A business analysis framework is a set of guidelines that business analysts use to analyse various aspects of a business, such as processes, systems, operations, and strategies.
It can help identify areas for improvement, and contribute towards the development of solutions to address challenges. A business analysis framework can help businesses to capitalise on opportunities.
A business analysis framework's main purpose is to help to evaluate and optimise business processes and strategies.
It provides a systematic approach to data collection during the business analysis phase that enables organisations to:
- make informed choices during business analysis process flow
- improve efficiency by helping managers stay focused
- enhance performance
- and establishing business objectives.
Importance of Using a Structured Approach in Business Analysis
A structured approach in business analysis is essential for several reasons. First, it helps ensure consistency and accuracy in the analysis process. Analysts who follow a predefined framework can systematically gather and evaluate data to minimise the risk of overlooking critical information or biases.
Structured frameworks provide a clear roadmap for thorough business analysis. It guides analysts through the various stages of the entire development project—from data collection and analysis to solution development and implementation.
This structured approach promotes efficiency and effectiveness. It helps project managers stay focused and enables organisations to streamline their operations and achieve better outcomes.
Structured frameworks promote collaboration and communication among stakeholders involved in the analysis process. These frameworks provide a common language and methodology for conveying business objectives, and discussing challenges and opportunities. They facilitate alignment and consensus-building, which leads to more cohesive decision-making and implementation.
We cannot overstate the importance of using a structured approach in business analysis. By leveraging predefined frameworks, organisations can:
- enhance their analytical capabilities
- make more informed decisions,
- and ultimately drive better business.
A Brief Introduction to Business Model Analysis
Business model analysis is a systematic examination of the components and dynamics of a business model to understand its:
- structure
- value proposition
- revenue streams
- and cost structure
Becoming a business analyst will help support companies assess, create, deliver, and captures value. It also helps them identify project development goals, and opportunities for innovation and optimisation.
Overview of Key Components of a Business Model Analysis Framework
The key components of a robust business model analysis framework include:
- Value Proposition defines the products or services offered by the business and articulates the value they provide to customers.
- Customer Segments helps identify the specific groups of customers that the business serves and helps explain their needs, preferences, and behaviours.
- Channels are the means through which the business interacts with its customers and delivers its products or services. This includes online platforms, physical stores, or distribution networks.
- Revenue Streams are the sources of revenue generated by the business, such as sales, subscriptions, licensing fees, or advertising revenue.
- Cost Structure are the costs incurred by the business in delivering its products or services. It might include fixed costs, variable costs, and operational expenses.
- Key Activities are the primary activities and processes that the business engages in to create and deliver value to customers. These might include production, marketing, distribution, and customer support.
- Key Resources are assets, and capabilities that help a business to operate effectively and deliver its value proposition. This includes human resources, technology, infrastructure, and intellectual property.
- Key Partnerships are the strategic alliances and partnerships that the business forms with other organisations to enhance its capabilities, access new markets, or mitigate risks.
Examples of Popular Business Model Analysis Frameworks
There are several popular business model analysis frameworks which business analysts can use, including:
Business Model Canvas
Developed by Alexander Osterwalder, the Business Model Canvas is widely used to visualise and analyse business models. It consists of nine building blocks that represent the key components of a business model.
Value Proposition Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas is a companion tool to the Business Model Canvas that focuses specifically on understanding customer needs. This enables companies to design products or services that offer effective solutions.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis is a framework for assessing the internal and external factors that impact a business's performance and competitive position. Business analysis frameworks provide valuable insights into the various aspects of a business model. It can help organisations identify opportunities for innovation, growth, and improvement. Businesses that leverage these tools can develop more robust and sustainable business models. It provides an opportunity to drive long-term success and competitiveness.
Why Having a Framework is Essential in Business Analysis
Business analysis frameworks provide a structured approach to analysing and understanding complex business problems, processes, and strategies. They offer a systematic way to break down and examine different aspects of a business, and help analysts gain more profound insights and make informed decisions. Here's why having a framework is crucial:
- Structured Approach: As part of the business analyst delivery plan, frameworks provide a systematic and organised approach to business analysis. They guide analysts through the process step by step. This structure helps ensure that all relevant factors are considered and addressed, and reduces the risk of oversight or omission.
- Comprehensive Analysis: This tool covers various dimensions of a business, from its value proposition to its revenue streams and cost structure. This framework enables analysts to conduct a comprehensive analysis. This holistic view gives project managers, and senior or middle managers a more in-depth understanding of the business processes, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Consistency and Reproducibility: A standardised framework ensures consistency and reproducibility. Different analysts can apply the same framework to analyse different businesses or scenarios.
