Recall that business analytics uses data and reporting to investigate a business’s performance to discover insights and make data-driven decisions.
One field that business analytics is often confused with is business analysis. Business analysis uses functions and processes to define needs and recommend solutions that deliver value to stakeholders. Although business analysis and business analytics are related in that the goal is to solve business problems, they require rather different skill sets and organizational focus.
Examine the table below to learn the key differentiators between the two.
For example, a business analysis project may focus on defining business processes across a company, whereas a business analytics project may focus on making dashboards to track metrics. (Do not worry if you do not know about the topics listed in the table above — you will learn about them in more depth throughout this certificate.)
Not only is the distinction between business analysis and business analytics becoming less clear for individuals, but this is also the case in the industry as a whole. For example, if you were applying for a “business analyst” role, you’d have to pay close attention to the job description and make sure it aligns with your skill set in either business analysis or business analytics. Companies are using the same role name for different job responsibilities. There are some companies that combine both fields into a single job description all under a “business analyst” role.
While there is no industry standard for roles and the associated fields, the courses in this certificate will be based on the following classifications:
• Business analytics is often confused with business analysis and data analytics due to an overlap in their job responsibilities and shared skill sets.
• Business analytics could be thought of as a mixture between data analytics and business analysis. Both data analytics and business analytics probably involve analyzing data and data visualization. Both business analysis and business analytics probably involve requirements analysis and decision-making.
• Anyone looking for a job in business analytics should read job descriptions carefully and communicate with employers about the expectations for that role.
