Functional analyst: role and skills

L’functional analyst is a professional who serves as a bridge between business and IT, translating business requirements into understandable technical specifications for developers. This figure is crucial in IT projects because he or she ensures that stakeholder requirements are transformed into effective software solutions.

Its main task is to translate business requirements into functional specifications that can be understood and implemented by programmers and software engineers.

In an era when companies are increasingly dependent on digitization, the presence of an IT functional analyst becomes essential to the success of any technology project. Without proper analysis of requirements and their clear definition, the risk of developing IT solutions that are inefficient or not aligned with business objectives is very high.

Its importance is based on several factors:

• Reduces the risk of errors in software development: Through clear requirements gathering, the technical team works on well-defined specifications, avoiding misunderstandings and delays.

• Optimizes time and cost: A good initial analysis allows you to prevent in-progress changes, which are often costly and lengthen project timelines.

• Improves communication between departments: business stakeholders often lack in-depth technical expertise, while developers lack in-depth knowledge of business needs. The functional analyst acts as an interpreter between these two worlds.

• Ensures the quality of the final product: by testing and validating the software, it verifies that the system really meets the business needs and is free of critical defects.

L’functional analyst is in demand in many areas, including:

• Banking and Finance : for the development of financial management software, home banking platforms, and transaction security systems.

• Insurance: for the creation of management software and risk analysis tools.

• E-commerce and Retail:for the design of online sales platforms and customer management software.

• Industry and Logistics: To optimize production processes and manage digitized supply chain systems.

Because of these soft skills, the role of the functional analyst ranks among the most in-demand professions in the IT industry, with ample opportunities for growth and specialization.

To perform this role, you need to have a combination of hard skills e soft skills.

• Technical skills.: knowledge of databases, programming languages, software development methodologies (such as Agile and Scrum).

• Analytical skills: ability to collect and interpret data to define the specifications of a system.

• Effective communication: ability to dialogue with non-technical stakeholders and developers.

• Problem solving: Aptitude for finding optimal solutions to business problems.

In the IT industry, in addition to the functional analyst, there is another key figure: the functional technical analyst. Although they may seem like similar roles, they have different responsibilities and skills, making them complementary within a software development project.

So who is the technical functional analyst?

The technical functional analyst is a professional who combines the skills of a functional analyst with advanced technical skills. In addition to gathering business requirements and defining functional specifications, he or she has a deeper knowledge of software architectures, programming languages, and databases.

This figure is essential when the project requires a high level of customization or integration with other systems, as they are responsible for:

• Translating functional requirements into detailed technical specifications, providing precise guidance to programmers.

• Analyze the system architecture and propose the best technical solutions for project implementation.

• Support software development and implementation, working directly with the development team.

• Test the system and ensure the quality of the code produced, verifying that it meets the defined specifications.

In summary, while thefunctional analyst focuses on “what” a software should do, thetechnical functional analyst is concerned with “how” to make it, ensuring alignment between business needs and technology solutions.

L’functional analyst and the functional technical analyst are two strategic figures in IT, with a crucial role in optimizing business processes and developing effective digital solutions. If you have an analytical mind, communication skills and an interest in technology, this career could offer you great opportunities for growth.

If you want to learn more about the world ofIT functional analysis, discover the educational and professional opportunities offered by Orbyta Tech.