Business Analysis 101
  • What is business analysis?
    • BA job example 2
    • BA job example 3
    • BA job example 4
    • BA job example 5
  • Is the BA job right for you?
  • Does a BA need to code?
  • How important is domain knowledge for a BA?
  • Which domain to learn as a BA?
  • Business Analyst Salary
    • Business Analyst Salary in US
    • Make 100 - 150$ per hour as a business analyst
    • Business Analyst Salary in India
  • BA Fundamentals: Who is a Business Analyst?
  • Types of BA Projects -1
  • Types of BA Projects -2
  • Choosing a project for our curriculum
  • Project background: Job board
  • Identify the stakeholders
  • Missing Stakeholders
  • How to deal with difficult stakeholders?
  • Stakeholder communication
    • Project Roadmap
    • Project Roadmap-project example
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Types of BA Projects -1

Business Analysts (BAs) are essential for various projects. Their role adapts to the specific needs of the project, whether it's analyzing data, implementing a new system, or enhancing existing tools. Let’s explore all the key types of software projects and their objectives.

1. Data Analysis Projects

Objective: Companies gather massive amounts of data. The BA helps make sense of it, uncovering patterns and insights to guide decisions.

Example: Chris, a BA at a cloud kitchen company, analyzes two years of order data across five cities to answer questions like:

  • Which menu items generate the most profit?

  • What neighborhoods or cities are most lucrative?

  • What marketing offers target the right demographics?

  • How profitable are third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats?

Chris’s tools and methods could include advanced Excel skills, SQL queries, or tools like Tableau or Power BI.

2. Vendor Product Implementation

Objective: Help companies select and customize off-the-shelf software to meet their specific needs.

Example: Steph, a BA at a hiring agency, works on implementing a job board. She:

  • Researches vendors and organizes software demos.

  • Prepares a comparison of vendor proposals and helps finalize the best choice.

  • Customizes the software to match company requirements.

  • Tests the tool and trains employees to ensure smooth adoption.

This ensures the software fits seamlessly into the company’s operations.

3. Custom Software Development

Objective: Build software from scratch when existing solutions don’t meet the company’s needs.

Example: Ramon, a BA at the same hiring agency, leads the creation of a custom job board. His role involves:

  • Gathering requirements from stakeholders.

  • Translating these requirements into technical specifications for developers.

  • Overseeing development and answering developers’ questions.

  • Testing the software to ensure it functions correctly.

  • Training users and migrating existing data into the new system.

Custom software gives the company complete control over features and scalability.

4. Enhancement Projects for Existing Software

Objective: Update and improve current software to accommodate new business needs or expand its functionality.

Example: Rita, a BA at the hiring agency, enhances their job board to allow third-party job postings. She:

  • Engages with users to collect new requirements.

  • Documents the changes and works with developers to implement them.

  • Tests the updates to ensure existing features aren’t disrupted.

  • Trains third-party users on the updated system.

These enhancements make the software more versatile and profitable.

5. Enhancement Projects for Vendor Software

Objective: Work with a software vendor to upgrade or add new features to a purchased tool.

Example: Rick, a BA at the hiring agency, helps enhance a vendor-provided job board. He:

  • Coordinates with the vendor to evaluate new features and associated costs.

  • Assesses if upgrading to a higher payment tier is worth the benefits.

  • Tests the new features and ensures they meet business needs.

  • Trains internal and external users on how to use the upgraded software.

This ensures the software evolves along with the company’s goals.

6. Changing Vendors

Objective: Facilitate a smooth transition when switching from one software vendor to another.

Example: Rick also manages the agency’s move to a new vendor for their job board. He:

  • Conducts market research to find a better solution.

  • Helps finalize the new vendor and oversee contract negotiations.

  • Manages data migration from the old system to the new one.

  • Tests the new system thoroughly before launch.

  • Trains users on the new platform.

Switching vendors ensures the company uses the most suitable tools for its needs.

7. Maintenance Projects

Objective: Support and sustain existing software to ensure continued functionality and reliability.

Example: John, a BA at the hiring agency, maintains their job board by:

  • Providing support to high-volume users and resolving issues.

  • Creating new reports for clients, such as tax summaries or application statistics.

  • Working with IT to implement minor updates.

  • Collaborating with account managers to attract new users.

Maintenance ensures the software continues to deliver value over time.

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Last updated 6 months ago