By 2025, business analysis no longer needs to prove its legitimacy. It is recognized as a strategic discipline, essential for the success of transformation projects. Yet, confusion persists: some still view the business analyst as an obstacle or a mere requirement writer. Among others, it is still common to hear that the business analyst is there to “gather requirements” or “document user desires.” This perception is not only erroneous but also dangerously reductive.

The BABOK (Business Analysis Body of Knowledge) does not speak of collection but of elicitation. This is a powerful word: it means to bring forth, discover, clarify. The business analyst does not take desires at face value. They analyze, challenge, structure, and prioritize the real needs.

As a trained engineer, after two years in the field of design and industrial engineering, I shifted towards business analysis. And today, I see the business analyst as a design engineer, but in service of value. Where the mechanic, for example, designs an engine, the business analyst has designed the need and the value that the engine would bring, aligned with strategy and requirements.

Business Analysis: A Strategic Discipline, Not Just Transcription

Business analysis is not a passive collection activity. It relies on an active and structured process called elicitation. This term, often misunderstood, does not simply mean “asking questions” or “listening to needs.” It is a process of investigation, discovery, and clarification of the true business needs, often buried under layers of preconceived solutions or poorly formulated desires.

We do not document wishes. We uncover needs. We identify requirements. And above all, we create value.

Elicitation, as defined by the BABOK, is a structured process aimed at bringing forth the real needs, often hidden behind superficial requests. Take the example of collaborative workshops: the analyst does not simply note ideas; they facilitate discussion, provoke constructive confrontation, and guide participants towards a shared understanding of objectives and constraints. Similarly, during interviews, the analyst uses advanced questioning techniques to probe beyond superficial answers and identify underlying motivations.

We translate vague objectives into clear, measurable, and testable requirements. We build solid foundations for sustainable projects.

Broadened Collaboration: Beyond Domain Experts

Collaboration is at the heart of our profession. But for us, stakeholders are not limited to domain experts as with architects, clients as with marketers, or even users as with quality professionals. The business analyst’s ecosystem encompasses:

• The clients, the ultimate recipients of value.
• The end-users, the direct actors of the solution.
• The sponsors, the guarantors of vision and resources.
• The domain experts, the bearers of field knowledge.
• The technical teams, responsible for implementation.
• The regulators, the guardians of the legal and normative framework.
• And even the competitors, whose analysis sheds light on opportunities and threats.

In an environment often dominated by Solucentrism, fueled by rapid technological advancements, a belief takes hold: every problem has an off-the-shelf market solution. In this context, business analysts are sometimes perceived as obstacles, as slowdowns. “Why call on a business analyst when the solution we want is already available?” we hear. Yet, the figures are telling: according to the latest data from the Standish Group, projects that integrate business analysts from the initial phases show a 30% higher success rate compared to those that neglect them.

Moreover, a study by the PMI (Project Management Institute) reveals that 47% of project failures are attributable to poor requirements definition. The business analyst is therefore not a hindrance but a key and indispensable success factor.

And as I often remind my fellow domain experts, even when faced with the appeal of an existing and proven solution in the sector, the role of the business analyst does not vanish. On the contrary, it becomes even more critical. Why? Because market solutions are designed to meet generic needs, rarely tailored to the specificities of each company.

The business analyst is then responsible for conducting a rigorous gap analysis between:

• What the market solution offers.
• And what the organization really needs to achieve its unique strategic objectives.

This meticulous work makes it possible to recommend a truly adapted final solution, which may involve adjustments, complementary developments, or even a strategic re-evaluation.

Value: A Contextual Concept, Not an Obvious One

Elon Musk (whether we like him or not, his impact is undeniable), although he does not directly mention business analysts, rightly insists on the importance of thoroughly understanding the fundamental problems before rushing to solutions. In his companies, he values profiles capable of questioning established assumptions and going back to the source of the real need.

This is precisely the essence of a business analyst’s work. We are not marketers of desires. We detect, analyze, and model real needs, ensuring they are aligned with the strategy and will bring measurable value.

I am currently writing a book: Before the Solution, the Meaning Against Solucentrism, for an Enlightened Transformation

In this book, Solucentrism, as I define it, is an approach that consists of defining a problem based on a pre-existing technological solution, often bought off the shelf. It is a logic of solution before need, where one starts from a tool or a platform and then artificially creates a need that fits this imposed solution. In this approach, the need is no longer real: it is manufactured to justify an imposed solution. Solucentrism is a dangerous trend in modern organizations because it short-circuits strategic analysis, weakens the delivered value, and jeopardizes the adoption of solutions.

Solucentrism pushes organizations to:

• Acquire off-the-shelf solutions without a clear understanding of their specific needs.
• Automate existing processes without questioning or optimizing them.
• Substitute genuine strategic analysis with the simple consultation of dashboards.
• Confuse innovation with the mere addition of technological gadgets.

This approach inevitably leads to costly projects, poorly adapted to the realities of the company, and often ineffective because they do not address the true strategic challenges of the organization.

When a solution is imposed before clarifying the need, there is a great risk of treating a symptom rather than the root cause. This results in projects that deliver superfluous or unsuitable functionalities. A poorly aligned solution leads to costly customizations, complex integrations, and sometimes even complete reworks. A solution that does not meet a real need does not generate value; it can even destroy it by complicating processes or introducing new risks.

The business analyst is the natural and indispensable counterweight to Solucentrism. They begin their approach by studying the context, precisely identifying stakeholders, thoroughly understanding needs, and defining clear value indicators. They do not seek a miracle solution but an adapted, measurable, and sustainable response rooted in the reality of the organization.

We translate vague objectives into clear, measurable, and testable requirements. We build solid foundations for sustainable projects.

“There is no change without context, no context without stakeholders, no stakeholders without needs, no needs without requirements, no requirements without a solution, and no solution without change. There is no value without measurement, no measurement without metrology, no metrology without indicators, no indicators without objectives, and no objective without value.“— William Nelson Atoundem”