, the program of the Higher School of Economics in Moscow is devoted to the direction of analytics.

For the analyst, no less important, albeit small at the initial stage, is practice in financial sector. It is worth paying attention to the development of communication skills in order to get along with colleagues and build close working contact with subordinates.

The future analyst should develop coaching and recruiting skills.

This will come in handy during work meetings with employees when they have to communicate changes in the business process and do it in a way that motivates people to continue productive work.

A business analyst career can start at the junior staff level: as an assistant, manager, deputy, etc. You will have to work under the supervision of others for some time in order to gain experience and practical knowledge.

You should choose specialties for exams - advanced level: financial management and performance management.

Summarizing

According to Cio.com's survey of the most in-demand professions today, more and more companies are looking for a specialist in business analysis.

It is becoming more and more difficult to approve the expenses of companies for the implementation of new projects, so they must be absolutely justified in terms of achieving business goals. And the collection of the evidence base can only be entrusted to a professional analyst.

According to Forrester.com, today, generalists are becoming more and more in demand, capable of a global approach to the analysis of business processes, and not of its individual areas of activity, such as human resources management, marketing department, development department, etc.

At the same time, they must be competent not only in the field of IT (which is already a template in relation to the business analyst profession), but also in general in doing business.

If a business analyst is able to assess the situation from the outside, while deeply understanding the features of the proposed solutions, he becomes a valuable asset in the company.

Reengineering has been used in Russia quite recently, and with the growth of business requirements for the pace of development, the need for specialists is constantly growing.

Today, the demand for such specialists is so high that the market for proposals cannot yet satisfy it.

HR executives and corporate directors are publishing forecasts that the need for systems analysts will increase markedly in the future.

Today no one will refute the fact that life modern society is inextricably linked with a huge flow of information, the entire volume of which cannot be fully perceived by any person. And we would have drowned in this sea of ​​information long ago if it weren’t for the representatives of the analyst profession who took on the task of processing all the available data.

Today, no one will refute the fact that the life of modern society is inextricably linked with a huge flow of information, the entire volume of which cannot be fully perceived by any person. And we would have drowned in this sea of ​​information long ago, if not for the representatives analyst professions who took the trouble to process all the available data.

In other words, the analyst is exactly the person to whom all information flows and who knows how to work with it. Well, since information is a product that has value only while it is fresh, analysts have been and will be in demand wherever the relevance of information is of paramount importance. We note right away that analytics belongs to rather specific areas of activity, therefore only those people who have a certain set of personal qualities, skills and knowledge can work in this area. But about what an analyst should be able to do, and what are the features of his work, we will tell in this article.

What is an analyst?

A highly qualified specialist who conducts analytical research, summarizes the information received in a certain field of activity, is fluent in various methods of analysis, and is also able to predict processes and develop development programs.

The name of the profession comes from the ancient Greek άναλυτικά (the art of analysis), which fully reflects the main essence of the work of an analyst. Despite the fact that the profession of an analyst is considered to be relatively "young", the first writings on analytics appeared as early as the 4th century BC (Aristotle's First and Second Analytics). However, the first analysts dealt mainly with history and universal human issues.

Modern analysts process information relating to all spheres of society, and deal mainly with numbers. That is why today there are several narrow specializations this profession, depending on the direction of activity: financial analyst, business analyst, investment analyst, system analyst, web analyst, marketing analyst, etc.

Responsibilities of an Analyst represent a chain of successive actions:

• collection and primary processing of data;
• drawing up certain assumptions and theses;
• analysis and verification of information;
• project development and methodical works supported by clear justifications;
• formation of conclusions and an analytical report on the work done.

In other words, professional duties of any analyst, regardless of the field of activity, are aimed at collecting, evaluating and analyzing information, with the subsequent development practical advice to improve the work of an enterprise or organization, taking into account the current situation on the market.

What personal qualities should an analyst have?

Since the work of an analyst is directly related to the study of a large amount of information, it is impossible to imagine this specialist without such personal qualities as attentiveness, pedantry and meticulousness. In addition, analysts are helped to do their job well by such personal qualities, how:

• analytic mind;
• persistence;
• good memory;
• developed intuition;
• sociability;
• accuracy;
• ability to work with large volumes of information;
• observation;
• patience;
• perseverance;
• a responsibility;
• creativity.

