Business Analyst

•  What is the role of a business analyst in an organization?

A business analyst is a liaison or a link between different stakeholders belonging to different domains in an organization. A business analyst should have the capabilities to fulfill the business objectives and balance the needs of various stakeholders.

• How do you see yourself fit for the role of business analyst in our company?

Firstly, focus on your education by stating relevant coursework related to the job.

Secondly, illustrate your experience, attitude, and skills that make you a good fit for the company.

You can give examples of the previous works that show the interviewer what benefits you will bring to the company. Make sure your answer has a problem and the solution you implemented.

• What, according to you, are the core competencies of a Business Analyst?

A business analyst must have exceptional communication and negotiation skills. Analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision making are also vital attributes. A business analyst should have industry knowledge, business process management skills along with technical proficiency.

• List some of the skills and tools used by Business Analysts.

Technical skills/tool – MS Office Suite, Axure, Google Docs, database knowledge, ERP systems, SQL, Trello, and more.

Non-Technical/business Analysis skills – Documentation, requirement elicitation, business process management, and more.

Pro Tip: You can tailor your answer to highlight your unique skills and experience.

Do you have any technical skills? Can you list your database skills or business intelligence skills?

It is not compulsory to have advanced technical skills like relational databases and SQL, but the more technically proficient you are as a business analyst, the better. These skills are most desirable and widely used, so if you have some experience in using these technologies, make sure you explain them to your interviewer.

You can describe the specific Business Intelligence tools you have used. If you have experience in handling the system the organization uses, highlight that to your interviewer.

6. What is Use case?

A use case is a diagrammatic representation of a system which describes how a user uses a system to accomplish a goal. It is an integral part of software engineering and software modelling technique which defines the targeted features and the resolution of any possible errors which a user may encounter.

7. Do you think a business analyst should be involved in testing?

Yes. Because a business analyst understands the overall system requirements and challenges associated with it very well. Hence, he can be instrumental during the testing phase to run it appropriately and resolve any system related query.

What do you mean by project deliverables?

These are the set of measurable services and products delivered to the end customer after project completion. It is the outcome of the project.

How do you keep yourself updated about the latest business trends and knowledge?

With this business analyst interview question, the recruiter wants to evaluate if you are motivated enough to keep pace with emerging latest business developments and trends.

The interviewer wants to know what actions you take to keep your knowledge and skills updated. You can answer this question by including references to news and industry publications. You can also list the events and conferences you attend to connect with the business community.

What are the various stages of a business project?

The main stages of any business or IT project are Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring, and Closure.

Explain UML and its uses?

UML or Unified Modeling Language is a general-purpose, developmental modelling language that provides a standard way to envision the system. It is used to rationalize the system behaviour for the detection and elimination of errors/bottlenecks.

 

Can you explain SRS and its key elements?

SRS stands for System or Software Requirements Specification. It is a set of documents describing the features of a software application or system.

It includes various elements required by the stakeholders and customers to convince the end-users.

The critical aspects of an SRS are:

Scope of Work

Non- functional and functional requirements

Data Model

Dependencies

Assumptions and Constraints

Acceptance Criteria

13. What is BRD? How is it different from SRS?

BRD is an abbreviation for Business Requirement Document. It is a formal contract between the organization and the client for the development of the specific product.

BRD is a functional specification of the software whereas SRS is both BA creates it after their direct interaction with the clients

BRD is created by a business analyst after their direct interaction with the clients, whereas SRS is designed based on technical expertise and needs.

SRS is derived from BRD

What do you understand by requirement? Can you differentiate between requirements and needs?

A requirement is a targeted solution and representation to achieve specific business objectives. Stakeholders evaluate the project based on set conditions/requirements before its implementation. All the elements are correctly documented for reference purposes. Needs are the high-level representation of the terms and the result.

For example, you need to get a business analyst job, and the requirements to apply for this job are resume, educational background, and interview practice.

15. What do you know about Kanban?

Kanban is a tool which helps the agile team to visually guide and manage the work as it progresses through the process. Besides, it works as a scheduling system in Agile just-in-time production. The Kanban board is used to describe the current development status.

What is the purpose of the Requirement Traceability Matrix?

It records all the requirements given by a client and ensures that all the necessities are met.

17. What is business modelling?

Business modelling is a step- by -step approach for identifying the value proposition for operating the business.

The key attributes of business modelling to develop a strategic plan for an organization are:

Vision

Mission

Objectives

Strategies

Action plan

18. What is the project life cycle? Which models will you employ, and why?

A project life cycle is a framework implemented by a business analyst to split a project into manageable phases and signify the decision points throughout the project lifespan. The different models are the Waterfall model, Spiral model, Iterative model, Agile model, and V-shaped model.

You can answer by stating that selecting a life cycle model is exclusively based on the type, scope, and limitations of the project. You can give an example of any model which you used in a project.

19. What do you understand by Gap Analysis, and what are the types of gaps that can occur during an analysis?

Gap Analysis means the analysis of the differences between the functionalities of an existing and the targeted system. The gap means changes that are required to accomplish the proposed result.

Profit Gapis the change between the actual and estimated profit of a company.

Manpower Gapis the change between the actual and required workforce strength in a company.

