Applications Executive Council Drivers of Business Analyst Effectiveness

Applications Executive Council Drivers of Business Analyst Effectiveness IIBA Building Business Capabilities 2012 Moderator: Mark Tonsetic Senior Research Director

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ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION Changes to the BA Role Measuring BA Effectiveness Levers to Improve BA Effectiveness Key Takeaways and Upcoming Events 3

Shifts in corporate IT are making it difficult for business analysts to deliver value within the traditional dimensions of their role. PRESSURE ON THE TRADITIONAL BUSINESS ANALYST Shift in IT Value, Ownership, and Role Challenges to Traditional Business Analyst Role At the same time, flat budgets result in longer hours for many BAs, increasing risk of burnout. 1. Information Over Process Competitive advantage from information technology shifts toward customer experience, data analytics, and knowledge worker enablement; consequently, information management skills will rise in importance relative to business process design. Managing requirements that are more fluid, uncertain, and difficult to document 2. IT Embedded in Business Services Centrally provided applications and infrastructure will be embedded in business services and delivered by a business shared services organization. Understanding the expectations of supporting endto-end IT services rather than projects 3. Externalized Service Delivery Delivery will be predominantly externalized as vendors expand service provision and internal resources become brokers not providers. Maintaining visibility into the environment as more solutions are introduced without their direct involvement and/or through vendors 4. Greater Business Partner Responsibility Business unit leaders and end users will play a greater role in obtaining and managing technology for themselves where differentiation has more value than standardization. Adapting to new engagement models in which many sponsors want a more hands-on leadership role in IT projects 4

ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION Changes to the BA Role Measuring BA Effectiveness Levers to Improve BA Effectiveness Key Takeaways and Upcoming Events 5

6 In response, the Council developed a model of BA effectiveness to help navigate these changes in demand. This model is based on AEC s BA Competency Framework and serves as the basis for the Council s BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. A MODEL OF BUSINESS ANALYST EFFECTIVENESS 1 Needs Discovery Requirements Elicitation Ability to identify a desired future state that addresses a business problem. Requirements Management and Analysis Ability to manage requirements to the smallest set that will provide the biggest impact in advancing business objectives. Creating Compelling Business Cases Ability to measure and communicate proposed project benefits. Providing Accurate Project Effort Estimates Ability to quantify project resource requirements. Needs Discovery BA Effectiveness Technology Management 2 Technology Management Architecture Management Ability to create solutions that advance architectural objectives. Designing for Usability Ability to design solutions for enduser adoption and productivity improvement. Relationship Management and Communication 3 Relationship Management and Communications Communications and Change Leadership Ability to communicate effectively across multiple constituencies to support project and organizational change objectives. Business Relationship Management Ability to engage business sponsors and contribute to their targeted business outcomes. Design Team Relationship Management Ability to engage developers to ensure productivity and solution quality.

1 Requirements Elicitation Ability to identify a desired future state that addresses a business problem. Requirements Management and Analysis Ability to manage requirements to the smallest set that will provide the biggest impact in advancing business objectives. Creating Compelling Business Cases Ability to measure and communicate proposed project benefits. Providing Accurate Project Effort Estimates Ability to quantify project resource requirements. Needs Discovery Technology Management BA Effectiveness Relationship Management and Communication 3 Communications and Change Leadership Ability to communicate effectively across multiple constituencies to support project and organizational change objectives. Business Relationship Management Ability to engage business sponsors and contribute to their targeted business outcomes. Design Team Relationship Management Ability to engage developers to ensure productivity and solution quality. 2 Architecture Management Ability to create solutions that advance architectural objectives. Designing for Usability Ability to design solutions for enduser adoption and productivity improvement. InformatIon technology PractIce Output: 11:45AM Jun 25 2012 Modified 11:33AM Jun 25 2012 7 INTRODUCING THE BA EFFECTIVENESS DIAGNOSTIC Developing the BA Effectiveness Diagnostic 1. Diagnostic Development 2. Member Input 3. Survey Participation 4. Comparative Analysis 5. Presentation of Findings ApplicAtions ExEcutivE council New Talent Foundation Build the Business Analyst Competency Framework Seek feedback from member companies on model Launch diagnostic to 200 Business Analysts Analyze the drivers of BA effectiveness Publish key findings from the diagnostic Select Participating AEC Members WHEN PERFORMANCE MATTERS MOST

