subject: Business analysis the bridge between business and IT [print this page] Business analysis the bridge between business and IT
Abusiness(also known asenterpriseorfirm) is anorganizationdesigned to providegoods,services, or both toconsumers.Businesses are predominant incapitalisteconomies, in which most of them are privately ownedand formed to earnprofitto increase thewealthof their owners.
Business analysts are business professionals that concern themselves with evaluating the overall structure of a given business, including such important facets as sales and marketing, management, accounting,systems management, facilities, and labor. The range of analysts runs the gamut from the Accountingbusiness analystto theIT business analyst. After making an objective evaluation, the business analyst usually offers constructive suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of specific areas of the company, with an eye to increasing both the stability and theprofitabilityof the company.
Different types of business analysis
There are four types ofbusiness analystjobs available: software specific, consulting, functional business analyst, and academic. A business analyst has training in both thebusiness processand the software options. These skills are used to review existing processes, explore options, implement and support technology based solutions.
Business analysis as a discipline
Business analysis as a discipline has a heavy overlap withrequirements analysissometimes also called requirements engineering, but focuses on identifying the changes to an organization that are required for it to achieve strategic goals. These changes include changes to strategies, structures, policies, processes, and information systems.
Examples of business analysis include:
Enterprise analysis or company analysis
Focuses on understanding the needs of the business as a whole, its strategic direction, and identifying initiatives that will allow a business to meet those strategic goals.
It also includes:
Creating and maintaining the business architecture
Conducting feasibility studies
Identifying new business opportunities
Scoping and defining new business opportunities
Preparing the business case
Conducting the initial risk assessment
In recent times, it is not unusual to find a business analyst who focuses on a particular industry or a limited set of business functions. One modern example is the business analyst that specializes in evaluating theinformation technology infrastructure of a company. The IT business analyst tends to focus on the quality of the computer hardware used in each department of the company, the efficiency of the network that links all sections and locations of the company together, and how efficiently information flows from one area to another using software and databases. Often, the IT business analyst that specializes in IT functions is able to offer constructive advice on how to integrate one or more components of the system, or possibly migrate to a newsoftware packageor network. This is done with an eye toward streamlining the flow of data and improving the bottom line for thecorporationas a result.
An IT business analyst may require anywhere from a few days to a year in order to complete a detailed analysis of a company and develop a comprehensive report that identifies strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for changes. In some cases, an IT business analyst may choose to contract with the client to remain on board while the upgrades or enhancements are implemented.