- Communication: Frameworks provide a common language and structure for communication among stakeholders. They help ensure that everyone is on the same page, which helps facilitate meaningful discussions and decision-making.
- Insights and Opportunities: The ability to systematically examine various aspects of a business helps business analysts identify insights, trends, and opportunities that may not be apparent at first glance. They enable the business analyst to uncover hidden patterns, correlations, and causal relationships that can inform business strategy.
Benefits of Using a Structured Framework for Business Analysis
There are many benefits to conducting effective evaluations of business models. Understanding this allows businesses to make informed decisions and drive strategic initiatives. Here are some of the benefits of using structured frameworks:
- Enhanced Decision-Making: Business analysis frameworks provide decision-makers with valuable insights and information that allows them to systematically analyse different aspects of a business. It helps them identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This access to information enables decision-makers to develop effective strategies and action plans.
- Improved Problem-Solving: Frameworks guide analysts through the process of identifying, analysing, and addressing business challenges. They provide a systematic way to break down complex problems into manageable components, which makes them easier to understand and solve.
- Facilitated Planning and Strategy Development: Business analysis frameworks provide a structured approach to analysing internal and external environments. The business analyst identifies key priorities, sets strategic objectives, and develops action plans to achieve their goals.
- Increased Efficiency and Productivity: A framework helps streamline the analysis process, which saves time and resources. Frameworks enable analysts to focus on the most critical aspects of a business. This leads to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Enhanced Stakeholder Alignment: Frameworks provide a common language and structure for discussing business issues and opportunities. This helps communication and collaboration among stakeholders by ensuring that everyone involved in the analysis process is aligned and working towards common goals. This leads to more effective decision-making and implementation.
Business analysis frameworks help organisations analyse and understand their businesses. They help businesses identify opportunities and challenges, and develop effective strategies for success.
Frameworks provide a structured approach to analysis and decision-making. They enable organisations to:
- make informed decisions,
- solve complex problems,
- and achieve their business objectives.
Objectives of the Business Analysis Framework
From defining objectives to evaluating risks and opportunities, each component helps ensure a structured and holistic approach to business analysis. These elements guide analysts in comprehensively assessing various aspects of a business.
- Business Objectives: The first element of a business analysis framework involves clearly defining the objectives or goals of the analysis. Goals could include improving operational efficiency, increasing revenue, reducing costs, or entering new markets.
- Stakeholder Identification: Who has a vested interest in the outcome of the analysis? This could include internal stakeholders such as employees, managers, and shareholders; it could also be external stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
- Scope Definition: Defining the scope of the analysis helps establish the boundaries and focus areas of the analysis. This ensures that the analysis remains manageable and targeted towards achieving the defined objectives.
- Data Collection: This step includes gathering relevant quantitative data (such as financial metrics, market data, and performance indicators) and qualitative data (such as customer feedback, employee interviews, and industry reports). The data collection process should be systematic and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected.
- Analysis Techniques: Various business analysis techniques including SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental), Porter's Five Forces analysis, market segmentation analysis, and trend analysis, among others are used to analyse the collected data and derive insights.
- Findings and Insights: Upon completion, the findings, and insights derived from the analysis need to be documented and communicated effectively. This involves:
- summarising the key findings,
- highlighting significant trends and patterns,
- and drawing actionable insights that can inform decision-making.
- Recommendations and Action Plan: Based on the findings and insights, recommendations are developed to address the identified opportunities and challenges. These recommendations should be specific, actionable, and aligned with the organisation's objectives. The team can then create an action plan to outline the steps needed to implement the recommendations, including assigning responsibilities, setting timelines, and allocating resources.
Elements of the Business Analysis Framework
- Business Objectives: The first element of a business analysis framework involves clearly identifying what the organisation hopes to achieve through the analysis process, such as:
- improving operational efficiency,
- increasing revenue,
- reducing costs,
- or entering new markets.
- Stakeholder Identification: Identifying stakeholders is crucial, as they are individuals or groups who have a vested interest in the outcome of the analysis. This includes internal stakeholders such as employees, managers, and shareholders, as well as external stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.
- Scope Definition: Defining the scope of the analysis helps establish the boundaries and focus areas of the analysis. It involves determining what aspects of the business will be included in the analysis and what will be excluded. This ensures that the analysis remains manageable and targeted towards achieving the defined objectives.