IDENTIFYING WHAT DRIVES BUSINESS ANALYST EFFECTIVENESS I. Deploy Surveys II. Measure BA Effectiveness III. Translate Findings into Practical Guidance Business Analyst Survey (n = 200) BAs assess the importance and personal effectiveness of nine core competencies. BAs provide information on educational and professional background, time allocation, and access to coaching/mentoring opportunities. Please select the level that best describes your current, personal skill set for Architecture Management 1. Individual BA effectiveness responses are combined and adjusted based on BA supervisor effectiveness ratings to diminish self-reporting bias. An index was created by averaging adjusted effectiveness scores and scaling to 100. Scale was also validated based on BA annual performance evaluations. Distill the practical implications borne out by the data. Provide real-world illustration of key insights via practitioner tools and tactics. Time Spent on Solutions Design Illustrative Driver x 0.8x Level 2 1 Level 5 BA Supervisor Survey (n = 39) BA leaders assess the importance and effectiveness of nine core competencies for the BA group as a whole. BA leaders provide information on talent management and development strategies for the BA group. Please select the level that best describes the current effectiveness of your BA group s Architecture Management skill set. Level 2 1 Level 5 Needs Discovery BA Effectiveness Relationship Management and Communication Technology Management The BA Effectiveness Index is measured as an index from the three model components. Index scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting higher levels of BA Effectiveness. Bottom Quartile BAs Example Key Teaching: Top Quartile BAs The best BAs more efficiently allocate time on solutions design. 2 Each competency level is explicitly defined to maximize consistency is reporting across BAs. See the Implementation guide for the level definitions for each competency. 8

9 The most effective BAs are able to carry larger project loads on an annual basis. EFFECTIVE BAs PROVIDE SCALE AND ENHANCE EFFICIENCY Total Annual Project Budget per BA (Number of Projects x Project Size) Millions of US Dollars +30% $6.5 M +39% $5.0 M $3.6 M Bottom Quartile BAs Average BA Top Quartile BAs n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION Changes to the BA Role Measuring BA Effectiveness Levers to Improve BA Effectiveness Key Takeaways and Upcoming Events 10

11 Council analysis of data from more than 200 BAs suggests three levers that Applications leaders can pull to improve the effectiveness of their business analysts. THREE LEVERS TO IMPROVE BA EFFECTIVENESS Management Lever I. Structure the Role for Success Key Challenge Quick Win Near Term Medium Term How can we encourage the right behaviors in our BAs? How can we better structure the role to meet diverse business demands? 1. Clearly establish accountability in your business analysts objectives. 6. Formalize specializations to maximize BAs effectiveness. II. Develop the Right Skills III. Utilize BAs More Effectively What are the most important areas to focus coaching and training? What kinds of IT expertise will most benefit our BAs? Which project experience is the most valuable? How should BAs allocate their time to maximize productivity and deliver business value? 2. Expand influencing skills through targeted coaching. 3. Grow breadth in the right IT domains. 4. Provide BAs with new world project opportunities. 5. Improve BAs efficiency on requirements documentation.

