Thursday, April 14, 2011

Lessons in Business Analysis

In the era of software platforms, business analysis continues to increase in importance as a necessary function to ensure the success of software systems. Performing this activity can be seen as an order-taking or a business transformation. What I have learned through some rather challenging circumstances is that it is a little of both, with some salesmanship thrown in for good measure.


How does that play out for the typical business analyst? Here are some thoughts.

• Order Taker. I bridle at the suggestion of being an order taker, but I have also seen many business analysts fall into this role. “Here is what the platform can do, what do you want it to do for you?” is not an uncommon question. Customers want to drive the process, and it’s a temptation to let the customer drive you uncontested. While it’s important that we get what the customer wants, they usually want a give-and-take approach with the analyst. “We don’t know what we don’t know,” is something they will tell you.

• Business Transformation. On the other end of the spectrum is the business transformation. Sometimes the transformation is from their current process to a new one supported by the software platform, and other times it’s a completely different activity. However, business transformation is expensive. It is easy to get caught up in the transformational aspects of the software platform, and not see other things like training and on-going support, supporting systems that intersect with your project, interfaces that are required, potential impact on vendors, and so forth. Customers will talk about transformation, but often they aren’t clear about what transformation entails.

These are two bookends to the experience of business analysis. In my case, I have been using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, but these ideas apply to other platforms. The key point is that it is usually some combination of order taking and business transformation is required. Business transformation supplies the vision while order taking makes sure the vision is grounded in reality.

In the case of Dynamics CRM, it probably better supports the attenuation of these two qualities of the business analyst’s job in working with a software platform, but the market success of other platforms indicate that there is a lot of complexity and nuance in the combination of these two perspectives.

Salesmanship must be done throughout the process. The business analyst needs to develop a perspective they use to guide both the order taker and business transformation aspects of their work. They then guide the customer to that vision while simultaneously being influenced by the guidance they receive back from the customer.

Sounds easy, right?