Functional Analyst

No matter their specific industry or employer, most functional business analysts share several core responsibilities. Those duties include:

Analyze Existing Systems

Functional business analysts start by evaluating a company’s current software system and analyzing how well it meets the needs of that organization. They look at factors such as cost and efficiency, as well as ease of use, using standardized measurement processes such as metrics and performance indicators.

Write Documentation

After they implement a new system, functional business analysts document all changes made and also write any supporting documentation needed to teach employees how to use the software.

Create Plans for Change

Once a functional business analyst has identified changes needed to a company’s software system, they then devise a plan to implement these changes. They use not only their technical knowledge but also their people skills, which allows them collaborate with all employees involved to identify the most effective way of implementing changes throughout the department or organization.

Simulate Changes

Before recommending any changes, functional business analysts test their suggestions to see how well they work. They use modeling software and practices to evaluate current systems and the effect of the new systems or practices they suggest.

Prepare the Organization for Change

Functional business analysts evaluate how ready an organization is to make change and guide it along the way to ensure a seamless transition. This often involves translating technical subjects or jargon into language that employees at every level of the company can understand.

Troubleshoot Software Systems

Since the functional business analyst is the one who designed and installed the system, companies often call on them to identify and remedy any problems that occur.