Business analysis is one of the key ways companies can become innovative and gain a competitive edge over other players in the market.
Learning a new business analysis course online
is often challenging and may require a lot of time. However, knowing the right thing to do can greatly help you become a pro in no-time.
Training to become a business analyst will help you gain more understanding of the different approaches that will give your business the best solutions. This article will take a look at some of the best ways to learn business analysis and determine some business analyst learning resources.
Table of Contents
Common Challenges When Trying to Learn Business Analysis
One of the biggest challenges people face when trying to learn business analysis is not knowing where to start. It can be a complex and intimidating topic, with a lot of jargon and technical terms. But once you understand the basics, it’s not as difficult as it seems.
Another challenge is finding good resources to learn from. There are many books and online courses available, but not all of them are created equal. It’s important to find materials that are well-structured and easy to understand.
Finally, it can be difficult to find the time to learn business analysis. If you’re working full-time, it can be hard to fit learning into your schedule. But there are some ways to make it easier, such as listening to podcasts or watching videos on your commute.
Know Your Interest
Knowing and validating your interests before beginning a business analysis course is extremely important. This is because doing something that you are interested in will make the learning process easier. You should ensure that business analysis is what you want to do before enrolling in any business analysis class.
Here are a few things you’ll need to consider before beginning a business analysis course:
- The skills and competencies you have;
- The main reasons why you want to become a business analyst;
- Your background information;
- What is required of a business analyst?
- How much does a business analyst earn?
- How long does it take to complete a business analysis course?
After learning all these, take some time to evaluate what you want and then, begin the business analysis learning process.
Where do You Start?
The best way to learn business analysis will involve a lot of training. You can look up some of the training institution in your home area or country to see where you could fit in best.
You can also begin by enrolling in a short-term course as this may help prepare you for learning business analysis. Even if you have attended a training institution, it is important to continue to get some training as this will help you become well versed with current and changing shifts of business analysis.
The training process will help you learn and apply new knowledge. This will help improve your experience and also introduce you to more professional business analysts.
Get a Mentor
Learning business analysis is not a solitary journey. The learning process will be improved if you have a mentor. A mentor will help you by giving you advice, encouragement and even constructive criticism when you need it.
Having a mentor will help your learning process because he or she has direct real-life experience of being a business analyst. A business analyst mentor will help make the right decisions by advising you on what to do and what not to do. This will help you avoid many mistakes that would otherwise have negatively impacted your learning process.
A business analyst mentor will also help you stay focused. They will also help you come up with specific goals and standards when learning business analysis. A business analyst mentor will also help you after the learning process in that they can help connect you to great business analysis career choices.
Master the Core Business Analysis Skills
Learning how to become a business analyst will involve learning the skills that are required. Some of the business analysis skills include:
- Problem-solving;
- Soft skills;
- Data modelling;
- Proces modelling;
- Documentation skill.
These are skills that you will need to learn to become a good business analyst. Mastering these skills may also involve you studying accounting, mathematics, finance, and business management depending upon the industry that you work in. These are skills that you can easily acquire and seek to enrol and take on extra classes.
Skills such as time management could also be enhanced by creating a timetable. This could help you become better and more effective at what you do. Data and process modelling skills will require a bit of training but this will improve the learning process as you pursue business analysis.
The computer skills needed in the business analyst should also be up to date. You can achieve this by taking on extra courses regarding computers. To save on time, you can simply take online short courses that are easy to follow.
What Business Analysis Training will Teach?
After mastering the basic core skills needed in business analysis. You should learn what the training process will give you as a business analyst. Training will help you develop the skills and competencies needed to carry out the functions of a business analyst.
