thesis
Defining the role of the business analyst: the business analysis service framework
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Abstract
This thesis reports on an empirical study into business analysis (BA), a professional IS
discipline. This subject is deemed relevant for investigation for three reasons: the volume of
BA practitioners employed worldwide; the continuing problems reported regarding IS project
outcomes; and the lack of empirical research that has been conducted into BA. A key area of
concern for IS projects is the definition of requirements, an area that falls within the BA remit.
However, there is limited extant literature concerning BA and there is ambiguity with regard
to the business analyst role. Role theory (Solomon et al. 1985) suggests that a lack of role
clarity can diminish performance and cause uncertainty on the part of practitioners and
customers. Therefore, the aim of this research is to clarify the role of the IS business analyst
and offer a service definition that will support the effective conduct of BA work.
A conceptual framework for this study, adapted from the work of Pettigrew et al (2001), is
used to examine the business analyst role from four dimensions: the organisational and
personal context for BA; the content of IS projects; the process standards, skills and
techniques for performing BA; and the outcomes from BA. Case study research has been
carried out to explore perspectives on BA. The case is the Business Analysis Manager
Forum (BAMF), a professional organisation for managerial-level business analysts. Selected
BAMF representatives, all designated BA specialists, shared their experiences and
observations regarding the business analyst role, activities and work practices.
The data provided by the BA specialists was analysed using template analysis in order to
identify themes within the data. Service science provided a theoretical basis for examining
the activities performed by business analysts, the skills and techniques used, and the
potential for value co-creation with business stakeholders. This enabled the identification and
definition of the core services offered by business analysts. The study resulted in the
development of two artefacts that are intended to support understanding and recognition of
BA: the Business Analysis Service Framework, which defines six services and their
corresponding activities, techniques and value proposition; and the business analyst T-shape,
which has applied the T-shaped professional concept (Spohrer and Maglio, 2010) to
define the skills and techniques required of professional business analysts. These artefacts
are proposed as a means of clarifying the business analyst role for practitioners, their
business stakeholders and future researchers and, as such, offer a positive contribution to
BA theory and practice