Business Analysis Live!

What's really happening in business analysis around the world — and what does it mean for you?I sat down with Fabricio Laguna — the Brazilian BA and Senior Advisor to the IIBA President — fresh off a global listening tour where he interviewed ten senior business analysis professionals from every continent. (Spoiler: none of them had the title "Business Analyst.") What he heard will make you rethink what it means to be a senior BA, where AI is actually showing up in BA work, and why the profession might be its own best-kept secret.We covered a lot of ground in this one. Fabricio broke down how business analysis looks wildly different depending on the industry — from manufacturing to banking to ERP implementation — and why that's not a bug, it's the whole point. We talked about the soft skills vs. hard skills debate (and why it's a false choice), what makes someone a senior BA versus just an experienced one, and how the dance analogy actually explains career development better than most frameworks. And of course, AI came up. Not in the "will it take your job" way — nobody Fabricio interviewed believes that — but in the more important question: are BAs just using AI, or are they leading their organizations into it? There's a big difference, and this episode gets into it.

🎙️Episode Highlights• What 10 senior BAs from around the world are seeing in their organizations right now• How business analysis varies by industry — not by region• Why job titles are becoming more fluid (and what that means for the profession)• Soft skills vs. hard skills — and why senior BAs need both• The "conductor" and "dancer" frameworks for career development• AI as a productivity tool vs. AI as a strategic leadership opportunity• How BAs should be leading AI adoption, not just reacting to it

🔗 Resources
·  Connect with Susan on LinkedIn·  Connect with Fabricio on LinkedIn·  The Brazilian BA website

Business Analysis Live! is hosted by Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to hit that Like button, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends. Your support helps us keep bringing you great content!

The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.
Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iiba.org/#BusinessAnalysis #AILeadership #IIBA

What does it actually mean to be a business analyst when everything you knew about the role is changing — fast?In this episode, I sat down with Ryan Folster, a product leader based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who's been deep in the trenches thinking, speaking, and honestly losing sleep over exactly this question. Ryan came fresh off delivering a talk at the BBC conference in Toronto (where, for the record, neither of us dressed for the weather 😄), and he brought all of that energy and insight straight to our conversation.Here's what I love about Ryan's perspective — it's not an AI hype (or doom) talk. It's about the human things that enable AI: structured thinking, context-gathering, decomposition, and the very human judgment that no prompt can replace. We got into why experienced BAs sometimes struggle most with this moment of change, why your ability to think is still your greatest professional asset, and what it looks like to lean into adaptability when you genuinely don't know what next week will bring.We also talked about the pressure. The very real pressure organizations are putting on analysts right now — the "you have AI, so why isn't this done yet?" pressure — and what Ryan is actually doing to manage it. Spoiler: it involves automation, focus, and a healthy acceptance of what you can and can't control.This is a conversation for every BA who's excited, a little scared, and trying to figure out where they fit in a profession that's redefining itself in real time.🎙️Episode Highlights• Why this moment in business analysis isn't really about AI — it's about what enables AI• Cognitive load theory and why it maps directly to what business analysis professionals have always done• Decomposition as a core, enduring skill in an AI-accelerated world• AI speeds up execution, not thinking — and why that distinction matters• How BRDs and FRDs are evolving into "thinking documents"• The rising expectations problem and how to manage scope and pressure• Authenticity, AI slop, and protecting the human element in our work• Whether the BA title survives — and why your skill set matters more than your label• Role convergence: BA, PM, tester, developer — and what that means for you• Compliance, judgment, and information security in an AI-first environment• Building automations that work for you even when you're not working• Continuous learning as a muscle you have to actively maintain🔗 Resources
·     Connect with Susan on LinkedIn• Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn• South Africa Summit infoBusiness Analysis Live is hosted by Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to hit that Like button, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends. Your support helps us keep bringing you great content!The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iiba.org/
#BusinessAnalysis #AI #FutureOfWork

