Junior Business Analyst

Sample Answer

A functional requirement describes what a system should do: a specific behaviour, feature, or function. For example, "the system must allow a user to reset their password via email." A non-functional requirement describes how the system should perform: its quality attributes such as performance, security, scalability, or availability. For example, "the password reset email must be delivered within 30 seconds" or "the system must support 10,000 concurrent users." Both matter in any system design, and a good BA documents both explicitly.

Sample Answer

Before the session I would identify who the key stakeholders are and what their roles and interests are in the project. I would prepare a structured agenda with specific questions and any supporting materials like process diagrams or existing documentation to anchor the conversation. During the session I would start by clarifying the objective and scope, then use open-ended questions to draw out current pain points and desired outcomes. I would capture everything in real time and read back key points to confirm accuracy. After the session I would produce a requirements document and circulate it to stakeholders for sign-off before development begins.

Sample Answer

BPMN is a standardised notation for modelling business processes visually. It uses specific shapes: rounded rectangles for events (start, intermediate, end), rectangles for tasks, diamonds for gateways (decisions), and arrows for sequence flow. A simple example would be an invoice approval process: a start event triggers a task "Receive Invoice," which leads to a gateway "Amount above R10,000?" If yes, it routes to "Manager Approval," then to "Process Payment" and an end event. If no, it goes directly to "Process Payment." BPMN makes processes readable by both business and technical teams.

Sample Answer

I would not pick a side or escalate immediately. First, I would make sure I fully understand each stakeholder's position and the reasoning behind it, because often what looks like a conflict is actually two people describing the same need from different angles. If the conflict is genuine, I would bring both parties into a facilitated session to surface the business objective behind each requirement. Most conflicts resolve when you tie both positions back to a shared goal. If they cannot be resolved at that level, I would document both positions with their trade-offs and escalate to the project sponsor with a clear recommendation for how to proceed.

Sample Answer

The as-is process documents how something works today, with all its manual steps, inefficiencies, and workarounds. The to-be process describes how it should work after the proposed change or system is implemented. The gap between the two defines the scope of the project. Without documenting the as-is state, you risk designing a solution that does not address the actual problem or that disrupts dependencies you were not aware of. In South African organisations, especially in banking and government, as-is documentation is also critical for compliance and audit purposes.

Sample Answer

Agile is an iterative approach to delivering work in short cycles called sprints, typically two weeks long, with frequent review and adaptation. In a Scrum team, the BA often works closely with the Product Owner to refine and clarify the product backlog: ensuring user stories are well-defined, have clear acceptance criteria, and are ready for the development team to pick up. The BA is the bridge between the business and the technical team, translating business needs into actionable stories and clarifying requirements during the sprint when developers have questions. In some SA organisations, especially smaller teams, the BA and Product Owner roles overlap significantly.