8 Questions Every Business Analyst Should Ask

It doesn't matter what project you are doing. It does not matter what industry you are going to evaluate. The important thing is that you know what you are going to do. You should as questions. You must find what the customer wants. A list of obvious questions that every good business analyst should know the answers to when starting a project is provided.

1. What problem does this business face that you hope to solve by developing this project? It should be obvious why this question is being asked. If you don't understand what the problem is, you can't help solve it. Also, when reading the project program, it may not be clear what the client actually wants. The scope may just tell you what they would like to see happen. It can, and often does, miss the focus on what the real issues are.

2. What is the company currently doing to mitigate or solve the problem? What has been tried in the past? You must understand what the customer is doing in order to understand what to do. You don't want to develop a project plan overview only to have someone tell you it's been tried. Listen to the customer. Find out what they did Ask questions as you listen. On your toes brainstorming so to speak. Listen to what didn't work.

3. What internal resources will this project use? What external resources will be necessary? You will want to identify your source of help and team players. You may be familiar with most IT, but if the client wants to outsource, it's a different ball game. You may have to make a list of external interactions. Identify the company's strengths and weaknesses. This can be the most useful.

4. Have you defined a vision for the project? The business analyst will compare this scope with the scope he or she will develop to ensure consistency and parallel outlook. In other words make sure you are on the same path. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Communication is the key to success with this question.

5. What risks do you anticipate and are you willing to take? A conservative client may not be inclined to take significant risks. Making them specific can help when creating a project program. You may also be able to overcome some of their fears or doubts by explaining the risk factor more thoroughly.

6. Are you under any kind of time restrictions? There must be a specific time frame for the outcome. The goal for any project can be reached if time is not a factor. Most clients have time constraints that affect all areas of the business. You will want to know what these are and plan accordingly.

7. What is the expected cost of the program? An aggressive business analyst may be being direct and honest by framing the question in this way. What is the expected budget and is it possible to deviate from it? There are times when certain steps must be taken that may result in the project going over budget. There may not be a need to implement other business plans because management is not fully aware of some of the available assets. It is best to know exactly what is going on in this project so that the project software is successful.

8. Who is the end user? What support will they get? You will need to know this in order for the program to achieve its purpose. Marketing data should also be collected to include what the end user is requesting. The goal is to reach the goal with everyone satisfied. A business analyst cannot do this without talking and listening to everyone involved.