There’s no question that business analysts are becoming ever more essential in the world of business. By assessing various elements of a company, including its structure, processes, and strategic goals, a business analyst can suggest targeted improvements that can leave the organization far more lean, efficient, and competitive.
Alongside business analysis, Agile has also become increasingly popular to organizations worldwide. Though initially an approach to software development, it is now applied widely in project management. With a focus on regularly reassessing projects, giving increased autonomy to team members, and iterative targets, Agile enables a much greater level of adaptability, efficiency, and flexibility to project teams.
As you might expect, this dual situation has left business analysts having to consider their role in Agile environments. It is important to remember that Agile diverts from traditional project management in quite a few ways. Analysts may sometimes struggle to accurately assess iterative targets or a team structure that involves less management oversight, to name a few examples.
Obviously, this all varies based on the analyst’s exact background along with the ways in which the company in question applies Agile. Still, the fact remains that, in order to be able to apply their skills as widely as possible, business analysts require knowledge of Agile. Similarly, for Agile businesses to benefit from business analysis, they require tools, skills, and best practices more suited to them.
This is where Agile Business Analyst (AgileBA) comes in. Based on the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) and the AgileBA Handbook, AgileBA is a framework that equips Agile business analysts with the tools, best practices, and philosophy required to generate impressive tangible value within Agile businesses.
But exactly what kind of perks can AgileBA offer practitioners and companies? What is the framework’s relation to Agile project management? Most importantly, what are the benefits of investing in AgileBA certification training?
Agile is essential for anyone in business analyst roles
The widespread success and application of Agile have given it an ever-increasing presence in the world of business analysis. Having experience working in Agile project teams can be highly advantageous for a business analyst, not only in terms of performing their role successfully but also seeking new career opportunities.
That is not to say that AgileBA equips students to fulfill just any role in an Agile project. AgileBA specifically approaches Agile from the perspective of a business analyst. Much of it is also based on practical experience. The AgileBA Handbook itself was developed by practitioners at the Agile Business Consortium, giving it an excellent pedigree in terms of expertise.
AgileBA also partners extremely well with other Agile frameworks. This includes AgilePM which, having also come from the DSDM, is tightly aligned with AgileBA.
By studying for certification in AgileBA, a business analyst can gain everything they need to interpret, report on, and improve Agile projects. Getting officially certified will verify their skills, helping the analyst to unlock roles and drive success in Agile businesses.
Drive continuous improvements for your organization
The purpose of business analysis has always been to deliver enhanced business capabilities to organizations. By tracking performance metrics across a project, they can target areas for improvement both in terms of repairing issues and embracing new opportunities. They can then help guide the implementation of improvements, even if they are being embraced across the wider company.
AgileBA creates additional depth for business analysts to explore in Agile businesses. They gain a clear understanding of Agile’s best practices, priorities, team management approach, and more. This level of awareness is essential when it comes to tracking the success of Agile projects, as well as being able to communicate with team members and stakeholders.
By investing in AgileBA certification training, an Agile company will ensure that it is constantly ready to highlight and take advantage of potential improvements.
Create a stronger focus on strategic alignment
An important point to remember about Agile business analysis is that it does not pursue optimization for its own sake. Rather, benefits, progress, and improvements are all judged in relation to a ‘business case’. A business analyst may even suggest amending otherwise beneficial practices if they can become more aligned with a higher corporate strategy.
This particular advantage is extremely prevalent within Agile projects. Agile teams generally lack the objectivity and high-level awareness to judge their work in terms of larger strategic goals. This can cause them to occasionally lose sight of priorities, dragging out projects and damaging client relations as a result.
While AgileBA does not hamper the flexibility and adaptability of Agile project management, it does give it a greater level of control. An Agile BA can keep projects fully aligned with business goals, helping to ensure that results are reliably released on time and within budget.
A standardized approach to Agile business analysis
The relationship between Agile and those in business analyst roles has been discussed for years, albeit with increasing intensity as development and Agile have become more prevalent in business. Looking at Agile’s emphasis on regularly reassessing and improving project parameters and goals, we can see that it even has a number of similarities to business analysis in general.
The AgileBA framework delivers well-practiced and demonstrably effective tools and best practices for Agile business analysis. It not only guides users, but also provides a point of reference for organizations. It also firmly clarifies the exact role of an Agile business analyst, creating a level of clarity that can equip even newcomers to create value in Agile environments.
Suitable for any business
One of the biggest strengths of Agile is that it can be utilized by virtually any business, regardless of size, industry, location, sector, or anything else. AgileBA capitalizes on this, with the AgileBA syllabus offering advice that any company can benefit from.
Better still, the AgileBA syllabus is welcoming even to newcomers. It explains the role of a business analyst, as well as the fundamental concepts of Agile, before moving on to the practices and tools that make official AgileBA qualifications so valuable.
Of course, this can also create additional benefits for AgileBA certified practitioners. Given the widespread applicability of their skills, Agile business analysts often find it easier to find new roles and even advance in their careers.
How do I get certified in AgileBA?
AgileBA is an official framework with a set certification path. In other words, while anyone can study AgileBA, the best way for a candidate to verify their understanding of and expertise with the framework will be to earn AgileBA Foundation and Practitioner certifications. This is best done via a fully-accredited course with a respected training provider.
Good e-Learning is an award-winning online training company with a diverse portfolio of courses. We cover a number of topics relating to Agile, including AgileBA, AgilePM Foundation, PRINCE2 Agile, and more. Because our courses are created with input from highly experienced practitioners, we are able to deliver practical advice on how to apply training in practice, while also ensuring students are fully prepared for their Foundation and Practitioner exams.
Our fully-accredited AgileBA Foundation and AgileBA Practitioner courses come with a variety of engaging online training assets, including instructor-led videos, knowledge checks, and a practice exam simulator. Our support team is always on hand to answer questions on course content, and we even provide each student with a FREE exam voucher, along with free resits via Exam Pledge.