Performance Gapis the difference between the expected and actual performances.

Market Gapis the variation between estimated actual sales.

20. What strategies will you follow to design a use case?

A use case should be concise, well-defined, and correctly documented.

The strategies or approaches in designing use cases are:

Thefirst phase is the users’ identification to create a role-profile for every user category and recognition of goals associated with every role.

Thesecond phase deals with the structure and creation of use cases by capturing both functional and non-functional requirements. Include use case diagrams and user interface details.

Thefinal phase is reviewing and validating the use cases.

21. Explain your typical work tactic for a project?

It is one of the most crucial business analyst interview questions asked by a recruiting manager to assess your work strategy, teamwork, and project management skills.

To answer this question, you can explain the general steps you follow with standard deliverables. For example, if you have managed the planning phase of a project, you could mention deliverables like a requirements management plan, work breakdown structure, or a communication plan.

Each business faces different situations and has distinct needs, but these fundamental steps are essential to achieve a task successfully:

Firstly, you must clarify your role and determine the stakeholder’s perspective in the project. You should define primary objectives along with reconciling the expectations conflict among stakeholders.

Create a work plan listing steps, timelines, and deliverables.

Define actionable and concise requirements.

Ensure technical implementation, as many solutions require the support of IT teams.

Create documentation and train end-users to implement the solution.

Finally, assess the value of the project. Did it work, or any follow-ups are needed?

You should focus on your experience to describe your skills and explain the customized tactics you use.

What documents are needed by a business analyst? Which documents have you prepared in your previous works?

A project lifecycle uses many documents, and it depends on the utilization process of a business analyst.

Initiation document

System Requirements Specifications document

Business requirement document

Functional requirement document

Requirements Traceability Matrix

Use case Specifications document

Change Request Document

Gap Analysis Document

With this question, the hiring manager wants to understand if you have used several types of documents and assess your capability of delivering both business and technical specifications.

Pro Tip: Make sure to use only those documents you are familiar with and explain in detail.

What is the requirement elicitation? Have you ever participated in these elicitation meetings?

It is a technique to gather information from stakeholders and users. It involves approaches or strategies to collaborate with clients or users directly.

Some requirement elicitation techniques are-

Document analysis

Interviews

Prototyping

Brainstorming

Workshops and observations

Surveys/Questionnaire

You can answer the second part of the question by explaining how you have used these techniques and how they impacted your project.

What is the most important aspect of analytical reporting?

The most important aspect of analytical reporting is the ability to solve problems and make decisions based on facts. Attempting to make decisions based on uninformed guesses or assumptions can be problematic—analytical reporting provides tangible information with which to create strategy and direction.

Describe your familiarity with SQL queries.

There are four parts to an SQL statement. The DDL, or the Data Definition Language, is used for defining data structure. The DML, or Data Manipulation Language, is used for inserting, deleting and modifying data. The DCL, or Data Control Language, is used to control access to data stored in the database. Finally, the TCL, or Transactional Control Language, is used to organize data adjusted by the DML. I have used SQL statements to determine which of my client’s customers are purchasing which products, which has helped them make important decisions about future product lines. This work has made them a repeat customer three years running.

26. What are personas, and how they are useful in user-centred design methodology?

Personas are created in place of real users to understand their behavioral patterns in different scenarios. In user-centered design methodology, a system is developed, keeping the viewpoint of end-users in mind. Personas help create such systems.

What tools do you consider the most important for a business analyst to do their job well?

I commonly use tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Visio and Rational tools. I also have advanced SQL skills—using SQL is helpful when I need to analyze items like customer purchases that would overwhelm Excel.

Describe how you typically approach a project.

I first listen to what a client needs, paying attention to what they articulate as their goals for the project. I then take a deeper look into our data to figure out how to guide them toward success or how to change the way they are looking at their goals to move forward in a more productive way. Of course, every project and every client requires something new, so I always make sure to consider the specific situation instead of automatically imposing a one-size-fits-all solution.

How can you manage the post-implementation and pre-implementation problems of a project?

You can answer this by briefly explaining both the problems. The problems that declare their presence before the project implementation are called pre-implementation problems. The difficulties arising after the project implementation are called post-implementation problems, and most of the concerns fall in this category.

After that, you can explain that a business analyst cannot overcome all these problems but can limit them up to the maximum extent within a minimum time frame.

During the development of a system, how do you manage frequently changing customers’ requirements?

It is one of the most frequently asked business analytic interview questions. The first task of a business analyst is to draft a document stating the number of changes that are allowed, and after a certain point, no amendments will be accepted. It is vital to get this document signed by the user.

In case the change required is accepted, make sure to note down all the changes and find out their overall impact on the project. Calculate the timeline, cost, and resources needed for this change.

Name two diagrams you use as a business analyst, and describe how they impact your work.

Two diagrams I prefer using are Activity Diagrams and Use Case Diagrams. Activity Diagrams show the diverse activities that take place across various departments. I use Activity Diagrams to show who interacts with a system as well as the primary goals they achieve with it. I find Use Case Diagrams to be very useful when I need to visualize the functional requirements of a given system so I can make smart choices when it comes to design and figuring out development priorities.