An integrated role-based Project Manager + Business Analyst (PMBA) solution helps businesses of all sizes and maturities efficiently utilize qualified professionals to address business needs in multiple related roles, specifically Project Management and Business Analysis. Such a hybrid role can provide a clear sense of the challenges that await the customer, and the proper paths to navigate them effectively.

The skill sets for Project Manager and Business Analyst have a lot in common; however at the same time some of each role is required to maintain the significant differences in perspective in order to be effective.

 Fig 1: Competencies by Role, and Overlap

When these two roles deploy together as one resource, their traditional partnership becomes unified – the PM aspect driving team members’ progress in concert towards key dates and deliverables, while the BA aspect covering the customer’s problem in sufficient detail to identify a solution that addresses core business needs. In summary, using the integrated roles, the PM drives dates, and deliverables, while the BA identifies a solution that meets core business needs.

What Deliverables Are Produced For The Customer?

The typical deliverables produced by discrete PMs and BAs are preserved and streamlined in the combined approach. A look at these typical deliverables clearly shows the areas of efficiency available in a combined resource scenario:

Fig 2: Deliverables Mapping In A Role-Based PM + BA Solution

What Benefits Do Integrated Roles Provide To The Customer?

A Role-Based PMBA solution brings customers value on a broad front. Appropriate staff experience helps ensure that the standard challenges arising from role consolidation are prevented:

• One perspective starts to dominate – a tendency reflecting only one resource background and experience
• No one to partner with – two sets of eyes can be more all-encompassing than one
• Overload – it is often too easy to say ‘yes’ to requests for work, which must be properly managed

It's also important to ensure that the critical success factors for consolidated PM + BA is understood and achieved:

• Making sure the right tools exist to support the capabilities required by both roles
• Allocating proper time for the quality execution of both roles
• Tracking logistics and solution information separately
• Building partnerships within the business to effectively utilize subject matter experts
• Scoping and scheduling work appropriately

The benefits of role and solution consolidation outweigh the risks, especially when the service provider has the necessary experience and expertise for the roles in question.  This will help to ensure improvements in the cost, time, and risk of customer projects utilizing this approach.