Sometimes our job can just become one problem after another. We’ve got to be careful not to get depressed by all the challenges we face!

So rather than just asking analysts what problems they have, what issues they need to tackle, we’ve also been asking them what problems give them the most satisfaction in solving.

Here are 12 positives to the business analyst job based on some recent surveys run by IRM. The list below is what business analysts said when we asked…

Which sort of problems give you the most satisfaction in solving?

1.    Working out why something is failing then working through it to a solution
2.    Delivering positive business benefit to clients
3.    Finding a simple solution to a complex problem
4.    The more difficult the problem, the more satisfaction in solving it
5.    Those that help people achieve more
6.    Help the organisation grow
7.    Making people’s job’s easier, simplifying their work
8.    Challenging – think outside the square
9.    Analysing to find the root cause
10.    Working as a team to come up with a solution
11.    Problems that initially present themselves as difficult or challenging
12.    Solving problems based on intuition

As you can see, there are lots of positives to the role, even if it can be hard to see past the next problem to solve. This can be part of what makes the job so enthralling.

If you’re considering becoming a business analyst or are looking to upskill or refresh your knowledge, feel free to check out our courses for business analysts.

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They either approach a client meeting with pre-conceived ideas on what will fix the problem or jump to conclusions during the investigation phase without understanding all the underlying issues.

We can all be guilty of this and sometimes the more experienced the analyst, the more prone they are to fall into this trap. Why is this so?

Problem Solving

When you work constantly with technology you know that in most cases the answer to a client’s problems is going to have an IT component, usually a significant one. Surely it’s just a question of using the right technology – after all isn’t IT embedded into everything we do? Before you know it you’re looking at what technology your company has and how this “solution” can be utilised by the client. But are you solving their problem?

As is often the case, the richness of the English language is both a blessing and a curse. The same word can mean different things to different people. In the world of IT, a solution is synonymous with how a system is implemented rather than what it does.

What might then make matters worse is that every IT system has its own constraints and limitations. We’re already putting boundaries around potential “solutions” to our client’s business problem.

For a client however, a solution is what solves a business problem. Solving the problem might involve a change in procedures, a change of staff, a modification to the company’s business rules – a change to something that might have nothing to do with technology.

Solution Mode

The IIBA® hit the nail on the head with its definition of a solution:

“a set of changes to the current state of an organization that are made in order to
enable that organization to meet a business need, solve a problem, or take
advantage of an opportunity”  (BABOK® V2)

It just comes down to keeping a clear head when using words.

The “solution” to a business problem can be defined as what the client will do to address their problem or opportunity. This is often achieved, but not always, by implementing technology changes.

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Part 1 of this paper looks at problem definition.

Part 2 introduces the reader to analytical techniques for determining the root cause of a problem.

Read the full paper here: Problem Analysis Techniques (PDF Download)

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