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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