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Types of business analyst roles

Business analysts may specialise in a number of areas, including process analysis, product development and project delivery.

• Process analysis business analyst - focuses on internal processes
• Product development business analyst - focuses on developing new products
• Project management business analyst - focuses on managing one of the above processes

Each type of business analyst brings unique value to an organisation. 

Process analysis business analyst

This role is all about internal procedures. It includes collecting information, outlining steps a company uses to achieve its business goals, and making suggestions on how to improve current functions. You will need to collect data from stakeholders in the workflow and then propose changes.

Product development business analyst

These analysts often work in digital companies. They work with stakeholders from the organisation to outline functional and nonfunctional requirements. Functional requirements define what a product must do, for example allowing users to create an account, log in and make a purchase. Non-functional requirements define how well the product performs, such as accessibility, security, reliability or page load times.

Project management business analyst

People in this role focus on identifying the end user and putting steps in place to fulfil the user needs. These analysts need to have excellent communication skills and understand all points of view, ensuring they can convince each stakeholder to align on priorities. These types of analysts often become leaders in the organisation.

What skills does a business analyst need?

• The ability to motivate others and lead change
• An interest in business development
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present to a range of stakeholders and colleagues
• The ability to work under pressure on multiple projects within tight timeframes
• The desire to create solutions and a positive attitude to change
• Analytical skills and an evidence-based approach to working
• An understanding of emerging technologies that are used to support businesses
• Team working skills are needed to achieve change and success
• Research skills are needed when conducting fact finding tasks regarding business processes
• Attention to detail – the ability to oversee staff making changes and reporting any issues.

What do business analysts do on a daily basis?

Business analysts are responsible for assessing business processes, determining requirements and delivering data-driven recommendations and reports to all stakeholders. They need to understand how data-driven changes to processes, services, products, software and hardware can improve efficiencies and add value to an organisation. These ideas need to be reasonably balanced with what is technologically feasible and financially and functionally reasonable. 

How do you become a business analyst?

It’s not necessary to have a qualification to become a business analyst, though many employers prefer candidates with relevant qualifications, business knowledge or industry experience.

Recommended courses

• BSc Business Management
• MSc Strategic Business Management

It would be advantageous to gain some work experience during your studies. At ÖйúPÕ¾ we can help you to find various business work experience opportunities, including work placements, summer internships and graduate roles.

Useful links

For more information on jobs and what to expect from this career, please visit some of the most widely used sites for careers support.