From IPAPI

Background on a Business Process Analyst

There is often some confusion around this term as it relates to function or title. Titles are something Human Resources departments contrive in an attempt to provide some meaning to a position and pay scale with various levels of success. There are many without the title who regularly perform the function and those with the title who have yet to perform it. For this discussion we will concern ourselves with function and not title.

IPAPI Definition

A Business Process Analyst is the intelligent and skillful human being who applies those uniquely human intelligence skills to perform Business Process Analysis and develops multiple action plans for a process which decision makers can choose and implement for the benefit of the organization. Those benefits are most often quantifiable in terms of increased value to the organization in tangible cost reductions, increased revenues and customer satisfaction.

Overview

While computers have been a huge boon to organizations for many years now, there are still many functions which require human intelligence. The function of a Business Process Analyst is one of them. One of the intelligence requirements is the ability to empathize with the customer of the process. Creativity is also a human intelligence function that a computer cannot deliver and is a requisite skill of the Business Process Analyst.

There is also no single right answer in process. Often there are many ways to synthesize a process. With the ever shifting market demands and realities, decision makers need an ammo belt of silver bullet options to apply depending on what comes up. These various action plans may be used individually, in series, in hop-scotch fashion or not at all.

It is also within the scope of the Business Process Analyst to perform the role of consultant in making recommendations to decision makers as it relates to cost benefits, resistance to change, conflicting priorities, resource requirements and constraints, etc.