Two people that often have conflicting approaches are the project manager and the business analyst. However, if both can work in harmony, it can be of great benefit to the business and any projects that are being worked on. With that in mind, read on to discover some top tips for a better relationship between these key players:
Collaborative stakeholder analysis
Identifying your stakeholders and having an understanding regarding their influence and interests is key to the success of any business analyst. You should do this in collaboration with your project manager for the best results. After all, it is important that you are both on the same page with regards to stakeholder influence.
Ensure the project schedule and business analysis plan match up
Nothing is more frustrating than finding out that the project manager has not assigned enough time for your business analysis activities. This is why it is important to talk to the project manager beforehand to ensure that your business analysis plan activity dates are synchronised with the project schedule.
Consider taking a project management course
Project management training is not only for project managers. There are entry-level courses that are designed for those who simply want a basic understanding of project management to advance their career. This will help you to understand the project manager’s role and where they are coming from.
Prioritise requirements together
Prioritising requirements is a standard task that business analysts carry out under requirement analysis. However, it is not uncommon for analysts to experience hurdles because a stakeholder wants to classify all of their requirements as the man priority. This is usually because they are worried that the project scope will not include any non-high priority requirements. Because of this, it is advisable to involve the project manager when prioritising requirements, as this will help you to better manage your stakeholders.
Help to reduce scope creep
Both project managers and business analysts know all too well that things change during the lifespan of a project. It is not uncommon for stakeholders to make additional requests throughout. Your role as a business analyst means that you will determine whether to accept or reject a requirement based on whether it is linked to the needs of the business. However, it is also important to think about the project itself and the impact any changes will have on the schedule and budget of the project. Most of the time, stakeholders want these changes made; yet they don’t want to increase the time or the cost. It’s important to consider all of this when making your decision to ensure a better relationship with the project manager.
Make sure all requirement changes undergo impact analysis
Last but not least, business analysts must make sure that requirement changes go through the impact analysis process that is managed by the project manager. This is important because it means that the impact of the change will be assessed in regards to product quality, project cost, and project schedule, before it is formally approved.