[su_dropcap]M[/su_dropcap]ost of us are familiar with the list of reasons why a project or process improvement fails:
- The team does not have a decision-maker or the right decision-maker
- End-user requirements are not clearly defined
- The solution does not address the actual problem
- The scope, finance, timeline (personnel availability) is unrealistic
- The stakeholders have unresolved conflicts
- Organizational politics tangent the project
- Poor communication hinders, well, every aspect of the project
Business Analysis provides ROI to any organization. Embedding business analysis into the scope of work elevates a project or process improvement from being just a good idea to change that is well-targeted, implemented, and sustained.
While the traditional business analyst role is still standard for traditional waterfall projects, more iterative project work, such as Agile, Scrum, and Process Improvement Projects are less likely to have the business analyst role and more likely to assign the analysis to the project leads.
While this can make sense logistically, if leaders do not understand where, when, and how to insert analysis, the project may not yield the anticipated results.
Prepare your people for the responsibilities of business analysis -whether they are a project manager, ScrumMaster, Product Owner, or the lead developer or engineer.