The list of professional knowledge and skills necessary for an analyst to work necessarily includes: knowledge of various methods of analysis and the basics of statistics, skills in working with specialized software and electronic databases, as well as absolute knowledge of mathematics and the ability to draw correct conclusions.

Benefits of being an analyst

Analysts are considered to be "nerds" who spend the whole day poring over papers, and constantly studying, analyzing, researching and systematizing something. That is, in the view of the inhabitants, the work of analysts is boring and monotonous. But even the seeming ugliness of such work cannot "cross out" Benefits of being an analyst, which, by the way, are quite numerous. Of course, we cannot list everything, so we will focus only on the main ones.

• First, analysts are in demand on modern market labor like no other profession. Moreover, employers are ready to pay quite decent money for their services (the average salary of an analyst in Russia today is about 60-70 thousand rubles).
• Secondly, the work of an analyst is actually very diverse. After all new information appears almost every minute, and for a person who is passionate about his business, finding the necessary data can be an exciting and interesting activity.
• Thirdly, a flexible work schedule and the ability to carry out professional activities both in the office and remotely (that is, without leaving home). At the same time, the specialist himself decides whether he will work in the company's staff or whether the option of working as a "free" employee providing services on a contractual basis is preferable for him.

And most importantly, in the process of work, the analyst communicates with a large number of very different people, mainly from the management of companies and organizations. Therefore, over time, he acquires "useful" acquaintances that can be used both in professional activity as well as to solve personal problems.

Disadvantages of being an analyst

If we talk about disadvantages of the profession of analyst, then first of all it is necessary to note the fact that quite often the management of companies is not very positive about the innovations that the analyst proposes to introduce. Therefore, the specialist has not only to do his job, but also to prove the correctness of his conclusions and the effectiveness of the proposed methods for the development of the enterprise.

The disadvantages also include an irregular work schedule and the need to spend most of the working time at the computer. The latter, by the way, can adversely affect the vision of a specialist.

It is impossible not to say that analysts without work experience experience some problems with employment. After all, the development of the company largely depends on the professionalism of the analyst, so the management prefers to entrust the analysis of the current situation on the market to already experienced specialists who have managed to establish themselves only on the positive side.

Where can you get a job as an analyst?

For those who dream get a job as an analyst, first of all, it is necessary to determine the direction of activity, since the choice depends on this educational institution. A future financial analyst will be able to get the amount of knowledge necessary for work at a financial institution or university, and an IT analyst at a technical university.

Unfortunately, there are no specialized universities specializing in the training of "universal" analysts in Russia today, so young specialists will first have to study the characteristics of the market that interests them most, and then gain knowledge in the field of analytics by self-study. Another feature of becoming an analyst is the need to gain practical experience before starting an independent activity. Therefore, after graduation, a university graduate will have to work as an intern for an already experienced specialist for some time.

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“Great analysts are nurtured, not trained. Being an analyst requires a lot of personality traits, not knowledge of any technology. There is no standard training course or description of the duties of such a specialist. The analysts come from different professions, and, most likely, all beginners have gaps in knowledge and skills”
Vigers Karl "Development of software requirements", 2004

Karl Vigers wrote his book almost 10 years ago, but the situation has not changed - there are only a few real analysts.
This series of articles is for those who are going to become professional requirements analysts. Information collected from personal experience, books by Carl I. Vigers "Development of software requirements", as well as from the experience of other analysts from the Internet.
Dear habravchan, I urge you to comment on my articles and, thereby, correct the situation of the small number of good analysts, giving advice and recommendations to beginners in this difficult matter.
Let's define what a requirements analyst is, what skills a person who wants to analyze requirements should have.
Among the participants in any software development project, there is always a person who explicitly or implicitly performs the role of a requirements analyst. Being essentially a software developer, he masters the duties of an analyst and works with users, collecting, analyzing and documenting requirements. However, not all developers know how to correctly formulate software requirements and communicate with the client. Training improves the professional skills of employees who perform the role of an analyst, but cannot compensate for the lack of skills interpersonal communication and interest in the business.
What is the main task of the requirements analyst?
The most important task of the analyst is to reflect the opinions of stakeholders and individuals in the requirements specification and communicate the information to others involved in the project. The analyst helps the project participants to clarify whether the wishes they express out loud are really what they really need. The analyst teaches, asks questions, listens, organizes and learns.
The main success factors are patience and a sincere desire to work with people.
Analyst skill is based on personal skills, without the development of which you will not take place in this profession. Be prepared for the fact that you have to constantly learn something. And as you learn new things, you will realize that you know too little. By choosing the profession of an analyst, you choose a certain style of thinking, communication, development and life itself in general. Without the presence of certain skills and the desire to develop them, it is better to leave this profession altogether.
What skills should an Analyst have?

