ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the business analysis function and its specific criticality among other aspects of a customer relationship management (CRM) implementation. It reviews a key statistic about the detrimental impact that incomplete or inaccurate requirements can have on projects. Reinforcing the benefits and criticality of the user-shadowing exercises may help business analysts to lobby project sponsors to allow adequate time to conduct such exercises. It highlights the importance of providing autonomy to the business analysis function and resisting the temptation to muddy the role with project management or technical design. Project management is an entirely different competency than business analysis and the innate cognitive orientation of intuitive business analysts is not the same as that of natural project managers. The chapter examines a distinction in the way business needs are presented, highlighting the benefits of viewing requirements in a new light — as requests made to the Technology Division, underscoring the partnership necessary between the division and specific business units.