12 While more tenured BAs exhibit higher levels of effectiveness, tenure alone is a small contributor. TENURE ALONE DOES NOT EXPLAIN EFFECTIVENESS BA Effectiveness Index 1 by Tenure as a BA Average BA Effectiveness Index Score 100 90 80 90th Percentile BA Effectiveness 70 BA Effectiveness Index 60 50 40 30 47 54 57 60 BA Effectiveness Range Explained by Tenure is Minimal. Total BA Effectiveness Range 10th Percentile BA Effectiveness 20 10 0 One Year or Less Two to Four Years Five to Nine Years 10+ Years BA Tenure 1 The BA Effectiveness Index measures business analyst skills across three broad domains: needs discovery, technology management, and relationship management. Index scores range from 0 to 100, where 0 is the least effective BA and 100 is the most effective BA. n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

13 Establishing clear ownership around core BA activities elevates a sense of accountability, driving up BA effectiveness. ACTION 1: CLEARLY ESTABLISH ACCOUNTABILITY Competencies Where BA Has Formal Ownership 1 Number of Competencies (Out of Nine) 5.7 +42.5% 4.0 Nine BA Competencies 1. Requirements Elicitation 2. Requirements Management and Analysis 3. Creating Compelling Business Cases 4. Providing Accurate Project Effort Estimates 5. Architecture Management 6. Designing for Usability Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs 7. Communications and Change Leadership 8. Business Relationship Management 9. Design Team Relationship Management BA Competency RACI Chart Level of BA Involvement Involvement Scale No Critical Contributor Clear Owner Involvement Participant 1 2 3 4 1 BA is formally a Critical Participant or Clear Owner. n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. 2012.

14 The most effective BAs have strong influencing skills, a competency that is core to sales and marketing experience, helping them drive consensus. ACTION 2: EXPAND INFLUENCING SKILLS BAs with Strong Influencing Skills 1 Percentage of BAs Prevalence of Sales or Marketing Experience Percentage of BAs No Sales or Marketing Experience 50% Has Sales or Marketing Experience Low Influencing Skills 84% 16% 2.25x Strong Influencing Skills 64% 36% 0% Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs BAs with strong influencing skills are more than twice as likely to have sales and marketing experience. Tactics for Expanding BA Breadth of IT Experience Encourage BAs to work on more explicit stakeholder communication plans. Coach BAs to reframe unrecognized problems, needs, or assumptions in dialogue with business sponsors. n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. 2012. 1 The ability to influence business partner decision making to optimize requirements prioritization and build long-term relationships to drive engagement in IT strategy

15 BAs who have previously worked across a range of IT domains are able to more easily navigate cross-it partnerships and guide projects end-toend. ACTION 3: GROW BREADTH IN THE RIGHT IT DOMAINS Breadth of IT Experience Number of IT Domains Previously Worked Types of Previous Domain Experience Percentage of BAs Vendor Management Enterprise Architecture 5.5 73% +49% 60% 3.7 33% 19% IT Domains Applications Development Enterprise Architecture Project Management Vendor Management Quality Assurance Infrastructure Maintenance and Support Tactics for Expanding BA Breadth of IT Experience Rotate BAs through other IT functions to increase visibility into coordination needs across groups. Establish coaching and mentoring relationships outside of the BA group to accelerate cross-functional collaboration skills. n = 200 BAs. Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs While most BAs have experience in the usual suspects, such as Project Management, Applications Development, and Maintenance and Support, the most effective BAs have working knowledge of Vendor Management and Enterprise Architecture as well. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. 2012.

16 Expose BAs to new world projects. Even inexperienced BAs should be given opportunities to work on challenging new world projects to grow their skill sets. ACTION 4: PROVIDE BAs WITH NEW WORLD PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES Experience with Multiple New World Projects Percentage of BAs with Experience in Two or More New World Project Types 58% 31% Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs Old World Project Types Maintenance and Enhancement Process Automation Customer Interface Applications (Web) New World Project Types Collaboration Mobile Business Intelligence or Analytics Software-as-a-Service Business projects without IT components n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. 2012.

