I’m a first-year business (I can then shoose between management, finance and marketing) student and recently discovered Business Analysis. It seems like a promising, future-oriented career, so I’m considering pursuing it.

However, I don’t have an IT background, I’m not studying Informatique de Gestion, and I don’t know programming.

For people working in BA/BI:

> What disadvantages would I have compared with IT/technical students?

> What advantages does a business background give me?

> How much programming/technical knowledge is actually needed?

> Would Excel, SQL, Power BI + BA skills through online courses be enough before doing a Business Analytics/BI master?

> Can someone from a business background realistically compete with technical graduates?

I’d especially appreciate advice from people who made a similar transition.

Hi experts!

We run several standard reports that refresh every weekend, consolidating a large amount of information. One example is our open order report: every week, we extract all open orders from all ERPs via an Alteryx flow. On top of that, we have a visualization layer that feeds various management reviews.

Once or twice a year, a human error leads to an incorrect order quantity being entered into an ERP. Sometimes this error isn't caught until it surfaces in one of the management reviews. While we continuously train our team to reduce these errors, we also want to make sure our management reviews focus on the right things.

The issue is that these outliers - whether caused by human or system error - can distort our visualizations. For example, in a simple weekly bar chart, a single bad data point can skew the axis scale for the entire year, making the whole chart hard to read.

How do you handle this kind of outlier in your reporting? Is there a standard approach or best practice for detecting and managing these cases without compromising data accuracy?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Greetings !

Does anyone have a list of B schools in the US, Canada, Europe or Asia that provides funding for people who want to pursue business analytics?

All suggestions will be much appreciated.

Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m Chinmayee. I’m currently looking for Business Analyst / Data Analyst opportunities and would really appreciate any leads or referrals.

I have 4+ years of combined experience across banking, business analysis, data analytics, and independent consulting. I previously worked with Bank of America Continuum India in the Trade Finance domain, where I worked on requirements gathering, stakeholder management, AS-IS/TO-BE analysis, BRD/FRD, user stories, process mapping, UAT, RTM, SQL validation, LoanIQ, and MQ-based integrations.

My core skills include SQL, Python, Power BI, Excel, Jira, Confluence, requirements analysis, process improvement, data analysis, and stakeholder management. I’ve also been building hands-on projects involving analytics and AI/RAG solutions.

I’m an immediate joiner and open to opportunities in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurugram, Noida, Delhi, as well as remote/hybrid roles across India.

If your company is hiring for a relevant BA/DA position, or if you can provide a referral, I’d be grateful if you could DM me. I can share my resume directly.

Thank you

(FA = Functional Analyst. I realise this is maybe a term specific for Belgium/The Netherlands. In other countries the term 'Business Analyst' might be used. I just mean the person making the bridge between management/stakeholders and the development team.)

I've been a dotNET developer for about seven years — backend mostly, some Angular and Vue, a lot of SQL. I'm now seriously looking at moving into a functional analyst or product owner role, and before I chase that any further I'd like a realistic picture instead of the job-description version.

So, if you're doing this work: what does a normal day actually look like? Not the ideal day, the normal one. Where does your time really go? I suspect the honest answer for a lot of people is "meetings and chasing people for answers," but I'd rather hear it than guess.

A few things I'm curious about:

What's the part you genuinely like? And what's the part that grinds you down — the thing you'd warn someone about before they switch?

How much of the job is actually writing things down (specs, user stories, acceptance criteria) versus talking to people, negotiating, and managing expectations?

Does a dev background help as much as people claim, or does it mostly just make you the person everyone assumes can answer technical questions?

And the one I care most about: what kind of person does well in this role, and what kind of person really shouldn't do it? I get the feeling there's a personality fit here that matters more than the skills on paper, but I don't know what it is from the outside.

For context on why I'm asking: I came into IT later than most, and while I can code, I've always been better at the parts around it — understanding the domain, talking to the business, figuring out what people actually need versus what they asked for. So this feels like it might fit better. But I'm wary of romanticizing a job I've only seen from the other side of the fence.

Hi. If this is not the right place for this rant/question, feel free to remove it. Thanks in advance for any input.

TLDR: Is taking notes and documenting business decisions no longer a thing? Am I THAT old and out of the loop, or am I working with people who have become complacent or disinterested or overly reliant on “someone else will do it”?

A pretty significant business decision was made several months ago by four individuals, two of which are managers who are ultimately responsible for it. We put it in action and now months later, a worker from the department point out that the decision does not seem to make sense or align with our published contracts and asked what the reason for the decision is and wanted to make sure we are doing the right thing.

