A "business analyst" is a role that can mean different things to different
people. In some organizations, the business analyst plays a narrow,
technically oriented role and has very little "business" knowledge.
In other organizations, business analysts have an intimate understanding of
the business but a limited knowledge of computer systems and application
system architectures.
The business analyst of greatest value to an organization, however, is a
generalist who can function competently in many diverse roles.
Such individuals typically have
a broad educational background, a diverse skill set and a wide range of
work experience in different jobs and industries. They are able to see “the big picture” as well as the technological and
architectural barriers and enablers. Business analysts must be
comfortable working with "specialists" in diverse roles and to understand the
business from many diverse perspectives.
