The Business Analyst 4.0 - Who is that?

by Requirements Engineering, Business Analysis

In the modern business world, the business analyst is indispensable. But what does it mean to be a Business Analyst 4.0? This question is becoming more and more important as traditional approaches are no longer sufficient in the age of Industry 4.0.

The change in business analysis is a reaction to the increasing complexity caused by technological advances and globalization. Where traditional approaches reach their limits, agile methods in particular offer flexible solutions. The Business Analyst 4.0 is agile and looks at problems differently, manages them flexibly and adopts a systems perspective.

The term "Business Analyst 4.0" is based on Industry 4.0 and describes the combination of new technologies with agile and new methods. Trends such as big data, artificial intelligence and sustainability are shaping modern business analysis and require business analysts to continuously expand and adapt their skills.

"I think the 21st century will be the century of complexity."

Stephen Hawking, astrophysicist

However, in our opinion, the role of the business analyst should not be understood too narrowly. In the modern business world, it is essential that companies also and especially recognize and use the strategic value of business analysis. The Business Analyst 4.0 goes far beyond the traditional role, bridging the gap between technology and business strategy by integrating the latest innovations such as big data, event-driven architecture and artificial intelligence into business processes. Today's modern business analyst should be seen as a strategic force and not just a tactical resource.

The Business Analyst 4.0 is an innovation leader who develops digital business models through knowledge of new technologies.

We observe that business analysts are either tactically IT-oriented or have a pronounced business focus. The "IT-oriented" Business analysts focused on improving processes through technological change and acted mostly as generalists, with specialized roles such as data analysts and process analysts being very common. In contrast, analysts with a Business focus on policy and process changes to optimize workflows. They are based on concepts such as lean management or total quality management, among others.

Today's challenges, on the other hand, require business analysis to shift from a purely tactical to a strategic focus, in which case we speak of business architects, business technology analysts or even business analysts 4.0.

Business Analysts 4.0 are the (future) creative leaders that companies and institutions must and will increasingly look for if they want to remain successful. These strategic analysts have the ability to not only understand and meet business needs, but to do so through innovative and creative solutions rather than just incremental change.

The Business Analyst is a versatile facilitator and problem solver who dives deep into the client's needs to develop strategy-oriented, customized business architectures.

The Business Analyst 4.0 needs special skills to act as an innovation leader and to master the complexity of future business models with creativity. They are characterized by a focus on action and results, determination, agility and courage. We recognize this special analyst by the following characteristics:

  • Cooperative project managementHe shares the project management role with the project manager and works closely with him.
  • Team leadership and integrationHe forms and leads innovative teams (e.g. development teams in sprints) in order to integrate requirements efficiently.
  • Influence and persuasivenessHe influences and convinces both groups and individuals.
  • Dealing with uncertaintyHe accepts uncertainty and ambiguity as part of the innovation process.
  • Willingness to take risksHe takes risks and questions the current business models.
  • Rejection of traditional management stylesHe prefers agile working methods to traditional management methods.
  • Customer proximity and involvementHe maintains a close relationship with customers and actively involves them in the process.
  • Cost-benefit analysesHe carries out analyses that are strictly geared to the needs of the customer.

We do not see the Business Analyst 4.0 as a radical revolution, but rather as a necessary evolution of their previous role. Social and technological progress is forcing companies to continuously improve and adapt to new requirements in order to remain competitive. The Business Analyst 4.0 feels up to this challenge and proactively initiates change.

Do you want to develop new business models, design innovative solutions and get to grips with the complexity of your challenges? We support companies and administrations in successfully tackling these tasks. We look forward to hearing from you!

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