The ability to listen

Active listening involves eliminating distractions, maintaining a polite posture and eye contact, and repeating key points to reinforce understanding. You need to instantly grasp what people are saying and be able to read between the lines to discover things they are embarrassed to talk about. It is not only what is said to you that is important, but also how it is said to you.

Ability to question and ask questions

Much of the information about requirements comes from talking to people, and therefore the analyst must be able to communicate with different people and groups. There are different interlocutors: someone wants to tell everything that he knows and even not on the topic, someone answers only specific questions, someone wishful thinking. And only with the help of the right questions from a huge flow of information can essential requirements be identified.

Comfortable communication skills

The ability to organize a friendly atmosphere is one of the essential skills of an analyst. Of course, this skill is not as important as the first two. But in comfortable conditions it is always better to work.

The ability to observe

By observing how a user performs their duties or works with an existing application, an experienced analyst will identify points that the user did not even mention. Being observant helps steer the discussion in a new direction to reveal additional requirements that no one has said anything about.

Stress tolerance

In the process of work, a huge amount of information (often contradictory) and data appears that can radically change the understanding and direction of analysis and design at one moment. The analyst must be ready for this, be able to navigate in the new conditions, not to panic.

Ability to analyze and process information

The analyst is dealing with a large amount of jumbled information collected in the first stage. The ability to process a large amount of information and analyze it will allow you to structure the data and build a clear and crisp picture.

Ability to solve problems and resolve conflicts

A large number of stakeholders and project participants can work in a project, each of which has its own view and vision. The analyst must have the ability to listen to all parties, summarize information, accept optimal solution and convince the parties of its correctness.

Ability to negotiate

The analyst must be able to organize people with different interests to work together, and feel confident in conversations with employees in different positions in the organization. Think about how difficult it is to deal with employees from virtual teams that differ in geographic, temporal, cultural or linguistic grounds.

Teamwork skills

The result of Analyst's work is used by many project participants. He must be able to work in a team, trust his colleagues and be aware of his responsibility to them, doing his part of the work.

Creativity

The analyst is not just a stenographer who writes down all the statements of clients. Analysts invent requirements. They offer innovative product features, new market and business opportunities, and think about how to surprise and satisfy their customers. An excellent analyst is creative: talking about the system, he manages to surprise the client - he does not even always suspect that such functionality is possible

Domain knowledge

A business-savvy analyst can more easily communicate with and understand customers, and is able to identify unspoken assumptions and implicit requirements. It can offer options for business process improvement, as well as valuable functionality that users have not even thought about.
The analyst must be able to use different means of collecting information and present this information in various ways in a normal and understandable language. Possess simultaneously developed communication skills, knowledge of the psychology of interpersonal communication, technical knowledge, knowledge of the subject area, business and personal qualities suitable for this job.
For people who like to solve complex problems and want to become professional analysts, nothing is impossible! The main thing is to understand that your vocation is to be a translator from slurred to exact language, from the language of wishes to the language of functionality, from the language of “what if” to the language of “this is how it is done”!
I look forward to comments from those who have already established themselves as an analyst and can share their observations, and those who come across analysts in the course of their work and can share their disappointments or admiration from interacting with them.
See you next time for a discussion on "Different Methods for Creating and Revealing Requirements".

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, Chief Architect, 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 then in different projects different types of activities may be needed and they may be distributed differently between roles.

In Model 1 mentioned above, business and system 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. This is a complex quality, but it is it that gives integrity to the activity. 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, the stage of its life cycle and the 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 way to “keep up to date”. 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, they give free consultations, because, discussing , they too 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 the Summer Analytical Festival). The level of presentations and communication on it is very worthy, and this is an effective way to learn new things and develop professionally. At the same time, on the days adjacent to the conference, there are always trainings for leading analysts, in addition to master classes at the conference itself, and this is also a great opportunity to learn new things. I must say that the trainings at the conference differ from the "regular" trainings in training centers in that it is at them that the trainers try new forms, talk about what they themselves have recently mastered or realized. So this is a great way to "feel" the work of an analyst for those who are going to develop in this direction, and for experienced professionals - an opportunity to see what is happening in the professional field and learn new things.