The 6 Knowledge Areas In Business Analysis

The Business analysis knowledge areas, according to BABOK, represent areas of specific business analysis expertise that encompass several tasks, which relate to the creation, implementation and maintenance of a system or process. Such tasks can include creating an analysis plan, designing an application, and creating a prototype.

Understanding the relationship between the knowledge areas is fundamental to attaining success as a Business Analyst.  

Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 

This area describes the tasks that business analysts perform to organize and coordinate the efforts of business analysts and stakeholders. The outputs produced from these tasks are utilized as inputs and guidelines for the subsequent tasks to be performed.

Elicitation and Collaboration 

This describes the tasks that business analysts perform to prepare for and conduct elicitation activities and confirm the results obtained. It also describes the communication with stakeholders once the business analysis information is assembled and the ongoing collaboration with them throughout the business analysis activities.

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Requirements Life Cycle Management

This describes the tasks that business analysts perform in order to manage and maintain requirements and design information from inception to retirement. These tasks describe establishing meaningful relationships between related requirements and designs, and assessing, analyzing and gaining consensus on proposed changes to requirements and designs.

Strategy Analysis

This describes the business analysis work that must be performed to collaborate with stakeholders in order to identify a need of strategic or tactical importance (the business need), enable the enterprise to develop an effective strategy based on this requirement, plan how it will be implemented, integrate it into their existing processes, communicate it clearly within their organization, implement it according to plan, monitor its effectiveness over time, keep track of any change requests from stakeholders/business partners/customers/government agencies.

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Requirements Analysis and Design Definition

This knowledge area describes the tasks that are performed by business analysts in order to structure and organize requirements that were discovered during elicitation activities. It also highlights the tasks that provide knowledge on the specification and model requirements and designs, validate and verify information, identify solution options that meet business needs, and estimate the potential value that could be realized for each solution option. This knowledge area covers the incremental and iterative activities ranging from the initial concept and exploration of the need through the transformation of those needs into a particular recommended solution.

Solution Evaluation

This is the last knowledge area of Business Analysis. It describes the tasks that business analysts perform to assess the performance of and value delivered by a solution in use by the enterprise, and to recommend removal of barriers or constraints that prevent the full realization of the value.

How are the knowledge areas crucial to your role as a Business Analyst?

The 6 knowledge areas are the foundation for every business analysis task. Each area entails a different skill that is needed to analyze the business processes. Together, they define the competencies that are required in order for you to accomplish your BA tasks. By understanding the importance of each area, you become better equipped to identify root causes of problems and successfully effect applicable solutions.

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