The role of a business analyst is broad - their primary function is to identify business needs and develop solutions to those needs.
And, the need for these talented professionals couldn't be more great than during a recession, when organizational turbulence is likely to be at its highest.
Following is why IT business analysts are critical to a firm's success during tough economic times.
IT Business Analysts are Coaches: To use a sports analogy, the role of a coach is to lead a team to victory.
They do that by ensuring that all the behind-the-scenes work is done to ensure a win.
For the business analysts, this means gathering information (requirements analysis); keeping everybody on the same page with clear communication (using UML); and defining what needs to be done to achieve success (writing use cases).
In a recession, a company is likely to be trying to do more with fewer resources (ie, employees).
A business analyst can ensure that even though there are fewer resources available, no corners are cut to achieving organizational goals.
Keep Projects on Track: Industry experts estimate that 75-80% of IT projects run behind schedule and over budget.
This is a loss of time and money, both of which are in even shorter supply during a recession.
A skilled business analyst can mitigate these losses by effectively using industry tools like UML, uses cases and requirements analysis.
These tools lay the foundation for the successful implementation, testing and completion of a project.
A business analyst is a solutions-oriented professional - one driven by the core needs of the organization.
And, there is never a time to pay more attention to this than during a recession.