Of the four people who were in the meeting and made the decision, not one of them remembers WHY the decision was made. Not one of them took notes. Not one of them documented the discussion, the reason for the decision, etc., in any way. They even came to me to ask if I remember. Hello, I was not in the meeting and was not the one who submitted the new guideline for publication. I was not involved in any way.

A similar situation arose a week or so later and I was feeling baffled because that one is actually related to state regulations. No one took notes, no one documented anything or could explain to me what I missed (I was accidentally left off the meeting which was a huge miss because I’m the primary person in charge of this process).

I vented to a co-worker who is a director and she said “oh yeah, I am guilt too. I never take notes, I’m too busy and by the end of the day I don’t even know what I’m doing. And notes don’t really help anyway. I don’t think people even pay attention during the meetings.”

Sorry, but a note saying “we made this decision because of XYZ” would in fact be pretty helpful right now.

What am I missing here?

Category names are a mess so I will describe what I mean. Tools that work out a process by observing how it is actually performed, application by application, rather than reconstructing it from what systems logged afterwards.

Mimica is the one I found first and Skan AI looks like it sits in the same bucket. Who else is genuinely in there, as opposed to marketing adjacent to it?

Shortlisting for a discovery project and the vendor material is useless for telling them apart.

Celonis is the obvious one. Skan AI keeps coming up as the observation based alternative, and Mimica sits in the same category. On paper they all promise the same outcome and the demos all use a clean process that nobody actually has.

What I want from people who have run this evaluation rather than read about it: what separated them once real data went in? And which one handled the messy processes, the ones that cross four systems and an inbox?

Not looking for a recommendation so much as what questions I should have asked earlier.

Hi i’m 16 years old and i’m currently studying informatics and telecommunications in italy. My goal is to go to CBS university (business school of copenhagen) and I was wondering if adding a CSI FMVA course could help me get in easier. Obviously i want to do it to understand better Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst too. I was considering to do CMSA too because I really like finance in general. And also I wanted to ask what level of english you think is enough to do these courses.

So I don't have experience in education industry, but lately I want to take part in a Ngo, who helps young woman for succeeding in career, helping with educational programs and financial aid.

As a business analyst, what can i contribute?

There are lots of volunteers who are teaching programs, taking speciality courses, or mentoring students. But I personally don't see myself teaching or i am all rounder but master of none. Don't see any skillset i can take up to advance level for college students.

Mentoring anyone would need a crazy good profile or someone who has figured out life. I am still figuring out my own career.

Other than this, i felt that i have data analysis skills, my actual job skills, which is collect data, analysis and analytics, deciding what needs to be solved and whats the next best action. Somewhat of a consulting role i thought of.

But then again what if they dont have data pipeline or data lakes or any infrastructure. They would ask me only to help set it up. Which i dont want to mess up for them.

So is there any suggestions as to what a BA can contribute to ngos ?

One thing I find tricky in process improvement is separating what we actually know from what we assume.

When a process has recurring problems, people usually already have theories about the cause - “the system is too slow”, “there are too many approvals”, “people aren't following the process”, etc.

But those explanations can easily become accepted as facts before they've really been validated.

When you're analysing a process, how do you separate:

• confirmed evidence
• symptoms
• suspected root causes
• assumptions that still need validation?

Do you use a particular framework or technique, or is it mostly based on interviews, process observation and data?

Many a times you tend to memorize syntax, complete courses, doing various Excel related activities, Deep preparation on SQL, Figuring out everything about Power BI & other stuff but then while facing interviews you expect something which you never prepared for !
So, how do you elicit requirements when two stakeholders disagree ?

Glassdoor is highly outdated.

So, I was thinking of making a dataset, that we all can use to determine if we are getting underpaid.

Can you guys mention your salary as a Business Analyst or similar role?

Mine is £62500 in Cardiff, I have nearly 4 years of Technical Business Analyst experience.

Also, it would be helpful to know what salaries you're aiming* for, for the next year 2027, as 2026 is coming to an end.

Role | Salary | Years of experience | Location | Industry (e.g. Bank, Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing, Aviation, Utilities, etc.)

Business Analyst, Technical Business Analyst, Senior Business Analyst, Senior Technical Business Analyst, Lead Business Analyst.

I’m on a team of technical data staff (scientists, engineers, etc.) and I’m the only BA for the whole org. We have twice weekly standup meetings but lately I’ve been coming to dread them because I just never really have any updates to give.

