The BA Chronicles

---

As a BA creating Business Requirements Documents and process flows is a solid part of what I do. But that’s not the whole picture. Where it really gets interesting is the actual impact we have on helping projects succeed and how we deal with change without everything falling apart. Our real value is in making sure things actually work the way they’re supposed to and that we deliver what our stakeholder needs.

Let’s take a look at how we support projects and what I believe “delivering value” really means in our role.

1. What problems do we actually solve for our organization?

Our work is about identifying and solving issues that have real impact on the organization.

Think about problems like:

• Inefficient processes: We notice when people are duplicating work, when there are too many manual steps, or when systems don’t integrate well. We bring these issues to light and help improve them.
• Incorrect assumptions: Departments often assume they mean the same thing until we uncover those assumptions and clarify where they actually differ. That’s why I love to keep logs about those—it makes them easy to trace and refer back to.
• Miscommunication between departments: Sales wants one thing, Operations wants another, and IT is stuck in the middle. We translate and connect and make sure everyone shares the same understanding.
• Wrong investments in technology: Without our analysis, teams often choose solutions that are technically impressive but don’t address the real problem. We prevent wasted investments. Or at least, we try to.

And here’s something often overlooked: we also trace the connections between these problems and the requirements meant to solve them. By doing so, we can answer questions like:

• Why was this feature implemented?
• What business need does it serve?
• What happens if we change this requirement—what else is impacted?

This traceability allows for better decision-making, especially when changes arise mid-project. It helps detect gaps, assess risk, and confirm that each solution component supports a real need.

Our added value? We reduce unnecessary costs, improve efficiency, and help teams work with each other instead of around each otherwhile keeping a clear thread from problem to solution.

---

2. How do we contribute to the success of projects?

Many projects don’t fail because of technology but because of poor requirements, unclear goals, or uncontrolled change.

As a Business Analyst, you are the key to:

• Focus: We help define the real problem. Not a “we want to do something with data,” but: “we want real-time insight into sales per region to align our inventory better.”
• Clarity: We ensure all requirements are clearly understood by both business and IT. No more confusion halfway through the project.
• Control: When changes happen (and they always do), we don’t just update the document. We trace the impact. That means we can see exactly which requirements are connected, what part of the design will be affected, and what testing needs to be adjusted. This is what traceability gives us: insight and control.

Projects derail when a small change ripples into unexpected places. With solid traceability, you spot those ripples before they become waves. You can confidently say: “If we change X, then Y and Z will be impacted—here’s the cost and risk.”

In short: we don’t just keep track of requirements. We keep the whole team on track. You guard the path from need to result.

3. What does “value” mean in our role?

Many BAs think they deliver value by submitting a document “on time.” But that’s just the start, real value is about impact.

If you want to know if you add value, ask yourself:

• Are the requirements I deliver clear, usable, and connected to the business need?
• Do I steer decisions that reduce risks and increase outcomes?
• Do stakeholders feel heard and supported?
• Do I make complex topics understandable and manageable?

Here’s where traceability comes in. It means:

• The right things get built, because we never lose sight of why they were needed.
• We catch functionality that’s missing or functionality that’s built but serves no requirement at all.
• We can reuse, refine, and manage requirements beyond the project lifecycle.

You’ll see value reflected in:

• Fewer delays and last-minute surprises.
• More informed decisions.
• Less waste.
• More trust from your team. And a BA is nothing without that trust.

We are the connector who makes sure that the final result matches the original intent and that no one says afterward, “But that’s not what we meant.”

(Spoiler alert; that will still happen sometimes)