Key Documents that Business Analysts Produce
A Business Analyst (BA) plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between stakeholders and technical teams. One of their primary responsibilities is the creation of documents that that define business needs, solutions, and project deliverables.
In this article, we explore the key documents that Business Analysts produces and the importance of these documents in the software development lifecycle (SDLC).
Here are some of the documents a Business Analyst will typically produce:
Documents Business Analysts produce
1. Business Requirements Document (BRD)
This is sometimes called Product Requirements Document (PRD), System Requirements Specifications (SRS) and Functional Requirements Document (FRD). This is the main deliverable in waterfall environments that detail all the requirements for a business change. Here is an example of a BRD.
2. Traceability Matrix
This document that a Business Analyst produces is mainly created in waterfall environments to trace each requirement to a test case to confirm the requirement was implemented.
3. Business Case
This document is used to provide a feasibility study as well as a recommendation to help management made a decision on a initiative.
4. Business Use Case
This is the description of how the functional or process is being used or will be used.
5. Support/Training Document
This is the document that explains the new feature that was developed that can help other teams understand what was built and how it works.
6. Models and Diagrams
These are the modelling charts and diagrams including the process flow diagrams are also documents Business Analysts produce. You can learn more about creating process flow diagrams in this article.
7. Presentation and Walkthrough
These are the various slide decks created for the purposes of presenting ideas around business changes. Here is a free download of a presentation template.
8. UAT Test Plans & Test Cases
These are the test plans and test cases that are documents that Business Analysts produce to help the team conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Download free UAT template.
9. Reports
Business Analysts also produce reports and dashboards to help leaders make decisions.
10. User Personas
This is another document that a Business Analyst produces that helps to personify the ideal customer. Download free user persona template.
11. Gap Analysis
This is a document that shows the gaps between systems or the gap between a current state and a expected state.
12. User Story
Though this is not a “document” as such, it is a deliverable that Business Analysts produce and is mainly done in agile environments. Read this article on best practices for writing user stories.
Conclusion
Business Analysts create various critical documents to ensure successful project execution. These documents enhance communication between stakeholders, define clear project objectives, and serve as references throughout the project lifecycle. Mastering the creation of these documents is essential for any Business Analyst aiming to drive business success effectively.