IT business analysts are in charge of assessing information technology systems and making recommendations for how they can meet business needs more effectively. These professionals are experts in both information technology and business administration. The primary responsibilities of an IT business analyst include evaluating business needs, creating IT plans with stakeholders, liaising between IT and the executive branch, and improving the quality of IT services.

What Does an IT Business Analyst Do?

The role of an IT Business Analyst is to understand the business landscape and the evolving needs of the business. They need to be well-versed in creating functional specifications by defining the business needs. Here is a list of some of the tasks an IT Business Analyst performs:

• Gather, document, and analyze business requirements.
• Research and assess existing technologies, systems, and processes to understand the challenges and problems that need to be overcome.
• Understand strategic business needs and plans for growth.
• Create process diagrams, data models, and wireframes.
• Improve the quality of IT products and services.
• Work closely with key business decision-makers as well as development and testing teams to provide advice and guidance on which solutions will best meet the business needs.
• Collaborate with system architects and developers to make sure the system is properly implemented.
• Use data to generate business insights.
• Monitor solutions for continuous improvement.
• Produce training manuals and user documentation to support newly adopted technology, procedures, or systems.
• Generate reports on application development and implementation.
• Perform A/B tests and analyze data.

How to Become an IT Business Analyst

Pathways to becoming an IT Business Analyst generally involve a combination of education and work experience. If you are interested in pursuing a career as an IT Business Analyst, here’s what you should do.

1. Get the Right Training

IT business analysts are expected to hold a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in information technology, software development, project management, computer science, or another related field. However, if you don’t have this kind of bachelor’s degree, it is not a showstopper, you can still pursue Business Analysis as a career path. With the right training and mentorship, you can supplement your background with individual training with Resolve6 by completing of a BA certificate program.

2. Receive Formal Training

A lot of the training for an IT business analyst happens through certification programs, on-the-job training, and formal education. Generally, employers expect you to have significant experience in information technology and some experience in a supervisory role. You can get practical experience within internships while pursuing a four-year project management or computer-related degree. After getting a degree, you can get on-the-job training in associate- or entry-level roles in an IT department.

3. Brush Up Your Skills with Professional Certifications

Even though certifications aren’t mandatory for IT Business Analysts, you can get them to demonstrate your skills, highlight your motivation, and maximize your earning potential. Here are some certifications that can benefit you in this role:

i. Agile Analysis Certification (IIBA-AAC)

Offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), this certification indicates that you have the expertise and skills to be effective working in an Agile project team.

ii. IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)

This is the third level of certification with IIBA and is designed for analysts with vast experience. This certification showcases your expertise in various business domains along with your ability to work with others to define and manage business requirements, handle complex projects, drive business processes, and identify opportunities to attain better results.

iii. Business Data Analytics Certifications (IIBA-CBDA)

This particular certification recognizes your ability to perform analysis-related work in support of organizational initiatives.

There are several non-vendor and vendor IT certifications to help you verify your skills with computer systems.

4. Revise Your Resume

After you have obtained the required educational qualifications, experience, and certification, update your resume. Add the highest level of education, relevant work experience, skills, and certifications. Focus on mentoring or leadership opportunities you’ve had in your career and mention quantifiable results you achieved for organizations wherever possible.

5. Apply for Jobs

Search your geographic area for available IT business analyst positions. Shortlist the positions for which you’re most qualified based on your work history, skill set, and experience. Apply using your resume and a well-developed cover letter that highlights you’re the perfect candidate for the position.

Skills Needed for an IT Business Analyst Role

IT business analysts require numerous skills to achieve success in their roles. These skills include:

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills refer to the ability to gather and evaluate data to come up with pertinent solutions. As an IT business analyst, you need to be able to collect technology enhancement requests along with workflow problems that impact employee productivity. You should then analyze that information and problem-solve to come up with a solution. In addition, you should identify how changes impact the business as a whole and ensure the changes are in line with the company’s strategic goals.

Communication

These include both verbal and written communication along with active listening skills. In an IT business analyst role, you need to facilitate communication between senior management and executives, and the IT department. You need to be able to explain complex problems and technology solutions in a manner that nontechnical people will comprehend.

Innovation

IT business analysts have to come up with creative solutions to problems. Thus, you need to have strong creative thinking skills that will help you think of new ideas that might not have been generated before.

Technical Skills

Technical skills refer to hard skills that are acquired through professional education. For IT business analysts, this refers to the vast knowledge they need of software development, programming, and computers.

Last Few Words

We hope this guide helped you learn about the role and responsibilities of an IT business analyst, along with the steps you need to take in order to become one. If you wish to learn more about IT career paths, check out our blog here.