BAs to get up-to-date with Data

AssistKD's?Data Analysis?course has now been updated to include?data analytics, to reflect the growing need for business analysts to have a well-rounded understanding of data.?Focusing on interrogating and interpreting data for the purpose of decision making, data analytics takes the understanding of data to a deeper level. The data analytics component looks at how data can be analysed with a business focus, offering critical insights that can drive decision making and pinpoint why some projects succeed and others fail.

Why do business analysts need to understand data? This question was raised at a past BA Manager’s Forum workshop, delivered by the BA leadership team at Virgin Atlantic. The following is a summary of the group’s answers.

DATA... needed for stategic business decisions

Business analysts use data to facilitate?strategic business decisions. Data gives business analysts directly measurable insights which inform decision making. Insights from data also give business analysts a better understanding of the customer and the power to challenge policy and conventional wisdom. Data is used to directly evaluate the success of a project. So, the business analyst needs to know at the very least the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, and if the data made available is reliable and consistent.

DATA... needed for business metrics and analytics

Data is key to?business metrics and analytics. Without an understanding of data, the business analyst can’t compare market competitors, spot trends and patterns, inform initiatives, qualify business requests, identify opportunities or measure and demonstrate business performance through KPIs. Data validates or invalidates ideas and helps the business analyst understand how users interact with system functionality. Social media and trend data adds to understanding of an ever-changing customer base.

DATA... essential for compliance

An understanding of data is important for ensuring?compliance, and should encompass GDPR regulations, GDPR data handing, data security and the new requirements for privacy and security. There is a responsibility to manage risk associated with data capture and storage and make sure data is kept safely and securely.

DATA... required for making a business case

Business analysts use data to make a compelling?business case, quantifying benefits and ROI and highlighting business assets and relationships. Data informs benefits analysis and management. Data highlights where there is a problem and even the technical feasibility of decisions. All change programmes are outcome-focused and metrics driven.

DATA... connects all parts of a business

Data underpins?business architecture. A flow of data connects all the different parts of a business. It is key to measuring processes and outcomes, modelling risk and identifying efficiencies and improvements. Data allows the business analyst to gather, model and validate?requirements, specifying interfaces and data inputs and outputs. Data modelling draws out requirements that might otherwise be missed. Data informs understanding of upstream/downstream impacts of changing business processes. Data helps to model relationships between business entries, so that the correct solutions can be built or purchased.

In the age of Big Data, the business analyst needs a solid understanding of the data journey and how to source data from multiple channels. All digital solutions rely on good data.

An understanding of data analytics in addition to data analysis helps the business analyst ask the right questions, make a solid business case and identify business opportunities. It helps them to understand the whole problem, to know if something being said is accurate and to make recommendations authoritatively and with confidence.

Would you like to boost your understanding of data? AssistKD’s first updated?Data Analysis course?will run on 8th September 2022.