The document outlines the essential role of business analysts in digital transformation, emphasizing that they bridge the gap between clients and developers while facilitating effective use of technology. It highlights the need for organizations to adapt to customer expectations and the importance of aligning digital initiatives with strategic objectives. Additionally, it discusses evolving business analysis practices, focusing on customer needs and the necessity for business analysts to develop a digital skill set to succeed in today's environment.

1. Digital Transformation
and the Business Analyst
1

2. About Me
• Management Consultant and Senior Business
Solutions Consultant for the past 12 years
• Enterprise Solution architect for 20 plus years
• Past CIO in a St. Louis mid-market company
for 12 years
• Former Partner / Principal of a local Microsoft
Business Solutions consulting firm
• Passionate about all things coffee!
Matt Bowers
St. Louis
618.972.2152
mbowers@sensecorp.com

3. Contact Me
3
mbowers@sensecorp.com
618.972.2152
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewwbowers/
@matthewbowers60
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.w.bowers1

4. Strategy &
Architecture
Mobility
Cloud
Platforms
Portals &
Collaboration
Connected
Devices
Experience
Design
... we turn data into actionable
insights and transform
organizations for the digital era.

5. Digital Transformation is Confusing!

6. Digital Transformation is Confusing – So Many Voices

7. Digital Transformation is Confusing – What Exactly Is It?
Business Innovation
Digital Strategy
Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive Technologies
User Experience
Digital Marketing
Digital Experience
Digital Disruption
Modern Web
Responsive Design

8. Digital Transformation is Confusing – Who Drives It?
Executive Suite
Operations
Finance
EmployeesMarketing
Human Resources
IT
Sales

9. Digital Transformation is Confusing – Who is Responsible?
CEO
CTO
CKO
CLO
COO
CDO
CFO
CMO
CIO
CXO
CCO
CPO
CCO
CCXO

10. Digital Transformation is Confusing - So Many Decisions
Do we need
new
technology?
What is the
ROI?
What
technologies
do we need?
Who is
driving it?
Do we
need to
start over?
How much
will it cost?
Who can
help us?
How do we
get started?
How long
will it take?
When do
we start?
Should we
wait?

11. { }
Digital Transformation
Applying digital technology to all aspects of human society

12. What is Digital Transformation?
Digital transformation is the profound and accelerating transformation
of business activities, processes, competencies and models to fully
leverage the changes and opportunities of digital technologies and
their impact in a strategic and prioritized way.
12
Digital Transformation is NOT…
• Business Innovation
• Digital Experience
• Digital Strategy
TRUE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION NEEDS TO INVOLVE MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE END PRODUCT
• Digital Disruption
• Disruptive Innovation
• Disruptive Technologies

13. Digital Transformation: Make it More Relevant
• Social, mobile, and real-time technologies
have transformed people’s lives—and
their expectations for how they interact
with organizations.
• As part of that evolution, organizations
need to transform to meet these new
expectations with every connection.
• We think of digital transformation as the
alignment of businesses to their
customers at every touchpoint in their
customer journey.

14. What is Digital Transformation?
“The coupling of granular, real-time data (e.g., smartphones, connected devices,
smart appliances, wearables, mobile commerce, video surveillance) with modern
technologies (e.g., cloud native apps, big data architectures, hyper-converged
technologies, artificial intelligence, blockchain) to enhance products, processes,
and business-decision making with customer, product and operational insights.”
14

15. Digital transformation hinges on four imperatives
Engage your
customers
Engage your
employees
Optimize your
operations
Transform
your products
Systems of
Intelligence
Image credit : Microsoft

16. Myths About Digital Transformation
16
Myths Facts
Digital is primarily about the customer experience Huge opportunities exist also in efficiency,
productivity and employee leverage
Digital primarily matters only to technology or
B2C companies
Opportunities exist in ALL industries, NO
exceptions
Let a thousand flowers bloom; bottom up activity
is the right way to change
Digital transformation must be led from the top
If we do enough digital initiatives we will get
there
Transformation management intensity is more
important for driving overall performance
Digital transformation will happen despite our IT Business / IT relationships are key, and in many
companies they must be improved
Digital transformation approaches are different
for every industry and company
Digital leaders exhibit a common DNA
In our industry, we can wait and see how digital
develops
There are digital leaders outperforming their
peers in every industry today

17. Why Should I Care?
17

18. Business Analysts
are the Glue
Holding Your Digital
Transformation
Together
• “As digital transformation
consumes the corporate world,
analytics and information
management is key!
• Business analysts are the vital
components in bridging the
client-developer gap!”
https://www.nearshoreamericas.com/business-analyst-digital-transformation/

