By Charissa Jones
Recently, BAPL hosted an internal professional development session featuring a guest speaker, author and acknowledged voice within the IIBA community, Filip Hendrickx. It was an inspiring and thought-provoking session that explored how Business Analysis can create greater impact by defining value clearly, operating strategically, and embracing new technologies such as AI.
The conversation began with a deceptively simple but powerful idea: identify value before you start. In other words, before a project begins – before requirements are written, before solutions are discussed – take the time to define what success looks like.
When we can clearly articulate the value we’re aiming to deliver, we are then more accurately able to measure progress and alignment to outcomes and inevitably we can answer that age-old question; ‘How successful were we?’. Without that clarity, teams can easily fall into the trap of focusing on activity rather than achievement. Delivering outputs is not the same as delivering outcomes. Within business analysis, part of the service is to help organisations make that distinction – and to ensure that every initiative contributes to something meaningful.
It prompted a challenging question:
How well do you understand, and how clearly can you articulate, the value of your current project or initiative to your organisation?
That question becomes even more relevant when we consider the growing influence of artificial intelligence. The session introduced a fascinating thought experiment: what if you could tell AI exactly what you were trying to achieve – with absolute clarity and specificity?
If AI understood your goal and the parameters of success, could it iterate its way toward that outcome faster and more effectively than we do today? Possibly. But the key insight here is that the power of AI depends entirely on the quality of the direction it receives. If our goal is vague, the results will be too.
This dynamic closely parallels the work of business analysis. Essentially, business analysis aims to translate intent – turning strategic goals into actionable outcomes. The clearer we are in defining and communicating value, the more effectively our teams and tools can deliver it. AI, in this context, becomes not a threat to our profession but a partner – one that amplifies our impact when guided well.
The discussion then turned to the strategic role of business analysis. Increasingly, the profession is moving beyond traditional requirements elicitation toward shaping business direction. It may not be there at the organisation you work at currently – and you may find yourself asking how you can navigate in that direction… The speaker’s advice was refreshingly direct: don’t sell it – just do it.
Rather than waiting for permission to engage at a strategic level, analysts can start demonstrating strategic value through everyday actions. Here are three practical ways to begin:
- Ask strategic questions early. Shift conversations from “What are we building?” to “Why are we building this?” Encourage stakeholders to think about desired outcomes, not just deliverables.
- Frame analysis in terms of business outcomes. Connect requirements and user stories to tangible business value – whether that’s increased revenue, reduced risk, improved customer experience, or enhanced efficiency.
- Leverage data and AI insights. Use emerging tools to test assumptions, validate hypotheses, and measure progress. Bringing data to the table demonstrates that your analysis is not only strategic but evidence-based.
When business analysis service providers start thinking and speaking in the language of strategy, we position ourselves as partners in decision-making rather than facilitators of delivery. We stop reacting to change and start shaping it.
The professional development session was a reminder that our greatest contribution lies not in documenting what’s being done, but in helping the organisation understand why it matters. By identifying value early, aligning our work with measurable outcomes, and embracing tools like AI, we can elevate the role of business analysis from operational support to strategic leadership.
In the end, it all comes down to one enduring question:
How well do you understand – and how clearly can you articulate – the value your work delivers to your organisation?
Because when we start with value, everything else aligns around it – from the vision we create to the impact we deliver.