Apr 23 2008
Why Business Analysts Are So Important!
It’s Business Analyst appreciation month at CIO.com and Forrester - and it’s a great time to be a business analyst as they are definitely a HOT commodity according to a recent research report.
Thomas Wailgum of CIO.com wrote an article last week titled “Why Business Analysts Are So Important for IT and CIOs“. In the article, Thomas references a new report that came out this month from Forrester analysts Carey Schwaber and Rob Karel which is called “The New Business Analyst“.
The Forrester report provides a “better understanding of this crucial yet largely undefined role”. One business analyst interviewed for the report said “everyone agrees on the importance of the business analyst role, but few know exactly what it is that business analysts do.”
Schwaber and Karel interviewed 338 business analysts and reviewed more than 29,000 business analyst job descriptions. They conclude that there is not a standard definition and that the roles between business-oriented and IT-oriented analysts is blurring. In fact, they coined a new role called the “Business Technology Analyst” or BT Analyst.
The Forrester report also pointed out several things that smart CIOs and IT managers can do today to prepare for the future:
- Look in your own backyard for talent
- Look for BT analysts in untapped parts of your business
- Establish centers of excellence for BT analysts
Check out these links for the complete story:
- Forrester “The New Business Analyst” - $279 unless you are a Forrester client
- CIO.com Article - “Why Business Analysts Are So Important for IT and CIOs” - be sure to check out the comments and feedback at the end of the article
- Carey Schwaber spoke at the Fusion ‘07 and her video interview is available from the iRise website