Business Change Academy’s Foundation in Business Analysis workshop emerged as a clear highlight at BA Summit Southern Africa 2025. Not simply because the session was full or the feedback was strong, but because it revealed something deeper about the profession: the real skills gap in business analysis is not technical, it is foundational.
While the summit programme featured plenty of hot topics like AI, automation and emerging delivery frameworks, the conversations that stuck with delegates were surprisingly grounded.
Over three days of talks and hallway exchanges, one theme kept resurfacing. Organisations are not struggling with a lack of advanced tools or sophisticated models. They are struggling with the basics.
The pain points are familiar:
- Defining clear outcomes.
- Setting realistic scope boundaries.
- Making business decisions with confidence.
- Writing acceptance criteria that teams can actually use.
This is exactly the gap that the Foundation in Business Analysis workshop, delivered by Business Change Academy’s Chief Training Officer Joe Newbert, set out to address.
The full-day session walked delegates through the core skills that every analyst needs, regardless of industry, methodology or technology stack. Instead of theory-heavy lectures, the workshop centred on hands-on exercises, realistic examples and simple techniques analysts can use immediately.
What became clear during the session is that many analysts, even experienced ones, have never been formally taught the fundamentals. They have absorbed bits and pieces from past projects, mentors or job expectations, but often without structure or consistency. Delegates commented on how rare it was to see essential concepts presented in a way that was both comprehensive and easy to apply. Several remarked that the workshop “filled in the gaps they didn’t know they had”.
The skills gap exposed at the summit is ultimately a clarity gap. Analysts struggle when outcomes are vague, the scope is fuzzy, organisations jump to solutions before understanding the problem and acceptance criteria are left for later. The workshop’s focus on outcome statements, in/out/later scope edges, early acceptance rules and straightforward requirements techniques resonated with analysts precisely because these gaps show up in their day-to-day work.
Another insight from the summit was that specialist topics often overshadow general business analysis training. While AI and digital transformation matter, they rely on strong foundational thinking to be practical. Without the basics, teams end up with impressive methods but disappointing results. Delegates shared examples of projects where sophisticated frameworks were applied, yet progress stalled because nobody had agreed on the problem, the success criteria or the decision pathway.
The workshop also underscored a growing appetite for structured development and recognised certification. Participants received a certificate of completion with professional development credits and were introduced to the BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis as a natural next step. Many expressed interest in continuing their learning journey, noting that the workshop clarified which skills they truly needed and which training paths aligned with their career goals.
BA Summit SA 2025 made one thing clear: the future of business analysis will not be defined by tools alone, but by analysts who can bring clarity, structure and confident decision-making into ever-changing environments.
Business Change Academy is proud to support that shift and remains committed to helping analysts strengthen the skills that matter most. For more information on the Foundation in Business Analysis course or other accredited programmes, please get in touch with Business Change Academy.
Media contact:
Joe Newbert
Business Change Academy
E-mail: joe@intcha.com
Website: https://www.businesschange.academy
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