About
Subscribe

What is business analysis?

By Phumeza Tontsi
Cape Town, 02 Jul 2013

Faculty Training Institute (FTI) is offering a preparatory Principles of Professional Business Analysis course this September, in which participants are introduced to the professional methods, tools and techniques a modern business analyst (BA) uses to specify system requirements. The BA is the link between business and IT, and as such, plays a very important role in ensuring that near-perfect technology solutions are developed for business.

This popular, four-day course provides a practical insight into what business analysis is and what BAs typically do. The course is aimed at entry-level participants and experienced BAs with no formal training. It is an ideal course for IT stakeholders and business people who have no practical experience as BAs, but who want to understand business analysis, from developing requirements definitions to requirements specifications.

Delegates on this course will learn how to analyse a business problem, and identify and define the goal, objectives and scope of a project. They will learn to identify functional, informational and non-functional requirements, conduct cost-benefit, impact and risk analysis, develop a business case, use modern information and process modelling techniques, and select the best business process improvement options.

"The Principles of Professional Business Analysis course covers most areas of business analysis, giving those interested in entering the profession a good overview of what the job entails and what they can grow into," says Colin Brown, FTI business analysis lecturer and assessor.

According to Brown, experienced BAs who have had no formal training will benefit from attending the course. The tools and techniques that are taught on the course are relevant and allow practising BAs to confirm that they are - or are not - on the right track with what they apply back in the office. "In the past, delegates decided to further their education and gain mastery of all the topics taught on this short course, by enrolling on either FTI's Certificate Programme in Business Analysis or FTI's Diploma in Business Analysis," he explained.

"Skilled and experienced business analysts and systems analysts play a vital role in developing accurate specifications for technology-based business solutions," says Brown. Like management consultants who give strategic input to help businesses improve revenue, the BA is a functional or domain consultant who can offer a seamless interface between business and IT when working on software development or upgrade projects. "Software applications that provide high-quality, innovative solutions to business problems are based on a strong partnership between users, management and IT. This synergy can only be achieved through the use of a common language to define both problems and solutions - enter the essential and mediatory role of the business analyst," explains Brown.

To book for the Principles of Professional Business Analysis course being held in Cape Town on 17 September 2013 and Johannesburg on 28 October, contact Candice on (021) 683-4506/Candice@fti.co.za or Kirsty in Johannesburg on (011) 807-9478/Kirsty@fti.co.za.

Share

Faculty Training Institute

Established in 1989, Faculty Training Institute is a leading provider of training courses and related services to organisations across southern Africa. FTI focuses on skills for the knowledge professional in the domains of business and systems analysis, project management, QA and testing, business, process and information modelling, enterprise architecture and problem-solving, thinking and communication skills. Visit www.fti.co.za.

Faculty Training Institute is an EOH Group company

Listed company EOH is the largest enterprise applications provider in South Africa and one of the top three IT service providers. EOH follows the consulting, technology and outsourcing model to provide high value, end-to-end solutions to its clients in all industry verticals. For more information, visit: www.eoh.co.za.

Editorial contacts

Robyn Loy
Faculty Training Institute
(021) 6834506
Robyn@fti.co.za