In conclusion, many of the skills of a business analyst and a business consultant are the same, but in general, a business analyst can be more of a technical expert on top of the skills of a business consultant. The business analyst can work as a generalist and a business specialist. A business analyst is a specialist who often overlaps in business segments in a similar way to a business consultant. For example, a business analyst can be hired to deal with a specific problem in finance, information technology, or accounting, and he will use his specialized skills and experience to address a specific problem or inefficiency.
Therefore, the business analyst is expected to have a wide range of specific knowledge in the area of interest. The business analyst may spend more time in a specific area of a company depending on the situation. For a business analyst, success is achieved when the specific problem is overcome and changes are implemented that help the company avoid a similar problem in the future. The goal of a business consultant is to develop a plan for success and to provide a roadmap that the company can implement to achieve the desired results.
Consulting as a business analyst usually includes the application of industry benchmarks compared to the company in question. For the most part, a business consultant is a general specialist, that is, he has knowledge and skills in various areas: finance, accounting, management, strategic thinking, etc. Although a business analyst and a business consultant are agents of change for your company, in order to achieve the best result it is essential that you hire the right resource. In addition to analyzing the individual departments of a company and their operation, analysts and consultants analyze the overall financial situation of the company.
While analysts and consultants review business operations to determine their strengths and weaknesses, consultants are more likely to make the recommended changes and then help implement them. One of the first things analysts and consultants usually do during a contract is to perform a SWOT analysis, which analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a company or department, explains MindTools. Both a business analyst and a business consultant focus on identifying inefficiencies and finding solutions, so they look similar.