17 The most effective BAs have begun to scale back time on requirements documentation in favor of more time on relationship management and workflow assessment. ACTION 5: IMPROVE BA EFFICIENCY ON REQUIREMENTS Average Time Spent on Requirements Documentation Number of Hours per Week 11.3 (2.4) Hours per Week 8.9 What can you do with an extra two weeks per year? The best BAs spend one extra week on relationship management and one week on understanding customer workflows. Bottom Quartile BAs Top Quartile BAs Tactics for More Efficient Requirements Documentation Apply a lightweight documentation approach for projects that are likely to rapidly change. Place more emphasis on needs analysis than on documentation. Leverage business sponsors willingness to lead requirements. n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

18 Promoting specialization enables BAs to narrow their development focus and more efficiently scale their work. Fifty-five percent of specialized BAs (2+ specializations) have new world experience (2+ project types) compared to 40% of those who are generalists. ACTION 6: FORMALIZE SPECIALIZATIONS TO MAXIMIZE BAs EFFECTIVENESS Specialist and Generalist BAs Percentage of BAs 21% Specialists Generalists 2.85x 60% Specialists: BAs who formally took two or more specialized roles in projects they worked in the past 12 months. Formal specialized roles examined include: Product owner (Agile) Scrum master (Agile) BA for a project using Agile Project manager/ba hybrid role Technology broker Consultant to business Sponsors BA for information-intensive projects Generalists: BAs who did not take any specialized role in projects they worked in the past 12 months. n = 200 BAs. 79% Bottom Quartile BAs Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012. The most effective BAs are nearly three times as likely to be specialists. 40% Top Quartile BAs

19 A family of BA specializations is emerging in response to more diversified projects and delivery channels. In the past, BA specialization has involved technologies (e.g., SAP BA) or domains (e.g., HR BA). TEN BA SPECIALIZATIONS The Family of Business Analyst Specializations 1 1. User Experience BA Provides usability insight to project design teams and helps sponsors understand usability requirements 6. Business Process BA Maps business processes and identifies opportunities to redesign processes or technologies to improve efficiency Today s specialized BAs are aligned to the nature of the portfolio and changing approaches to solutions delivery. 2. Customer Advocate/Anthropologist Analyzes end-user workflows; surfaces unarticulated needs and brings end users needs into project sponsor dialogue 7. Integration Specialist Manages interdependencies across projects and external solutions to minimize post-implementation fixes Fifty-two percent of organizations expect to increase the degree of specialization in their BA groups across 2012. 3. Buyer s Agent Consults to ensure that business sponsors act responsibly when leading IT purchases with vendors 8. Data-Focused BA Manages needs analysis/requirements primarily for data intensive projects like BI or analytics 4. Technology Broker Consults and advises on the best means to fulfill a given solution need (COTS, Cloud, sourcing, build) 9. BA/Project Manager Owns needs analysis with business sponsors and manages the solutions design team 5. Strategic BA/Business Architect At a portfolio level, supports business strategy articulation and ensures IT alignment to business capabilities 10. Agile BA/Product Owner Represents a project sponsor to provide feedback and guide an Agile development team 1 These ten BA activities are derived from the Business Analyst Effectiveness Diagnostic and member interviews.

All BAs will need foundational skill sets, but organizations should formalize specializations to improve BA performance. PROMOTE DOUBLE MAJORING Possible Specialization Double Majors User Experience BA Customer Advocate/Anthropologist Identifying the Right BA Competency Maturity Designing for usability Requirements elicitation and analysis Project Experience Customer Interface Applications Mobile 20 Buyer s Agent Technology Broker Strategic BA/Business Architect Business Process BA Integration Specialist Data-Focused BA Business relationship management Communications and change leadership Architecture management Creating compelling business cases Business relationship management Architecture management Architecture management Business relationship management Software-as-a- Service Business projects without IT components Collaboration Process automation Integration projects Business intelligence or analytics BA/PM Agile BA/Product Owner Design team relationship management Business relationship management Customer Interface Applications Mobile