Business analysis is having a moment—and if AI feels overwhelming, this conversation might just change how you see your role.
In this episode, I’m joined by speaker, author, and LinkedIn Learning instructor, Angela Wick, to unpack what may be the most underestimated role in AI-driven transformation: business analysis. Building on her recent article about the evolving role of business analysis in agentic AI, we explore how our work is shifting—from requirements and handoffs to decision-making, orchestration, and true partnership across business and technology.
We talk candidly about what’s actually changing (and what isn’t), why AI demands our involvement earlier than ever, and how long-standing analysis skills suddenly matter more—not less—in a probabilistic, agent-driven world. If you’ve ever felt boxed into “requirements gatherer” territory or unsure where you fit as AI accelerates, this conversation is meant to spark confidence, clarity, and maybe even a little excitement about what’s next.🎙️Episode Highlights• The role of business analysis in agentic AI• Moving beyond requirements into decision velocity and process orchestration• Deterministic vs. probabilistic behavior in AI-enabled processes• Continuous analysis and the end of phased thinking• Human-in-the-loop governance and AI drift• Business analysis as a leadership and design discipline• Developing junior BAs in an AI-first world🔗 Resources·       Connect with Susan on LinkedIn·       Connect with Angela on LinkedIn·        Listen to the Kenny Loggins’ song “This Is It” that inspired Angela·        IIBA members can download Angela’s article TheEvolving Role of Business Analysis in the Age of Enterprise Agentic AI
Business Analysis Live is hosted by Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to hit that Like button, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends. Your support helps us keep bringing you great content!The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iiba.org/
 
#BusinessAnalysis #AgenticAI #AITransformation

What happens when business analysis professionals stop going it alone and start finding their people?This episode of Business Analysis Live comes to you “live” from Toronto at the Building Business Capability (BBC) Conference—and it’s all about connection. I share scenes from the conference, introduce two incredible guests, and explore what it really means for business analysis professionals to find community, visibility, and confidence in a world that’s increasingly virtual.We talk about why conferences matter beyond the sessions, how visibility shows up differently in remote work, and why volunteering, networking, and authenticity play such a critical role in career growth. Through thoughtful conversations with Pam Paterson and my IIBA colleague Lia Spoltore, we dig into the human side of business analysis—values, trust, relationships, and learning together across generations.If you’ve ever wondered how to build confidence, grow your network without feeling transactional, or reconnect with the people part of this profession, this episode is for you.🎧 Episode Highlights• Finding your people in the business analysis community• Visibility vs. being “busy” at work• Networking beyond job searching• Volunteering as a confidence and skill builder• Human skills in a tech- and AI-shaped world• Values, authenticity, and trust in professional relationships• Conferences as connection, not just content

🔗 Resources
· Connect with Susan on LinkedIn
·  Connect with Pam on LinkedIn
·  Connect with Lia on LinkedIn
🔗 Resources• Connect with Susan on LinkedIn• Connect with Pam on LinkedIn• Connect with Lia on LinkedInBusiness Analysis Live is hosted by Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to hit that Like button, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends. Your support helps us keep bringing you great content!The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iiba.org/
#BusinessAnalysis
#FindingYourPeople
#BBCConference

Process improvement sounds straightforward—until resistance, culture, and people dynamics derail your best intentions.
In this episode, I’m joined by Tawana Gardner and Julia Benford, two seasoned Lean Six Sigma practitioners who have been there, done that when it comes to process improvement. We talk about the most common process improvement mistakes business analysts make—and why they happen. We dig into real-world stories from inside organizations, where change isn’t resisted because people “hate change,” but because of fear, past trauma, unclear ownership, and missed conversations.
Together, we talk about what it really takes to improve processes without alienating people: empathy over expertise, influence over authority, and meeting teams where they are—not just following the leader’s orders. If you’ve ever wondered why a process clearly “needs fixing” but no one seems ready to fix it, this conversation is for you.🎙️Episode Highlights• Why resistance to change isn’t what it seems• Common process improvement mistakes analysts make• The hidden impact of organizational culture and past change trauma• Finding (and empowering) real subject matter experts• Lean Six Sigma tools: when to use them—and when not to• Ownership vs. facilitation in continuous improvement• The role of leadership visibility in successful change🔗 Resources
· Connect with Susan on LinkedIn
· Connect with Tawana on LinkedIn
· Connect with Julia on LinkedIn
· Join us at the Building Business Capability conference
Business Analysis Live is hosted by Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). We talk with business analysis professionals about business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to hit that Like button, subscribe to the channel, and share it with your friends. Your support helps us keep bringing you great content!The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.
Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.iiba.org/#ProcessImprovement#BusinessAnalysis#ChangeManagement