19. Context for
Digital
Transformation
19
Customer Experience: using technology to
change the way an enterprise interacts
with its customers or clients.
Operational Processes: using technology to
dramatically reduce the cost or increase
the efficiency of back-office operations.
Business Models: A digital model making
the enterprise reliant on technology to
deliver new forms of value.
http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/transformative-research/business-analysis-and-digital-transformation-short.aspx

20. Goals of Digital
Transformation
20
Digital transformation requires the “big picture”
Larger picture often lost as project gets more granular
One of the greatest risks with digital transformation is
initiatives misaligned with enterprise strategy
Objectives must be clearly defined
Progress should be tracked toward the goal
Requirements must be traceable to the goal
http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/transformative-research/business-analysis-and-digital-transformation-short.aspx

21. Future of IT
Business
Analysis
“The future of IT business
analysis – moving from
‘what the business needs’
to ‘what the customer
needs”
https://www.equinox.co.nz/blog/future-it-business-analysis-from-business-needs-to-customer-needs

22. Future of IT Business Analysis
Business Analysis 1.0 – Delivering what the business
needs, after they needed it
Business Analysis 2.0 – Delivering what the business
needs, when they need it
Business Analysis 3.0 – Delivering what the customer
needs, when it suits them
1.0
2.0
3.0
https://www.equinox.co.nz/blog/future-it-business-analysis-from-business-needs-to-customer-needs

23. What does Business Analysis 3.0 mean for
business analysts?
• Customer Experience/Journey Mapping
• Design Thinking
• Service Blueprints
• Heuristic Evaluations
• The 3 G (Gemba, Gembutsu, Genjitsu) Approach
• Continuous Improvement
• Simplification
• Situational Analysis
https://www.equinox.co.nz/blog/future-it-business-analysis-from-business-needs-to-customer-needs

24. Trending Digital
“BAs are Forging a
Path through the
Creative World of
Digital Marketing”
https://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/bas-trending-digital.aspx

25. Trending Digital
“The world of digital marketing offers a
new twist to BA work and is both exciting
and challenging. The most effective BAs
will be those who can think as change
leaders—providing clarity and
transparency—becoming the single
source of truth for projects”
https://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/bas-trending-digital.aspx

26. Trending Digital
• With technology now a major component of marketing, doors are beginning to open
for BAs to play a greater role in the fast-paced digital space
• As exciting and technologically savvy as this new realm is, BAs will still face challenges
as they strive to infuse the value of requirements in a visually-oriented culture.
• Marketing firms, even digital ones, are still primarily creative by nature.
• This presents a unique opportunity where BAs have to think differently than their
enterprise counterparts, adapting activities and deliverables to better fit the agency
workflow.
https://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/bas-trending-digital.aspx

27. Trending
Digital –
Challenges
While developers are needed to
build the experience, and QA are
there to test it, BAs may initially
be seen as:
• Adding more hours to the project when
timelines and budgets are tight
• Adding more people to meetings when
streamlining is the goal
• Creating additional documentation that
isn’t engaging
https://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/bas-trending-digital.aspx

28. Trending Digital
https://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/bas-trending-digital.aspx

29. Success in
this new
World
29
• Learn and adopt agile approaches
• Learn product management and process management.
• Learn new technologies, particularly how to apply
emerging technologies to enable new business models
To effectively meet increased expectations, BA
Professionals will need to:
http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/transformative-research/business-analysis-and-digital-transformation-short.aspx

30. The Digital
World Will
Demand BA
Skills
30
Digital is essential to succeeding in today's business environment
It allows organizations to predict what customers want and how they
want it
For organizations, the digital commitment, risk, and potential rewards
are huge
The role of the BA is changing to provide the significant insight and
support that bring digital initiatives to fruition
BAs value is in recommending what adds value to stakeholders.
Need to be trusted advisors.
Need to help organizations understand the right digital approach for
them,
http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/knowledge-centre/the-digital-world-will-demand-ba-skills.aspx

31. Building a BA Digital Skill Set
–Understanding of digital technology
–Deep business knowledge
–Curiosity and commitment to asking the
right and, sometimes, challenging
questions
–An agile approach (not speaking of a PM
methodology)
–Continuous learning
–Confidence to speak up
31 http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/knowledge-centre/the-digital-world-will-demand-ba-skills.aspx

32. Building a BA Digital Skill Set
• Increase your credibility by posing good
questions and provide the appropriate,
well-thought-out recommendations.
• Utilize your skills as an interpreter to
translate the technical complexity into
business language.
• Understand enough about the technology to
make recommendations to enable good
decision making.
32 http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/knowledge-centre/the-digital-world-will-demand-ba-skills.aspx

33. 33
For the Business Analyst
“Success in this environment means that
BA Professionals need to focus on
delivering business value, while acting as
trusted advisors for organizations that
need to adapt quickly to their new
reality.”
http://www.iiba.org/Learning-Development/transformative-research/business-analysis-and-digital-transformation-short.aspx

34. Questions?