- Data Collection: This includes collecting both quantitative data (such as financial metrics, market data, and performance indicators) and qualitative data (such as customer feedback, employee interviews, and industry reports). The data collection process should be systematic and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected.
7 Steps in Business Analysis Framework
Here's a Step-by-Step guide to conducting Business Analysis using a framework:
- Define Objectives: What specific goals do you aim to achieve through the analysis process? This could include improving efficiency, identifying growth opportunities, or addressing challenges within the organisation.
- Identify Stakeholders: Who will be affected by the analysis or have a vested interest in its outcome? This ensures that their perspectives and needs are considered throughout the process.
- Define Scope: Define the scope of the analysis by outlining the boundaries and focus areas. This will keep the analysis manageable and targeted.
- Collect Data: Gather relevant data (financial data, customer feedback, market research, industry reports, and internal documentation) from various sources to support the analysis.
- Analyse Data: Use appropriate analysis techniques to examine the collected data and derive insights.
- Generate Findings: Summarise the key findings and insights derived from the analysis. Identify patterns, trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that can inform decision-making.
- Develop Recommendations and Action Plan: Develop actionable recommendations to address identified issues or capitalise on opportunities. Create a detailed action plan that outlines the steps required to implement the recommendations, including timelines, responsibilities, and resource allocation.
Practical Examples of a Business Analysis Framework
Here are some examples of what each step may look like in practice.
- Define Objectives: A company that is experiencing declining sales, may want to identify the root causes of the decline, and develop strategies to reverse the trend.
- Identify Stakeholders: Stakeholders may include company executives, employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, and regulatory agencies.
- Define Scope: The scope of the analysis may be limited to a specific product line, market segment, or operational area, depending on the objectives and resources available.
- Collect Data: Data collection methods may include conducting surveys, interviews, focus groups, analysing financial statements, and reviewing market research reports.
- Analyse Data: Analytical techniques such as SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, or financial ratio analysis may be used to analyse the collected data and identify trends, patterns, and insights.
- Generate Findings: Findings may include identifying cost-saving opportunities, market trends, customer preferences, competitive threats, and areas for improvement within the organisation.
- Develop Recommendations and Action Plan: Recommendations may include launching new products or services, entering new markets, improving operational efficiency, or enhancing customer service. The action plan should outline specific steps, timelines, and responsibilities for implementing the recommendations and monitoring their progress.
Techniques Used in Business Analysis Framework
Business analysts employ various techniques and business analysis tools to gather, analyse, and interpret data to support decision-making and strategic planning. Below are some commonly used techniques in business analysis:
1. SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis assesses an organisation's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Organisations can use this to leverage their strengths, address weaknesses, capitalise on opportunities, and mitigate threats to enhance their competitiveness.
2. PESTLE Analysis
PESTLE analysis examines the political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors that influence a business environment. It helps organisations anticipate changes in their external environment and adjust their strategies to stay competitive.
3. Porter's Five Forces
Porter's Five Forces evaluates the competitive forces within an industry. This includes the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers and suppliers, threat of substitutes, and competitive rivalry. Once they understand these forces, organisations can develop strategies to position themselves advantageously in the market.
4. Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholder analysis involves identifying and assessing the interests, influence, and concerns of stakeholders involved in or affected by a project or decision to help organisations manage stakeholder relationships effectively and ensure alignment with project objectives.
5. Gap Analysis
Gap analysis compares the current state of a business or process with its desired state to identify performance gaps and areas for improvement. By closing these gaps, organisations can enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and overall performance.
Data analysis plays a crucial role in business analysis. Various data analysis techniques are used to analyse quantitative data and derive actionable insights, including:
- trend analysis,
- regression analysis,
- and correlation analysis.
These techniques help organisations identify patterns, relationships, and trends in their data. It supports evidence-based decision-making to facilitate continuous improvement.
Decision trees provide a structured framework to evaluate alternative courses of action and their potential outcomes. Decision trees help organisations and middle managers responsible, to make informed decisions under uncertainty and complexity by mapping out possible scenarios and their associated probabilities in the business requirement document.
These techniques and tools help organisations to conduct comprehensive business analysis, gain valuable insights, and make informed decisions to drive success and achieve their strategic objectives.
BA frameworks are indispensable tools for organisations that seek to navigate the complexities of the business landscape, adapt to changing market conditions, and achieve sustainable growth.
Organisations that incorporate business analysis frameworks into their strategic planning processes leverage the insights gained to drive innovation and growth. It helps them position their organisations for long-term success in an ever-evolving business landscape.
