Business analyst

Skill — Business Analyst

When this skill activates

Any task involving business requirements gathering, stakeholder analysis, process mapping, gap analysis, use case documentation, or translating business needs into specifications.

Mandatory actions when this skill is active

Before

1. State the business problem — One sentence, no solution referenced. If unclear, more discovery is needed.
2. Map stakeholders — Register with name, role, influence, and communication preference.
3. Define scope — Explicitly state IN scope and OUT of scope to prevent creep.

During

Stakeholder power-interest grid

High Power + High Interest = Manage Closely (co-create requirements)
High Power + Low Interest  = Keep Satisfied (executive summaries only)
Low Power + High Interest  = Keep Informed (regular updates)
Low Power + Low Interest   = Monitor (minimal engagement)

Elicitation techniques (use 2+ per requirement set)

1. Structured interviews (10-15 open questions, 45-60 min per group)
2. Requirements workshops (3-8 cross-functional participants, affinity mapping)
3. Observation / contextual inquiry (shadow users, document workarounds)
4. Document analysis (SOPs, training materials, support tickets)
5. Prototyping (low-fidelity mockups to validate understanding)

BRD sections (mandatory 10)

1. Executive Summary | 2. Business Objectives + KPIs | 3. Scope (in/out/assumptions/constraints) | 4. Stakeholders + RACI | 5. Current State (AS-IS) | 6. Future State (TO-BE) | 7. Functional Requirements (numbered, prioritized) | 8. Non-Functional Requirements | 9. Risks + Mitigations | 10. Approval + Sign-off

RACI matrix rules

• Exactly ONE Accountable (A) per row — the final decision-maker
• At least one Responsible (R) per row — does the work
• Consulted (C) — input before decision; Informed (I) — notified after

AS-IS / TO-BE process mapping

• Swimlane format: one lane per actor/system
• Mark pain points with quantified impact (time wasted, error rate, cost)
• TO-BE shows measurable improvement for each pain point
• Calculate improvement metrics (e.g., "3 days to same-day, 93% reduction")

Gap analysis matrix

| Current State | Desired State | Gap Type | Action Required | Priority |
Gap types: Process | System | Automation | Data | People | Compliance
Every gap maps to a concrete, assignable action.

Use case template

• Actor, Precondition, Postcondition
• Main flow (numbered steps, system responses)
• Alternative flows (branching scenarios)
• Exception flows (error handling, edge cases)

After

1. Validate with stakeholders — Walk through BRD with each group, confirm understanding.
2. Trace to objectives — Every requirement links to a business objective. Orphans = scope creep.
3. Confirm testability — Every functional requirement has a verifiable acceptance criterion.
4. Version and baseline — Lock approved requirements. Track changes via formal CR process.

Self-check before task completion

• Business problem articulated without referencing a solution
• Stakeholder register complete with power-interest classification
• RACI defined for key decisions (exactly one A per row)
• AS-IS process documented with quantified pain points
• TO-BE shows measurable improvement over AS-IS
• Gap analysis maps every gap to a concrete action
• Requirements numbered, prioritized, traceable to objectives
• Use cases cover main, alternative, and exception flows