From the course: Business Analysis Foundations

What is business analysis (BA)?

From the course: Business Analysis Foundations

What is business analysis (BA)?

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- More than likely you've encountered business analysis or even benefited from it. You just didn't know what it was called. Business analysis, or BA, is the process by which we identify business needs, recommend relevant solutions, and understand requirements. Now, this is very general and it might not be that clear, but maybe looking at how a business analyst thinks, will help. Very simply, business analysts are, well, amazing. Obviously, I'm not biased. We are constantly observing and questioning. People who end up in this position have a naturally inquisitive and detail-oriented mind and are always analyzing everything. Their minds are constantly running through questions about activities they observe. What's being done and why? Is there a better way to do it? Are rules being followed or are exceptions being made? Should these rules even exist, or should they be adapted to the current situation? Are we being as efficient as possible? These questions and more are just a natural part of the way a business analyst's mind works. The thing that's interesting is that we tend to learn what the rules are and it drives us crazy when the rules aren't being followed, but that frustration is where we discover both problems and opportunities. Like, if you're on an airplane and you see that people aren't boarding in their proper boarding groups, well, you might ask, "Why are there boarding groups in the first place? Why are the gate agents letting people from group seven go in with group two?" Or, "What relationship do the group numbers have with the assigned seats, and why?" We could go on and on, but you see the point. Business analysis is all about seeing those problems, restructuring them as opportunities, and finding solutions.

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