The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) considers the business analyst “an agent of change,” writing that business analysis “is a disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organizations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.”

The Business Analyst is an agent of change that is responsible for improving the efficiency and impact of certain business operations, including the review of programs or technical processes. We focus on meeting business needs while bridging the gap between an organization’s current position and the one it wants to reach by defining the requirements as early on in the project as possible. Having these requirements outlined will help prevent things such as scope creep and design issues, which would ultimately lead to project overrun.

From a post on the CIO.com website, What is a business analyst? A key role for business-IT efficiency, (7/15/2021)

“Elicitation of requirements and using those requirements to get IT onboard and understand what the client really wants, that’s one of the biggest responsibilities for BAs. They have to work as a product owner, even though the business is the product owner.”

- Bob Gregory Professor and Academic Program Director at Bellevue University