The Pivotal Role of the Business Analyst in a Service Oriented Architecture World
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PART I - The Evolution of the Business Analyst
Business Systems Now Go Beyond Data Management to Reflect Real Life Business Situations
Organizations are increasingly using Internet/Intranet-based systems to decrease costs, identify new markets or better target existing markets, and capitalize on the globalization of the economy. The widespread demand for and access to the Internet and Intranet require more complex system designs to accommo-date and take advantage of new and impending technology advances.
For many years, information systems were designed and developed primarily to store and retrieve data based on business activities. Now, business models must be developed to define systems to capture and manage the data --- and to in-tegrate the business processes that enable the transition to Internet-based busi-ness systems.
In order to create reliable, scalable, agile, reusable systems, new business mod-els must be developed with an understanding of the business, its processes, goals and objectives. Additionally, these models must be designed from multiple per-spectives, reflecting the way people naturally think and act in real life business situations. This is called Object Oriented Business Modeling.
One of the greatest dangers for organizations in developing object oriented business models is approaching the task from a technology point of view only. While technologists certainly have much to contribute, the reason they are called “business models” is because, to truly represent the organization, they must be designed with an understanding of the business.
In order to succeed in the SOA environment, the Business Analyst must have a cadre of skills, characteristics and experiences including knowledge of business, design techniques, and technology. This is necessary in order to ensure that vi-able business models are in place to drive business gains.
A New Approach to Gathering Business Requirements
Historically, the Business Analyst investigated, analyzed, designed, and evaluated an organization’s business needs. The primary responsibility was to identify business requirements and translate them into a format for a development team of architects and developers. In doing so, the Business Analyst created business requirements, delivered presentations, and provided written documentation.
In the SOA environment, Business Analysts approach their tasks differently. Although analytical skills are still crucial, they are used in new and different ways. For example, Business Analysts need a more holistic and deeper under-standing of how an organization functions, its business goals, and overall strategic vision. Business Analysts must interact with business managers and executives on a more fundamental level to insure that critical business needs are being met through IT -- rather than IT directing business decisions.
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