Types of business analyst roles

Key takeaways:

• In its broadest definition, a business analyst is a person who acts as a liaison between non-technical team members and IT experts and who transforms desired business logic of an application from “business” to technical language.

• A business analyst job profile includes bridging the gap between IT and the business by assessing processes, determining requirements, and providing executives and stakeholders with data-driven recommendations and reports.

• The three broad types of analysts include business process analysts, business systems analysts, and generalist business analysts. Other business analysts include business architects, UX analysts, functional architects, etc.

Any project, even those for software development, must contain business analysis. The business analyst is a key team member who bridges the gap between business and technical stakeholders. This post outlines the key competencies a business analyst should have and the most typical jobs and titles that business analysts might hold. 

Who is a business analyst?

A business analyst is a person who mediates communication between non-technical team members and IT specialists and converts desired business logic of an application from “business” to technical language. Business analysis is important at every step of the life cycle of developing software systems.

A business analyst job profile is tasked with closing the gap between IT and the business by evaluating processes, identifying requirements, and delivering data-driven suggestions and reports to executives and stakeholders.

READ MORE: What is a business analyst? Roles, responsibilities, career and salary

Types of business analysts

Given below are the three broad business analyst roles and responsibilities:

• Business process analyst

A specialised business analyst role that involves “thinking processes” is the business process analyst (BPA). When identifying process changes, BPAs consider company objectives to derive conclusions from the small print and connect them to the big picture. A business process analyst can often organise a lot of data inside a process framework. 

Process mapping and business process reengineering are key skills that business process analysts must possess. They examine corporate procedures and workflows to see how they may be enhanced or automated. They facilitate process workshops and then use process maps and business requirement documents to capture any information obtained. They might also be asked to participate in the documentation of processes and discuss new process designs with stakeholders.

• Business systems analyst

Business systems analysts analyse a company’s operating system, processes, and design enhancements using business and technological techniques. Through planning and implementation of information technology systems, they seek to assist a business in operating more effectively and efficiently. 

To understand how to use cutting-edge technologies to help the business, they speak with executives and managers. They drew user guides and weighed the technology’s advantages and disadvantages. They are experts in the system the business employs. Let’s now clarify the distinction between a system analyst and a business analyst.

• Generalist business analyst

In initiatives of different scope, a generalist practitioner often carries out business analysis tasks utilising various approaches. They must be able to use several strategies in various situations. There are several tiers of generalist roles.

Here are a few types of business analyst jobs –

• Business Analyst

A business analyst is a specialist that collaborates closely with stakeholders to establish goals, create best practices for data collecting, and assess current processes to discover areas for improvement to produce the desired result. The average yearly income for a business analyst in India is INR 7 lakhs, with salaries ranging from INR 3 lakhs to INR 15 lakhs. 

• Business Architect

Leading the architecture of new organisations or re-architecting portions of existing ones is the primary role of a business architect. A business architect will assume a leadership position in the strategy and create a comprehensive, multifaceted business architecture to realise the objectives and solutions of an organisation. The average yearly pay for a business architect in India is INR 20 lakhs, with salaries ranging from INR 10 lakhs to INR 35 lakhs.

• Business Process Analyst

Business process analysts gather information, examine it, and offer recommendations to accomplish project goals while creating client presentations. To promote process changes, their main objective is to evaluate business requirements and give evidence-based recommendations. The average yearly pay of a business process analyst in India is INR 5 lakhs, with salaries ranging from INR 3 lakhs to INR 15 lakhs. 

• IT Business Analyst

Business administration and information technology are fields of expertise for IT business analysts. A business analyst in an IT company performs the duties of coordinating IT with the executive branch, enhancing the calibre of IT services, and assessing business requirements. In India, an IT analyst’s starting salary range typically starts from INR 6 lakhs and can go upto INR 48 lakhs per annum.

• Business Intelligence Analyst

A business intelligence analyst’s job is to work with organisations to use data to find areas for improvement, detect patterns, and identify potential problems and solutions. Their efforts are intended to boost productivity and efficiency and increase revenue for the company. The average yearly income for a business intelligence analyst in India is INR 7 lakhs, with salaries ranging from INR 3 lakhs to INR 16 lakhs.

• Requirements Engineer

The analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements for new software projects fall within the purview of requirement engineers. They recognise and comprehend the client’s project-specific requirements and clearly and formally record them. In India, a requirement engineer gets an average pay of INR 10 lakhs per annum. Salary projections are based on 70 incomes from different requirement engineers working in different businesses.

• Systems Analyst

To satisfy the business requirements of companies and scale as they grow, systems analysts implement, operate, and support IT and information systems. They produce specifications and requirements for programmers and developers to follow, evaluate, write tests, and analyse data. Typically, they are not actively involved in developing hardware or software.

In India, a system analyst makes an average annual pay of  INR 1 lakh. Entry-level salaries begin roughly at INR 5 lakh annually, and most experienced workers earn up to INR 20 lakhs annually.

