{"id":3200,"date":"2021-09-03T16:05:32","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T13:05:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/djangostars.com\/blog\/?p=3200"},"modified":"2026-03-18T13:51:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T13:51:50","slug":"business-analyst-in-software-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/djangostars.com\/blog\/business-analyst-in-software-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does Your Project Need a Business Analyst?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The one who communicates 24\/7 and delivers sudden news (not always good), who is often associated with a product owner and whose decisions someone will always be dissatisfied with. Don\u2019t let these clich\u00e9s cast a pall over the Business Analyst\u2019s (BA) role for software development. This article explains why every IT project can\u2019t do without a business analysis and why a BA\u2019s work is a worthwhile investment.<\/i>
\nListen to “Why Does Your Project Need a Business Analyst” on Spreaker.<\/a>
\nLet’s say you\u2019re building a big house with a professional team and high-quality construction materials. Everyone\u2019s ready to get to work, but there\u2019s a problem: you can\u2019t decide how many floors and rooms you want, how much everything will cost, or whether you need a house at all.
\nIf we draw a parallel between building a house and product development, then the IT business analyst is the client\u2019s and developer’s best friend. The BA\u2019s goal is to unite the visions of both in one context at each stage of the workflow.
\nIn software development, the business analyst helps clarify the customer\u2019s requests (e.g., an idea for a future product), the product requirements \u2014 spoiler: they\u2019re harder to define than it seems \u2014 and then transfers this information to the development team, so they can start finding and implementing a solution.<\/p>\n

The Role of a Business Analyst in SDLC<\/h2>\n

As you can see, the business analyst in an IT company is a real Swiss Army Man who builds a bridge between the developers and the client in the initial stages of a project. The role of a business analyst in software development should not be underestimated. That\u2019s how it works at Django Stars.<\/p>\n

In some outsourcing companies, the BA sticks with the project at all stages, through thick and thin. This is not a practical approach, though sometimes it can be justified \u2013 for instance, when you need to report on each decision when developing health and safety-related products, government products, or tender-based projects.<\/p>\n

This approach is slightly outdated and contrary to one of the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto<\/a> \u2014 \u2018Not to do what complicates the development process or delays it\u2019. We at Django Stars are always looking for well-crafted solutions<\/a> and ways to achieve them.<\/p>\n

What Does a BA Do?<\/h3>\n

Long story short, the BA finds out what the client wants, evaluates the product requirements, and, together with the team, chooses the solution that will best fulfill the client\u2019s goals. Also, BA helps the team to provide cost estimates for the project. Upon delivering the product requirements to the development team, the BA together with the team does an estimation workshop that results in the effort estimates from the team with implementation notes. Finally, the BA works with a vast amount of data.<\/p>\n

However, at different stages of the process, BA functions will vary.<\/p>\n

According to the Agile Manifesto, we prioritize functional software over comprehensive documentation<\/b>. In our team, the BA participates only at the initial project stages: the Pre-Sale, Discovery and Pre-Development. At the Pre-Sale stage<\/b>, the Business Analyst clarifies the product idea and studies the documentation, if any. Then, the BA transmits this data to the team, which proposes a solution, and Pre-Development<\/b> starts immediately, if the contract is signed.<\/p>\n

If there is no documentation at the Discovery stage<\/b>, the BA identifies and collects requirements from the product owner (and generates initial documentation).
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So, the BA is fully responsible for aligning the team's work to the stakeholders' requirements and delivering the project context to the team.<\/p>
\nAt Django Stars, the IT business analyst\u2019s role is limited by the initial stages of the project. Some may view the Discovery and Pre-Development stages as almost the same, but they\u2019re actually not.
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\nThe conceptual difference is that on the Pre-Development stage<\/a><\/b>, the team already has an action plan and the initial documentation.
\nThe Pre-Development stage assumes an emphasis on the preparation for development, which means:<\/p>\n