Discover how business analysts can use AI to automate tasks, enhance communication and streamline project management for increased efficiency.
Staying abreast of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is crucial for business analysts. As AI reshapes the dynamics of analysis, from virtual assistants streamlining customer requests to developers harnessing generative AI for rapid code creation, business analysts must seize these transformative capabilities to optimize their work efficiently.
AI has already changed the way business analysts conduct analysis, from virtual assistants such as chatbots handling customer requests, to companies using AI to analyse incredible amounts of data for forecasting trends. We’ve even seen the transformative power of generative AI in enabling developers to create code in what would’ve taken them weeks in a matter of hours! The bounds of what AI can do seem to be endless – and here are some ways that business analysts can make the most of AI to optimise their work and ensure they as stay up to date and efficient as possible.
Making the most of AI as a business analyst
A standout capability of AI for business analysts lies in automating monotonous tasks, such as data analysis and collection. For instance, a chatbot, a key AI tool, can succinctly summarize complex topics, simplifying research efforts and enhancing efficiency.
You can leverage AI to identify a trend within a certain topic, understand recurring issues and make informed decisions about your projects. Consider this: If you’re grappling with understanding a complex topic discussed in a client meeting, you can use ChatGPT to provide you with a basic understanding, facilitating better engagement with your team and clients.
Common uses for business analysts
Perhaps the simplest use of AI for business analysts is its ability to better communicate within teams, clients and stakeholders. Apps such as QuillBot or Grammarly use AI to check text and enhance your written communications by refining your text. Grammarly is fully integrated into the majority of applications and checks your grammar, spelling and tense, while QuillBot can be used to help rewrite your sentence to achieve a more polished tone.
Business analysts can also make use of generative tools like ChatGPT to create a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed) to help with project management analysis by enabling you to analyse and visualise the roles and responsivities of team members within a team. This ensures all stakeholders understand their responsibilities throughout the project’s progression, fostering clarity and accountability.
Here’s an example of a RACI matrix made with the prompt, “Please create a RACI matrix for a project team for creating an article for BBD”. As you can see, now each stakeholder within the project knows exactly who’s responsible, accountable, consulted and informed at each step within the project!
| Task | Project Manager | Content Writer | Subject Matter Expert | Editor |
| Overall project coordination | R | C | ||
| Defining project objectives | R | |||
| Content creation | R | C | ||
| Reviewing accuracy | R | C | ||
| Editing and proofreading | R | |||
| Quality assurance | R | |||
| Communicating progress | I | I | I | I |
Business analysts can use AI to help digest complex information in a simple to understand manner. Building on this, it’s also a useful tool to help other team members digest the massive amounts of information we deal with daily. By using an application such as Tome, you can quickly create stunning presentations from a simple prompt. Here’s an example of a slide created with the prompt, “Create a presentation on how business analysts can use AI in their day-to-day work activities”.
Embracing AI for business analysts (BAs) empowers teams to automate tasks, enhance communication, and streamline project management, ensuring increased efficiency and effectiveness.
So, fear not the AI revolution; embrace it for the transformative ally that it is!
