Many companies employ both business analysts and project managers to analyze, plan and audit certain aspects of their businesses. Each career path has different responsibilities, but both are important to a business’s infrastructure and production processes. Knowing the differences between the two can help your business hire the right person for the job or help you find the right career path based on your interests. In this article, we define what business analysts and project managers are and highlight the differences between the two professions.
Let’s understand the definitions of each role, A business analyst is a professional who analyzes the needs of a business to determine changes that should be made to meet business goals. A project manager is a professional who oversees the details of specific projects. This may include planning for resources and budgets, determining labor needs and communicating difficulties or challenges to upper management.
The Business Analyst works closely with the Project Manager and they complement each other. The Business Analyst gets more into the details of the project versus a project manager manages the timelines and ensures that the project is delivered on time and under budget.
There may be situations where the Business Analyst can plan the role of a Project Manager, but those are instances when the effort is small and not complex.
Have you played the role of a Business Analyst and a Project Manager. If so what were some of your hurdles?