Here are some of the areas that will be covered in business analysis training:
- Understanding the business analysis profession;
- Defining the business analysis value proposition;
- Requirements classification scheme;
- Communicating requirements;
- Creating models to identify / analyse stakeholders;
- Writing clear requirements;
- Managing relationships with stakeholders;
- Comparing business analyst and the role of the project manager;
- Learn areas of business analysis (needs assessment, stakeholder engagement, elicitation, analysis, traceability and monitoring and solution evaluation) and business analysis knowledge and skills;
- Learn core terminology (customer, project life cycle, requirement, products, solution) also covers the types of requirements and specifying requirements and agile business analysis;
- Learn how to analyse and specify functional requirements by combining the popular techniques of use cases and wireframes;
- Learn how key data modelling techniques and the core concepts you need to know to successfully model data;
- Learn how to discover, analyse, improve a business process and learn how to map out processes.
These are just a few of the areas that will be covered in business analysis training. The best way to learn business analysis is to ensure you attend all lectures or go through all the online training material. This may mean that you have to be physically present for the course. You should also participate actively and try to collaborate with your colleagues especially in more challenging areas.
At the end of the training course, you will be tested in an exam. You will have to prepare well and this can only be done by knowing everything that can be tested.
A business analysis courses will vary in length from 4 hour courses to courses taking several months to get certified.
Preparing for Business Analysis Classes
The preparation of every class is important as it mentally prepares you for the learning process. Before every class, make sure you have all the materials that are needed in the course. For instance, ensure that you have a computer, pen, and paper.
These are key resources that will give you the best way to learn business analysis. Ensure that you arrive at class ten or twenty minutes earlier. This will give you time to review what you learned in the previous lesson as well as read-ahead on what is going to be covered in the following lesson.
In addition to preparing for the course, you should also attend seminars and conferences on business analysis. Attending such conferences will help you feel like a member of the larger business analysis community.
Becoming a member of the IIBA group will help you gain various benefits such as an opportunity to interact with more than 200 multinational corporations. The organisation could also help you improve and advance in your business analysis career.
The IIBA also helps provide educational services for business analysis professionals. Preparing for your business analysis classes will also involve going through the IIBA website to check the colleges and universities that have been accredited.
Benefits of Joining an IIBA Program
One of the best ways to learn business analysis is by joining an IIBA certification program. The program is meant for anyone who wishes to study business analysis. The IIBA program helps individuals and businesses to have access to resources that could help them improve their internal capabilities.
There are various levels of membership including gold, bronze, platinum, and silver. The different types of memberships can be tailored to meet your organisations’ needs. Joining a corporate program will help you refresh the knowledge you attained while studying business analysis.
The main benefits of joining an IIBA business analysis programs are:
- It will give you knowledge of standardised methodologies It will help you gain various insights about the company’s industry;
- It will also enhance your credibility as a business analysis professional;
- It will also help you achieve success by equipping you with tools and resources;
- Becoming a member will also help you improve your presence and even increase your practice of business analysis;
- It will also give you access to various business analysis publications that could aid in your learning processes.
Joining an IIBA program could help you learn business analysis especially if you are already a corporate employee. If you are taking business analysis as an added course, then IIBA will help you learn the most up-to-date methodologies in business analysis.
The Certification Levels of Business Analysis
Earning a professional certification in business analysis helps increase your opportunities for career development. Getting more business analysis certifications can help increase your salary by approximately 11 percent.
You can learn and get certified from the following major business analysis certifications:
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®)
- IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA);
- IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA);
- IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP).
British Computer Society (BCS)
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis;
- BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis;
- BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis;
- BCS Expert BA Award.
Project Management Institute (PMI)
- PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA).
International Qualification Board for Business Analysis (IQBBA)
- IQBBA Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA).
International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB)
- Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) – Foundation Level;
- Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) – Advanced Level;
- Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) – Expert Level.
The different certifications entail attending several professional classes. The more certifications that one has, the more their professional career improves.
Conclusion – Learn Business Analysis
Becoming a business analyst will require training to become fully certified. There are various training programs offered by various academic institutions. The best way to learn business analysis is to join a training program at an institution that is accredited by a major major business analysis certification body.
Lastly, becoming a business analyst requires continuous studies and certification. Remaining on top of your game means that you should seek to acquire all levels of business analysis certification.