21 To resource available BA specialists, segment the project portfolio into three tiers of priority based on project scope and the need for specialists. DETERMINE PROJECT PRIORITIES FOR SPECIALISTS Prioritization of Project Portfolio for BA Specialization Illustrative High All Hands on Deck These projects are top priority for available BAs with the requisite specializations. Project Scope/ Size Case-by-Case Decision For these projects, determine whether to have lightweight involvement of a specialist based on: The degree to which the absence of specialist BAs may present a project delivery risk Low Low Need for Specialists High The degree to which the project provides a development or stretch opportunity for BAs seeking to develop more specialized experience No Specialists Required These projects have smaller scope and complexity, such that specialized needs can be supported by a non-specialized BA with foundational skills.

22 Assess the depth of need for a BA specialist on projects in your portfolio. ASSESS PROJECTS NEED FOR A BA SPECIALIST Assessment Criteria BA Specialization Specialist Not Needed Lightweight Involvement Significant Commitment 1. User Experience BA Few or no significant interfaces for end users Project could benefit from some UX expertise embedded in the needs analysis phase. Project significantly changes end user experience across multiple interfaces. 2. Customer Advocate/ Anthropologist Project not directly targeted at end users workflow enhancement Project targets to change some existing end user behaviors or processes. Project requires a deep understand of end user behaviors and workflows to design appropriate solution. 3. Buyer s Agent Business partners are not pursuing external vendors. Business partners require limited support with managing vendor interactions. Business partners require guidance as they pursue technology purchases with vendors. 4. Technology Broker Project does not require purchase of external technology. Limited vendor management activities are included in the project plan. Requires purchase and/or significant coordination with vendors or service providers 5. Strategic BA/Business Architect 1 Project does not require broader business strategy or capabilities analysis. Project would benefit from business strategy expertise in the upfront concept and needs analysis phases. Project requires significant strategy or business capabilities expertise. 6. Business Process BA Project requires little business process reengineering. The project requires limited process flow analysis. Project requires significant business process reengineering. 7. Integration Specialist Project will not impact operations or data in more than two systems. Needs analysis and planning would benefit from integration expertise. Project requires coordination of external solutions with interdependent systems or data. 8. Data-Focused BA Project is not data intensive or dependent. Project involves some significant data flows. Project is information intensive and data is key to competitive advantage. 9. BA/PM Project will have an independent project manager. N/A Project lacks a project manager. 10. Product Owner (Agile) Project will use waterfall methodology. N/A Project will use Agile and require a product owner or a BA to manage the story backlog. 1 Specialization may be required outside of project work.

23 Specialists play more targeted project roles, supporting or relieving the foundational BA s responsibilities across the lifecycle. DEPLOY SPECIALISTS FOR TARGETED ACTIVITIES Involvement of Foundational BA and BA Specialists Across the Project Lifecycle Illustrative Kickoff Needs Analysis Project Execution Production Percentage of Workload Percentage of Workload Foundational BA Percentage of Workload Percentage of Workload User Experience BA Buyer s Agent BA Integration BA Significant commitment Lightweight involvement

24 Specialists vary their level of involvement to balance effort against other project needs. ADJUST SPECIALISTS LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT TO MEET PORTFOLIO NEEDS Activities of Specialist BAs Across the Project Lifecycle Illustrative Kickoff Needs Analysis Project Execution Production Significant commitment Lightweight involvement User Experience BA UX BA owns user experience analysis and integrates results with foundational BA s analysis of business sponsors needs and objectives. UX BA coaches foundational BA on user experience needs analysis for this project UX BA validates that the solution meets user experience requirements. Buyer s Agent BA Buyer s Agent BA focuses on preparing the sponsor for vendor-related interactions. Buyer s Agent BA coaches foundational BA on how to support the sponsor during vendor selection and negotiation. Buyer s Agent BA supports the sponsor in user acceptance. Integration BA Integration BA captures integration requirements and dependencies. Integration BA supports foundational BA s ability to capture and track integration needs. Integration BA supports the execution of integration requirements.

