Introduction:

Business Analysis is indeed a great career choice. The demand for business analysts is on a huge rise after the companies have realized the need for change in the outdated processes for better technology and profits. It is one of the highest paying jobs in the IT market but the role comes with a major responsibility.

If you are one of those who is keen to take up the role, the business analyst training can certainly help you get traction in the industry. But, at the same time, some inherent qualities and a combination of soft skills, IT knowledge, and domain expertise are required to become a great business analyst. 

In this blog let’s see which are key skills required of a business analyst and what kind of skills can be developed during the training that helps you become a successful BA.

Who is a business analyst?

The role of a business analyst is the one who contributes to the organization by strategizing and offering their inputs for the betterment of the processes. They suggest, communicate changes for better results, convince the stakeholders about how these changes can positively affect the revenue, and finally see to it that these changes are implemented.

Moreover, the business analyst also plays the role of an intermediary between the business stakeholders and the IT team.

Key Skills Required by a business analyst

Before we understand what is expected of a good business analyst training course, listed below are the essential skills, a BA must hone in order to do well in the role:

Domain Knowledge

As a business analyst, the role demands an applicant, well-versed with business terminology and the basic knowledge of the domain. The contender should be able to understand/explain the customer processes, their problems for which the business analysis needs to be carried out.

Soft skills

 A good BA is expected to have the following soft skills:

  • Oral and Written Communication skills
  • Negotiation skills
  • Facilitation skills
  • Decision-making skills
  • Convincing skills
  • Good interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking Skills

A business analyst should have good listening skills, presence of mind, and amazing problem-solving skills to be able to counter the business stakeholders’ grilling questions with smart but well-informed answers.

What skills are covered in the business analyst training?

Let’s understand the top and relevant skills, a BA is expected to acquire during the hands-on training program:

  • Understanding various SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) methodologies i.e. Agile/Waterfall/Iterative/Lean
  • IT knowledge in Data Structures, OOPs, database concepts, and MS Office.
  • Reporting tools like Tableau, Power BI, etc.
  • UML Modeling tools like Rational Rose, Star UML, and more.
  • Knowledge in Testing tools.
  • Should hone Mind Map technique in order to elaborate on any concept after generating ideas and analyzing them.
  • Should be proficient in handling requirements management tools like OSRMT (Open Source Requirements Management Tool), DOORS, and so on.
  • Collecting, working on feedback, and evaluating them are key responsibilities of a BA. Hence, working on prototyping tools such as Pencil, iRise, SmartDraw, is a must for a BA.
  • Master various requirement elicitation and analysis techniques by conducting requirement workshops, JAD sessions, brainstorming, surveys, etc.
  • Expertise in modeling techniques and documenting capabilities.

Conclusion: 

As a rule of thumb, the role of a business analyst is differing under various circumstances. Hence, hands-on working knowledge on a project is highly suggested than regular theoretical training.