Every good Business Analyst should be able to analyze and solve problems.
It is one of the core competencies of an effective business analyst because it is used to identify the root cause of a problem to ensure that the problem is permanently fixed.
To do that, they would first have to understand the problem.
This involves ensuring that the type of problem and any underlying issues connected to the problem are clearly understood by both the business analyst and the stakeholders who are interested in the problems resolution.
This process involves understanding what the problem is and ensuring that any related issued and assumptions are also identified to avoid any confusion.
The goals and objectives which are to be met by the solution needs to be explicitly stated, and alternative solutions need to be considered and possibly developed.
There are some performance measures of effective problem solving which include the following:
1. The confidence of the stakeholders in the problem solving process.
2. The selected solutions must meet the defined enterprise objectives and solve the root cause of the problem.
3. The new solution options must be effectively evaluated effectively using the problem solving process which avoids making decisions based on invalidated assumptions, preconceived notions, or other traps that may cause the wrong solution to be selected.