ROAD MAP FOR THE PRESENTATION Changes to the BA Role Measuring BA Effectiveness Levers to Improve BA Effectiveness Key Takeaways and Upcoming Events 25

26 KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Improving the effectiveness of your BAs increases scalability for your Applications group, and value and speed for business partners. The best BAs carry 80% more project value than the lowest performing BAs. The best BAs also help to deliver solutions to market more rapidly and more on target with business objectives. 2. Encourage BAs to see beyond project and enterprise IT boundaries. The best BAs understand the architectural end state and are effective influencers across their relationships with business partners, delivery teams, and vendors. By maintaining focus on business needs not just requirements they work effectively with emerging technologies and new delivery channels. 3. Formalize accountability for needs discovery, technology management, and relationship management and communication competencies in your BAs performance objectives. The more that BAs understand their ownership over these areas, the better they perform and the more project value they deliver. 4. Find opportunities on new world projects for newer BAs, not just high performers. Experience in mobile, collaboration, and Software-as-a-Service projects can help BAs learn how to manage unclear requirements and tight project schedules effectively. 5. Identify how the best performers efficiently manage requirements and apply scalable insights institutionally. With a growing set of demands on BAs time, unnecessary requirements documentation represents a loss in productivity. 6. Formalize specializations to drive BA focus and effectiveness. Organizations that are developing generalist BAs are falling behind. The most effective BA organizations formalize and cultivate specializations, and find opportunities to match BAs strengths to project needs. For more information, visit www.aec.executiveboard.com

27 Supervisors of BAs perceive competency gaps in requirements elicitation and relationship management and communication. APPENDIX: BAs HAVE ROOM TO IMPROVE IN ALL DOMAINS Competency Importance 1 and Effectiveness 2 Database Average Competency Effectiveness Competency Importance Large Competency Gap 3 Needs Discovery Technology Management Relationship Management and Communication 5 4.6 4 3.9 3.8 4.2 4.1 3.9 3.2 3.3 3.2 3 2 3.3 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.3 3.3 2.7 2.9 2.9 1 0 Requirements Elicitation Requirements Management and Analysis Providing Accurate Project Effort Estimates Creating Compelling Business Cases Architecture Management Designing for Usability Business Relationship Management Communications and Change Leadership Design Team Relationship Management n = 17 organizations 1 Competency Importance benchmark is measured using BA Supervisor responses on behalf of the BA group. 2 Competency Effectiveness benchmark is measured using BA Supervisor responses on behalf of the BA group. 3 Measured as the gap between competency importance and effectiveness more than 1.0. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. 2012.

28 The Council tested a number of potential drivers of BA effectiveness and also captured input from BA group leaders. APPENDIX: DRIVERS OF BA EFFECTIVENESS TESTED Business Analyst Background Education level Field of study Tenure as a BA Overall work experience Employment status Work experience in IT Breadth of experience in IT Breadth of project type experience Experience with agile projects Work experience in sales or marketing Interaction with IT stakeholders Experience in specialized BA roles Formal training experience and value Coaching experience and value Learning style preference Business Analyst Workflow Project workload Project portfolio size Project portfolio value Specialized project volume Project versus non-project activities Project activities time allocation Non-project activities time allocation Volume of administrative work Extent of strategic work Task prioritization Project ownership Organizational Characteristics Organizational size (number of employees) Industry IT organizational structure Applications organizational structure Business analyst group size Extent of BA services outsourcing BA retention rate Talent development strategy Project staffing model Desired resource allocation Competency prioritization Project ownership approach Career advancement opportunities Access to stakeholders Business Analyst Attitudes Perceived organizational support Perceived training and coaching value Job satisfaction Career path Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

