IT's Unsung Hero: The Business Analyst

(MoneyWatch)  As technology plays a larger role inside companies, the lines between what is an IT call and what is a business call is getting blurred. That has made the business analyst - whose role in bridging IT and business operations makes it equal parts geek and diplomat - more central to corporate decisions - and more difficult.

Forrester researchers Casey Schwaber and Rob Karel surveyed 338 current and former business analysts and reviewed more than 29,000 job descriptions, distilling their conclusions in a report

Although distinguishing among breeds of business analyst makes sense in theory, in practice, trends in both business and IT are forcing business analysts to assume responsibilities outside of their siloed comfort areas.

In making the business case for IT projects, business analysts may move from obscurity. But according to CIO magazine, that higher profile will first require a distinct definition of what a business analyst is:

Not many people, including business analysts themselves, are able to figure out a standard definition (complete with typical skill sets, proper training methods and set career paths) for the business analyst position.