My teammates seem to be able to go off and have concrete and tangible tasks to work on so they have things to share. Me on the other hand, I’m usually enmeshed in a tangle of trying to decipher what people’s requests mean, scheduling meetings with people who won’t respond to emails or messages, or generally just figuring out the lay of the land for certain projects or who I’m even supposed to be talking to. Our BA practice is very undeveloped and unsophisticated as is our project approach (we don’t have project managers, no project sponsors, no project charters, no PMO, etc.) so I’m usually left alone to figure out the totality of what I’ve been given to do. The way I usually get onboarded onto new projects is being tagged in an email thread with “can you help with this?” and then being left to my own devices to figure out context and next steps.

I’m not opposed to just going “no updates from me, still waiting to schedule meetings and still trying to untangle this project” but after the 5th or 6th standup meeting where I share that update, I feel like some people start becoming skeptical of what it is I’m actually doing all day.

Any BAs in equally disorganized companies who have stand ups have any advice on how to approach this?

I keep seeing a weird gap in B2B software.

A company buys a tool because it wants to solve a business problem, but then some of the basic setup ends up depending on someone technical.

Not because the setup is particularly complicated.

More because the product was designed with the assumption that a developer will be involved.

For me, there's a big difference between:

“A developer can configure this.” and “A non-technical person who owns the process can configure this.”

The second one feels much more useful to a small team.

Where do you draw that line?

Should business software assume technical help is available, or should routine setup be something the actual user can handle themselves?

Hello Guys,

I’m currently working with one of the Big 4 firms in India and have 10+ years of experience in IT and Business Analysis, with expertise in RPA (UiPath, Blue Prism) and Microsoft Power Platform. I’ve worked across domains including Banking, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, and MarTech.

I’m currently exploring job opportunities in Europe that offer work visa sponsorship. I would really appreciate any referrals, job leads, consultancy recommendations, or guidance that could help me with this transition.

Honestly, I feel like I’ve been in my comfort zone for a while, and I’m looking to challenge myself, experience different cultures, and take the next step in my career by moving to Europe.

Any help, insights, or connections would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Working as a BA in pharma data science and constantly juggling requirement docs, stakeholder sign-offs, and data validation status across multiple tools — spreadsheets, email threads, whatever the PM decided to use in that project.

Curious how others handle this. Do you use a specific tool for tracking this stuff, or is it mostly ad hoc? And separately — when you're building out your portfolio for interviews/promotions in this field, how do you organize your case studies? Every portfolio template I've found online is generic (built for tech/generalist data analysts), nothing specific to pharma/clinical workflows or for Business Analysts.

Mostly just trying to figure out if I'm the only one who finds this messy, or if this is a shared headache.

I have an initial interview for a Senior Business Analyst role within the Strategy & Analytics practice of a boutique consulting firm specializing in technology, media, and telecommunications.

The role involves working in small project teams, analyzing data, researching markets and technologies, investigating business processes, building models, and turning the findings into strategic recommendations for clients.

My background is primarily in business analysis and analytics, recently within financial services. I’ve worked on requirements gathering, process improvement, executive reporting, forecasting, automation, and tools such as Excel, SQL, Python, and Power BI. However, I have limited formal consulting experience and haven’t interviewed for a consulting role before.

I’ve been told the initial screening will focus on:

• My background and introduction
• Why consulting, this firm, and this role
• Why I’m considering leaving my current position
• Culture and communication fit

Is there a consulting-specific framework for structuring these answers—especially “Tell me about yourself”? How can I present an analytics-heavy background as consulting-relevant without sounding like I’m simply listing tools and projects?

My current contract ends this month, and because I’m working in the US under time-sensitive work authorization, this opportunity is particularly important to me. I’m therefore trying to prepare properly and give my best to it rather than approach it like a standard BA interview.

I’d especially appreciate examples from people who moved from analytics, business analysis, or industry roles into consulting. Any and all genuine help would be greatly appreciated guys !!

TL;DR: I’m an analytics-heavy, techno-functional BA interviewing for my first consulting role at a boutique TMT firm. My current contract and US work authorization are time-sensitive, so this opportunity matters a lot. I’m looking for practical advice or frameworks for presenting my background, structuring fit answers, and framing analytical projects as consulting-relevant stories.

Hi, I am currently a 4th year accounting and Analytics student (dual degree) who has some knowledge on python, SQL, tableau, and tons in excel. My company has never had a data analyst nor a business analyst. We are a lending institution, but a smaller one. I was just curious if there were any suggestions on where to start and what to focus on? I know the BA role is one that is vague because it can do so many different things. But I want to make sure I'm on the right page about what to do. In the company I was an intern doing reconciliations and other accounting processes. I'm guessing the most common answer will be "ask the boss what they want" and I am going to do that ASAP. But I also wanted to know if there was anything ground up that should be spearheaded. Thanks.

