Change your career from an implementation consultant to a business analyst

1. Business
Analyst
Moving your career track from an
Implementation consultant to a Business
Analyst

2. Business Analyst
Vs
Implementation Consultant
BUSINES S ANALYS T IMPLEMENTA TI ON CONSUL TA N T
Who are we ? A generalist with business centric approach to requirements gathering and analysis. A product/s specialist, capable of implementing software products.
What do we
do ?
Has limited/no capacity to perform actual product Implementation, but helps manage
the decision course before an actual implementation.
Has limited/No capacity to perform enterprise wide business analysis.
Has a narrow understanding of a business area for a specific industry type as covered by the
tool/product application.
Where do we
work ?
Generally works within an organization to aid projects directed towards improving
organizational performance.
Generally works with an System integrator (SI), product based company.
What do we
use?
Makes use of sophisticated tools and techniques to elicit requirements from
stakeholders within an enterprise or in a project environment.
Uses understanding of Product/s to apply to a business area and supports a product implemented
with a business area.
How do we
engage ?
Performs comparative study of various systems and recommends solutions that
correctly applies to a business requirement
Performs actions relating to implementation of the product to address specific business
requirements within the capabilities offered by a software product
How can we
move into
roles ?
Career prospects:- Move to management consulting organizations with additional
management education and projects
Career prospects :- Move between products and occupy niche areas coved by software
technologies, diversify into traditional BA roles with consulting organizations, Move up to
managing implementation projects
How do we
support
ourselves ?
Helps if you have a management education /and complete Projects Helps if you gain technical training and coding capabilities/ and complete projects

3. Business Analyst Certification Programs
A Comparison guide
IIBA
International Institute of Business
Analysts
PMI-PBA
Professional in Business Analysis
APMG
Association for Project Management
Group
BCS
British Computer Society
Formerly,
(The Information Systems Examinations
Board)
Accreditation UKAS
Certification
ECBA+  ECBA CCBA CBAP
IIBA- AAC
IIBA- CBDA
PBA Agile BA Foundation  Agile BA Practitioner
International Diploma in business analysis
(Equivalent to a CBAP)
Advanced international Diploma in business
Analysis
Expert BA award
Cost Annual Membership
fee
$85+$125 $139 - £146 - £190 depending on membership
PDU cost
Books + training package provider
Books + training package provider Books + training package provider Books + training package provider
CDU cost
Exam cost
$325 (member), $450 (non member) $405 (members) / $555 (non members) $320 (Foundation), $490 (Practitioner) £390, £714, cost of chartership unknown
Material Availability BABOK Guide and recommended books
Handbook, Reference materials that are not
endorsed by PMI
They provide candidates with training
materials and offer certification
Offers only certification
Mode of training Self study Classroom, self-study Self-study/Online Self study
Differences and notes
Certification body that transcends Projects
scenarios to a level of organizational
improvement
Certification body to address Project based
business analysis requirements for Business
analysts and project managers who work on
Project/Program
Independent UKAS certified training and
certification body offering BA courses and
certifications
BCS offers a clear certification path to becoming a
charted IT professional or an Expert BA Award
holder, while it clearly validates a candidate’s
ability to conduct complex business analysis
activities, engage with senior stakeholders and
improve the organization at a strategic level.

4. Conclusion
PMI-PBA is popular but
limited to projects or
program level
competency.
IIBA- CBAP is well known
and recognises
Organizational level
competency.
BCS – Expert BA award
recognises strategic level
competency as well as
maps certifications from
other bodies to its
certification path.

5. Recommendation
Guidelines to help you cherry-pick your track.
Understand the roles available in your industry or roles you aspire to have in the future.
(project/ organizational/ strategic)
Pick a certification provider that aligns with your goals/industry requirement.
Remember: Just because a certification body is popular, it does not mean they are
comprehensive with their coverage of competency in a subject area. Do your homework!
It is easier when you join certification bodies that clearly outline coursework and link it to
certification paths (APMG international, BCS)

6. BCS – Certification pricing fee

7. BCS – Certification pricing fee – (contd..)

8. IIBA – Certification pricing fee

9. APMG International – Certification pricing
fee

10. PMI- PBA – Certification pricing fee