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Do we need more business analysts or project managers in next 10 years?

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Ehsan Eslami Lead Project Controls| Metrolinx Montreal, Quebec, Canada
There are a bunch of articles out there to differentiate business analysts from project managers. As opposed to them, there are many articles also which mention their similarities. Regardless of their similarities or differences, are we going to need more business analysts or project managers with considering all incoming new technologies and businesses? Or the positions are going to be merged in an integrated one?
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Diogo Simoes Entroncamento, Santarém, Portugal
Hi Ehsan.
I would say that both positions are Not going to be merged, istead that will become more apart. Work tends to be more specialized and clear lines between both positions will appear.
Although most people/companies still don't see it, project management is a specific position and not "one guy does it all" :)
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Kiron Bondale Retired | Mentor| Retired Welland, Ontario, Canada
Ehsan -

while there are overlaps in competencies between the two roles, they are quite distinct, and I would expect both to persist for quite a while as both pursuits are unlikely to ever be fully automated. On very small, low complexity projects, a single person can play both roles but as complexity scales, the need for role division becomes compelling...

Kiron
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MANSOUR THABET ALQUBATY System Controller| Teleyemen Sana'A, N/A, Yemen
"On very small, low complexity projects, a single person can play both roles but as complexity scales, the need for role division becomes compelling..."

I like above statement which mentioned by Kiron.

Mansour
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Drew Craig Sr. Agile & Product Coach| Vanguard Philadelphia, Pa, United States
Well said, Kiron.

Both roles have significant value-add to the organization, and whereas there is overlap, the need for distinct roles will continue. The case for merging the two for smaller projects is valid, though not any BA can do both roles, nor any PM can cover both. It takes a special set of experience and skills to juggle both.
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Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD Senior Project Manager| Infosys Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
We are going to need both, and both will increase because the population and thus workforce will increase.
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Riyadh Salih Saskatchewan, Canada
I agree on the same that both will be needed if the analyst calculate all good numbers on papers then who will execute the project live on the ground simple answer the PM
The Analyst might be a good economist and do all calculation but he might not possess the soft skill all management techniques and leadership to translate the plan to a tangible assets but the PM can do.
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1 reply by Ehsan Eslami
Jun 06, 2018 8:58 AM
Ehsan Eslami
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Riaydh we all know that 90 percent of PM's job is communication. We also aware that business analysts can play a very important role in businesses from defining proper objectives for the projects to make communication channels between stakeholders and extract needs, wants and expectations of them comprehensively. Overlapping PM and business analysts is another issue from my point of view that can be discussed. You are completely right that we need both skills. I agree. But this question still remains: With considering the automation of processes in future, which of them will be survived?
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Sonali Malu Maharashtra, India
I do agree that both roles are needed in future and could not be merged.
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Sergio Luis Conte Helping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based Organizations Buenos Aires, Argentina
Both are totally different roles. Totally different, just started for the focus: business analyst focus is solution while project manager focus is all needed to create the defined solution. About if we will need more or less of both roles it has no sense to pay attention to things that you can read outside there because the context is not taking into account most of the times plus most of the analysis have some kind of interest to sell more about something.
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1 reply by Ehsan Eslami
Jun 06, 2018 8:50 AM
Ehsan Eslami
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Good shot Sergio. The reason I asked this question is referred to thoughts which always circulate in my mind about the shape of business in future. I tend to think that businesses are going to be more simple but narrow. This means that the diversity of products and operations will be confined in a way that addressing different needs of customers in a very optimum time. In terms of technology, consider AI, M2M and robotics which are already here and we need to deal with them. This deal includes defining proper job positions, requirements and business processes which potentially can influence today's well-structured positions.
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Ehsan Eslami Lead Project Controls| Metrolinx Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Jun 06, 2018 7:39 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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Both are totally different roles. Totally different, just started for the focus: business analyst focus is solution while project manager focus is all needed to create the defined solution. About if we will need more or less of both roles it has no sense to pay attention to things that you can read outside there because the context is not taking into account most of the times plus most of the analysis have some kind of interest to sell more about something.
Good shot Sergio. The reason I asked this question is referred to thoughts which always circulate in my mind about the shape of business in future. I tend to think that businesses are going to be more simple but narrow. This means that the diversity of products and operations will be confined in a way that addressing different needs of customers in a very optimum time. In terms of technology, consider AI, M2M and robotics which are already here and we need to deal with them. This deal includes defining proper job positions, requirements and business processes which potentially can influence today's well-structured positions.
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1 reply by Sergio Luis Conte
Jun 06, 2018 11:22 AM
Sergio Luis Conte
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Both roles are totally indpendent of the technology and other things. I started working with lot of things that becomes today buzzwords (AI, IoT, Agile, Big Data, etc) from 1980 up to date and the basement have not changed. Key is to understand that organizations are open and adaptable systems then when the environment changes they must change or died. That implies to pay attention to the organizational architecture. Organizational needs of change create a problem situation to solve. Business Analyst is the role in charge of that from strategy to implementation. But when the solution is defined it must be created. Project Manager is in charge of that. So, no matter what happend in the future, always will be a role that must help on solution (business analyst) and always will be a role that will help in making the solution reality (project manager).
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Ehsan Eslami Lead Project Controls| Metrolinx Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Jun 05, 2018 9:55 PM
Replying to Riyadh Salih
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I agree on the same that both will be needed if the analyst calculate all good numbers on papers then who will execute the project live on the ground simple answer the PM
The Analyst might be a good economist and do all calculation but he might not possess the soft skill all management techniques and leadership to translate the plan to a tangible assets but the PM can do.
Riaydh we all know that 90 percent of PM's job is communication. We also aware that business analysts can play a very important role in businesses from defining proper objectives for the projects to make communication channels between stakeholders and extract needs, wants and expectations of them comprehensively. Overlapping PM and business analysts is another issue from my point of view that can be discussed. You are completely right that we need both skills. I agree. But this question still remains: With considering the automation of processes in future, which of them will be survived?
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