29 BAs want to shift from traditional activities to an emerging skill set that includes areas like usability and integration. APPENDIX: IDEAL TIME ALLOCATION BA Allocation of Time Percentage of Time on Project and Non- Project Activities BA Allocation of Time on Project Activities Percentage of Time Spent on Each Set of Activities, Current Versus Ideal Other Responsibilities Traditional Responsibilities Emerging Responsibilities = +31% 27% Non-Project Activities 32% = (9%) 42% 73% Project Activities 58% 53% 10% Current Allocation = (50%) 5% Ideal Allocation Traditional Responsibilities: Emerging Responsibilities: n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC 2012 BA Effectiveness Diagnostic. Requirements documentation Designing a solution Communicating with design teams Project management Analysis of customer or end-user workflow Work on usability/ user experience Business process mapping Integration planning or strategy

30 Fewer than 20% of organizations are ensuring BAs skills are the right fit for project needs. APPENDIX: STAFFING ALLOCATION MODEL How Are You Assigning BAs to Projects? Percentage of Organizations 18% Explicit Matching of Skill Sets with Needs 5% Availability Only 13% Informal Matching of Skill Sets with Needs 64% Primarily Availability n = 39 BA group leaders. Source: AEC 2012 BA Effectiveness Diagnostic.

31 Participants in the BA Effectiveness Diagnostic reflect a broad range of organizational profiles. APPENDIX: PARTICIPANT PROFILE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS Survey administration involved in-depth collaboration with 17 member organizations. Respondents by Industry Sample Distribution 5% Energy and Utilities 7% Government or Non-Profit 24% Financial Services Respondents by Geography Sample Distribution 9% APAC 2% EMEA 19% Manufacturing 13% High Tech 17% Insurance 15% Business Services 89% North America n = 200 BAs. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

32 Participating BAs reflect diverse educational and professional experiences. APPENDIX: PARTICIPANT PROFILE BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE Respondents by Educational Background Percentage of BAs 15% No Bachelor s Degree 25% Other Undergraduate or Graduate Degree 10% Bachelor s Degree in Social Sciences or Humanities 22% Bachelor s Degree in Business or Finance 28% Bachelor s Degree in Engineering, Technology, or Computer Science Respondents by Experience with Project Types Percentage of BAs, Multiple Responses Allowed 84% 72% 62% 60% 45% 42% 37% 27% 13% Maintenance and Enhancement n = 200 BAs. Process Automation Integration Projects Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012. Customer Interface Applications (Web) Collaboration Business Intelligence or Analytics Software as a Service Business Projects Without IT Components Mobile

33 There is a broad range of effectiveness across BAs, indicating significant opportunity for improvement. APPENDIX: BA EFFECTIVENESS VARIES SUBSTANTIALLY BA Effectiveness Index 1 Range BA Effectiveness Index Score, by Effectiveness Percentile 81 71 56 40 29 10th Percentile 25th Percentile 50th Percentile 75th Percentile 90th Percentile n = 200 BAs. 1 The BA Effectiveness Index measures business analyst skills across three broad domains: needs discovery, technology management, and relationship management. Index scores range from 0 to 100, where 0 is the least effective BA and 100 is the most effective BA. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

34 There is wide variation in effectiveness across BAs within the same organization. APPENDIX: VARIATION WITHIN AND ACROSS BA GROUPS BA Effectiveness Index 1 Range by Organization BA Effectiveness Index Score, Representative Subset of Participating Organizations 90th Percentile Variation within organizations demonstrates that company-level factors do not explain all differences in BA effectiveness; there are important drivers at the BA level as well. 100 80 Average 10th Percentile 60 40 20 0 Organization A Organization B Organization C Organization D Organization E Organization F Organization G Organization H Organization I n = 200 BAs. 1 The BA Effectiveness Index measures business analyst skills across three broad domains: needs discovery, technology management, and relationship management. Index scores range from 0 to 100, where 0 is the least effective BA and 100 is the most effective BA. Source: AEC, BA Effectiveness Diagnostic, 2012.

Applications Executive Council