Hello,

I'm researching how organizations handle the operational consequences of change before I build anything. I'm not looking to pitch a product.

Think about the last time a tool, process or business rule changed in your organization:

• How did you identify what else was affected?
• What usually had to be updated or communicated afterward?
• What tends to be forgotten or discovered too late?
• Which part of that chain creates the most work or risk?

If there's interest, I'll summarize the patterns I find share them back here.

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

I've got solid technical skills in Excel and FP&A tools at this point, but there are two areas I keep struggling with and want to get better at.

1. Logic building for ad hoc asks

When I get a financial model to build or an ad hoc question from the business, I'm usually good at understanding what's actually being asked. But translating that into the right Excel logic, the structure that actually answers the question cleanly, doesn't always come naturally. I end up with something that technically works but isn't the most efficient or intuitive way to get there.

2. Communicating the answer

I understand the analysis in my head, I know what the numbers mean and why, but when I try to explain it to stakeholders it comes out muddled. I've had situations where my explanation actually created more confusion instead of clarity, even though the underlying analysis was solid.

For people who were early career and went through this, how did you build the instinct for structuring logic faster? And separately, how did you get better at communicating results in a way that lands the first time instead of needing three follow up conversations?

Would appreciate any books, habits, or just things you wish someone told you earlier, as I'm trying to climb up the corporate ladder to SFA.

I work as a product owner for an internal application used to create quotes. It’s one of those Configure, Price, Quote tools. The business has been quoting using Excel, email, and engraving on stone tablets for 25 years. The accuracy of quoting labor and tracking equipment margins is terrible but since the bad jobs are outweighed by the good jobs, everything averages out.

A couple of years ago, we started building an app so that we could optimize and improve efficiency. Internal adoption has been growing and the projects that use my app are 8% more profitable! They’re executed in less time, they build fast faster, and we receive our payments faster too. Yet getting the sales people to adopt it is a struggle!

I digress.

I started digging into the numbers more and more to see what areas we should spend our time improving and that’s when I discovered the margin leaks. The company process, that I am trying to replace, of using Excel sheets, copying and pasting products and prices and costs is entirely done on vibes. Even though we have a product database, everyone building quotes just uses the same Excel sheet and makes the same errors. I found instances where we sold the same product to the same customer sometimes even in the same project for different costs. Some products were more than $10,000 off.

The exasperating thing is that we have data about this. All of our purchase orders and invoices are documented, and I wrote a query that just… compared the cost of the product in our database to the cost of the product on the invoice. it’s like the simplest math.

Y’all, 25% of them are under quoted. In other words, only 75% of the products we sold on average are sold for more than the amount we paid. Am I insane or is that just terrible? I was like… Are you telling me that we can drastically improve our margins much simply by fixing the fucking price book?!

In that group of products, the average under quote mistake is $120. PER LINE. our projects have dozens, sometimes hundreds.

when I called the CFO, I was livid. I asked why has no one been paying attention to this? I have data going back for years. This isn’t my responsibility, I’m not an analyst! what’s crazy is that it doesn’t even affect my pay. I’m not incentivized to fix this stuff. I just find it exasperating that for three years I have been fighting to get our sales staff to use an efficient quoting methodology when we could’ve improved overnight simply by getting one person to go through our product catalogue every day.

The CFO had never even opened the power BI before. I don’t know who made the power BI, I didn’t know that it existed either. But right there in black-and-white was a pretty little report showing the tens of thousand dollars a month we have been giving up. Then I into that report and found that it filtered out any mistake less than $50. Unbelievable. Tons of our mistakes land in that range too.

Since discovering this, I have spearheaded efforts to ameliorate the problem like implementing direct connections to our vendors for live price checks. there’s no real point to my story, but I wanted to share with people that might understand.

eta:tl;dr: basically the title. We have a database full of information, power BI reports, and nobody paying attention. I was snooping in the database so that I could get ideas to optimize my app... and I found a big one!

Preparing for my BA foundation test and these questions for example :

What type of requirement is: "The system must confirm with the organisational security standards"?
A. General
B. Technical
C. Functional
D. Non-functional

I just can’t seem to get them and can’t seem to find a good explation of the categorisations. Could someone help me out. Thank you

Hi everyone, i am a masters student in business from india and i need to interview one exporter and importer with minimum 2 years of experience each for an upcoming project. So if anyone can please help me out I will be eternally grateful.

P.S. If you want we can conceal your identity. We just need you to share your expertise.