2017 Predictions

2017 Predictions

world-cloudWhat are the trends this year? IIBA® shares four predictions we see happening in 2017. Tell us what you think, post your comments and predictions on the future of business analysis on @IIBA#IIBA.

1. Innovation Influencers

The results from our Research and Impact Study show the force and speed of innovation is creating an inflection point for the business sector. Sophisticated customers, technology and data, and industry disruption (including big data tools and practices, and the Internet of Things (IoT), translates into a growing demand for BA professionals to help organizations identify and prioritize new opportunities, improve efficient use of time and resources, improve customer understanding and increase project success rates.

2. Agile Adoption

Macro business and technology trends will drive adoption of enterprise wide Agile practices. Business analysis professionals will play a key role in helping organizations apply Agile practices and implement change. 

3. Evolving Role

We will continue to see the BA role evolving. Now is the time for BA professionals to stake their claim at the table. The title of “Business” and “Analysis” will sprout into new roles as we continue to see a shift in focus from traditional skillsets to more specialized roles. BA professionals need to expand and elevate their skillsets to tackle increasingly complex business problems. Acquiring and developing these skillsets will contribute to enterprise-level insights and allow BA professionals to position themselves as trusted business advisors. Competency-based certification will help BA professionals develop their capabilities and enhance their skillsets helping them stand out to employers.
 
The top BA skills over the next 3-5 years include:
 

  • strategic thinking and analysis
  • leadership
  • creative and innovative thinking
  • business knowledge
  • critical thinking and problem solving
  • market and competitive awareness
  • research and investigative techniques 

4. Collaboration

Business analysis professionals have a unique opportunity to help influence the future of our profession. Over the next three to five years’ businesses will see a significant shift in how they do business. Collaboration will become more important in the future as we see a shift towards BA roles in related disciplines such as business intelligence, business architecture, business relationship management and design thinking. 
 
We anticipate in the future; business analysis will intersect disciplines and BA professionals will become more crucial to support the business in facilitating micro and macro changes. Results from our Research and Impact Study and KPMG’s 2016 Global CEO Outlook study support this ‘blurring’ of the edges of the discipline. According to Adrian Reed, IIBA UK Chapter, in his BA trends 2020 predictions blog post, BA professionals will “…become connectors, helping to create networks between disciplines and professionals that will get the job done.  And in doing so, our discipline becomes more and more sought after”.

http://www.iiba.org/ba-connect/2017/2017-predictions.aspx