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Business Analysis and beyond: key players in organizational transformation

in Business Analysis, Business Analysis

Business Analysis is the professional discipline of enabling change within an organization by defining needs and recommending solutions that bring value to stakeholders. This is a crucial role in modern organizations, where the ability to adapt and respond to changing environments and customer needs is essential. Business Analysis involves a variety of techniques, tools and skills to identify problems or opportunities, then develop and implement effective solutions within the defined framework. It acts as a bridge between functional and technical needs within an organization, ensuring that proposed solutions meet business requirements while being technically feasible and viable.

In French, several terms are used to designate roles or aspects of Business Analysis, including AMOA (Assistance à Maîtrise d’Ouvrage), MOA (Maîtrise d’Ouvrage) and Business Analysis. Although these terms share similarities with Business Analysis as defined by IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis), there are important nuances in their meaning and application.

AMOA (Assistance à Maîtrise d’Ouvrage)

AMOA represents the role of assistance and advice to the project owner. It aims to support the customer or project sponsor in defining their needs, drawing up their specifications, and monitoring project implementation through to final acceptance of the solution. AMOA’s origins lie in IT projects, but its application has spread to other types of project. The main difference with business analysis according to the IIBA lies in the fact that AMOA is typically more focused on the project design phase and the interface between customer and implementation teams, whereas business analysis can encompass a broader spectrum of activities, from corporate strategy to technical implementation.

Owner (MOA )

The MOA refers to the project’s principal, who has the vision of the final product and is responsible for financing the project. In other words, the project owner is responsible for defining the project’s objectives and requirements, and for accepting the deliverables. The project owner may be a person or entity within the organization who will benefit directly from the project. Compared to Business Analysis, the MOA focuses more on owning and defining the business needs and objectives of the project, while Business Analysis works to translate these needs into operational and technical solutions, working closely with the MOA to ensure that the proposed solutions effectively meet the identified needs.

Business Analysis

Business Analysis comes closest to the IIBA definition of Business Analysis. It involves the in-depth study of an organization’s activities, processes, structures and strategies in order to identify opportunities for improvement and solve business problems. Business analysis can include business model evaluation, business process analysis, and requirements management for the development of new solutions.

Although AMOA, MOA and Business Analysis share common elements with Business Analysis, each of these terms focuses on specific aspects of the overall process of improving and managing change within organizations. Business Analysis, as conceptualized by the IIBA, offers a more global framework, aimed at delivering solutions that bring value to all a company’s stakeholders, covering a broader spectrum of activities, from strategic planning to technical implementation.

However, several other functions revolve around business analysis, focusing on more specific aspects of this vast, multi-dimensional field. They include Process Analysts, Systems Analysts, Requirements Engineers, Data Analysts and Enterprise Architects. Each of these roles contributes to a facet of Business Analysis, with distinct responsibilities and differences from the traditional business analyst.

Illustration of process management

Process Analyst

The process analyst focuses on analyzing, modeling and improving processes. This role involves identifying inefficiencies, proposing improvements, and monitoring the implementation of these changes to optimize organizational performance.

The origins of the process analyst can be traced back to the emergence of Total Quality Management (TQM) and process reengineering methodologies in the 80’s and 90’s, where process optimization became a central pillar for increasing corporate efficiency and competitiveness.

Unlike the business analyst, whose scope of intervention is broader, including corporate strategy, needs analysis and project management, the process analyst specializes in optimizing operational processes. Its main focus is on the continuous improvement and efficiency of internal workflows.

Systems Analyst

The systems analyst acts as a bridge between business needs and technological solutions. He or she is responsible for designing or modifying computer systems to improve operations, including requirements analysis, system design and implementation support.

This role has evolved with the advent of IT in the workplace, where the need to link business objectives to technological capabilities has become obvious to achieve efficiency gains and innovation.

The systems analyst focuses more on the technical aspects of solutions, working closely with development teams to ensure that IT systems meet specified requirements. Business analysts, on the other hand, operate at a more strategic level, bridging the gap between global needs and technical solutions.

Requirements Engineer

The requirements engineer specializes in the elicitation, analysis, documentation and management of stakeholder requirements throughout the project lifecycle. His work is crucial in ensuring that the solutions developed comply with requirements.

Requirements engineering has developed as a discipline in its own right within software engineering, recognizing the crucial importance of understanding and clearly specifying requirements for IT projects.

Although close to the business analyst in requirements elicitation and management, the requirements engineer focuses more on the technical and formal aspects of requirements specification, while the business analyst takes a more integrated view, also considering strategic implications and effects on the wider organization.

Data Analyst

The data analyst is responsible for analyzing data sets to extract insights that help decision-making. It uses statistical, data mining and data visualization techniques to identify trends, correlations and patterns in the data.

With the digital revolution and the explosion of available data, the role of the data analyst has become indispensable for companies seeking to leverage data to improve their decision-making and strategy.

Although both roles use data to support decision-making, the data analyst focuses specifically on the manipulation and interpretation of data, while the business analyst uses the insights gained from data as one of many inputs to formulate strategic and operational recommendations.

Business Architect

The enterprise architect designs the organizational structure and processes to align the organization’s operations, technology and strategy. He works at a high level to ensure that enterprise architecture supports strategic objectives.

The emergence of enterprise architecture as a discipline can be attributed to the need to manage the growing complexity of organizations and their information systems, aiming to create coherence and efficiency across the enterprise.

The enterprise architect operates at a higher strategic level, focusing on the design of the organization as a whole to support long-term strategy, while the business analyst focuses on specific projects and initiatives, working to translate needs into practical solutions.

These roles, though distinct, are complementary and essential to the achievement of a company’s strategic objectives. They illustrate the diversity and richness of business analysis as a discipline, with each function making its own contribution to helping organizations navigate the complex landscape of modern organizations.

Develop your Business Analysis skills - chart

Develop your skills

Whether you’re at the start of your career and looking to take on the role of business analyst, or an experienced professional looking to broaden your skill set, our “Business Analysis – Methods and Tools” training program is designed for you. With a hands-on teaching approach, we equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to excel in Business Analysis.

For those of you wishing to formalize your skills and stand out on the job market, consider taking an internationally recognized certification such as ECBA (Entry Certificate in Business Analysis), CCBA (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis) or CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional). These certifications, issued by IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis), represent a guarantee of competence and commitment to your professional development in the field of Business Analysis.

If you’re interested in deepening specific skills, take a look at our specialized courses. Whether it’s process management, requirements management or data analysis, we offer a range of targeted training courses to help you master the key aspects of Business Analysis. These courses are designed to reinforce your skills in specific areas, enabling you to respond effectively and accurately to the specific challenges of your professional environment.

Don’t miss this opportunity to develop or refine your Business Analysis skills. Join our community of learners and take charge of your career today. For more information on our courses and certifications, visit our website and find out how we can help you achieve your professional goals.

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