• Data Analyst

Data analysts look for solutions to customer-related issues by analysing large data sets. A data analyst also informs management and other stakeholders of this information. They work in various fields, including business, banking, criminal justice, science, medicine, and government.

The average starting pay for a data analyst in India is roughly INR 3 lakh. In India, a mid-level data analyst has an average pay of INR 6 lakhs. An experienced data analyst in India makes an average income of INR 8 lakhs.

• Functional architect

Designing and updating an organisation’s IT systems is the responsibility of functional architects, also referred to as IT architects and functional business analysts. Technical and managerial abilities are required for this domain. A functional architect must be able to identify an IT issue and create a solution when one arises. The average yearly income for a functional architect in India is INR 21 lakhs, with salaries ranging from  INR 10 lakhs to INR 30 lakhs.

• Usability/UX Analyst

A UZ analyst examines user interfaces and workflows to find areas that could be improved. They perform user experience and design idea testing. They are responsible for informing the development and UX teams of test results. UX analysts provide suggestions for improving interface designs in light of your findings. In India, a usability analyst makes an average income of INR 6 lakhs.

Type of business analyst	Average salary in India (INR)
Business analyst	7 lakhs
Business architect	20 lakhs
Business process analyst	5 lakhs
IT business analyst	27.5 lakhs
Business intelligence analyst	7 lakhs
Requirements engineer	10.5 lakhs
Systems analyst	10 lakhs
Data analyst	3 lakhs
Functional architect	21 lakhs
Usability/UX analyst	7 lakhs

Key skills of business analysts

A business analyst must handle a variety of tasks. Thus they must have a solid skill set that combines technical and non-technical abilities. Here are the key skills required for a business analyst to grow.

• Recognising business goals

A business analyst should be able to clearly understand the goals and problems of an organisation. They must be able to recognise business problems and determine the best fix. They should have enough knowledge about their employer’s industry. Typically, they seek to facilitate change to boost sales, scale up manufacturing, improve revenue streams, etc.

• Critical and analytical thinking

Though it may seem simple, thinking is a skill that is often overlooked. One of the fundamental abilities of a business analyst is analytical and critical thinking. The needs of the client must be analysed and translated by the business analyst. Also, before choosing the desired solution, a business analyst might evaluate a variety of choices with the aid of critical thinking. Business analysts concentrate on learning and comprehending the needs of the client. They can prioritise business requirements, thanks to critical thinking.

Even in situations when there are resource constraints, and the conditions are less than ideal, a business analyst with a strong analytical bent can nonetheless accomplish the stated objectives.

• Interpersonal and communication skills

Understanding is essential, but so is being understood. A business analyst should be able to explain the needs to clients and stakeholders clearly and simply. At various stages of a project, such as when it is being launched, while gathering requirements, when working with stakeholders, while validating the final solution, and so forth, a business analyst requires effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Business analysts communicate with stakeholders orally and in writing to share ideas, information, and viewpoints. Additionally, when leading meetings, a business analyst with strong interpersonal and communication skills will feel more confident.

ALSO READ: 15 key skills and tools business analysts needs to succeed

How to become a business analyst

Here’s how you can become a successful business analyst-

Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or business administration

In addition to earning your business bachelor’s degree, you should learn some computer programming. Different business analyst positions call for varying degrees of technical expertise, but the stronger your programming skills are, the better prospect you will appear to be.

Step 2: Gain work experience

You can start by volunteering with a small business or by taking advantage of summer internship opportunities to gain expertise. If you are already employed by a company in a different capacity, volunteer to assist with business analyst-type assignments.

Being a business analyst involves a variety of tasks. Thus, numerous transferrable talents may be used in this position. People can enter the sector either with the expertise of a specific area of business, such as billing, customer service, or workflow, or with an understanding of a broad industry, such as banking, telecommunications, or government.

Make sure you gather experience by working on as many different types of business analyst projects as you can after being employed as an entry-level business analyst. Later, you can specialise in the domain or industry you are most interested in, and that experience may help you identify what that industry is.

Step 3: Obtain an advanced certificate or a master’s degree

Numerous colleges and institutions offer graduate certificates and master’s degrees in business analytics, which typically include classes in operations research, project management, database analytics, and predictive analytics. Businesses are adopting business analytics tools and approach more and more to make decisions and solve problems more quickly and effectively. 

A postgraduate level online multidisciplinary curriculum from Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) with Online Manipal, that combines business domain and analytics knowledge enables students to succeed in business analyst careers across industries.

Bottom line 

As a business analyst, you’ll have the chance to use data-driven insights to support the success of your firm. Every day brings new difficulties and opportunities to put your skills to use in this line of work. A career in business analysis can be a good fit for you if you like working independently, assisting others, and asking and answering questions. 
If you think a career in business analysis could be interesting, look into ways to strengthen your skill set. You may learn a lot about the field in business analytics or business systems courses.